Born Machie Takigawa, she was active as a dancer at the Asakusa Rock Theater under the stage name Mary Rose in the early 1950s. Due to her appearance, she was affectionately nicknamed Daruma-chan and Jumbo-chan. Soon after moving to the Nichigeki Music Hall, she was scouted by the film industry and made her acting debut in "Gurama-to no yuwaku/The Temptation of Grama Island."

Memorable in Japan for her regular role in eight of the ten Toei film series " Trucker Rascals," playing the wife of the series co-star Aikawa Kinya, among appearances in other popular cinematic serials such as Zatoichi and Tora-san. International audiences would be more familiar with her work with avant-garde directors Shōhei Imamura & Shūji Terayama.