Nao Matsushita Begins Filming Lead Role for January Drama

Bench Coat is So Warm~

On a windy bridge, wearing her bench coat backwards and smiling broadly, is Nao Matsushita (40).

On this day in mid-December, filming for the ‘26 January drama Otto ni Machigai Arimasen (Kantele/Fuji TV Network) was taking place on a bridge over a river in Chiba City. More than 50 extras were gathered, playing passing pedestrians, and when the voice called out, “Ready. Start!” everyone began moving across the bridge. Among them, the one who stood frozen on the bridge was Matsushita.

“This is an original drama scripted by Satoko Okazaki, inspired by a real case of a body being misidentified. The protagonist, Seiko Asahi, played by Matsushita, mistakenly believes a body found in the river is her husband’s and receives the insurance money.

A year later, the drama begins with her supposedly deceased husband, Kazuki Asahi, played by Ken Yasuda (52), returning. The decisions made for the sake of the children’s happiness gradually erode the family’s life, creating a suspense story sprinkled with the beauty and ugliness of human hearts,” said a television magazine writer.

Back to the opening scene: the shot was during the morning commute, with many people walking from the front of the camera to the back. After a while, Matsushita appeared from the back, wearing a bright red sweater and gray jacket. At 174 cm tall with a model-like figure, she stood out even from a distance. Reaching the middle of the bridge, she stopped with a vacant expression.

When the director called “Cut,” female staff ran up to Matsushita. Draping the bench coat over her, she gave a broad smile as if saying, “So warm~.” Until the next scene was ready, Matsushita chatted with the female staff around her, and the atmosphere seemed very good.

Regarding playing Seiko, Matsushita said on the program’s official website:

“When I received the script, I really thought it was incredibly interesting as a story! I wanted to know what would happen next, and the more I learned, the more the protagonist was pushed into tight spots seeing how she changes was really fascinating. There were also changes in the people around her, and I got completely absorbed. I made up my mind to cherish that feeling of ‘this is interesting’ in my performance.”

In recent years, so-called analysis-type dramas that solve various mysteries with the viewers have raised expectations early. How will Matsushita’s performance surprise viewers? Stay tuned.

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