Sandals at a Star-Studded Bash?! Ichinose & Hirose Turn Heads at Netflix Wrap Party
Production costs are 2 to 5 times higher than terrestrial broadcasting, and the reception hall of a 4-star hotel is rented out... Surprised by the overwhelming capital power of Netflix!
Ichinose’s impactful casual clothes
“Gwo-wahahahahaha!”
One night in early March, a booming laugh echoed through the streets of Shibuya. The source of the voice was not a topknot-wearing sumo wrestler—but actor Wataru Ichinose (40). He was dressed in an extremely relaxed style: a worn-out white T-shirt, yellow sweatpants, and sandals. However, on this day, he had actually attended a lavish party that was the complete opposite of his casual outfit.
“A reception hall at a four-star hotel was rented out for a wrap party for a new original production by Netflix. The comedy is set in a super-aging society in Japan, and alongside Ichinose, the cast includes top-tier names such as Suzu Hirose (27), Kento Hayashi (35), Raul (22) from ‘Snow Man,’ Yuki Sakurai (39), and Fumino Kimura (38). Since it was a wrap-up celebration, the cast gathered and it was extremely lively,” said an entertainment agency insider.
Hosting a party at a luxury hotel and inviting a large number of talents—it’s undeniably extravagant. In fact, Netflix’s financial power has reached a level that terrestrial TV networks cannot compete with.
“Since COVID, it’s unheard of to hold wrap parties in hotel reception halls. It’s said that the production cost per episode of a Netflix drama is two to five times that of terrestrial TV. Rather than competing head-on with such massive capital, networks are exploring ways to make use of it.
For example, the drama ‘Moshimo Kono Yo ga Butai Nara, Gakuya wa Doko ni Aru no Darou’ (Fuji TV), which aired in October last year, received a high distribution fee from Netflix under the condition that it would be exclusively streamed one hour after broadcast. Going forward, new business models centered on streaming services will likely become the mainstream,” said a key network employee.
Ichinose, a child of Netflix who rose to fame with Sanctuary, enjoyed the after-party until 3:30 a.m. that day.
From “FRIDAY” combined issue dated March 27 / April 3, 2026
From the March 27/April 3, 2026 issue of “FRIDAY”
PHOTO： Shu Nishihara