On March 6th, actress Takako Tokiwa attended the preview screening of the evening drama "Radio Star" (General TV, Monday to Thursday 10:45pm), which starts on March 30th, held at the NHK Broadcasting Center in Shibuya, Tokyo. She spoke about her thoughts on appearing in the drama, which is set in the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture.
Tokiwa has had a deep love for Noto ever since visiting the Noto Peninsula in the first half of 2015 while working on the Asadora drama "Mare." Since the Noto Peninsula earthquake that occurred on January 1, 2024, she has been continuously involved in reconstruction support activities.
Tokiwa explained, "Since the earthquake, I have been working with Masae Ichiki (the film's chief director), volunteering to clear mud and visiting various evacuation centers, and she has been providing support, and she came up with the idea for this drama."
"When this project was approved and the film crew actually came to town, I was so happy I could cry. I will never forget the bright smiles of the people (in the disaster-stricken areas) who accepted us," he recalled.
She continued, "It's a wonderful thing that our town is being set for a drama. Despite the worry that Noto might be forgotten, many film crews visited the town to film, and people from all over the country watched. Even though I'm not from Noto, I watched the filming with a feeling of gratitude. I hope that this drama will make the people who live in Noto proud of their city."
The press conference was also attended by Momoko Fukuchi, Masahiro Komoto, and chief director Masae Ichiki.
In "Radio Star," the protagonist, Kanade Hiiragi (played by Fukuchi), is caught in an earthquake while traveling to her girlfriend's hometown of Noto. At the time, she is warmly looked after by Matsumoto Kosuke (played by Komoto Masahiro) at an evacuation center. Wanting to repay his kindness, Kanade visits Noto again. There, Matsumoto asks her to become a radio personality on Disaster FM... This is a "non-stop entertainment drama" in which an unknown citizen becomes a star.
