Emi Wada, Oscar-winning Japanese costume designer, dies at 84

Emi Wada, the celebrated Japanese costume designer who won an Oscar for Akira Kurosawa's 'Ran' in 1985, has died. – Photo: AP

Wada's family told Japanese media that she died on Nov. 13, 2021, but did not disclose the cause or the place of her death.

Appreciated for her painstaking attention to detail – she hand-dyed the costumes for Ran – and for playing hard to get, Wada won numerous awards in addition to the Oscar and BAFTA. Other prizes included a Prime Time Emmy for her costumes in British TV show Oedipus Rex in 1993 and a Hong Kong Film Award for her designs on Zhang Yimou's spectacular martial arts fantasy Hero.