Keiko Kitagawa Shines in Unexpected Roles, Showing the Fiery Passion Behind Her Talent
Keiko Kitagawa, winner of the Best Actress award at the Hochi Film Awards, with Nozomi Morita (right), her co-star in the movie Night FlowerA surprising role in Bakebake
In the current morning drama Bakebake (NHK), Kitagawa plays a beggar. In her starring film Night Flower, released on November 28, she took on the role of an illegal drug dealer, exploring a completely new side of her acting. On December 15, at the Hochi Film Awards ceremony, she won the Best Actress award following her EL Best Actress recognition at the ELLE CINEMA AWARDS 2025, positioning her as a major contender in this season’s film awards race.
What has happened to her, considering that she hadn’t previously been closely associated with awards?
Bakebake is set in Matsue, Shimane, during the Meiji era. Through the eyes of Toki (Akari Takaishi, 23), modeled after the wife of author Lafcadio Hearn, the drama depicts a tumultuous story of a couple living through the transition from Edo to Meiji.
Kitagawa plays Toki’s mother, Otae-sama. Despite coming from a high-ranking family, her husband Den (Shinichi Tsutsumi, 61) fails in his textile business. Otae-sama, a beautiful and dignified young woman, experiences a dramatic fall from grace, even becoming a beggar—an unusual development for an NHK morning drama that shocked viewers on social media. Kitagawa shared her perspective on the role.
Appearing on NHK’s Asaichi premium talk on December 12, she said:
“If Otae were alone, she probably would have died by now, on her own. But she still has her son, Sannojō (Rihito Itagaki, 23), with her. The responsibility of raising Sannojō to be a strong, independent person drives me as a parent. I approached this scene with the feeling that Otae had already died once.”
To film the begging scenes, Kitagawa disheveled her hair and dirtied her face and kimono.
“But if it were too realistic, it would have been too shocking for morning viewers. So, after consulting with the production staff, we aimed for the edge of realism,” said a director from the production company. This is Kitagawa’s first appearance in an NHK morning drama, and she left a strong impression.
Kitagawa was scouted while in high school in her hometown of Kobe, and debuted as a model in 2003 after winning Miss SEVENTEEN. That same year, she began her acting career in the drama Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon (TBS).
Her early acting career, however, was difficult; she faced repeated rejections at auditions.
Her breakthrough came in 2006 when renowned director Yoshimitsu Morita noticed her, and she passed the audition for the film Mamiya Brothers, marking her first movie appearance. From 2008 to 2010, she appeared in three consecutive Fuji TV “Getsu 9” (Monday 9 p.m.) dramas—Taiyō to Umi no Kyōshitsu, Buzzer Beat: Gakeppuchi no Hero, and Moon Lovers: Tsuki no Koibito—establishing a solid position as an actress.
“She gained popularity, but mostly played flawless ‘career woman’ roles—cool, capable at work, but poor at romance. While these were fitting roles for her cool-beauty image, she seriously wondered how to expand her range. Kitagawa was the textbook example of a dedicated professional. Perhaps at the time, her determination to live through her work was just too strong,” said a production company producer.
A surprising turning point awaited the thoughtful Kitagawa.
An unexpected side brought out in Ie Uru Onna
In 2016, she married singer and TV personality DAIGO (47). Suddenly, the horizon of Kitagawa’s acting career opened up.
That same year, she starred in the drama Ie Uru Onna (Nippon TV), playing the savvy real estate agent Machi Sangenya in a comedic way, and became a huge hit. Supported by high ratings, the special drama Kaette Kita Ie Uru Onna aired the following year, and in 2019 the second series Ie Uru Onna no Gyakushū followed in quick succession, making her a high-rating actress.
In 2018, she appeared in the NHK Taiga drama Segodon, her first appearance in a Taiga drama. Playing the role of Tenshō-in Atsuhime, she drew attention, and after giving birth, she began to receive offers for a wide range of motherly roles.
“This spring drama Anata wo Ubatta Sono Hi Kara (Fuji TV) had her deliver a powerful performance as a mother who lost her daughter in a food accident. She takes the daughter of the store owner responsible for her child’s death, and when the girl eventually learns the truth and is shaken, she clings to Kitagawa saying, ‘I want to be your child,’—and Kitagawa, with words contrary to her true feelings, hurts and pushes the girl away to return her to her proper home. This scene brought tears to many viewers,” said the previously cited producer.
Her next challenge was the currently released film Night Flower. Director Eiji Uchida, who had worked with Kitagawa on the 2023 drama Rakujitsu, believed she still had latent potential and offered her this difficult role.
“After reading the script, Kitagawa was captivated by the protagonist, who desperately lives for her children even at the expense of herself. She told the directors, ‘If she’s pushed this far, I can understand a mother’s love that drives her to commit crimes to protect her children,’ and accepted the role. She plays Natsuki, the protagonist, with her hair dyed a vivid blue, almost completely makeup-free, speaking in native Kansai dialect,” said the previously cited director.
Kitagawa’s character, Natsuki Nagashima, is an extremely tough role.
“She scavenges through discarded gyoza bento, then witnesses her children playing the violin to earn pocket money without her knowledge and cries. When she imitates a drug dealer and gets beaten up, the scene shows her being repeatedly struck. In these moments, we see Kitagawa abandoning her past image and confronting the role with an intense, almost fierce presence,” said the director.
Where does the line between right and wrong lie for a mother who lives desperately for her children? This story, showing a mother transcending morals and rules, may reflect the dormant magma within Kitagawa herself, now a mother of two.
Ryuta Sato (38), playing the city’s drug boss Sato, mutters:
〈She’s trying to live desperately for her children, even if it means making others unhappy, right? There aren’t many mothers that admirable.〉
Awakening like rising magma, the passion swelling from deep within actress Keiko Kitagawa may soon sweep through the film industry.
： Ukon Shima (Broadcaster, Video Producer) PHOTO： Kazuhiko Nakamura (1st photo)