From Mole Girl to Taiga Actress… Rika Izumi’s role as the bewitching poet “Izumishikibu” in “To the Luminous Kimi

NHK’s historical drama “To the Luminous Kimi” has reached its climax.

While power struggles continue to unfold at court, “The Pillow Book” written by Murasaki Shikibu’s rival, Sei Shonagon, has gained popularity and is on its way to becoming a bestseller. In the midst of all this, Shikibu finally embarked on writing “The Tale of Genji”.

The drama features many of the most popular and handsome actors of the day, but it is the “Heian beauties” who have graced the history of Japan that add color to the drama. The drama becomes even more enjoyable if you pay attention to who plays the women surrounding the main character.

One of the newcomers to the drama is Izumi-Shikibu, a leading figure in women’s diary literature. Izumishikibu is the author of “Izumishikibu Nikki” (Izumi Shikibu Diary), a representative work of women’s diary literature, and a poet of the mid-Heian period whose poems are included in the Hyakunin Isshu (One Hundred Poems).

She was also known as a woman in love, and according to extant sources, she was described by Fujiwara no Michinaga as “an amorous woman. Her colleague Murasaki Shikibu, who was also her wife, criticized her, saying, “Her love letters and waka poems are excellent, but her conduct is unimpressive” (Murasaki Shikibu Diary). Perhaps for this reason, many of her excellent love poems are passionate.

Izumi Shikibu is played by actor and model Izumi Rika (35). Older fans of the historical drama may not be familiar with Izumi, but the appearance of Izumi Shikibu as played by Rika Izumi has been a big hit with viewers. The reason is that her appearance fits the image of Izumishikibu as portrayed in the drama. Izumi herself announced the role on NHK’s official website when the casting was announced,

I am very happy to be cast in a historical drama, which has always been one of my dreams and goals.

I will do my best to play the role, feeling a connection to Izumishikibu, which has the same character “Izumi” as my real name.

I will do my best to play the role. The scene in which Izumishikibu makes her first appearance…

At a “waka-learning meeting” hosted by Toshiko, the wife of Fujiwara no Kouto, Akane (Izumi Shikibu), played by Yuriko Yoshitaka, arrives at the place where Mahiro (Murasaki Shikibu), played by Yuriko Yoshitaka, is explaining waka poems, exuding a sexy scent.

Akane (Izumi Shikibu) arrives at the stage, exuding a sense of color and charm, dressed in a light blue kimono, which is naturally a juni-hitoe (twelve-layered kimono) since it was the Heian period.

Akane listened carefully to the sound of cicadas and composed a poem, “Hearing the sound of cicadas makes the heat more intense, and it makes me feel uncomfortable,” and recommended her “scanty kimono” to the wives. Akane then suggested her own “skimpy single garment” to the wives.

Akane then said, “I’d like to take everything off” and “If we all take it off, there will be no shame,” using the heat as a reason. I couldn’t help but chuckle and say, “No wife in the Heian period would say such a thing.

Since the kiss scene between Fujiwara no Michinaga (played by Tasuku Emoto) and Mahiro was depicted in this Taiga, it was not surprising that some viewers might be hoping that the scene was a foreshadowing for the exciting scene that was to follow.

She could turn into a big star like Eiko Koike. ……

Izumi is known as a “mole girl,” and is so well known among young men and women that she ranks third in the “mole girls” ranking (Minna no Ranking, July 14, 2012).

The term “mole girls” refers to female celebrities who are active as “fashion models” in women’s fashion magazines and also work as “gravure idols” in men’s magazines in sexy swimsuits and underwear.

Izumi’s glamorous body made her popular as a gravure idol, but she has also appeared in many commercials, including “Indeed,” and her impactful performances have increased her visibility among the tea party crowd. In fact, she has also appeared in many movies and dramas, and has a proven track record as an actor. She is also known as a talented woman, having graduated from Meiji University with a degree in literature.

In 2007, she played the role of Nami from the popular manga “One Piece” (Shueisha) in a commercial for “Indeed,” and even manga fans were delighted by the extent to which she was able to reproduce the character.

In an interview in 2004, she said, “When I was young, I was worried about my large bust. I wanted to reduce it the most. But as she became active as a model, she realized that her complex became her strength, and since then, she has changed her mindset to ‘how I should express myself. Personality-wise, she is quite competitive and is known for her stoic and thorough approach to creating roles.

Although not a mole girl, Eiko Koike Eiko, who played Hojo Masako in the 2010 historical drama “Kamakuradono no 13-nin,” comes to mind when one thinks of successful actors with gravure backgrounds. If Izumi’s charm is fully demonstrated in the drama, the stagnant viewer ratings are expected to explode. For Izumi, success in the Taiga may be a big step forward.