Takako Matsu:Tabe Mikako and Tori Matsuzaka in a New Year's drama depicting the "turning points" of their three siblings. The turning point in their own lives was "Long Vacation"!

The New Year's special drama "Slow Train," starring actress Matsu Takako, will be broadcast on TBS from 9:00 pm on January 2nd. This work is a family drama that weaves together the three siblings - Shibuya Yoko, the eldest sister and freelance editor played by Matsu, Miyako, the younger sister played by Tabe Mikako, who is still drifting around even at the age of 30 and suddenly says she wants to go to Korea, and Ushio, the younger brother played by Tori Matsuzaka, who works as a track maintenance worker at the Enoshima Electric Railway - and the people around them. We spoke to lead actress Matsu about her role as Yoko, which was "written just for her," and about the work that marked a "turning point in her life."

◇ Directed by Yutaka Doi (Quartet) and written by Akiko Nogi (Unnatural)

The story begins when Miyako suddenly confesses to Yoko and Ushio that she is going to Korea, and the three siblings reach a crossroads in their life journeys. Through the story of Yoko, Miyako, and Ushio's family, who move from their previous "happiness as a trio" to "individual happiness," this is a refreshing and thrilling new-age family drama that will leave you smiling at the end. Popular writer Momeki Ken, who plays a major role in the lives of the three siblings, is played by Hoshino Gen, and Joo Jeong-hyuk, who is making his first appearance in a Japanese drama, also stars in the series. The series was filmed from January to March 2024, and was also shot on location in Busan, Korea.

The director is Doi Yudai, who has worked on the drama "Quartet" (2017) and the movie "We Made a Love Like a Bouquet" (2021), and the script is written by Akiko Nogi , known for the dramas "Unnatural" (2018), "MIU404" (2020), and " Diamonds Sleeping in the Sea " (2024).

Matsu and Doi are old friends, having worked on "Quartet" and other projects. Doi approached Nogi, who said, "I want to make a special drama before I retire," and Nogi wrote the script, but this will be Matsu's first appearance in a Nogi production.

Matsu smiles and says, "Doi-san has been very helpful to me on the TBS drama series, so I was very happy when he asked me to work on his 'graduation project'."

"Mr. Doi waits for us, or rather, he watches over us, but also leads us. He never hurts anyone, but that doesn't mean he never says anything either. He casually teaches not only us actors, but also the staff. He keeps an eye on the acting that is created on set. He is a director you can trust wholeheartedly."

Regarding Nogi, she said, "It was my first time acting. When I read the script, I found it very interesting and was moved. I met her for the first time at the script reading, and she told me, 'This is a 'tailored' character (a character created with Matsu in mind)."

The character she plays, Yoko, is described as "a person who has her feet on the ground, who works hard, is a very proper person, and lives a solid life."

"I remember thinking when I first read the script that it would be very difficult, wondering if I could play the role convincingly and be that kind of character. This story doesn't have any big incidents, betrayals or plot twists, but I was very moved, and felt very happy to be able to take part in the making of such a drama," he recalled.

She continued, "If you look at Yoko from the outside, you might think it's a tough woman to carry so much on her shoulders, but she's not the type of person who would tell others that she understands that. Rather, I think she's the type of person who is well aware of that and is able to turn her thoughts around and think about how to live today. In my role, I work with people who are good at acting (such as writers), so I felt that it would be a bit distracting if I could see glimpses of myself playing Yoko."

◇The three siblings "felt comfortable" - did he get along well with the writer played by Hoshino Gen?

When asked about acting alongside Tabe and Matsuzaka, who play the three siblings at the center of the story, she said with a smile, "I was really looking forward to it."

"This is the first time I've worked with Tabe on film. We were together in a long-running stage production in 2023. We didn't have many scenes together on stage, so I was looking forward to working with her on a drama together as siblings, but as soon as I got there, I was off to Busan (laughs). This was my first time working with Matsuzaka, and I had many scenes with Ushio, played by Matsuzaka, but the two of them are truly the best sisters and the best brothers. I don't remember the three of us discussing what to do during filming. They're both such comfortable actors that there was no need to talk, and it was really fun."

He felt that the role of the writer Hyakkigi, played by Hoshino, and the role of the former editor Yoko, played by Matsu, were "a perfect match."

"I had met Hoshino-san previously at a certain awards event (the "Mumei Awards", a special program on TV Asahi's "Tamori Club") at the end of the year, but this was the first time we worked together on a play, so it was fun. When I interacted with Doumeki-sensei, played by Hoshino-san, we had a lively conversation about our intuitions and ways of looking at things, and it was a fun exchange of words. Hoshino-san has experience in many of Nogi-san's dramas, so I felt he understood the mood of Nogi-san's dramas very well, and I felt very at ease when talking to him."

◇What was the turning point in your life? The first super hit drama you appeared in

In the drama, three siblings each reach a turning point in their lives. What was the turning point in Matsu's own life?

"The first time I had the opportunity to appear in a serial drama was in 'Long Vacation' (Fuji TV, 1996). I was 18 or 19 years old. When I was offered the role, I was also given the opportunity to appear in stage plays, and at the time I had wanted to do stage work. People around me told me that a serial drama was also a good opportunity, so I thought, "Okay, well, I'll give it a go," and that's how I ended up appearing in the drama. If I hadn't appeared in that drama at that time, I think I would have taken a different path in acting, and thanks to that choice I think I broadened my horizons, or loosened up in some ways, and I think that may have been a turning point for me."

I appeared in "Long Vacation" the year I entered college.

"After that I became busy and ended up quitting university a few years later. But I think that it was me who did that. Because I had that experience, a lot of things that I never expected happened after that. But in the end, since it was my own choice, I also have responsibility for that decision and I can't really complain. It was an opportunity for me to work hard."

It can be said that it is thanks to that decision that we are now able to enjoy Matsu's video works. When told this, she said with a warm smile, "I really think it's all thanks to the people who gave me this opportunity."