"Grand Maison Paris" (directed by Ayuko Tsukahara, to be released on December 30th) is a film adaptation of the popular drama "Grand Maison Tokyo" that was broadcast on TBS in 2019, in which Takuya Kimura plays an unconventional genius chef. On December 29th, the day before the release, a completely new special drama "Grand Maison Tokyo" (on the same station) will be broadcast. Kimura, who plays the main character Obana Natsuki, talked about his thoughts on the sequel and what he kept in mind when acting.
"Grand Maison Tokyo" is a popular drama written by Tsutomu Kuroiwa and directed by Tsukahara, which aired in the Sunday Theatre slot (Sundays at 9pm) in 2019. The story follows the genius chef Obana Natsuki (Kimura), who opened a restaurant in Paris and won two stars, but lost both the restaurant and his colleagues in a serious incident brought about by his own arrogance. He then meets a female chef, Hayami Rinko (Suzuki Kyoka), and together with his former colleagues, he struggles to create "Grand Maison Tokyo," the world's best three-star restaurant, in Tokyo.
The special drama tells the story of what happened after "Grand Maison Tokyo" received three stars. "Grand Maison Tokyo" was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Thinking only about keeping the restaurant open, the restaurant entered into a capital alliance with a major corporation. However, due to food that was only focused on appearances, "Grand Maison Tokyo" lost more Michelin stars, and eventually lost all of its stars... This is how the story unfolds.
◇ A script that incorporates the pandemic: "I felt it would be a shame to avoid depicting it like that."
--What were your thoughts when you heard about the sequel?
I was very happy, and at the same time, I thought that if it weren't for the COVID-19 pandemic, I might have been able to meet everyone sooner. However, that time actually existed, and to be honest, even though I wanted to do it, it just wasn't possible.
And, if it's okay to start talking about a sequel at this point, I thought that even though it's fiction, I shouldn't pretend it never happened. Some people held on during this period, but there were also quite a few who had to make other choices and closed their stores. I didn't want to avoid depicting those who were forced to make such choices just because it was fiction. When I spoke with producer Iyoda (Hidenori), I asked him to include it in the script for the special drama.
Q: Is the feeling that "we must not ignore the pandemic" something that has had a big impact on you? Did you feel that way after seeing the current state of restaurants?
It may be the relationship between a restaurant and its customers, but isn't thinking about, making, serving, and eating food the ultimate form of communication? The period when we wanted to communicate but couldn't was also a very difficult time for me as a cast member, and since this is a story about food and drink, I thought it would be wrong to avoid that. When the members of "Grand Maison Tokyo" suddenly appear in front of everyone again, without this period at all, and just saying "Hello everyone, it's been a while," I thought it would be unnatural for a work that is themed around food and drink.
◇Five years later, "I didn't feel any gap at all"
-How did it feel to play Obana again after such a long time?
Through Obana, I can witness various moments of entertainment called cooking and feel various emotions. I attended the "Michelin Guide Tokyo 2025" announcement ceremony as a special guest and announced the names of the restaurants selected for the "three-star" award. Chef Kishida (Shuzo) of "Restaurant Quintessence", who supervised the previous work and the special drama, was also there.
The world depicted in the drama may be very limited, but I was able to experience a part of it as Obana Natsuki, and of course my co-stars and staff did the same, but the people filming and the people being photographed all came together as a team to create a special value system and worldview, and it was fun to feel like I was refining that.
Before I played Obana, to be honest, when I heard "Michelin," the name of the tire manufacturer came to mind, but after spending a fulfilling time on "Grand Maison Tokyo," it now has a different ring to it. That's because I was able to learn about the existence of people who are facing the "Michelin Guide" with incredible passion, motivation, and stress. By feeling like I am receiving all life, I was able to feel the weight of the word "Itadakimasu" even more. Personally and as a work, it was very interesting, and my co-stars and staff are one of my treasures.
--Did you feel the five years go by?
Obana is not particularly good at communicating with people, so even when I was reading the script, I thought that he would have to go through another difficult road, and in the end, I thought that there were some interesting parts. Hayami Rinko, played by Suzuki Kyoka, also went through the COVID-19 pandemic in her own way and protected the store. However, I think that by protecting it, there were also things that were lost. In reality, a little less than five years have passed, but as I read the script, I felt that these people were people who had lived through that time firmly.
Although it was a reunion, I didn't feel any of the time that had passed when we met on set. Just seeing everyone there, in the same situation as five years ago, wearing the same costumes, it felt like each of our switches were flipped on at the same time.
--Is that because you have this team and this cast?
I think that's a huge factor. I thought that I would leave the role when the "cut" was said, but for some reason I was always in the role. I don't like to taste it if it's not really delicious. Michiko, who is supposed to be Kyoka Suzuki, said, "What do you think about the cutlery we serve in our restaurant? Kimura-san." It was a set where the senses and consciousness of the role coexisted.
And there are new faces in the form of Masataka Kubota and Kazuki Kitamura, who will appear in the special drama. If I may use an analogy of cooking, the way the dish is presented has changed by adding new ingredients, so I was very grateful for that.
--The special drama "Grand Maison Tokyo" was supervised by Chef Kishida, and the movie "Grand Maison Paris" was supervised by three-star chefs, Chef Kobayashi Kei of "Restaurant KEI". Were there any influences from these two when creating the role of Obana?
I think that Mr. Kishida was a very strong pillar in creating the work "Grand Maison Tokyo". When I saw him coming up on stage at the presentation, I had a strange feeling that even though he is a chef at "Restaurant Quintessence", he was a staff member of "Grand Maison Tokyo" who had won three stars.
--This film also depicts the growth of young people, but have you yourself been influenced by younger people?
Everyone is making a great effort. I often see them taking action immediately when they notice something. Some of them have a special feeling for me, and some even say, "It's an honor to work with you." As I work with them on projects, I want them to be disappointed when the project is over, thinking, "What, this guy is boring." They are people who spur me on to work on projects, and I want to go beyond "It's an honor."
*The special drama "Grand Maison Tokyo" will be broadcast from 9:00 p.m. on the 29th.
