What Will Happen to “Doctor X” as Ryoko Yonekura’s Plans to Migrate to the U.S.

I went to New York for the first time in a long time, as restrictions on entry into the U.S. have been eased a bit.

In an article in the women’s media magazine “Mimore” (distributed on June 30), actress Yonekura Ryoko (46) wrote, “Yonekura is now at a major turning point of her life.  She is rumored to be moving to the United States.”

She is seeking for someone to replace her on the hit TV drama series “Doctor X” (TV Asahi), which began airing in October 2012. “Doctor X” has been popular among a wide range of viewers, from teenagers to the elderly, with the highest viewer rating of over 27%. Season 7, which aired at the end of last year, has maintained viewership in the upper 10% range, although the ratings have declined.

“Yonekura-san has developed a strong image of the main character, doctor Daimon Michiko. The storyline is also a big factor. Yonekura and TV Asahi have a good relationship, but whether a sequel will be made in the future is unknown at this point,” said a TV Asahi employee.

The highly successful masterpiece that served as a kick-start

Yonekura’s next stage as an actress is Broadway in New York, which is synonymous with musicals.

Yonekura pitched herself for the role, and in July 2012, she was cast in the lead role in the classic musical “CHICAGO. She won the lead role in the classic musical “CHICAGO” in July 2012. This is the first time in history that a Japanese person has played an American role on Broadway and been selected for the lead role. Ms. Yonekura’s performance was also highly acclaimed and she received a great ovation in the United States.

“Ms. Yonekura has expressed her desire to work on Broadway in the future. The high praise for her performance in ‘CHICAGO’ has made her want to appear in other productions as well. She wants to get serious about working on Broadway and create her own masterpiece in the U.S.,” said a source in the entertainment industry.

(A source in the entertainment production industry) “It is also possible that a big factor in moving to US is due to her personal reason.”

Mr. A is an Argentine tango dancer who is in a steady relationship with Ms. Yonekura.  Yonekura trusts Mr. A very much, who does not constrain her and lets her do the things that she wants. However, Japan is too far from Argentina. If she were based in the U.S., Ms. A would be able to return to her parents’ home more often.

“Nevertheless, Ms. Yonekura will not completely shift her activities to the U.S. She will keep her personal office, which she established after leaving Oscar Promotion in March 2008, and she will continue to work in Japan. Even if she shifts her focus to the U.S., I think she will continue to be active both in Japan and the U.S.” (same source).

Ryoko Yonekura is a well-known actress who has achieved success in Japan. It is likely that she will expand her activities on the theater in the future.