Taro Kawano talks about his memories of Tetsuko's Room, broadcast on June 20th, with Tetsuya Watari, Kyohei Shibata, and Yasuko Sawaguchi

Actor Kawano Taro appeared on Kuroyanagi Tetsuko's long-running talk show "Tetsuko no Heya" (TV Asahi) broadcast on June 20th. He talked about his memories of Sawaguchi Yasuko and Shibata Kyohei, whom he met while working on his debut NHK Asadora drama "Miotsukushi" (1985), and Watari Tetsuya, who encouraged him to get married.

Looking back, when he first met Sawaguchi, the heroine of "Miotsukushi," he said, "She was like a doll, so beautiful and cute that I thought she might be a celestial maiden."

During the filming, Shibata-san looked after Kawano-san, who was a member of the Waseda University baseball team. Shibata-san also loves baseball, and when he had some free time during filming, he would ask, "Taro, do you want to go to a batting center?" He got in his car and we went to the only batting center in Shibuya, Tokyo. In the car were my bat and glove.

"He's a man of few words, but one day, Yasuko and I had an important scene and the staff were getting a little noisy. He advised us, 'I'm concentrating right now, so please be quiet,' and I was like, 'Thank you, now I can concentrate.' I thought the way he immersed himself in the role, the effort he put into the role, and the level of concentration he put in were incredible. I learned a lot from Kyohei."

When Kawano wasn't confident about getting married and making a living, he co-starred with Watari Tetsuya in a detective drama. During a break, Watari called him onto the bus and treated him to tea. When they were alone, he asked him if he had a girlfriend. Although he hadn't told anyone for nine years, Kawano replied, "Yes." Kawano told him, "You're not going to get married," and, "Once a man makes a decision, he has to go for it." Kawano reflected on his decision to get married, saying, "At a time when I was lacking in confidence, Watari gave me a push, like encouragement. I remember that feeling very well."

They've been married for 34 years, and the time has flown by, but his wife has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and is now miraculously in remission. "I took my normal life for granted, but it's not. I'm living my life with that feeling now."

For his health, he takes walks and stretches, and loves taking baths, which he takes about twice a day. "When I do this, my circulation improves, my body moves more easily, and my mood changes," he says. Having previously suffered a serious illness, his wife now cooks him light, well-balanced meals. His hometown of Yamaguchi Prefecture is a sauce culture, and he has eaten tempura with sauce since he was a child. He said with a smile that even now, if he puts sauce on it, his wife gets angry at him, saying it's "too strong."