A press conference for " Blossom, " the NHK Asadora drama series for the second half of 2026 starring actress Shizuka Ishibashi , was held on April 2nd in Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, the setting of the drama. Chief producer Shunpei Murayama spoke about the appeal of Ishibashi, who plays the main character, Tama Hano.
" 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." Filming began on March 17th at the NHK Osaka Broadcasting Station studio, with Ishibashi starting filming on March 25th. Location shooting in Iwakuni took place for three days starting on March 31st.
Ishibashi also attended the press conference and described the character of Tama that she plays, saying, "She has her ups and downs, but there is no sense of tragedy. She doesn't become a tragic heroine, but rather she is a person who has the strength to never turn away from suffering and fear, and to keep looking at it and asking herself, 'What is this?'"
Regarding Ishibashi's appeal, Murayama said, "Ishibashi mentioned that 'the lack of a sense of tragedy' was one of the key aspects of the role, and I also find that very appealing. He gets caught up in a whirlwind of various difficulties, but the way he faces them head-on is very captivating."
She continued, "Perhaps the image that everyone has of Ms. Ishibashi is that she plays very difficult roles," and then added, "This role is also difficult, but I think there will be many scenes where you will discover Tama's very bright expressions and see her laughing with that kind of face."
"We hope you'll look forward to that aspect as well, and we want to create a story that brings out Ishibashi's charm," he appealed.
