Actor Tetsuya Bessho (59) appeared on Tetsuko Kuroyanagi's long-running talk show "Tetsuko's Room" (TV Asahi) on August 4th. He talked about an episode with his teenage daughter.
Bessho, who will soon turn 60, is currently concerned about the distance between him and his 16-year-old daughter. "My daughter has just entered puberty, and over the past few years she hasn't been spending much time with her father (Bessho), or communicating with him. It's been difficult communicating," he said, revealing his struggles.
His daughter sometimes brings her boyfriend home, and while he says he's happy that she introduces him to her, as a father he has mixed feelings.
"This is a bit of a problem, because I don't know how to respond. He (my daughter's boyfriend) keeps trying to ask for a handshake, and I can't refuse. I'm grateful, but he's my daughter's boyfriend, so I wonder if it's okay to just shake his hand so casually...I wonder if that means I'm accepting him (as her boyfriend). It's starting to create a weird sense of rivalry."
Tetsuko gave him advice, saying, "The reason your daughter is bringing you home is probably because she trusts you (Bessho). So don't be so stubborn." Bessho replied, "I find myself telling my daughter to play in the living room so she doesn't run off to her room (with her boyfriend), or washing dishes in the kitchen even though there aren't any (laughs)."
Bessho's wife is said to be "welcoming," saying, "Isn't it wonderful that she has a boyfriend!" While grateful for his wife's attitude, Bessho was also concerned about "how I should communicate with my daughter's boyfriend and with her in the future."
