Japanese Academy Award / Best Actress

Since it was first awarded in 1978, the Japanese Academy Awards have honored the best actresses in a leading role in the Best Leading Actress category (最 優秀 主演 女優 賞, sai yūshū shuen joyū shō ).

The films are listed according to the year in which they were awarded.

Award winners and nominees

1978-1979

year	Award winners	for the movie	Nominations
1978	Shima Iwashita	Hanare goze Orin	Keiko Kishi for Akuma no temari-uta Momoe Yamaguchi for Kiri-no-hata , Dorodarake no junjō and Shunkinsho Chieko Baisho for Shiawase no kiiroi hankachi , Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro to tonosama and Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro gambare! Kumiko Akiyoshi for Totsuzen arashi no youni , Sugata Sanshiro and Hakkodasan
1979	Shinobu Ōtake	Hiroshi Ueda murder trial	Kazuko Yoshiyuki for In the Realm of Passion Naomi Tani for Dan Oniroku bara no nikutai Keiko Matsuzaka for the murder trial Hiroshi Ueda Meiko Kaji for Sonezaki shinju

1980-1989

year	Award winners	for the movie	Nominations
1980	Kaori Momoi	Mo hozue wa tsukanai and Kamisamaga kureta akanbō	Shinobu Ōtake for Ah! Nomugi toge Junko Miyashita for Akai kami no onna Keiko Matsuzaka for Haitatsu sarenai santsu no tegami Hideko Takamine for Shodo satsujin: Musuko yo
1981	Chieko Baisho	A distant cry in the spring and Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro haibisukasu no hana	Sayuri Yoshinaga for Dōran Setsuko Karasuma for Shiki Natsuko Naoko Otani for Gypsy Sages Keiko Matsuzaka for Warui yatsura
1982	Keiko Matsuzaka	Seishun no mon and Otoko wa tsurai yo: Naniwa no koino torajiro	Shima Iwashita for Akuryo-To Kaori Momoi for The Thief and the geisha Chieko Baisho for Eki Station Eri Ishida for Enrai
1983	Keiko Matsuzaka	The death stairs and Dōtonborigawa	Kaori Momoi for suspicion Masako Natsume for Kirūin Hanako no shōgai Yūko Tanaka for The Rape Ayumi Ishida for Yaju-deka and Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro ajisai no koi
1984	Rumiko Koyanagi	Hakujasho	Yūko Tanaka for Amagi goe and Otoko wa tsurai yo: Hana mo arashi mo Torajiro Masako Natsume for Gyoei no mure and Jidai-ya no nyobo Sumiko Sakamoto for The Ballad by Narayama Kimiko Ikegami for Yokiro
1985	Sayuri Yoshinaga	Tengoku no eki and Ohan	Nobuko Miyamoto for funeral ceremony Masako Natsume for MacArthur's children Keiko Matsuzaka for Shanhai bansukingu and Kesho Miwako Fujitani for Umitsubame Jyo no kiseki and Chihei-sen
1986	Mitsuko Baisho	Ikiteru uchiga hana nanoyo shin-dara sore madeyo to sengen , Koibumi and Tomo yo shizukani nemure	Yukiyo Toake for Hana ichimonme and Kai Shima Iwashita for Ma no toki , Shokutaku no nai ie and Seijo densetsu Hiroko Yakushimaru for W no higeki Sayuri Yoshinaga for Yumechiyo nikki
1987	Ayumi Ishida	Kataku no hito and Tokei - Adieu l'hiver	Shima Iwashita for Gokudō no onna-tachi and Yari no gonza Keiko Matsuzaka for Kataku no hito and Hakō kirameku hate Ruriko Asaoka for Rokumeikan Chieko Baisho for Lost in the Snow and Rikon shinai onna
1988	Nobuko Miyamoto	The tax investigator	Sayuri Yoshinaga for Eiga joyu Yuki Saito for Koisuru onnatachi and Totto Channel Yoshiko Mita for Wakarenu riyu Yukiyo Toake for Yogisha , Gokudo no onna-tachi 2 and Hotaru-gawa
1989	Sayuri Yoshinaga	Tsuru and Hana no ran	Narumi Yasuda for Bakayarō !: Watashi okkote masu and Marilyn ni aitai Nobuko Miyamoto for The Tax Investigator again beats Keiko Matsuzaka for On'na sakasemasu Yuki Saito for Yushun and Sayonara no onnatachi

1990-1999

year	Award winners	for the movie	Nominations
1990	Yoshiko Tanaka	Black Rain	Junko Fuji for A un Yūko Kotegawa for Hana no furu gogo Yoshiko Mita for Rikyu, the tea master , Gokudo no onna-tachi: San-daime ane and Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro sarada kinenbi Yukiyo Toake for Shaso
1991	Keiko Matsuzaka	Sting of death	Nobuko Miyamoto for Geisha of Happiness Shima Iwashita for Gokudo no onna-tachi: Saigo no tatakai and Shonen jidai Yoshiko Sakuma for Isan sōzoku Riho Makise for Tsugumi and Tōkyō jōkū irasshaimase
1992	Tanie Kitabayashi	Daiyukai	Sachiko Murase for Rhapsodie in August Youki Kudoh for Sensō to seishun Kanako Higuchi for Shimanto-gawa and Kagerō Shima Iwashita for Shin gokudo no onna-tachi
1993	Yoshiko Mita	Toki rakujitsu	Sayuri Yoshinaga for Gekashitsu and Tengoku no Taizai Yōko Minamino for Kantsubaki and Watashi o daite soshite kisu shite Nobuko Miyamoto for The Art of Blackmail Shinobu Ōtake for Shinde mo ii and Fukkatsu no asa
1994	Emi Wakui	Niji no hashi	Shima Iwashita for Shin gokudo no onna-tachi: Kakugoshiiya Ruby Moreno for Where is the moon? Isako Washio for Waga ai no uta - Taki Rentaro monogatari Sayuri Yoshinaga for Yume no onna
1995	Saki Takaoka	Chushingura gaiden yotsuya kaidan	Yumi Adachi for Ie naki ko Tomoko Yamaguchi for Izakaya yurei Sayuri Yoshinaga for Onna zakari Rino Katase for Shinonomerō onna no ran
1996	Yūko Asano	Kura	Kumiko Akiyoshi for Fukai kawa Yasuko Sawaguchi for Himeyuri no tō Michiko Hada for Hito de nashi no koi Yukiyo Toake for Nihon ichi mijikai 'Haha' e no tegami
1997	Tamiyo Kusakari	Shall we dance?	Eri Fukatsu for (Haru) Ayumi Ishida for Gakko II Chara for Swallowtail Nobuko Miyamoto for Sūpah no onna
1998	Hitomi Kuroki	Shitsurakuen	Nobuko Miyamoto for Marutai no onna Kyoka Suzuki for Radio-Zeit Miho Nakayama for Tokyo biyori Misa Shimizu for Der Aal
1999	Mieko Harada	Ai o kou hito	Sayuri Yoshinaga for Diary of Early Winter Shower Shinobu Ōtake for Gakko III Kayoko Kishimoto for Hana-Bi Nanako Matsushima for Ringu

2000-2009

year	Award winners	for the movie	Nominations
2000	Shinobu Ōtake	Poppoya	Kyoka Suzuki for 39 keihō dai sanjūkyū jō Ryōko Hirosue for Himitsu Shinobu Ōtake for Kuroi ie Shigeru Muroi for Nodo jiman
2001	Sayuri Yoshinaga	Nagasaki burabura bushi	Yoshiko Miyazaki for After the Rain Rena Tanaka for Hatsukoi Mitsuko Mori for Kawa no nagare no you ni Nanako Matsushima for Whiteout
2002	Keiko Kishi	Kah-chan	Yūko Tanaka for Hotaru Kyōko Koizumi for Kaza-hana Sayuri Yoshinaga for Sennen no koi: Hikaru Genji monogatari Narumi Yasuda for Taiga no itteki
2003	Rie Miyazawa	Samurai at dusk	Kanako Higuchi for Amida-do dayori Makiko Esumi for Inochi Mieko Harada for Out Kyoka Suzuki for Ryōma no tsuma to sono otto to aijin
2004	Shinobu Terajima	Akame shijuya taki shinju misui	Shinobu Ōtake for Ashura no gotoku Aya Ueto for Azumi Arisa Mizuki for Bokunchi Yuko Takeuchi for Yomigaeri
2005	Kyoka Suzuki	Blood & Bones	Takako Tokiwa for Akai tsuki Yuko Takeuchi for Ima, ai ni yukimasu Takako Matsu for The Hidden Blade Kyōko Fukada for Shimotsuma monogatari
2006	Sayuri Yoshinaga	Kita no zeronen	Koyuki for Always san-chōme no yūhi Yuko Takeuchi for Haru no yuki Mika Nakashima for Nana Yoshino Kimura for Semishigure
2007	Miki Nakatani	Kiraware Matsuko no Isshō	Rei Dan for Love and Honor - Bushi no ichibun Masami Nagasawa for Nada sō sō Kanako Higuchi for Ashita no kioku Yasuko Matsuyuki for Hula Girls
2008	Kirin Kiki	Tōkyo Tower - Okan to boku to, tokidoki, oton	Shinobu Terajima for Ai no rukeichi Miki Nakatani for Jigyaku no uta Rie Miyazawa for Orion-za kara no shōtaijō Yukie Nakama for Ōoku
2009	Tae Kimura	Gururi no koto	Sayuri Yoshinaga for Kâbê Sayuri Yoshinaga for Maboroshi no Yamataikoku Ryōko Hirosue for Nokan - The Art of Ending Yukie Nakama for Watashi wa kai ni naritai

2010-2020

year	Award winners	for the movie	Nominations
2010	Takako Matsu	Viyon no tsuma	Doona Bae for Kûki ningyô Haruka Ayase for Oppai barê Aoi Miyazaki for Shonen merikensakku Ryôko Hirosue for Zero no shôten
2011	Eri Fukatsu	Akunin	Takako Matsu for Confessions Sayuri Yoshinaga for Otôto Shinobu Terajima for Kyatapirâ Hiroko Yakushimaru for Kondo wa aisaika
2012	Mao Inoue	Yôkame no semi	Miki Nakatani for Hankyu densha Aoi Miyazaki for Tsure ga utsu ni narimashite. Masami Nagasawa for Moteki Eri Fukatsu for Sutekina kanashibari
2013	Kirin Kiki	Waga Haha no Ki	Tamiyo Kusakari for Tsui no Shintaku Erika Sawajiri for Helter Skelter Takako Matsu for Yume Uru Futari Sayuri Yoshinaga for Kita no Kanaria Tachi
2014	Yōko Maki	Sayonara Keikoku	Aya Ueto for Bushi no Kondate Machiko Ono for Soshite Chichi ni Naru Aoi Miyazaki for Fune o Amu Kazuko Yoshiyuki for Tokyo Kazoku
2015	Rie Miyazawa	Kami no Tsuki	Sakura Andō for 0.5mm Chizuru Ikewaki for Soko nomi nite Hikari Kagayaku Mao Inoue for Shirayuki Hime Satsujin Jiken Fumi Nikaidō for Watashi no Otoko Sayuri Yoshinaga for Fushigi na Misaki no Monogatari
2016	Sakura Andō	Hyakuen no Koi	Haruka Ayase for our little sister Kasumi Arimura for Biri Gal Kirin Kiki for cherry blossoms and red beans Sayuri Yoshinaga for Haha to Kuraseba
2017	Rie Miyazawa	Her Love Boils Bathwater	Shinobu Otake for Black Widow Business Haru Kuroki for A Bride for Rip Van Winkle Suzu Hirose for Chihayafuru: Kami no Ku Aoi Miyazaki for Rage
2018	Yū Aoi	Birds Without Names	Yui Aragaki for Mixed Doubles Tao Tsuchiya for The 8-Year Engagement Masami Nagasawa for Before We Vanish Yuriko Yoshitaka for Yurigokoro
2019	Sakura Andō	Shoplifters - family ties	Haru Kuroki for Every Day a Good Day Ryoko Shinohara for The House Where the Mermaid Sleeps Mayu Matsuoka for Tremble All You Want Sayuri Yoshinaga for Sakura Guardian in the North
2020	Shim Eun-kyung	The journalist	Fumi Nikaidō for Fly Me to the Saitama Mayu Matsuoka for Listen to the Universe Rie Miyazawa for No Longer Human Sayuri Yoshinaga for The Bucket List