NHK's 'Blossom' launches with Shizuka Ishibashi as lead, Matsutaka Matsushita makes asadora debut

NHK's 115th serial morning drama 'Blossom' premiered on September 28, 2024, with actress Shizuka Ishibashi, 32, in her first lead role in the format. The original story is modeled on writer Chiyo Uno, a Meiji-through-Showa era author known for works including 'Ohan' and her autobiographical novel 'Living On.' Ishibashi plays Tama Hano, born in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture in 1897, who loses her biological mother at age two and is raised by her father and stepmother. After graduating from girls' school and working briefly as a substitute teacher before being dismissed, Tama relocates to Tokyo and pursues writing, eventually becoming a published author despite facing earthquakes, war, failed marriages, bankruptcy, and debt.

The series features veteran actress Mariko Kaga portraying an older Tama in the 1980s, with Matsutaka Matsushita, 49, appearing as Yuko Fujikawa, Tama's secretary, marking Matsushita's asadora debut. Additional cast members include Ryoko Kuninaka as stepmother Rio, Atsuhiro Watabe as father Kiyoji, and Masata Someya. The theme song 'Blooming Brilliantly' is performed by YOASOBI, with original story by Risa Watanabe, a former Akutagawa Prize winner. Screenwriting is credited to Takeshi Sakurai.

Ishibashi, born July 8, 1994, in Tokyo, is the daughter of actor Shizure Ishibashi and actress Yoshie Harada. She initially rejected acting as a career path, pursuing classical ballet from age four and contemporary dance after studying abroad in the United States and Canada at age 15. After returning to Japan in 2013, she transitioned into acting, making her stage debut in 2015 with 'Night on the Galactic Railroad 2015' and gaining recognition with her 2017 film 'The Night Sky is Always the Maximum Density of Blue,' which won multiple awards including the Blue Ribbon Prize. Prior to 'Blossom,' she appeared in the 2018 asadora 'Hanbun, Aoi' but was cast in this lead role through direct offer rather than audition.

For her role preparation, Ishibashi read Uno's autobiographical works and visited Iwakuni with friends to tour Uno's birthplace, describing her subject as 'powerful, positive, and breakthrough-minded.' She cited her parents' instruction to 'live ordinarily and properly' as essential to her acting foundation. The production, which began filming in March 2024 in Osaka, concludes a six-month pre-broadcast period. Both Ishibashi and Matsushita expressed humility about their roles—Ishibashi noting the emotional weight of daily broadcast visibility, and Matsushita describing her participation as a supporting point contribution aimed at not overshadowing the lead.