Toshikazu Nunokawa (60), formerly of Shibugaki-tai, also known as "Fukkun," appeared on Tetsuko Kuroyanagi's long-running talk show "Tetsuko's Room" (TV Asahi), which aired on October 8th. Having moved from the detached house he had lived in for many years to an apartment, Nunokawa confessed about an "unexpected incident" that occurred while he was searching for a new home.
Nunokawa was looking for an apartment to give his life a makeover on his 60th birthday. He wanted to be close to his grandchildren, so he looked around his daughter's neighborhood. "My criteria were that dogs were allowed, there was parking, and it had to be about this size. When I got a call (from a real estate agent), I thought it was an apartment with a name I'd heard of, but it turned out to be the apartment where Tsuchiya (Kaori), his ex-wife from whom he divorced 11 years ago, lives," he recalled.
When Nunokawa checked with Tsuchiya, he was told, "Well, you can take care of the dog there, so it's fine, right?", and he decided on the apartment. However, when he asked the real estate agent for the room number, he found out it was next to Tsuchiya's room. "The whole family was surprised when we found out that the room next door was vacant," he said of his surprise.
Tsuchiyama, who lives with his daughter in the next room, sometimes brings Nunokawa food, asking, "I made this, do you want to eat it?" "The other day, she brought over some steamed clams in sake. I also ask her things like, 'I got some great tuna, do you want to eat it?' or 'Do you want some corn?' The other day, I went to borrow some pickled ginger (from Tsuchiyama). They say that in the old days, you would go to your neighbor's house to borrow soy sauce, right? It was kind of like that," he said.
With Tsuchiya, he sometimes leaves his dog with her, and they now have a key to each other's rooms. Friends have asked him if they're getting back together or remarrying, but Nunokawa denies it. "When I told Tsuchiya that I was going to mention it on 'Tetsuko's Room' (that our rooms are next door), he said, 'Please make sure to tell Tetsuko that we're not getting back together' (laughs)," he revealed with a smile.
