Shimada starred as Lady Mariko in the 1980 minseries 'Shōgun' and won a Golden Globe for her performance, while Sawai earned the award for her portrayal of the same character at the 2025 ceremony

First-time Emmy winner Anna Sawai is now also a first-time Golden Globe winner for her tole as Toda Mariko in the FX series Shōgun. She joined fellow Japanese actress Yôko Shimada who won the Golden Globe in the same category in 1981 for playing the same role in NBC’s miniseries adaptation of James Clavell’s novel.

If Sawai wins tonight in the Best Actress category, she would be following in the footsteps of Yoko Shimada, who also won a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Mariko in the 1980 Shōgun miniseries. Shimada was the first Asian actress to ever win a Golden Globe, and for the evening, she wore a traditional kimono in a floral pattern.