Production press conference of FujiTV Winter 2018 drama "Kioku"

The production press conference of FujiTV Winter 2018 drama "Kioku" was held at Yokohama on 9 March which was attended by cast members Nakai Kiichi, Yuka, Matsushita Yuki, Izumisawa Yuki and Imada Mio. The drama begins its run from 21 March in the Wednesdays 10pm timeslot. The drama which is shot in 4K format, is a Japanese remake of TVN's 2016 Korean drama "Kieok"(Memory) featuring Lee Sung-min which was the TV station's 10th anniversary commemorative work. Nakai Kiichi plays Honjou Hidehisa,  a capable lawyer in his 50s who is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease and losing his memory bit by bit. In a bid to win the battle of preserving his dignity to the last moment and expose the truth behind his son's death due to a car accident, Honjou comes to realise what is really important in life and treasure the bond with his family members.

Nakai revealed that he accepted the offer after due consideration especially after he rejected the production team for as many as 8 times. This was because he felt that he couldn't take on this offer if he wasn't fully committed to it and the filming schedule was extremely tight. However, when he was approached for the 9th time, he finally made up his mind to take this on because it was an honour for him as an actor to be so highly thought of. As such, this also made the drama become a memorable piece of work for him.

When asked about his thoughts regarding playing the lead character, Nakai said that illness has a very negative nuance but it can sometimes be the trigger for people to relive their lives. As such, he hoped that he would be able to convey this through his acting. As for the drama being shown on a paid cable channel, Nakai said that they were able to do things as they desired compared to the need to be careful about compliance issues and worry too much about other factors.

During the event, Moriyama Naotaro who sings the theme song "Ningen no Mori", made a surprise appearance to perform the song "live" in public. When he was done with his performance which was greeted with loud applause, Moriyama admitted that he was very nervous and felt as if he was singing at a wedding. When he got the offer to sing the theme song, Moriyama said that he reflected on himself for the first time in more than 10 years and was filled with gratitude as he wrote the song. Nakai who met Moriyama for the first time on this day, thanked the latter for writing a song which suited the drama.

Yuka who plays the lead character's wife, reflected on a snowy day when they were filming. Although it was freezing, they were very touched by Nakai serving hot ramen to them which warmed up their bodies and hearts. She praised Nakai for being an angel but the latter said that it just so happened that the day he arranged for a ramen restaurant to provide catering services coincided with the snowy weather and tried to downplay the significance of his gesture.

Sources: Oricon / Nikkansports