73-year-old actor Shinnosuke Ikehata appeared on Tetsuko Kuroyanagi's long-running talk show "Tetsuko's Room" (TV Asahi) on April 21st. Ikehata, who lives in Shonan, talked about his recent injuries and illnesses, and his daily life as a GM (General Manager).
Recently, she tripped over a parking barrier in a dark parking lot and fell forward. "It was 2 a.m. It hurt. A friend was there and picked up my overturned handbag, but if I had been alone, I probably would have cried," she recalls.
She says that what she fears most right now is "breaking a bone." When she was having dinner in Yokohama one night with a friend who is three years older than her, they both tripped and fell as they got off the train arm in arm, after promising to be careful of each other. It was cold so they were wearing coats, and the thickness of the fabric helped them avoid getting hurt.
He also developed otitis externa in his left ear and is still receiving treatment. He was playing his favorite game of mahjong while complaining of pain. When he went to the hospital, he was told that something was stuck in his ear, and when they removed it, it turned out to be black mold. "A huge amount came out," he laughs.
I was shown a large amount of black mold on a piece of gauze, and the doctor asked me, "You're using cotton swabs, aren't you?" It's not that cotton swabs are bad, but if you leave the cotton swab container open, dirt, dust, and makeup powder can accumulate, and if you use those swabs to pick your ears, and there's even a small cut inside your ear, it can breed germs and bacteria. It's a hassle, but I decided to use individually packaged cotton swabs.
He says he's currently living a "GM lifestyle." He explains that a "GM lifestyle" mostly consists of "golf, mahjong, golf, mahjong," and reveals that "occasionally I'm an S. An S for work."
Apparently, the person he trusts the most in the entertainment industry is 71-year-old actress Atsuko Takahata. "I've only been to Acchan's house once or twice, but Acchan comes to my house. And we go for drives together," he says.
In the program, Takahata appeared in a video segment and praised Ikehata, saying, "She's resourceful. She must be very intelligent. She's quick and efficient, like she has eight brains." She also added, "She's incredibly good at cooking. She's very quick." Takahata then addressed Ikehata, saying, "We're both getting on in years now. Complacency is our greatest enemy. We can easily stumble and fall. Let's both live our lives cautiously."
