Kazama Morio dotes on his grandchildren and family trips are the driving force behind his work

Actor Morio Kazama (76) appeared on Tetsuko Kuroyanagi's long-running talk show "Tetsuko's Room" (TV Asahi) broadcast on July 3rd. He talked about his feelings for his grandchildren through stories about his travels.

Kazama has four grandchildren: two boys from his son's family and two girls from his daughter's family. "My son's family is currently living with us. It's like a two-generation home. My daughters live about a three-minute walk away. It's a very lively home," he said.

At the end of March this year, I went on a trip to Hakodate, Hokkaido with my wife and two grandchildren. I was excited to show my grandchildren the best places, but there were a lot of accidents from the beginning of the trip. During the trip, I learned a lot from my grandchildren.

At a restaurant, Kazama said, "Can I have a bottle of shochu, with some water and ice?" and was told off by his 11-year-old granddaughter, Fumine. "(Fumine) told me, 'Grandpa, I have a favor to ask of you. Please use polite language,' and I corrected her and said, 'Oh, you're right. Okay, I understand.' She taught me all sorts of things like that," he revealed.

During the program, Kazama received a surprise video message from his grandchildren, Fumino and Sara. The message read, "Please keep working hard for a long time. Please make your dream of attending our wedding come true," as a request to Grandpa. Kazama was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes. "Grandchildren are so cute," he said.

Before the coronavirus outbreak, Kazama-san used to go on overseas trips with his family during the New Year holidays. He said that family trips are what motivate him to work, and that "the time I can spend with my friends and family is blissful."