Stir as Takuya Kimura Appears at Tokyo District Court, Top Talent of New Company Radiates Aura of Determination

The overwhelming aura he displayed on location for “Believe,” his latest starring drama.

In the early hours, as the rain that had started earlier turned into snow, a crowd had gathered outside the Tokyo District Court, where it was bitterly cold. Shortly thereafter, two vans parked by the court, and a man in a dark suit stepped out.

“I was passing by the court in my car when I sensed an unusual aura, so I glanced over, and there was Takuya Kimura (Kimutaku) (51)! Our eyes met!! I wanted to keep looking, so I parked my car and became a bit of a bystander,” said a passerby.

The area outside the court was in turmoil. Kimutaku quietly opened his umbrella and began to walk. Standing beside him was a tall, handsome man in a white suit, who appeared to be Saito Takumi (42).

“They’re filming the TV Asahi 65th Anniversary drama ‘Believe: Bridge Over You.’ Kimutaku plays the role of the head of the civil engineering design department of a major construction company. He confronts the company president after being promised ‘favorable treatment upon release’ but having the promise broken after being imprisoned for taking the blame for a fatal accident at a construction site,” explained an entertainment industry executive.

Indeed, Kimutaku repeated the motion of entering the court entrance, where the press was waiting, several times.

After only about 15 minutes, the filming was completed. Without a moment’s rest, Kimutaku left the courthouse.

“The broadcast starts on April 25th, but the filming started unusually late on March 20th. It’s a tightrope schedule. I heard they were filming in Mie until the day before, and after the courthouse scene, they moved to Chiba to continue shooting,” said a director from the production company.

The key network producer believes that what’s driving Kimura is “the determination to succeed as the top talent of the new company.”

“Originally, Kimura was supposed to play a TV producer role in this project. However, due to the spotlight on TV stations’ responses to the late Johnny Kitagawa’s sexual misconduct issues, the role was put on hold, and the script had to be rewritten. He must feel a sense of responsibility.

With it being an anniversary project, the cast lineup is heavyweight, including Saito Takumi (42), Ryo Ryusei (30), Takuya Kimura (58), and Kinya Kitaoji (81). They’re not resorting to the barter system that the former Johnny’s agency excelled in. They’re giving it their all without complaining, showing their full commitment,” the producer explained.

The intense expression Kimura showed at the courthouse seemed to reflect his pride as the top talent.

From the April 19, 2024 issue of FRIDAY