The "passing of the baton" ceremony for the NHK morning drama series was held on September 4th at the NHK Osaka Broadcasting Station (Chuo Ward, Osaka City), attended by Ito Sari, the heroine of the currently airing "Wings on a Tiger," and Hashimoto Kanna, who stars in "Omusubi," which starts on September 30th. Ito spoke with emotion, saying, "It's a really strange feeling. By passing on the baton, I felt like it was really over, and it feels like this time has come surprisingly quickly, so I'm feeling a lot of emotions."
Ito said of Hashimoto, whom she met for the first time, "I thought, 'She's so cute!' I was so nervous that I couldn't talk to her much behind the scenes... I'm glad I met her today."
She also gave advice on how to get through the long filming, saying, "You'll probably be surprised when people around you tell you it's tough. There may be a moment when you realize you're actually tired, so be sensitive to your own ups and downs, and support yourself, or rather, take care of yourself and be kind to yourself. I hope you all have fun. Do your best."
Ito gave Hashimoto a frying pan and cutlery set made in Niigata Prefecture, a famous metalwork production area and one of the locations where "Tiger and Wings" is set. The cutlery has Hashimoto's name engraved on it, and Hashimoto said happily, "I'm really happy because I don't get to receive something with my name on it unless I have an opportunity like this. I'd like to grill some good meat and eat it with this cutlery."
"Tiger and Wings" is an original story based on the life of Yoshiko Mibuchi (1914-1984), Japan's first female lawyer and later a judge. This legal entertainment depicts the heroine Torako and her friends forging a path through difficult times to save lost children and cornered women.
"Omusubi" is a "Heisei youth graffiti" about the heroine Yoneda Yui (Hashimoto), who was born on the day the era name changed to "Heisei", and who grows up as a gal in Fukuoka before moving to Kansai for a certain reason to aim to become a registered dietitian. It is an original work by screenwriter Nemoto Nonji, known for NHK's drama "Shojiki Real Estate", among others.
