Norika Fujiwara:First appearance in Asadora " Omusubi " - "Very honored" to play the role of a registered dietitian who has a major influence on the heroine Yui (full comment)

It was revealed on January 6th that actor Norika Fujiwara will appear in the NHK Asadora drama "Omusubi ," starring Kanna Hashimoto . This will be Fujiwara's first time appearing in a Asadora.

Fujiwara plays Sayuri Saijo, a registered dietitian at the hospital where the heroine Yui (Hashimoto) is hospitalized. With her friendly attitude and accurate judgment, she provides meals tailored to the patients. She becomes a "key person" who will have a major impact on Yui's future.

"Omusubi" is a "Heisei youth graffiti" about a heroine born in 1989 who always values ​​her own individuality and connects people's hearts and futures as a nutritionist with her "gal spirit". It is an original work by Nonji Nemoto, a screenwriter known for NHK's drama "Honest Real Estate".

◇Comment from Norika Fujiwara

My best friend from my university days in Kobe is a registered dietitian, so I was aware of the work and the difficulties. I thought that it might be a profession that is not well recognized, as it is the unsung hero that supports hospitals, companies, and individuals, so I am very honored to have been given this role.

Saijo has an especially strong desire to do her best for each patient, and is a generous woman who understands other people's pain through her many years of experience. She communicates with patients without discrimination or barriers, openly and naturally. She also conveys important things about the body, sometimes strict and sometimes professionally. She is an interesting person with her choice of words and the way she switches between them, and she is always thinking at the core of her mind, "What is the best way to help this patient become healthy both physically and mentally as soon as possible?"

Saijo's character is set up as being rather lazy outside of work, but to be honest, I'm also pretty lacking in things I think I should be perfect at, so I think we're similar in that we're both clumsy (laughs).

As for Kanna Hashimoto, her strong gaze shows her strength. In her first scene with Yui, her eyes convey the anxiety and conflict of not being able to eat because she is not feeling well, and before I knew it, I was naturally interacting with Yui as Saijo.

Saijo shows Yui that being a registered dietitian is a job that supports life, and her role as the key person who inspires Yui to decide to pursue this profession is to do so. I did my best to convey the passion that lies deep within Saijo to the viewers.

◇Comment from Production Director Takashi Usagawa

I am really happy and encouraged that Norika Fujiwara will be playing the role of Sayuri Saijo, who will be the key person in helping Yui move on to the next stage.

When the protagonist Yui is hospitalized, she meets Saijo Sayuri, a registered dietitian. She naturally opens up to patients with her soft Kansai dialect, but she also firmly communicates what she needs to say as a medical professional. Her gentle empathy for people's hearts gives Yui a new dream: to become a registered dietitian.

Ms. Fujiwara perfectly portrays the tolerance and warmth of Saijo, as well as the inner strength hidden within her kindness. Furthermore, her soft dialect, unique to her as a native of Kobe, adds even more persuasiveness. Please enjoy the charm of Saijo Sayuri and a new side of Ms. Fujiwara Norika.