Meiko Kaji was born March 24th, 1947 in Tokyo, Japan. She was uncontested queen of the cinema of Japanese exploitation of the Seventies with classic films like Lady Snowblood and Female Scorpion series. Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill has helped expose a new generation of fans onto Meiko Kaji and her films most notably the film Lady Snowblood.

Her film career began in 1965 while working for the Nikkatsu corporation one Japan’s oldest and most prestige’s studio’s. In 1967 she co-starred with Sonny Chiba in Ginsho Nagaremono: Mesuneko Bakushi. She first gained attention for series of ALLEYCAT ROCK’N'ROLL films and she would star in a total of 5 Allycat films. 1971 would see Meiko star in Blind Woman’s Curse of Teruo Ishii and when Nikkatsu restructures and concentrates its activity around the production of erotic films with small budgets Meiko KAJI would leave Nikkatsu for Toei.

Her first film with Toei Female Convict Scorpion # 701 would spawn another successful series of films and Meiko would stay on for the next three sequals. After making Female Prisoner Scorpion: Grudge Song Meiko’s next film would be the one that she is most known for Lady Snowblood. She would finish the 1970’s strong with Lady Snowblood Love Song of Vengeance and Fukasaku’s Yakuza Graveyard. Meiko Kaji has worked off and on the last 25 years, but she will always be remembered for the films she made in the 1970’s when she was the queen of Japanese exploitation.

Filmography:

“Hasshû mawari kuwayama jûbei” (2007)
“Nogaremono orin” (2006)
“Anata no tonari ni dare ka iru” (2003)
Kaseifu ha mita! 21 (2003) (TV)
Zeno kagiri naki ai ni (1999)
PAPA KAKKOTSUKANAIZE / DADDY! BE GOOD (1995) (TV)
16 YEARS A FLOWER (1995)
Onihei hankachô (1995)
Aoi sanmyaku 88 (1988)
Tree Without Leaves (1986)
Kaseifu ha mita! 2 (1984) (TV)
Kodomo no koro sensô ga atta (1981)
Bad Sorts (1980)
Double Suicide of Sonezaki (1978)
Sabita honô (1977)
Yakuza no hakaba : kuchi nashi no hana (1976)
Lullaby of the Earth (1976)
Between Women and Wives (1976)
Yakuza Graveyard (1975)
Dômyaku rettô (1975)
Takehisa yumeji monogatari : koisuru (1975)
jeans blues asunaki buraiha (1974)
Mujuku (1974)
Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance (1974)
Lady Snowblood (1973)
Female Prisoner Scorpion: #701’s Grudge Song (1973)
Female Prisoner Scorpion: Beast Stable (1973)
The Yakuza Papers: Deadly Fight in Hiroshima (1973)
Gendai ninkyôshi (1973)
Female Convict Scorpion Jailhouse 41 (1972)
Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion (1972)
“Koya no so ronin” (1972) TV Series
Kinchô wataridori (1972)
Ginchô nagaremono (1972)
Stray Cat Rock: Wild Measures ‘71 (1971)
RYUKETSU NO KOSO (1971)
Yoru no saizensen : tôkyô maruhi chitai (1971)
Sannin no onna : yoru no chô (1971)
Bôryokudan : norikomi (1971)
Asagiri (1971)
Onna no iji (1971)
Noraneko rokku : machin animal (1970)
Hana no tokkôtai aa senyû yo (1970)
Nippon saidai no kaoyaku (1970)
Hikô shônen wakamono no toride (1970)
Sakariba jingi (1970)
Kantô girikyôdai (1970)
TEKKABA BOJYO (1970)
ALLEY CAT ROCK : WILD JUMBO (1970)
Female Juvenile Delinquent Leader: Stray Cat Rock (1970)
Hangyaku no Melody (1970)
The Blind Woman’s Curse (1970)
Stray Cat Rock: Sex Hunter (1970)
Step on the Gas (1970)
100 Gamblers (1969)
Arashi no yûsha tachi (1969)
Akasaya jingi tekka midare zakura (1969)
Gokudô petenshi (1969)
Kyôka restuden shûmei tobaku (1969)
Sakura sakazuki jingi (1969)
Nippon zangyôden (1969)
Zankoku onna shikei (1969)
Yabanjin no nekutai (1969)
Hana no mesu toshi ue no onna (1969)
Koi no tumuji kaze (1969)
Onna no Keisatsu (1969)
Yoru no mesu hana to chô (1969)
BG aru 19 sai no nikki agete yokatta ! (1968)
Nawabari wa moratta (1968)
Aa himeyuri no tô (1968)
Aru shôjo no kokuhaku kindan no kajitsu (1968)
Daikanbu burai (1968)
Otoko no okite (1968)
KETTO (1967)
HANA WO KUU MUSHI (1967)
YOGIRI YO KONYA MO ARIGATÔ (1967)
HOSHI YO NAGEKUNA SHÔRI NO OTOKO (1967)
GINCHO NAGAREMONO : MESUNEKO BAKUCHI (1967)
Arashi wo yobu otoko (1966)
Watashi wa nakanai (1966)
Zesshô (1966)
Yaru ka yarareru ka (1966)
Anata no inochi (1966)
Namida kun sayonara (1966)
Aitakute aitakute (1966)
Yogiri no bojô (1966)
Taiyô ga daisuki (1966)
Seishun a gogo (1966)
Nippon chimatsuri kenkajô (1966)
Kanashiki wakare no uta (1965)
Sasurai wa ore no unmei (1965)
Seishun zenki aoi kajitsu (1965)
Otoko no kunshô ryûten no okite (1965)
Aitsu to no bôken (1965)
Nakaseru ze (1965)
Akai tanima no ketto (1965)