Inohara Yoshihiko to star in new TV Asahi Spring 2018 drama "Tokusou 9" - the sequel to "Keishicho sousa ikka kyuugakari"

Inohara Yoshihiko will be taking on the leading role in new TV Asahi Spring 2018 drama "Tokusou 9" (Special Investigation Nine) starting in April in the Wednesdays 9pm timeslot. The drama is the sequel to the long-running series "Keishicho sousa ikka kyuugakari" starring the late Watase Tsunehiko who passed away in March last year and had lasted 12 seasons since 2006. Season 12 was shown last year without its lead actor as it began its run after Watase's demise. Inohara who was a supporting cast member in the original series, becomes the lead in the new drama which also includes existing regular members such as Hada Michiko, Nakagoshi Noriko, Tsuda Kanji, Fukikoshi Mitsuru and Taguchi Hiromasa as well as Terao Akira who is a new member in the cast.

Nogiwa Yoko passes away at the age of 81

Actress Nogiwa Yoko passed away at the age of 81 on 13 June as reported on 15 June. According to insiders, her wake and funeral which was attended by family members only had been completed.

Nogiwa was born in Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture, before she moved to Suginami, Tokyo, at the age of 3. After graduating from Rikkyo University, she managed to overcome the low odds of 0.3% to become a NHK announcer in 1958 and was the host for programmes like "Ohayou Minna-san". After quitting from NHK in 1962, she worked at an advertising agency for three months and switched to become a freelance announcer which then landed her the job of being the host of TBS programme "Josei Senka". In the following year, Nogiwa made her debut as an actress in the TBS drama "Hi no Utsuwa" and continued working as an actress until she went to study French literature at Université de Paris in 1966. After she returned in 1968, she starred in the TBS drama "Key Hunter" which ran for 5 years and achieved ratings above 30 percent at the peak of its popularity. It was then when she met co-star Chiba Sonny and the couple got married in 1973 before she gave birth to their daughter Manase Juri in 1975 at the age of 37. However, when Chiba wanted to move to the US in 1994, Nogiwa didn't want to follow him there and felt that there were no longer any feelings between them so the couple went their separate ways.

Since then, Nogiwa had appeared in many dramas and movies and was especially known for her role as the mother-in-law who spoilt her son Fuyuhiko (Sano Shiro) in the 1992 TBS drama "Zutto anata ga suki datta". She also holds the title of the No.1 female guest who had appeared the most times (21) on Kuroyanagi Tetsuko's signature show "Tetsuko no Heya as they had been close friends since the days when she was a NHK announcer. Nogiwa's last drama appearances are in the ongoing TV Asahi afternoon drama "Yasuragi no Sato" and TV Asahi Spring 2017 drama "Keishicho Sousa Ikka Kyugakari" while she can also be seen in the movie "Itsumata kimi to Herijunzailai" which was released in cinemas on 24 May.

Nogiwa was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2014 while she was acting in the FujiTV afternoon drama "Hanayome no Noren" and went through treatment. However, she suffered a relapse in the following year and went through an operation to remove the tumour. Although her condition had seen an improvement after chemotherapy, rumours of her being in ill health persisted especially when she was the only person in the cast absent from the production press conference of "Yasuragi no Sato" held on 16 March this year.

With regard to why Nogiwa passed away, her agency said that they would like to refrain from making her health problems public so as to respect her privacy. Even though Nogiwa had a number of illnesses in the past, she still tried her best to live healthily and happily.

Sources: Sports Hochi / Sanspo / Sponichi

Watase Tsunehiko passes away due to multiple organ failure

Watase Tsunehiko passed away in a Tokyo hospital at 11.18pm on 14 March due to multiple organ failure. He was 72 years old. According to the fax statement released by Watase's agency on 16 March, Watase's funeral and farewell ceremony will be attended by his immediate family members only as per his wishes. He leaves behind his wife Iho, a son and a daughter and his elder brother is actor Watari Tetsuya.

Watase was admitted to hospital for pneumonia in June 2015 during the filming of a drama and complained about feeling unwell in the autumn of the same year. After going through a checkup, he was diagnosed with a tumour in his gallbladder. He returned to work from December the same year while undergoing treatment and being admitted to hospital for short stays. While filming TV Asahi drama "Keishicho Sousa Ikka Kyuugakari" last year, he was diagnosed with gallbladder cancer but did not tell his co-stars and staff members at all except for a few who knew about his condition. Watase used to drink heavily but had abstained from alcohol since he was diagnosed with cancer. He was scheduled to make an appearance on 2 March at the completion press conference of TV Asahi drama SP "Soshite dare mo inakunatta" showing on 25th and 26th March but was absent with the reason of scheduling conflicts.

Watase was expelled from the law faculty of Waseda University and worked at the PR centre of advertising firm Dentsu. While his elder brother Wataru became a youth star of Nikkatsu movies, Watase had no interest in showbiz then and it was only until 1969 when he signed a contract with Toei to become an actor and made his debut the following year. Since then, he had appeared in many movies and dramas and won awards such as the Blue Ribbon, Nippon Academy and Kinema Junpo. In recent years, Watase was more active in TV dramas.

Watase was previously married to the late actress Ohara Reiko between 1973 and 1978 before he married his current wife Iho who used to be a OL. His last appearances on screen together with his brother was in the 2011 TBS drama SP "Kikyou" and in 2013 TBS drama "Nishimura Kyotaro Suspense Totsugawa Keibu Series 50th commemorative work Kieta Tanker" where Watase was the lead and Watari was the guest star.

In the statement released by Watase's agency, he was planning to participate in the filming of the latest installment of "Keishicho Sousa Ikka Kyuugakari season 12" which is scheduled to begin in February. The drama is scheduled to begin its run from April. However, he had been hospitalised due to pneumothorax in his left lung around mid February. Nonetheless, he recovered well enough to take part in the drama's scheduling meeting on 13 March but his condition suddenly took a turn for the worse in the night of 14 March and passed away due to multiple organ failure brought about by septicemia.


With regard to his younger brother's sudden demise, Watari released a statement through his agency where he mentioned that he was mentally prepared for the worst when Watase told him about his stage IV cancer and that he only had about a year left to live. However, he is still at a loss for words when faced with the passing of his younger brother especially when he recalls the time they spent together since childhood to now.

Meanwhile, V6's Inohara Yoshihiko who has also appeared in the "Keishicho Sousa Ikka Kyuugakari" series together with Watase since 2006, released his comments about the passing of his co-star. Inohara referred to Watase as his colleague and respected teacher and that there were so many memories between them so he can't find the right words to describe his feelings now. In the drama series, Inohara plays Watase's colleague and his daughter's (Nakagoshi Noriko) boyfriend. According to insiders, the first two episodes of the drama had been filmed without Watase who was hospitalised during the same period. TV Asahi has also confirmed that the 12th installment will be broadcast as planned from next month in the Wednesdays 9pm timeslot.


Sources: Nikkansports / Sanspo / Yomiuri Hochi 1 / Yomiuri Hochi 2 / Oricon