Yuto Nakajima attended a press conference for the TV Asahi Drama Premium "Hanae Mori Butterfly beyond" (to be broadcast on March 21 at 9pm) held at TV Asahi's headquarters (Minato-ku, Tokyo) on March 15. Reflecting on the filming, he said he was surprised by the way the late fashion designer Hanae Mori and her husband Ken were as a couple.
The drama commemorates the 100th anniversary of the birth of the late Hanae Mori, the first East Asian to become a full member of the Paris Haute Couture (high-end tailoring) Association, and who continued to spread "Japanese elegance" to the world. It depicts the "untold story of her youth," from her childhood spent in Shimane, to her passion for dressmaking sparked by making clothes for her son, and her eventual expansion into the world. Rikako Yagi plays Hanae from ages 17 to 39, while Nakajima plays her supportive husband, Ken.
Nakajima, who said that he "searched for information about Ken-san but couldn't find anything," felt that "Ken-san had dedicated himself to working behind the scenes." He added, "I was a little surprised to learn that there were couples in Japan in the midst of the Showa era where the man took a step back. It's a universal value now, but I think it's a wonderful idea. I think that's how the Mori family maintained their balance."
At the press conference, comments from Hanae's eldest son, Akira, and her granddaughter, talent Izumi, were read aloud. Akira laughed as he said of Nakajima's portrayal of Ken, "He was much cooler than the real person," and added, "My father had a tough experience during the war, being sent to the Chinese front and barely surviving before returning to the mainland. (Watching the drama) I was once again moved to tears by the realization of how hard my father had gone through."
Nakajima said, "I was most concerned about the reaction from the family, so I'm truly honored to hear them say that. I'm glad I was able to play the role, even though it may have been presumptuous of me."
