The eighth episode of the NHK Taiga drama " UNBOUND (Berabou) " (General TV, Sunday 8:00 pm and others), starring actor Ryusei Yokohama , "The Counterattack of 'Kaneka Sensei'", will be broadcast on February 23rd. From this episode, Ichihara Hayato will appear as Toriyama Kengyo. This will be Ichihara's third time appearing in a Taiga drama, following " Naotora: The Lady Warlord" (2017) and "The 13 Lords of the Shogun" (2022).
The character he plays, Toriyama Kengyo, is a "blind millionaire" who buys Segawa's freedom. He is the man who bought Segawa (played by Fuka Koshiba), who was said to be the most beautiful courtesan in Yoshiwara at the time, for 1,400 ryo. "Kengyo" was the highest official position given to a blind person, and Toriyama, with the permission of the shogunate, engaged in usury and built up a large fortune. Toriyama had obtained everything through the power of money, but...
When Ichihara announced his role in August last year, he said, "I will be playing Toriyama Kengyo, who is still a mysterious character but holds the highest rank in the Todo-za organization for the blind. How we feel about the life we've been given is up to us, depending on the fate we're born with, but what fills Toriyama Kengyo's longing for people that cannot be explained by logic? I will play the role with respect for all people and things that are in the same situation as Kengyo."
"UNBOUND (Berabou)" is the 64th taiga drama, depicting the life of Tsutaya Juzaburo(or "Tsutajyu" for short), who is said to have built the foundations of Japan's media industry and pop culture. The script was written by Yoshiko Morishita, known for "Drama 10 'Ooku'" which was broadcast on NHK two years ago and became a big hit.
