The lineup for Tetsuko Kuroyanagi's long-running talk show "Tetsuko's Room" (TV Asahi, Monday-Friday 1pm), which will air from April 13th to 17th, has been announced. On the 13th, entertainer Kenichi Mikawa will appear; on the 14th, singer Yoko Kon; on the 15th, singer Isao Bito; on the 16th, actor Kenichi Endo; and on the 17th, a compilation of past episodes titled "Even as a Mother, I Was Loved" will be broadcast.
Last September, Ms. Mikawa was diagnosed with sick sinus syndrome, a condition where the heart does not function regularly, and underwent surgery to have a pacemaker implanted. Last August, she collapsed and lost consciousness in Los Angeles, USA, and returned to Japan for the surgery, but during tests while hospitalized, she was told she had Parkinson's disease. She says she was depressed for a while.
Ima-san will soon celebrate her 60th anniversary in show business. Last November, she fell down the stairs at a train station and fractured two ribs. Her mother attends day care on weekdays, so she apparently gets up at 6 a.m. every day to get ready to go out.
This year marks 62 years since Ms. Bito made her major debut as a solo singer. Even at 82 years old, she continues to perform on stage. She says her secret to staying healthy is walking and going to public baths. This year, she challenged herself to record a new song for the first time in 28 years.
Endo also appeared on a cooking show, where he spoke about his gratitude to his wife for cooking meals for him, as he learned to cook from scratch. It has been two years since Toshiyuki Nishida, with whom he co-starred in dramas for many years, passed away. He spoke about his memories of Nishida.
The best-of compilation, "Loved Even as a Mother," features Yoko Nogawa reflecting on her time playing the mother of "Fuyuhiko-san," a character whose name became a popular catchphrase. Reiko Ohara shares her feelings about Kasuga no Tsubone, who raised Shogun Iemitsu apart from her own son, while Etsuko Ichihara reveals how she was bewildered by the surprising actions of Naoto Takenaka, who played her son. Sumie Sasaki talks about how, thanks to playing the mother of Kiichi Nakai, he still affectionately calls her "Mom" even after all these years.
