Horikita to play Ri Kouran in "Danso no Reijin"

[Tokyograph News]

Back in May, it was announced that Meisa Kuroki will be starring in a drama special titled "Danso no Reijin," based on the life of the Manchu princess Yoshiko Kawashima. It has now been revealed that former actress/singer Ri Kouran (also known as Yoshiko Yamaguchi) will be a character in the story, played by Maki Horikita.

As previously reported, the drama focuses on Kawashima, who served as a spy for the Kwantung Army and as a military leader for Manchukuo. Yamaguchi, on the other hand, was a Japanese woman born in China, where she initially built her career as an actress. Although the two were of different generations, they were said to be closely linked at one point.

In 2007, TV Tokyo aired a drama special about the life of Yamaguchi, and Kawahima was a key character in that show. In that version, Aya Ueto played Yamaguchi.

The supporting cast in "Danso no Reijin" includes Yuki Yagi, Miki Maya, Masatoshi Nakamura, and Masanobu Takashima. TV Asahi will broadcast the drama on December 6.

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