In 1931, she left Kyoto Prefectural Suzaku Senior High School to join the Takarazuka Revue.

[citation needed] While shooting Edo no Arawashi (1937), she met Nikkatsu director Masahiro Makino.

In 1942, due to government intervention, Nikkatsu's production division was forced to merge with other companies to form Daiei Studios.

In 1943, she gained popularity for portraying the heroine Sayo Murai in Akira Kurosawa's debut film, Sanshiro Sugata.

That same year she had a hit with the theme song to Hanako-san, Otsukai wa jitensha ni notte.