Kawashima Umika shouts out to fathers at “Hoshi Mamoru Inu” greeting
by amapi on June 14, 2011 at 9:45 am
Share on Tumblr

On June 11th, actress Kawashima Umika (17) appeared alongside Nishida Toshiyuki (63) and other costars at a stage greeting for the movie “Hoshi Mamoru Inu” (directed by Takimoto Tokiyuki).

Umika, currently a high school student, was asked to say a few words to all the fathers in Japan before Father’s Day in June 19th. She smiled and said, “I know that things aren’t always easy for you, but I want you to always do your best at work”.

—

The movie is based on the popular manga of the same title by Murakami Takashi, which was named by “Da Vinci” magazine as the #1 Tear-Jerker and Best Book as Chosen by Readers. There are also parts of the sequel, “Himawarisou“, mixed into the plot of the movie.

In the story, the skeleton of a middle-aged man is found in a desolate patch of land in Hokkaido. Not long after, they find the remains of a dog as well. As a young man named Okutsu from the City Hall investigates the identity of the remains, he begins to uncover a story of unemployment, divorce, the disintegration of a family, homelessness, and after all that, the trip that the dad (played by Nishida) took with his dog in a beat-up car. Soon Okutsu must uncover the fate of that trip…

—

Kawashima said that she and her own father are “very close”, and that they often go out to eat together or go shopping. On Father’s Day, she “apologizes to my dad, because I sometimes disobey him”, and said she wants “kids my age to tell their dads just how much they appreciate them”.

During the stage appearance, actor Tamayama Tetsuji (31), who plays Okutsu, and director Takimoto also took the stage to greet fans. Suddenly, Mr. Nishida began to hum the song “350-ho no March“, and fans were surprised to see singer Suisenji Kiyoko stand up from a seat in the audience and begin singing the song herself.

Source: Mantan Web