In the NHK Asadora drama series "Bakebake " (Monday-Saturday, 8:00 AM, etc.), starring Akari Takaishi Takaishi as the heroine, it was revealed in episode 116 (aired March 16th) that Toki's (Takaishi) grandfather, Kan'emon ( Fumiyo Kohinata), had passed away, and a cool photo of him, resembling a master swordsman, was shown. We spoke to producer Kuniomi Hashizume to find out what inspired the photo of Kan'emon.
In episode 116, the family gathered before breakfast, and Toki, Heaven (Tommy Bastow), and the children clasped their hands together in front of a photograph and said, "Good morning, Grandpa." At that time, a photograph of Kan'emon, with a dignified expression and a firm posture, looking directly at the camera, was also unveiled.
Hashizume explained, "As he was called the 'Last Samurai' by Heaven, I think Kan'emon retained a sense of samurai spirit until the very end. I wanted to capture that in a photograph."
He continued, "On Heaven's first day in Matsue, there was a scene where he wandered into the Matsuno family's well and Kan'emon chased after him. Actually, at that time, Heaven had a photograph of a samurai he admired, which he must have obtained somewhere. We used that photograph as the motif for the picture of Kan'emon." He further revealed that the photograph Heaven had was "an authentic photograph of a famous samurai from the Meiji era."
While there isn't any particular "background story" about how Kan'emon died, the director said, "I think he passed away feeling at ease, having confirmed Toki's future happiness and with no regrets."
