The NHK Taiga drama lead role baton passing ceremony was held in Shibuya, Tokyo on November 6th. With November 27th scheduled for the broadcast of the final episode of 'Gou', Ueno Juri was present to pass the baton to Matsuyama Kenichi, who will serve the lead role in 'Taira no Kiyomori' starting January 8th, 2012.

Ueno, who has already finished shooting, gave a bit of advice to Matsuyama by commenting, "Teamwork between the actors is very important. I brought home made snacks from home to create a good environment," adding humorously, "NHK doesn't provide snacks in the waiting room". A representative from NHK immediately stepped in to banter back, "With the minimal subscription fees, it's hard to pay for snacks."

As an annual tradition, the lead roles will exchange gifts that originate from the regions the Taiga dramas take place at. Ueno brought Echizen crab from Fukui prefecture for Matsuyama, while Matsuyama gave Kumano brushes from Hiroshima to Ueno.

Check out some photos from the annual event!

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Photo and Source: Sanspo