Ruriko Asaoka

Ruriko Asaoka , born 2 July 1940 in Xinjing, Manchukuo, is a Japanese actress. She won the Medal with Purple Ribbon (2002) and Order of the Rising Sun, 4th Class, Gold Rays with Rosette (2011). She married actor Koji Ishizaka in 1971 after appearing in the same TV drama. They separated in an amicable divorce in 2000 after a nearly 30-year marriage due to Ishizaka’s desire to care for his aging mother. Asaoka made her acting debut in 1955 and has appeared in many Films and TV shows including Goyokin, Machibuse and the television series Zatoichi with Shintaro Katsu. In recent years, she has mainly worked on stage in addition to the occasional television appearance.