Actor Katsumi Takahashi appeared on Tetsuko Kuroyanagi's long-running talk show "Tetsuko's Room" (TV Asahi) on April 23rd. Takahashi spoke about his memories of the drama "Shomuni" (Fuji TV), which first brought him attention, and his memories of Toshihito Ito, who co-starred with him in the drama and passed away suddenly at the young age of 40.
She was 36 years old when she appeared in "Shomuni." Afterwards, she appeared on the variety show "Trivia no Izumi." As her television appearances increased, she was recognized more often on the street. "People didn't call me by my name, but more often by the show's name, like 'Oh, Shomuni' or 'Trivia'," she said. At the time of her appearance in "Shomuni," she was still working part-time in the outdoor advertising business, putting up large billboards.
Ito, who co-starred with him in "Shomuni," passed away at the age of 40 from a subarachnoid hemorrhage before the first meeting for Part 3. "You could never tell if (Ito) was joking or serious, that's how it always was. He was really funny," she recalled.
They were both from Niigata Prefecture. Filming for the drama took place mostly in Makuhari, Chiba Prefecture. The two of them would take the early morning train together. "Even though it was just a short scene, we would often talk about how we should act in that spot," he recalled. Ito mourned their premature parting, saying, "Even now, it feels like he could come out of there at any moment."
