Actor Ryusei Yokohama attended the first preview screening of the NHK Taiga drama "UNBOUND- Tsutaju Eika no Yume Banashi" (starting January 5, 2025), in which he stars, held at the NHK Broadcasting Center (Shibuya Ward, Tokyo) on December 16th. Yokohama said that this work is "a challenge in every respect," and commented, "It's a worldview I've never been exposed to before. It's my first time appearing in an NHK production, my first time in a Taiga drama, and I'm playing the lead role, so it's full of challenges. That's why the wall is so high, so I hope I can overcome it."
Regarding the fact that the Tsutaya Juzaburo he plays is green, he said, "I had a lot of discussions with the directors. Apparently blue was a popular color in the Edo period, but if I had chosen blue, it would have been lost amongst all the other characters. I went for green to give it an energetic look and not get lost. Without a pattern it would have been too plain, so I made it a bit striped, and since I wear this kimono throughout the first chapter, it feels like a uniform (laughs). The colors change in the second and third chapters, so I hope you enjoy that as well." He also mentioned his "connection" to the color green from his previous appearance in "Ressha Sentai ToQger" (2014-2015), saying, "I have a connection with the color green, so I wore green when I was in the Sentai team."
In preparing for the role, he said he also spoke with Abe Hiroshi, who played Tsutaya Juzaburo in the film "HOKUSAI" (2021). "It goes without saying, but I went to the place where I was born and raised to feel the atmosphere, and got words of advice from Abe-san. But while I valued those things, it was important to live in the world of (screenwriter) Morishita Yoshiko-sensei, so I made sure to incorporate them into the story," he said.
He added, "I saw the complete first episode two days ago, and I felt that way since filming, but it has become a new taiga drama. There are no battles, but it does depict a business battle, and the story unfolds at a fast pace, making it an exciting, entertaining piece."
Along with Yokohama, screenwriter Morishita, director Ohara Taku, and production manager Fujinami Hideki were also in attendance.
"UNBOUND - Tsutaya Juzaburou's Dream Story" is the 64th taiga drama, depicting the life of Tsutaya Juzaburo, who is said to have built the foundations of Japan's media industry and pop culture. The production team bills him as "a man of great talent who was born with nothing - no parents, no money, no artistic talent - but became the darling of his time as the 'media king of Edo.'"
