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Setsuko Hara (or Hara Setsuko) became one of Japan's best loved stars over her 30-year film career. Her signature character type, variations on a daughter devoted to her parents and home, inspired the nickname that stayed with her until retirement; The Eternal Virgin. To some extent, reality mirrored her roles in these films. In a society which considers marriage and parenting as almost obligatory, she remained single and childless, something of a controversy in Japan in the 1950s. Fortunately she was popular enough to avoid criticism but the 50s were still a hard decade. ----In 1963 shortly after the death of her mentor, director Yasujiro Ozu, she suddenly walked away from the film industry. At the age of 43 and at the height of her popularity she bluntly refused to perform again, angering her fans, the industry and the press. She implied acting had never been a pleasure and that she had only pursued a career in order to provide for her large family, this explanation is seen as the cause of her popularity backlash. She moved to a small house in picturesque Kamakura where she remained, living alone (though apparently sociable with friends) and refusing all roles offered.She is undoubtedly best known for her work with Yasujiro Ozu, making six films with the great director including the so-called 'Noriko' trilogy, of which Tokyo Story (1953) is probably the best known worldwide. She also worked with Akira Kurosawa, Mikio Naruse, Hiroshi Inagaki and many others. (source: imdb.com)
