Tetsuko Kuroyanagi

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Tetsuko Kuroyanagi
黒柳 徹子
Kuroyanagi in November, 2015
Born	(1933-08-09) August 9, 1933 (age 91) Tokyo City, Tokyo Prefecture, Empire of Japan
Occupations	Actress voice actress tarento
Years active	1953–present
Parents	Moritsuna Kuroyanagi (father) Chō Kuroyanagi (mother)

Tetsuko Kuroyanagi (黒柳 徹子, Kuroyanagi Tetsuko, born August 9, 1933) is a Japanese actress, television personality, World Wide Fund for Nature advisor, and Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF.^[1][2] She joined NHK Broadcasting Theatre Company as the first television actress in 1953. In 1954, she made her debut as the lead actress in the radio drama Yambō Nimbō Tombō. In 1976, TV Asahi's Tetsuko's Room (Tetsuko no Heya) started airing. This program was recognized by the Guinness World Records in 2011 for having the highest number of broadcasts by the same host. It has been airing on weekdays at noon every week, and as of 2023, it has surpassed 11,000 episodes in its 48th year. Her autobiographical book, Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window, which depicts her childhood, became a post-WW2 bestseller with over 8 million copies sold in Japan and 25 million copies worldwide.^[3] It has also been adapted into a television series twice.

She is also known for her charitable works, and is considered one of the first Japanese celebrities to achieve international recognition.^[4] In 2006, Donald Richie referred to Kuroyanagi in his book Japanese Portraits: Pictures of Different People as "the most popular and admired woman in Japan."^[5]