Miyazaki Yoshiko plays Yoneda Kayo, the grandmother of the main character Yui (Hashimoto), in the NHK morning drama "Omusubi" (General TV, Monday to Saturday, 8:00 a.m. and other channels), starring actress Hashimoto Kanna. Kayo is well versed in the wisdom of her ancestors that has been passed down since ancient times, and is a good advisor when Yui is in trouble. Miyazaki revealed how she felt when she was chosen to appear in the role, and her thoughts on the role of Kayo.
◇ Kayo's role is "conscious of the way she speaks"
When Miyazaki was chosen to appear in the role, she felt, "Ah, finally I've been cast as a grandmother," and laughed, "I've gotten used to saying, 'I'm grandmother,'" through filming.
"Kayo is a little older than me, so I'm conscious of how I speak. Nowadays, people in their 70s still have a young image. Since Kitamura Yukiya is my son, I think it would be a good balance if I looked a little older than my actual age, but I still have a long way to go, so I don't want to look too old... I'm still feeling my way around it. I'm also conscious of looking a little shorter. Children love their grandparents, don't they? I'm happy that they look up to me."
Miyazaki said about the character Kayo, "I think Kayo is in a position to watch over them from behind. In my family, we have grandfathers (Eikichi Yoneda and Ken Matsudaira). He's dignified, or rather, he's a person who does whatever he wants, selfishly and freely, so I have to pull the reins and control him while watching over my son and daughter-in-law."
"Sometimes I think Aiko (Kumiko Aso) is my real daughter, because she is so close to Aiko. They are a good relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Aiko is also strong-willed, and there are some similarities between her and Kayo, so I think she relies on her. I would say she is kind, but my son is a little timid and tends to be a bit sulky, and Aiko is good at leading him."
Kayo grew up in Itoshima, Fukuoka, and has worked in agriculture. About Kayo, "Kayo has lived in Itoshima all her life, has been involved in agriculture, and raises "living things." Agricultural crops are living things too. I think Kayo is a "nurturer" who raises everyone by receiving the blessings of nature, raising living things, and providing the delicious food she grows. She is a person with strong roots, but I hope to become someone who is not so strong on the surface, but is someone who is dependable in a gentle way."
◇ "Omusubi" is "a heartwarming, uplifting drama"
"Omusubi" often features food-related scenes. Miyazaki says, "Omusubi is definitely the key. It appears often at important points, so I wonder how many omusubi I'll make by the end. I'm sure it'll be a huge number (laughs). In the past, there were many scenes in dramas where people would make and eat omusubi with their bare hands, but that's completely gone now. If I were to make omusubi myself, I would still use plastic wrap. So I was happy to see the scene where I made omusubi with my bare hands for the first time in a while."
"For scenes that feature Itoshima vegetables and food, the ingredients are actually brought from Itoshima. They even bring over vegetables with crooked shapes that can't be sold at the market, but they're really delicious. Hirosato-san, who oversees the cooking, makes the delicious ingredients even more delicious, so the dinner scenes are really happy."
She said that she received guidance from farmers during the Itoshima location shoot, saying, "When I left, they gave me three cabbage seedlings. I've been renting my own vegetable garden for the past two years, so I planted the seedlings there, and they grew into fine cabbages. I brought them to the set, cooked them, and used them in the drama."
"Everyone said it was sweet, crunchy and delicious, and I realized that as a producer, it's what makes me happiest when the consumers who eat it say it's delicious."
Finally, he sent a message to viewers, saying, "The story depicted in 'Omusubi' is about life-sized, familiar things. It's about fighting or overcoming the reality of everyday life. I think it's a drama that depicts the normality of a family, moving forward little by little while carrying the things they can and can't say because they are family, in a bright and careful way. I think of omusubi as a warm food that conveys warmth. It's the image of the most reliable food in times of emergency, so I hope this drama can be like that. It's a drama that will be nostalgic, warm and uplifting for everyone."
