A Girl Named Tamiko  A Girl Named Tamiko is a 1965 romantic drama film directed by John Sturges and starring Laurence Harvey and France Nuyen, with Martha Hyer, Gary Merrill, Michael Wilding, and Miyoshi Umeki. It is based on the novel of the same name by Ronald Kirkbride. "A Girl Named Tamiko" was filmed on-location in Japan in Technicolor and Panavision, and released by Paramount Pictures. Ivan Balin (Laurence Harvey) is a Eurasian photographer who is trapped in Japan, but who wants to emigrate to the United States. His visa is continually delayed, which causes him to use his charm with women to pull some strings and apply some pressure on the embassy. His romantic magnetism works on a thrill-seeking American (Martha Hyer) and an aristocratic Japanese woman (France Nuyen).