Renowned as the “Japanese drama god,” Takuya Kimura revealed during his radio show “Kimura Takuya Flow” on January 11 that on New Year’s Day, he and entertainer Akashiya Sanma shot an outdoor scene for a TV special program. They unexpectedly met Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on the plane and had a brief interaction with her. Kimura disclosed that a comment from Prime Minister Takaichi before she disembarked left him extremely surprised.
Speaking about the amusing encounter with Prime Minister Takaichi, Kimura reminisced on the program about how on New Year’s Day, for the filming of a special New Year’s program for Fuji Television, he and host Akashiya Sanma flew to Noto together. Upon arriving at Haneda Airport’s boarding gate, they noticed an abundance of security personnel, leading Kimura to think, “Oh, there must be someone important.” Shortly after the two boarded the plane, the security staff followed suit, and then Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi appeared.
Kimura chuckled as he recounted how when the accompanying personnel approached and asked if “the Prime Minister could greet you, would that be convenient,” he initially thought they were looking for Akashiya Sanma because he was wearing a mask, seated by the aisle, and believed Akashiya Sanma was more famous and a senior figure in the entertainment industry. However, to his surprise, the Prime Minister indeed walked over and first greeted Akashiya Sanma with a “thank you for your hard work,” to which Akashiya Sanma responded, “Ah, yes, thank you!”
The subsequent conversation left a lasting impression on Kimura. Prime Minister Takaichi, smiling, said, “Mr. Akashiya Sanma and I are both from Nara.” Kimura jokingly responded, “So both of you are ‘country folks’ from Nara.” He then lowered his mask and said, “Thank you for your hard work.” It was only then that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi recognized Kimura and exclaimed, “So you are Takuya Kimura! It feels like a dream!”
Furthermore, as they were disembarking the plane, Prime Minister Takaichi paused next to them and said, “Well, I’ll take my leave now.” Kimura had only prepared to reply with a “thank you for your hard work,” but to his surprise, she suddenly turned back and said, “I have always cherished your first photo book as a precious item.” After conveying this sentiment, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi exited the plane, leaving Kimura stunned on the spot, exclaiming, “Is this for real or a dream!”
Kimura Takuya, who is 53 years old this year, released his first photo book “Kimura Takuya” in 1996, helmed by photographer Kogu Yokosuka. Back when Kimura starred in the classic Japanese drama “Long Vacation” and rose to fame, he was dubbed the “god of a generation,” at just over 20 years old. The book quickly became a bestseller, with sales of around 500,000 copies.
It is well known that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has a talent for singing; in 2016, she appeared on Fuji TV singing a song by X Japan, and she has even served as a drummer for a heavy metal band. The unexpected encounter between her and Kimura Takuya has revealed her “little fan” status and has left Kimura Takuya pleasantly surprised.
Lastly, Kimura Takuya also mentioned on the show that he later found out that on that New Year’s Day flight this year, there was also American baseball pitcher Kenta Maeda of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who was participating in a baseball event to support the reconstruction of Noto. Kimura couldn’t help but marvel, saying, “That was truly a flight with significant presence.”