"Platinum Family: A Peek into the Magnificent Family" (TV Asahi, Tuesdays at 7pm) is a program showcasing the lifestyle of a "magnificent family." The two-hour special on November 18th will focus on the lives of kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjuro XIII, his eldest daughter Ichikawa Botan (Horikoshi Reika), and his eldest son Ichikawa Shinnosuke (Horikoshi Kangen).
The program's MC, Kotaro Koizumi, who met Danjuro about 25 years ago and has been friends with his family, interviewed him. Seeing Danjuro as a father, Kotaro described it as "a wonderful sight."
The Ichikawa family has a history of over 300 years in the world of Kabuki. Danjuro was destined to inherit the prestigious family name "Naritaya" and the great name "Ichikawa Danjuro." Looking back on his youth, he says he trained rigorously from an early age and, due to his sensitive nature, he had some rough times. Koizumi, who knew him at the time, recalls, "I was keenly aware that he had been fighting alone, carrying a great deal of pressure."
Danjuro says that the one person who gave him emotional support was Koizumi's father, former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. He recalls how Koizumi often took him out to dinner and how he praised his performance of "Kanjincho," one of the "Kabuki Juhachiban," a compilation of the art of the Narita-ya family.
The program also introduces the private life of Danjuro and his family. On this day, Danjuro makes a special curry at home, which is his children's favorite. He makes the curry from scratch using a variety of ingredients and adjusts the spiciness to suit the children's tastes. Takashima Chisako in the studio is amazed by his attention to detail, saying, "Amazing... I bet fathers all over the world would find it difficult to do the same if they saw this."
He will also accompany the parent and child on a night out to an amusement park on a holiday, and will introduce the "two treasures" that have been passed down for generations at Narita-san, which has a deep connection to the Ichikawa family.
