Satoshi Tsumabuki plays Yagi Shinnosuke, the president of Kyushu Cotton Center, in the NHK Asadora drama "Anpan " (General TV, Monday to Saturday, 8:00 AM and other times). This is Tsumabuki's first appearance in a Asadora, and he spoke about how he got cast and what kind of character Yagi is.
"Anpan" is based on the married couple Takashi Yanase(1919-2013) and Nobu (1918-1993). It tells the story of how the two met, overcame all sorts of obstacles, and arrived at "Anpanman," the embodiment of "unreversible justice." It is a "story of love and courage" that will fill you with the joy of living.
Regarding how he decided to appear in "Anpan," Tsukamoto revealed, "I met up with Kurasaki Ken, the chief producer who I had worked with on a radio drama a long time ago, in Los Angeles, and he offered me the role of appearing in ' Anpan'."
"It was my goal as an actor to appear in a Asadora, so I was very happy. When the script was ready and I faced the character of Yagi, he seemed strict at first glance, but he was very calm and observed Takagi's talent and humanity. I could empathize with Yagi's attitude of supporting Takagi behind the scenes, and I was convinced that I could fight together with everyone until the end. As a story, I think it is one that gives people hope, and I am truly happy to have been able to be involved in such a production."
Yagi, played by Tsumabuki, was a private first class in the Kokura Regiment, to which Taka (Takumi Kitamura) belonged during the war. He was concerned about Taka, who was unable to adapt to the military, and would occasionally lend a helping hand. After the war, he reunited with Taka while selling illegal alcohol on the black market and providing food and reading books to war orphans. He later founded the Kyushu Cotton Center, which had a major impact on the lives of Nobu (Imada) and Taka...
Tsukamoto says of Yagi, "He's someone who can quietly discern the essence of things. Life is full of distractions, but he tries to eliminate the unnecessary and focus only on what should be there. I really like his stoicism and sensitivity."
"The world he faces is lonely, but there is something about it that is appealing. I'm sure he has been asking himself, in his own way, 'What does it mean to live?' I think he is trying to find his own answer, in a way that is different from Takashi's. I imagine that in his search for that answer, he has come to the realization that 'making someone else happy is my own joy.'"
