From September 5th to the 7th, actress Miyazaki Aoi visited Nagasaki to film the upcoming�NHK special drama, "Chouchou-san".

The drama portrays a tragic romance between Miyazaki's character, 'Ito Chou', and a second lieutenant in the United States Navy. Miyazaki commented, "After meeting Franklin, she has a baby with him but raises the baby alone. I thought that her feeling towards him, and the act of waiting for him were important." Regarding her approach to perfecting the role, Miyazaki stated, "If those feelings are conveyed properly, it might go well."

Based on the famous opera called "Chouchou Fujin", the story is set in Nagasaki during the Meiji Restoration. For the drama, Miyazaki challenged herself to Nagasaki dialect. She expressed, "It's really difficult, but after listening to a dialect teaching tape that I received, it's like listening to music, and I feel comfortable." She continued, "I want it to come out of my mouth as natural as possible."

During the three days, the cast filmed at famous sites in Nagasaki such as the Dutch slope and the Glover Garden. Among these, Miyazaki found the Sawa Shrine to be memorable, as she shared, "I walked up many stairs, and when I got to the top, I saw a splendid scenery. When I moved around, the scenery in my field of vision changed, so it was a mysterious feeling, like I was looking at pictures. I want to go again."

Meanwhile, Ethan Landry, who plays the role of 'Franklin', expressed, "With this work, I had the opportunity to visit temples and shrines, and I come across scenery that I've never seen in my life. I was also deeply moved at this place."

Ito Atsushi and Ikewaki Chizuru was also present at the press conference.

"Chouchou-san" will air on November 19th and 26th from 9pm.

Source + Photo: Oricon