On November 21st, actress Chieko Baisho appeared on stage with co-star Takuya Kimura and director Yamada Yoji at the opening day greetings event for her starring film "Tokyo Taxi," which was held at Marunouchi Piccadilly (Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo). She shared stories from the filming of this film, interspersed with memories of director Yamada's "Otoko wa Tsurai yo" film series.
The film was shot over a period of around two months starting in February of this year. When asked about her most memorable memories, Baisho said, "There are so many, I don't know which one to mention (laughs). Filming started in Shibamata. 'Otoko wa Tsurai yo' ended in Shibamata, and Tokyo Taxi started in front of the gate (of Shibamata). That left a strong impression on me. The beginning and the end were in Shibamata. It's a memory I'll never forget, and it felt like I was standing at a new starting point."
She described Kimura as "a really earnest person" and said, "Even when I poured out my heart to him, he listened to it properly. I was happy to be able to act so easily. In the rearview mirror (of the taxi), his eyes were reflected, much bigger than my 'big brother's'." She recalled the scene where she co-starred with Kimura, who played a taxi driver. She changed the word "big brother" to "Atsumi Kiyoshi," and expressed her gratitude, saying, "His eyes were bigger than Atsumi Kiyoshi's, and they reflected really beautiful eyes (laughs). I was encouraged by (Kimura's) eyes, and I was able to act happily every day. I had a very enjoyable time."
The film is Yamada's 91st and latest work. Based on the French film "Paris Taxi" (released in 2022), it is a human drama set in Tokyo depicting the "joys of life." The "one-day journey" of taxi driver Usami Koji (Kimura) and Takano Sumire (Baisho), who is heading to a nursing home, has a major impact on the hearts and lives of the two who meet by chance.
Aoi Yu, Takaya Sakoda, Yuka, Nakajima Runa, and Misuzu Kanno also appeared on stage to greet the audience.
