Keiko Toda | Nagoya Anpanman Children's Museum & Park

Nagoya Anpanman Museum & Park: Part 1

I went on location for the Chūkyō TV regular program "Shiroi Koinu no Shiawase" (The Happy Yellow Puppy), which is now in its second year. That's right! The Anpanman Museum has opened in Nagoya! Although it's called Nagoya, it's actually in Kuwana City, Mie Prefecture... It's similar to how Tokyo Disneyland is in Chiba. There are probably many adult reasons for this... (laughs).
The program was broadcast live that day, so it was a bit hectic, but I really want to visit again at a more leisurely pace. Everything is so incredibly cute!

Summary = Keiko Toda

April, spent with the motto: As little physical exertion as possible. And if possible, no mental exertion either.

The merchandise in the gift shop is also cute, and the restaurant, in particular, sent my excitement levels soaring. The Fujiya collaboration restaurant has Anpanman and Peko-chan sitting cheerfully on the roof! Just seeing that pairing made me feel incredibly happy.

The tableware in the restaurant also features characters, so children should be able to enjoy their meals! It's a museum that soothes both adults and children. Of course, the character bread, following the Yokohama location, is also very popular here. It's truly delicious!

I was completely focused on stage performances until March, so in April, outside of work, I lived by the motto: "As little physical exertion as possible. And if possible, no mental exertion either." (laughs). In the end, I only managed to practice about half of it.—.
In addition to my regular work, I had guest appearances on special dramas, followed by guest spots on serial dramas and variety shows, and filming for a movie (continuing into May), so I was quite active with one-off projects.
Now, here are a few things I can introduce at this point.—.

The special drama "Sazae-san 2" was so much fun! Dramatizations of real things always make me excited without question. Well, Sazae-san is more of a manga than real, but she's known by everyone in the nation. Like Shizuko Kasagi in Koki Mitani's recent TV drama "Our History," or Miyako Chōchō in "Naniwa Butterfly." Or Otose in the historical drama "Shinsengumi!" All of these are thrilling. For some reason, they're all connected to Mitani! (laughs).

Nagoya Anpanman Museum & Park: Part 2 + α

Unless the vectors are pointing in the same direction, nothing can be created!

For "Sazae-san 2," I was offered the role of Okaru, a classmate of Fune-san, and at first, I was surprised, thinking, "Huh? Me?!" I had the image of Okaru being an old woman, so I thought, "Me?!" But apparently, Fune-san is also set to be around 52-53 years old. People back then... they looked older. But I would have played an 70 or 80-year-old grandmother if asked (laughs).

Since Keiko Takeshita, a senior actress from Nagoya, plays Fune-san, my classmate, I gladly accepted the offer!

I had assumed Okaru would be a solo appearance, but one day, I received an email from Koki Mitani saying, "I will be playing your husband. I look forward to working with you."

I pondered for a moment, "Hmm? What job could this be...?" Could it be? Is it Mr. Isaka? A connection through writers? Correct! I became incredibly excited. It really is a Mitani connection. Our screen time is short, but it became a memory of explosive fun. Mitani exploded; I acted with grace (laughs).

And here's something else fun I want to share.

I had the pleasure of working with Jun Hashimoto, a popular actor from the renowned Gekidan Shinkansen theater company, on a certain TV drama. I've always admired his stage performances, but this was my first substantial TV role with him. Perhaps due to the slightly unconventional setting, by the second and final day of our two-day shoot, we had completely hit it off! We went all out! (laughs).

What I want to say is about the essence of acting. Even if you're dressed in matching outfits as a pair, nothing will be created unless your vectors are pointing in the same direction. This is especially crucial in television dramas, where things are created instantaneously, unlike on stage.

Working with Jun Hashimoto, even for the first time, felt like 1+1 equaling 10 or 100. If we had had another day together, something truly amazing would have happened. Perhaps it was best this way (laughs). It was fun.

Please look forward to all of them airing!!