Photos of Kabuki actor Kataoka Sennosuke in costume as Prince Atsuyasu in the NHK Taiga drama "To You, Shining," starring Yoshitaka Yuriko, have been released.
Prince Atsuyasu was the first son of Emperor Ichijo and Teishi. He was brought up by Michinaga's eldest daughter, Shoshi, and was a candidate to become the next Crown Prince, but his fate changed when Shoshi also had a son. He began to love Shoshi, who was like a mother to him.
Sennosuke, who plays Prince Atsuyasu, who is said to be one of the models for Hikaru Genji, is the 24-year-old eldest son of Kabuki actor Kataoka Kotaro. In addition to Kabuki performances, he has also appeared in films such as "90 Years Old. What's So Celebrated?" and is gaining popularity as a rising star in the Kabuki world.
When the announcement of his appearance was made, Sennosuke commented, "I am truly honored to be playing Prince Atsunobu, who is said to have been the model for Hikaru Genji. It may be presumptuous of me to say this, but I myself was born as the eldest son into an environment where I was destined to inherit the family business, and Prince Atsunobu was also born as the eldest son. He should have become the crown prince, but I believe that the intentions of the people and the flow of the world led to a tragic fate in his life."
"However, even though I say his life was tragic, I believe he was someone who was loved by many people, including his father and two mothers. Although his life was short, I would like to do my best to portray the beautiful character of Prince Atsunobu, who was given such irreplaceable love."
