Decided to play the role of “Shizuka Gozen” in NHK’s historical drama “Shizuka Gozen”! Shizuka Ishibashi shows her “real true face

It has been announced that actress Shizuka Ishibashi (27) will play the role of Shizugozen, the concubine of Minamoto no Yoshitsune, played by Masaki Sugata (29), in the NHK historical drama “Kamakura-dono no 13inin”.

The cast of “Kamakura no Dono no 13inin” had been gradually announced before the broadcast began, but the role of Shizugozen had not been announced for a long time, even after the broadcast had begun. This led to a lot of excitement and discussion on the Internet as to who would be best suited for the role of Shizugozen.

The names that were mentioned included Satomi Ishihara, who played Shizuka Gozen in the same historical drama “Yoshitsune” (2005), Masami Nagasawa, Taiho Tsuchiya, Kanna Hashimoto, Haruna Kawaguchi, Yurina Hirate, and Nana Komatsu, and some people reported that the “real candidates” would be Tsuchiya or Hashimoto. Some media outlets were also involved.

Ishibashi, on his official Twitter page

I had the impression that Shizuka Gozen was a legendary person, and I was worried about whether I would be able to handle the job, but when I thought that a woman with the same name had lived nearly 1,000 years ago and worked hard, I felt empowered to express her inner beauty.

He commented. The internet was overjoyed by the decision, as many people had been calling for Ishibashi, who has a lot in common with Shizukagozen.

It is true that Ishibashi and Shizugozen have more in common than just their names.

Shizuka Gozen was a white clapper who was known as the best dancer in the capital. When she and Yoshitsune were chased from the capital by Minamoto no Yoritomo, she was the first to warn Yoshitsune of the enemy’s attack when their house was raided at night.

Ishibashi, a second-generation TV personality whose parents are musician and actor Ishibashi Ryo (65) and actress Harada Mieko (63), began classical ballet at age 4 and studied in Boston (U.S.) and Calgary (Canada) at 15, returning to Japan in 2013 After that, she worked as a contemporary dancer. Her sophisticated urban appearance and dignified expression were cultivated during her time as a dancer. As an actress, she is a hard worker who has risen through auditions without relying on her parents at all.

Her good performance in “Soyada and Sawako and Their Three Former Husbands” (Fuji TV), which aired in the April season last year, and in the 2021 version of “Tokyo Love Story” (Fuji TV), which aired on terrestrial television in October, attracted attention, and she was mentioned as the most likely actress to make her breakthrough this year.

A person involved in the production of a commercial TV drama said, “She seems to be perfect for the role of an aggressive, strong-willed ‘devilish woman’ who plays with men, but she has a straightforward, easygoing personality that always makes her co-stars and the staff laugh.

This magazine also caught a glimpse of her true face a few months ago.

Last November, this magazine saw Ishibashi coming out of a theater in Yokohama after a performance. While the other performers were leaving the theater by shuttle, she left the theater on foot alone and met her friend waiting outside. On the way, while sipping an iced coffee she had purchased, she looked dashing as she walked with a straight back and large thighs, conveying an air of sassiness.

In the script by Mitani Koki (60), historical figures are portrayed from a perspective never seen before: Minamoto no Yoritomo, known for his ruthless leadership, is a womanizer and easily weak-kneed, and Yoshitsune, known as a military genius and strategist, is depicted as a “bad guy” who is quite psychopathic. In this case, it seems that Shizuka Gozen is not merely a tragic heroine. We can hardly wait to see what kind of Shizugozen Ishibashi will show us.