Kazuko Hosoki


Kazuko Hosoki is a Japanese fortune teller, as well as the author of over 100 books. In addition to her regular celebrity appearances on Japanese television, she is known for her belief that ancestor worship is central to Japanese identity.

Biography

Hosoki began managing Tokyo clubs and coffee shops while still a teenager, eventually running up debts to Japanese organized crime members. In 1983 she married influential Japanese power broker Masahiro Yasuoka, who died that same year.

Celebrity

Hosoki appeared frequently on the original Iron Chef, where she served as one of the four celebrity judges that would determine the outcome of each match. She is often seen stating her opinions very strongly on Japanese TV shows. Some of her views may be taken as conservative. She has repeatedly made very traditionalist statements on women in the family, stating that a woman's main function should be to support her husband's career. She has also publicly endorsed prime-minister Junichiro Koizumi's controversial visits to Yasukuni Shrine.
Hosoki's celebrity fans include sumo wrestling yokozuna Asashōryū. They have appeared together on TV specials and once Asashōryū rented her white Rolls-Royce. She maintains a residence in Arashiyama, Kyoto City.