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…