Reisen Ri

Reisen Ri (, born Lee Cho-ja []; 25 March 1942 – 22 June 2021), also credited as Reisen Lee, was a Japanese actress of Zainichi Korean origin. She was associated with the Angura underground theatre movement, and was the wife of playwright Jūrō Kara.

Life and career A third-generation Zainichi Korean, Ri was born Lee Cho-ja in Tokyo in 1942.

She joined Kara's "Situation Theatre" in 1963 and gave her film debut in Nagisa Ōshima's 1969 Diary of a Shinjuku Thief. In 1972, she starred in Hiroshi Teshigahara's film Summer Soldiers, In addition, she appeared on stage in Japan and South Korea.

Personal life Ri was married to Kara from 1967 to 1988, though they remained friends after separating. She was friends with South Korean dissident writer Kim Chi-ha.

In 1975, she acquired Japanese citizenship.

Death She died in Tokyo of pneumonia on 22 June 2021, aged 79.

Selected filmography 1969: Diary of a Shinjuku Thief 1972: Summer Soldiers 1973: Female Convict Scorpion: Beast Stable 1976: Ninkyo Gaiden Genkai Nada 1985: Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters