The Tuesday drama "Toki Sude ni Osushi!?" (TBS, Tuesdays at 10 PM), starring actress Hiromi Nagasaku and featuring Kenichi Matsuyama, will premiere on April 7th. Minato Machiyama (Nagasaku), who has finished raising her children, is bewildered by the "time to herself" that she has finally found at the age of 50. She jumps into a "Sushi Academy" where she can become a sushi chef in three months, and meets the instructor, Kai Oedo (Matsuyama). Nagasaku and Matsuyama, who are co-starring for the first time in 18 years since the movie "Don't Laugh at My Sex" (2008), shared their impressions of each other and behind-the-scenes stories from filming.
◇ "Working with Hiromi Nagasaku can only be a positive experience for me."
The drama is an original work with a script by Ruri Hyodo, who also wrote "My Diary" and "My Worst Friend."
--Please tell us your honest reaction when you received the offer to appear in the show.
Nagasaku: I was truly surprised. But I felt a sense of challenge, and I was excited, thinking that I definitely want to make this into a wonderful drama.
Matsuyama: I played the role of a cake maker in the Sunday drama "Reboot" (on the same network), and I was lucky to learn how to make cakes there and become able to make them. Then I got an offer to play a sushi chef. I thought, "If I can make cakes and make sushi, I'll be an amazing person," and when I found out that Nagasaku-san was the lead, it would be our first time working together since "Don't Laugh at My Sex Life," so I thought that appearing in it could only be a positive thing for me. That's why I absolutely wanted to do it (the role of Oedo), and now I'm working hard to play it.
--What did you think after reading the script?
Nagasaku: Even though the plot unfolds at a fairly rapid pace, the conversations are relatable, and the emotions that arise within them are enjoyable to read. I thought it was a script that I would really enjoy seeing brought to life. I could imagine that once all the characters start moving, a very rich situation will emerge.
Matsuyama: I think the subject matter is definitely relevant to the present era. I don't think there was a sushi academy in the past, but the story itself feels like a heartwarming tale, similar to classic rakugo (traditional Japanese storytelling). So I think it will be very easy to watch, and I feel it will be a heartwarming drama.
Nagasaku-san: I'm sure it'll be very soothing.
-- Are there any similarities or aspects of the character that you can relate to or empathize with?
Nagasaku: It doesn't appear in the scenes directly, but she worries about her son (Nagisa, played by Motoki Nakazawa) and struggles with maintaining the right distance between them... Of course, that's part of it, but when you try to portray a mother's daily life, it's quite hectic. The more I act, the more hectic Minato becomes, and I find myself thinking, "She's just like me."
Matsuyama: Things are so convenient these days, aren't they? But Oedo is a character that wants to cherish the kind of interactions and connections that have existed since ancient times, and hasn't been able to update very well.
I'm the opposite type; I tend to jump on new things right away. But when I do jump on something, I tend to forget what Oedo cherished. Then, when I think about it, I realize that "(the old interactions and connections) are important too." I think both the old and the new have their pros and cons, but the desire to "cherish something" and "be sincere" is something I always think about, and I feel that Oedo feels the same way.
--You co-starred with each other 18 years ago. What were your impressions of working together again on this project?
Nagasaku-san: Every time I see Matsuyama-san, I think he's really changing as he plays so many different roles. But when I met him this time, he came over to me with a grin on his face, and I was a little happy to see that he hadn't changed at all since then. He's just the same when we start talking, and I feel like we can build a good relationship again, so I'm excited to be acting with him now.
Matsuyama: Last time, I played a character who was drawn to the character played by Nagasaku-san, and for me, Nagasaku-san is someone who gives me a sense of security, so I feel like I might end up relying on her or leaning on her. But this time, I'm the instructor and Nagasaku-san is the student, so the relationship is reversed from last time, and I feel like I need to be strong.
--As you play the roles of student and instructor at the "Sushi Academy," I imagine you've received instruction on proper etiquette.
Nagasaku: I'm starting from scratch, not even knowing how to make sushi, so I've had a few lessons to get a feel for it, and I'm currently stuck at that point. So, once we start filming the sushi academy scenes properly, I'm thinking of doing it all together with everyone, saying "One, two, three!" That's my plan, or rather, the story I have in mind. So, I'm just stuck at the point where I realize how difficult it is. Even filleting fish. I'm also starting from scratch with things like the proper etiquette, and I'm thinking of having Master Oedo teach me.
Matsuyama: Things are getting really bad...
Nagasaku: You must be practicing a lot.
Matsuyama: That's true, but it's not good. So, if I don't make it in time, I'll just go with my face.
Nagasaku: What do you mean?!
Matsuyama: Like expressing how to fillet a horse mackerel using only facial expressions, or how to make sushi.
Nagasaku: I see (laughs).
Matsuyama: I thought it would be better to do it just in case.
Nagasaku: I'm thinking about that strategy too (laughs). But that just shows how difficult it is.
Matsuyama: It's really profound, and you can see how much time you've put into it. It's just like boxing. I wish I'd been offered the job three years ago (laughs).
◇What was the atmosphere like on set?
--Your co-stars include First Summer Uika, Motoki Nakazawa, Soma Santoki, and Shiro Sano. Could you tell us about the atmosphere and your impressions of the set?
Nagasaku: We filmed a scene where the four of us (Nagasaku, Uika, Yamaji, and Sano) were talking, and it was really fun. Not only did Uika deliver her lines well, but even when she was just sitting there, she would really take the lead and carry the scene by herself. Yamaji and I were saying things like, "It's really helpful to have Uika around."
Sano seems to adore Yamaji like a son. I saw him saying, "I feel like a father," while talking about food and things like that.
Matsuyama: Yamaji-kun is only 20 years old, right?
Nagasaku: Yes, he's 20 years old. He's a student. Sano said that his daughter had just gotten married and moved out, so he felt exactly the same way as Minato. That's why even when no one was speaking their lines, it felt like someone was always talking. And Yamaji was just listening the whole time.
--It's exciting that you'll be joining that group from now on.
Matsuyama: I'm not in yet, so I'll just keep glaring at them intently and maybe even scold Sano-san (laughs).
Nagasaku: But I don't think I can stay like that forever. I think I'll become quite the target of teasing. In situations like this, you're easy to tease, right? (laughs)
--Please tell us about Mr. Nakazawa as well.
Nagasaku: I always think he's a really sincere person. The other day, there was a scene where Nakazawa-kun was walking in front of me down the stairs, and the moment he saw the stairs, he started doing some light warm-up exercises. I had this image of him as a "cooking guy," so I was surprised that he was so careful even when going down the stairs! When I talked to him later, I found out he's an athlete, and it made sense. I thought I should learn from him that people who are good at sports prepare properly even when going down a single flight of stairs. I think that's a wonderful quality about him.
I think he's someone who will change a lot from now on, so I'd like to enjoy watching him grow while we film. I really hope Nakazawa-kun can act however he likes and enjoy being on set.
--Please give a message to viewers who are looking forward to this work.
Nagasaku: I think this film will encourage people of all ages, so I hope that when you watch it, you'll find that you share the same feelings and thoughts, or perhaps gain different information, about the things you're stuck in. I would be so happy if you could use this film to help yourself. We are working hard to create this film with the intention of sending encouragement to everyone. We too have struggled, we have fought hard, we have climbed back up, and we are determined to move forward, so please watch it.
Matsuyama: I think this drama will really make you love sushi. Sushi is, in a sense, a traditional culture. In that sense, I would be happy if people could take an interest in sushi again. Also, I think it might be an opportunity to re-examine communication with family and friends, or lead to new discoveries. I would be happy if people could feel a lot of things through this drama.
