Noritake Kinashi of the comedy duo "Tunnels" appeared on the program "Sunday's First-Time Learning" (MBS/TBS) which aired on June 28th. He revealed how he came to be in a relationship with his wife, actress Narumi Yasuda.
Kinashi fell in love with Yasuda at first sight on the set of the 1986 film "Sorobanzuku." At the time, Yasuda was already a very popular actor, and for Kinashi, who was still a young comedian, he was like an unattainable ideal.
Kinashi's approach was, "This was before the age of cell phones, so I would look for an opportunity to say, 'Naru-san, let's go out for a meal.' That's where it all started." He continued, "At the very end, we were alone together in a radio booth somewhere, so I said, 'Naru-san, call me home today.' I rushed home and waited without even going out for drinks. It wasn't a cell phone back then. She called me that night, and I was finally able to get in touch with her."
Kinashi revealed that he continued to pursue her relentlessly despite being rejected multiple times, saying, "Then we started going out for meals. I would say, 'Let's be a couple,' and she would refuse, saying, 'No, no. Now is not the time for dating or anything like that,' but I would say, 'Okay, okay. I get that you're refusing... so please go out with me.' I would say, 'Let's try dating,' and she would say, 'No, now is not the time, so I don't want to,' and I would say, 'I get that. Let's leave that aside. So, please go out with me again.'"
The two began dating and got married in 1994, eight years after they first met. In a wedding interview video shown on the program, when asked "What do you like about Kinashi as a husband?", Yasuda smiled shyly and replied, "He's a positive thinker, and no matter what happens, I think it will turn out to be fun and in a good way."
