In the NHK morning drama series " Bakebake " (General TV, Monday to Saturday 8am and others) starring Akari Takaishi , Keiko Kitagawa plays Ushimizu Tae, the "real mother" and relative of Toki (played by Takaishi). She spoke about Tae's thoughts as a beggar and her impressions of the role.
◇The character she plays, Tae, is "the daughter of a noble samurai family."
" 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."
Tae, played by Kitagawa, was born into one of Matsue's most prestigious families and grew up without any hardships, surrounded by many maids. She possesses both dignified elegance and a strict demeanor. She even strictly teaches her relative Toki about etiquette, tea ceremony, and other aspects of the culture of a samurai daughter.
Regarding Tae, she explains, "She is the daughter of a noble samurai family who is very proud to be a member of the Ushimizu family," and adds, "She has a strong sense of pride in supporting the person who will inherit the family and protecting it, so I made sure to play that role carefully."
"Times change, and after her husband Den dies, she has to start working, but she doesn't have the skills to make a living from the sudden demand, she doesn't know how to do it, and I don't think she ever wanted to in the first place. Throwing away her pride and working hard to earn money was the same as telling Tae to die. If she had been single, she would have committed seppuku. But she can't let her (third son) Sannojo(Rihito Itagaki) die in the fields, so she makes a living by begging to feed him. I think that the love that Tae has as a parent, even if it is in a misguided form, is what makes her so appealing, so I hope I can portray that well."
Tae lost her eldest son, her second son ran away, and she even gave her daughter Toki up for adoption to the Matsuno family. In episode 29 (broadcast on November 6th), Tae, who had not given up her pride as a daughter of a samurai family even after becoming a beggar, was shown bowing to the person who gave her alms.
"I wanted to raise Sannojo to be a good person, and now I can bow my head, something I couldn't do even when I received charity. But even if you're a beggar, it's free to have pride, right? (laughs) So, it may not be cool, but no matter what happens in the future, I will continue to hold on to my pride and not throw it away. I hope that Sannojo will also have that pride somewhere."
◇ Feelings as a "birth mother": "I just want to make sure I don't give off the impression that 'I'm the mother who gave birth to my child.'"
Regarding the feelings of Tae, the "creator" of the crested ibis, he analyzes, "Because it was that era, I think she had already come to terms with the crested ibis. I'm sure Tae was also taught that it was important to give children from places where many children were born to families where no children were being born, in order to strengthen the family's strength."
"It was the same with the daughters of samurai families that I have played in the past. Den also made it clear on her deathbed that 'this child is not mine and Otae's,' and I think Tae probably felt that way too. Of course, there was maternal instinct and a desire to keep Toki close to her, but she couldn't let the Matsuno family line die out. The rule is not to interfere once the child has been handed over to a relative who will raise her with love, and it would be disrespectful to Ofumi, so I was careful not to give off the impression that 'I'm the mother who gave birth to her.'"
Finally, when asked about the highlights of the film, he said, "Fujiki Mitsuhiko's script has a good balance of deep and light-hearted parts, and it's serious when it needs to be, and funny when it needs to be, so I think that balance makes it a very interesting film."
"Tae, who first appeared as an overly pompous aunt, has ended up becoming a beggar, but it is how we live when faced with a crisis that is important. I hope you will watch as Tae doesn't die when she wants to, doesn't give up in her own way, faces herself and tries to live somehow, and as she tries to keep her son alive. I don't know yet what the story will be like from here on out, but I will do my best, believing that a thaw will come at some point in the relationship between Tae and Sannojo."
