The 46th episode of the NHK Asadora drama "Anpan " (General TV, Monday to Saturday 8:00 AM and others), starring Mio Imada, was broadcast on June 2nd. In the episode, the reason why the wandering baker "Yam-onchan" Kusakichi ( Sadao Abe) stayed with the Asada family for over 10 years was revealed, which became a hot topic among viewers.
In the 46th episode, Kusakichi leaves the Asada family after making the hardtack requested by the army. Kamaji (Kotaro Yoshida) tells Nobu (Imada) and Hatako (Noriko Eguchi) the reason why Kusakichi refused to make hardtack.
Kusakichi served as a Japanese volunteer soldier in the British Army during the European war, and experienced terrible things on the battlefield. As his fellow soldiers died one by one, he said that the most difficult thing for him was hunger, and he even stole some hardtack from the pockets of his dead comrades to eat. Hardtack reminded Kusakichi of the painful battlefield.
When Nobu regrets forcing Kusakichi to make hardtack, Kamaji tells him, "It's not your fault that he left. In the first place, that drifter has been here for over 10 years... so it's probably your fault."
Kusakichi had planned to leave Gomenyocho immediately, but he was prevented from leaving by the young Nobu (Yuzuna Nagase) who told him, "I don't want to say goodbye!" Kusakichi laughed and said, "I've never been told anything like that in any other town, so it was a little embarrassing."
On social media, people were saying things like, "I could feel Yam's freedom yet loneliness. The word 'itchy' made me cry," "He must have been happy to be needed," "Uncle Yam is a kind person and he must have felt affection for the children," "I'm sure he was saved by the daily smiles of the Asada family," and "I hope he'll come back again soon."
