Shinichi Tsutsumi plays Den Ushimizu , a relative and biological father of the heroine Toki ( Akari Takaishi ) in the NHK morning drama series " Bakebake " (General TV, Monday to Saturday, 8:00 AM and other times). How did Tsutsumi face Den, who passed away in episode 15 (broadcast on October 17th)? He spoke about what he kept in mind when playing Den, his feelings towards Toki and Tae ( Keiko Kitagawa), and what he felt in the "final scene."
◇What he kept in mind when playing Den: "Don't get too excited"
"Bakebake" is based on the story of Koizumi Setsu, the daughter of a fallen samurai from Matsue, and her husband Yakumo (Lafcadio Hearn), and depicts the heroine, who loves ghost stories, going about her everyday life with her foreign husband. The script is written by Fujiki Mitsuhiko, who has worked on NHK's "Asagaya Sisters' Relaxed Life" and WOWOW's "Shooting Break Series."
Tsutsumi plays Den, a renowned high-ranking samurai in the Matsue domain, an elite in both the arts and martial arts. He is a man of character so well-known in Matsue that he strives to reach out to many fallen samurai in the midst of a changing era. He has been fond of his relative Toki since he was a child.
Regarding the role of Den, Tsutsumi revealed, "When I first read the script, Tae called me 'Den' without any honorifics, so I thought, 'What? I heard we were playing a married couple?'"
"Tae is from a higher family background, so she calls him by his first name, but Den can't look her in the eye. When he's with his wife, he feels like he's in the Edo period, and when he's at work, he feels like he's in the Meiji period. I first met Koichi Sato when I was young, so even if I met him now, I would still stand there motionless. So I can really understand Den's feelings, unable to change his attitude from the relationship they had when they first met."
The Ushimizu family were high-ranking samurai, but Den was also an innovator who cut off his topknot himself, and he recalls, "I think he worked positively, starting a business and trying to keep up with the times."
"It must have taken a lot of courage for a former samurai to become a merchant, a profession he had previously looked down on, but he probably had no other choice in order to survive. However, he gathered his subordinate daughters at the textile factory and made them work without quotas, which was a kind of relief for a businessman, and a very lukewarm way of thinking. As a result, he was unable to keep up with the rapid changes in the world, and I think that caused Tae a lot of hardship."
When asked what he kept in mind when acting, he said, "I tried not to get too excited in order to differentiate myself from the Matsuno family."
"I don't think Den is a person who has completely forgotten Bushido, so I incorporated some samurai elements into the character. I didn't really think about it too much, as I could just leave it up to Keiko Kitagawa to portray the dignity of the Ushimizu family. The sets and art were so amazing, it was like a historical drama. You can get a sense of the scale of the textile factory and the family's background by going to the set, which you can't get from the script alone, so it really helped me in terms of creating the character."
◇What are your thoughts on Den's Toki?
How did Toki look to Den, who gave her up as an adopted daughter to the Matsuno family when she was just a newborn?
" The Ushimizu family had three boys, and even though they gave them up for adoption to the Matsuno family, I think Otoki, a girl related to them by blood, was still very dear to them. Den treated Sannojo like, 'Watch your back,' but his behavior towards Otoki wasn't just at the level of being kind or a nice person."
Regarding her impression of Takaishi, who plays Toki, she said, "Toki's extremely positive and energetic personality is a perfect fit for Akari Takaishi, to the point that I wondered if the role was written specifically for her."
"Takaishi's ability to quickly close the gap with people and her energetic and cheerful personality were just like Otoki. When it comes to the heroine of a Asadora, there are inevitably some aspects that make her seem stereotypical. But Fujiki Mitsuhiko's scripts are free of these elements, which is what makes them so appealing."
Den, who had been watching over Toki from behind the scenes, also passed away and went to heaven in the 15th episode.
"Den died before he could achieve his goals. I think he did his best in life, but I think he was still carrying the pain of not being able to do everything he could to help Tae and Otoki. He was like, 'Please do whatever it takes to survive!' to his sons, but I think he was really worried about what would happen to Tae in the future. She had always had a maid with her and had never even opened a sliding door herself, so he was really worried about her having to live without knowing how to make a living, and he felt like he couldn't die in peace even if he had to."
On the other hand, when asked about his feelings for Toki, he said, "Regardless of blood, he grew up in the Matsuno family, so I think even on his deathbed he was probably thinking, 'This child will be fine, he will be able to live a strong life.' If he had been raised in the Ushimizu family, he might have led a more rigid life. I think it was because he grew up in the Matsuno family that he was able to have the strength to survive in the times."
Although Den has "left" the drama, the story of "Bakebake" has only just begun. Regarding the highlights, Tsutsumi said, "Even when extremely difficult things happen, for some reason it doesn't feel like a tragedy, and the way the characters overcome them gives you strength, which is what Fujiki's script is all about. Please look forward to seeing the characters, who are at the mercy of a turning point in the times, live strong and happy lives."
"Sometimes I get annoyed with Tsukasanosuke(Takashi Okabe) (laughs), but I think the film makes you laugh even when you're angry. Also, the lighting, which was reminiscent of In Praise of Shadows, was very impressive during filming. The lighting wasn't too bright, and we took our time to set it up so that dark areas were dark. I think it expresses the unique characteristics of a Japanese house, where only diagonal light comes in, so I hope you'll pay attention to that as well."
