Yoshiko Watanabe

Yoshiko Watanabe (渡辺 喜子, Watanabe Yoshiko, born January 24, 1973) is a Japanese actress and film director from Shizuoka Prefecture. She graduated from the Tama Art University Department of Graphic Design and worked as a student instructor at the Tachikawa Art Institute during her studies.

Her career spans acting, directing, screenwriting, and assistant directing across film, television, stage, and promotional videos. As an actress, she has appeared in independent films, TV dramas, music videos, and stage productions since the early 2000s.

Watanabe also develops her own creative projects. Her feature film tig☆hug (2014)—which she wrote, directed, and appeared in—was produced as part of the first‑anniversary events commemorating Mount Fuji's registration as a World Heritage Site. The film was later screened at several festivals, including Aichi International Women's Film Festival and CAMERA JAPAN.