Kabuki actors Kazutaro Nakamura and Danko Ichikawa appeared on Tetsuko Kuroyanagi's long-running talk show "Tetsuko's Room" (TV Asahi) on June 16th. Both actors, whose grandmothers were alumni of the Takarazuka Revue, shared their memories.
"I feel a connection to Mr. Dango because our grandmothers were both from Takarazuka," Ichitaro said. Reflecting on his grandmother, Chizuru Ogi, who passed away three years ago, he said, "Kabuki is something that is done as one team, so she taught me a lot about 'how to behave as a person,' such as how to interact with apprentices."
Ms. Ogi had always told him to read the newspaper editorials. "I wasn't interested in newspapers back then, but I made sure to read the editorials. Looking back now, I think she was telling me to live my life without being too detached from the world," he recalled. "We've traveled together since we were kids and have so many fun memories. Sometimes she would leave me with words that showed me the harsh realities of life. She was both like a grandmother to me and a great mentor to me," he said.
Meanwhile, Dango spoke about his grandmother, Hamayuko, saying, "She was cheerful and always full of energy. When I was a child, we often did gardening in the yard and drew pictures together. I think she was a grandmother who was always creating something."
He shared an anecdote, saying, "Regarding the drawings I made (back then), rather than praising them just because I was a child, they would give me unbiased feedback like, 'This isn't right,' or 'This is good.' From that time on, when it came to art, they were fair in a good way, regardless of whether I was a child or not."
