歌川八重子，Utagawa Yaeko was born in Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture in 1903. Her real name was Fukagawa Masae. In 1918 she first trod the boards at the Kobe Jurakukan theater. It was while on tour that one day she saw the film Yuhi no Mura, direted by Henry Otani and it became her fervent desire to be a film actress.