Ken Watanabe First Wife: Meet Yumiko Watanabe

Yumiko Watanabe is the first wife of Ken Watanabe whom he married in 1983.

The duo divorced in 2005, after two years of arbitration. Their union produced two children, a son, Dai Watanabe, and a daughter, Anne Watanabe.

Who Is Ken Watanabe?

Ken Watanabe is an actor famous for playing Lord Katsumoto Moritsugu in the 2003 epic film “The Last Samurai”.

Boon October 21, 1959, in Koide, Niigata, Japan, Watanabe performs in both Japanese and English films, with his career spanning several decades.

Watanabe began acting in the theaters, performing in various Japanese stage productions such as “Shimodani Mannencho Monogatari” and “The Lion in Winter.”

His breakthrough came with his role in “The Last Samurai” (2003), which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Afterwards, Watanabe began appearing in Hollywood films like “Batman Begins” (2005), Memoirs of a Geisha” (2005),  “Inception” (2010), “Interstellar” (2014), “Godzilla” (2014), and “The King and I” (2015-2016).

Other Japanese movies he has appeared include “Shizumanu Taiyo” (2009), “Unforgiven” (2013), and “Rage” (2016).

As one of Japan’s most accomplished actors, Watanabe has earned numerous awards and nominations including the Japan Academy Prize, the Blue Ribbon Awards, the Tony Award, and the Asian Film Award.