<figure id="attachment_473830" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-473830" style="width: 2848px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="abf151d5"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/07/aa35457a46798b30ab04b71c562c8d07.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-473830" class="wp-caption-text">Yuki Uchida to Star in the New “Thursday Theater” Series “Last Note”</figcaption></figure>
<h2><span class="strongInContent"> &#8220;I wonder if I&#8217;m up to the task,&#8221; she worries</span></h2>
<p> In a park at night, a woman stares intently at a single point under the bright lights… It is actress Yuki Uchida (50).</p>
<p> On this day, filming was underway at a park in Koto Ward, Tokyo, for the new Thursday Drama “Last Note” (Fuji TV).</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> “This drama is an entirely original work by screenwriter Tomomi Matoba, known for ‘The Noble Family’ (Fuji TV) in April 2022 and ‘The Vengeful Widow’ (TV Tokyo) in July 2022.It is a pure love drama for adults that depicts a man and a woman—with a significant age gap, different backgrounds, and life experiences—who are quietly drawn to one another and eventually led into the most intense love of their lives.</span></p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> Uchida plays Aoi Ichinose, a woman in her 40s who works at a fragrance company and is reasonably content with her status quo.“Takuto Teranishi (31), known for *timelesz*, plays Sumiharu Higuchi, a young man she meets after a problem arises involving her best friend,” said a TV magazine writer.</span></p>
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<p> For Uchida, this marks her first lead role in a Fuji TV series in 30 years, since *Give Me Wings!* (1996). I witnessed her on set in mid-June. It was a scene in a pitch-black park at night, where Uchida was facing off with her co-star, Maki Sakai (56), as they talked.Afterward, Sakai walked away, and Uchida waved goodbye. She stood motionless in that spot. Her eyes, filled with melancholy and glowing in the darkness, seemed to exude a bewitching allure.</p>
<p> For Teranishi, on the other hand, this marks her first lead role in a drama. A few days after the opening scene, I spotted Teranishi and Uchida filming in a park in Chuo Ward, Tokyo.Before filming, Teranishi, dressed in a suit, held a thorough briefing with the staff. Afterward, the two of them began filming together. It was striking to see them smiling at each other when the director called “Cut” and filming wrapped up successfully.</p>
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<p> Regarding her role in the drama, Uchida said,</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> “To be honest, I struggled with the decision a lot. I was anxious, wondering, ‘Can I really pull this off?’ and I also felt a bit hesitant about portraying a romance with a younger man.But I decided to take the role because I wanted to convey the message that people can fall in love at any age, and I wanted to fulfill Producer Reiko Misagi’s wish to ‘feel that flutter of excitement!’” (From “TV Guide Web,” published July 1)</span></p>
<p> she shared her thoughts. In response, Teranishi said,</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> “I have absolutely no hesitation! I’ve always wanted to challenge myself in the world of film and television, so I was simply thrilled to be given the chance to star in a commercial TV network drama series. After reading the script, I thought it would be great if I could give even a little push to those who, in today’s world, have unconsciously grown accustomed to giving up.”</span></p>
<p> he said, brimming with enthusiasm.On July 5, the entertainment site “Crank-In!” published the results of a reader survey titled “Which leading actress do you have high hopes for in the July 2026 drama season?” Uchida took first place. Expectations are running high for this adult romance drama featuring a significant age gap.</p>
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<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" A photo of Yuki Uchida and Takuto Teranishi together"></div>
<figure id="attachment_473831" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-473831" style="width: 2848px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="4b20c5ca"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/07/08d999e6647e07141ea77e8938cdf4c5.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-473831" class="wp-caption-text">Yuki Uchida with a pensive expression</figcaption></figure>
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<figure id="attachment_473832" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-473832" style="width: 1761px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="6dfc7c2f"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/07/2d093532c08fe76f6ca3e7d95981fdfa.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-473832" class="wp-caption-text"> Takuto Teranishi, co-lead of *timelesz*, carefully going over the details</figcaption></figure>
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 Kumatarō Arai (1st and 2nd photos), Ken Sugawara

 Yuki Uchida stars in the new Thursday drama “Last Note.” I spotted her on location in mid-June. In a park at night, she exuded an alluring aura. A few days later, I spotted her filming with Takuto Teranishi, her co-star in “timelesz.”

Overwhelmed by Her Allure… Photos of Yuki Uchida, Starring in the “Age Gap” Romance Drama, Showing “Her Melancholic Eyes on Set”

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