The "passing of the baton" ceremony for the NHK morning drama series was held on September 4th at the NHK Osaka Broadcasting Station (Chuo-ku, Osaka City), and was attended by Sari Ito, the heroine of the currently airing "Tiger and Wings," and Kanna Hashimoto, who will star in "Omusubi," which starts on September 30th. Hashimoto said, "I'm really looking forward to it. I think this will be a morning drama that has never been seen before, with people saying, 'A gal in a morning drama?' There were many fun scenes during filming, and I think it will bring a bright and happy morning to everyone who watches it."
Hashimoto presented Ito with a gift of "agricultural produce from Itoshima City, Fukuoka Prefecture," the first setting for "Omusubi." The gift included fresh vegetables and fruits from near the main character's house, where filming took place. Ito, who received the gift, was delighted, saying, "I didn't have much time to cook leisurely, so I'm very happy to be able to cook with fresh ingredients and eat fruit. This will give me the energy to do my best again."
Hashimoto was given a frying pan and cutlery set by Ito as a gift, and suggested a dinner party, saying, "I thought maybe we should have a get-together. We have the ingredients, and I was given the cutlery and frying pan, so I thought we could use them on the same day." Ito agreed, saying, "That would be the best."
Actually, this was the first time the two had met, and Hashimoto said, "I heard (Ito's) voice and knew in an instant that she had come. I had always liked her, so it was an honor to meet her."
"Wings of the Tiger" 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 follows the heroine Torako and her friends as they carve out a path through difficult times and 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", who grew up as a gal in Fukuoka, but then moves to Kansai after a certain incident to aim to become a registered dietitian. It is an original work by screenwriter Nemoto Nonji, who is known for NHK's drama "Honest Real Estate", among others.
