Actress Shizuka Ishibashi attended a press conference on April 2nd in Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, for " Blossom, " the NHK Asadora drama series for the second half of 2026 in which she plays the lead role. Ishibashi, who plays the protagonist Tama Hano, modeled after the writer Chiyo Uno Uno, began filming at the NHK Osaka Broadcasting Station studio on March 25th and participated in location shooting in Iwakuni on April 1st and 2nd. She revealed that she felt "very happy" when filming began and spoke about her impressions of the location shoot and how she approached her role.
Reflecting on filming in Iwakuni, Ishibashi commented, "I'm so happy to be able to come to Iwakuni when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. It's only been about a week since we started filming, so I'm still a little nervous, but being in beautiful Iwakuni, the hometown of Chiyo Uno, I took a deep breath and felt happy realizing that 'this is where it all begins.' It was a really great shoot, and I feel that this drama will be loved by many people."
Last fall, he visited Iwakuni privately with a friend. Without revealing that he would be starring in "Blossom," he went to the birthplace of Chiyo Uno. Ishibashi recalled, "I thought it would surprise them and make them feel uncomfortable... I wanted to hear their real voices, so I kept quiet. Everyone working there was so lively, as if Chiyo Uno's spirit was in them, and they told me all sorts of stories. I looked at the scenery that Chiyo would have actually seen and used that to prepare for the role." He also said that he had paid his respects at her grave, and reported, "I told her, 'I will do my best to portray the character.'"
To prepare for the role, she looked through a lot of materials, including essays, novels, and even actual photographs. "Compared to my previous acting experiences, I've taken in more than twice the amount of input I've ever taken in, so I'm happy that I can finally put it all into practice," she said with a smile.
When asked about her feelings now that filming, which will last about a year, has begun, she confessed, "I have more scenes than I've ever had before, and at first I was overwhelmed, and I'm still overwhelmed now." She continued, "One after another, the cast members who are like acting monsters keep coming and giving amazing performances, and I feel so fortunate to be able to receive that. The staff members have already come to love Tama-chan, and I feel a really great atmosphere of 'let's do this together.'"
"Blossom" is a story modeled after Chiyo Uno, a writer who lived through the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa eras and constantly sought freedom. The protagonist, Tama Hano, leaves her hometown of Iwakuni, Yamaguchi, and, through encounters with fascinating people, pursues her dreams and plunges into the turbulent times of the Taisho and Showa eras. The screenplay is written by Tsuyoshi Sakurai, known for works such as "Your Things Are Here" and "Boogie Woogie."
