Reports: Oscar-winning Japanese costume designer Wada dies

By YURI KAGEYAMA
AP Business Writer

TOKYO (AP) — Emi Wada, the Japanese costume designer who won an Oscar for her work in Akira Kurosawa’s “Ran,” has died. She was 84. Japanese media reports say Wada died Nov. 13. No cause of death was given. Wada was catapulted to stardom by the samurai costumes she created for the 1985 “Ran,” a striking portrayal of bloody intrigue and betrayal inspired by William Shakespeare’s “King Lear.” Wada designed costumes for other reputed film directors including Nagisa Oshima and Zhang Yimou, as well as for the theater and opera. Amon Miyamoto, a theater director who worked with Wada, expressed praise for her.