Actress Shim Eun-kyung has won the Best Actress Award from Kinema Junpo for her film “Travel and Days” (directed by Miyake Sho), one of the oldest and most prestigious film awards in Japanese cinema.
On the 30th, Shim Eun-kyung’s agency, Fanfare, announced that she received the Best Actress Award at the 99th Kinema Junpo Best Ten Awards in 2025 for her film “Travel and Days.”
Shim Eun-kyung expressed her gratitude, stating, “I am truly grateful for receiving such a wonderful award. I am happy to have encountered this work, which feels like a miracle, and I am thrilled to win this award. I believe many around the world will also be captivated by Director Miyake Sho’s worldview, as showcased in ‘Travel and Days.'”
Founded in 1919, Kinema Junpo stands as Japan’s most prestigious film magazine. Each year, it announces the top 10 films and ranks among prestigious award ceremonies in Japanese cinema, alongside the Japan Academy Awards, Blue Ribbon Awards, and Mainichi Film Awards.
Celebrating its 99th anniversary this year, Kinema Junpo announced “Travel and Days” as the top film in its Best Ten list and officially revealed Shim Eun-kyung’s Best Actress win.
As a result, Shim Eun-kyung became the first Korean actress to achieve this feat. Her win is particularly significant; she is the first foreign actress to receive the honor since Ruby Moreno in 1993 for “Where Is the Moon?” (directed by Sai Yoichi).
Previously, Shim Eun-kyung made history in 2020 by becoming the first Korean actress to win the Best Actress Award at the Japan Academy Awards for her film “The Journalist,” and also earned multiple accolades at the Mainichi Film Awards and the Takasaki Film Festival.
With her win at the Kinema Junpo Awards, where film journalists and critics select the top works and actors, she has successfully demonstrated her presence on the global stage.
“Travel and Days” is a collaboration between emerging master director Miyake Sho, one of the most promising directors worldwide, and Shim Eun-kyung, who, as the first Korean actress to win Best Actress Awards in both Korea and Japan, established her status as a global actress from the outset.
Living up to expectations, “Travel and Days” won the top prize, the Golden Leopard, at the Locarno International Film Festival, one of the world’s six major film festivals. The 99th Kinema Junpo Best Ten also named it the number one film.
Moreover, the film received consecutive invitations to the 73rd San Sebastian International Film Festival, the 22nd Reykjavik International Film Festival, the 33rd Hamburg Film Festival, and the 30th Busan International Film Festival, gaining worldwide attention.
Furthermore, Shim Eun-kyung garnered Best Actress nominations at the 38th Nikkan Sports Film Awards, a prominent Japanese honor, and the 36th Singapore International Film Festival, which showcases innovative Asian works. She also received a nomination for the Leading Actor Award at the 80th Mainichi Film Awards, hosted by the Mainichi Newspaper and Sports Nippon Newspaper.
Notably, this category unifies leading actors without gender distinction, adding further significance to her nomination. With her victory at the 99th Kinema Junpo Best Actress Award, she has firmly established her presence on the international stage.
The 99th Kinema Junpo Awards ceremony is scheduled for February 19, and Shim Eun-kyung is coordinating her schedule to attend.
Fanfare, Atnine Film, Bitters End, Inc.
