Who is Jiban’s hero? Superman, says actor Hiroshi Tokoro during his visit to Guayaquil as the star of the Wow Expo Fest

Japanese actor Hiroshi Tokoro, better known by the name of his character, Jiban (or police officer Naoto Tamura), He arrived in Guayaquil last Tuesday, November 7 with great enthusiasm to meet his fans, which he did. As soon as he arrived at José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport, he was recognized and heard shouting ‘Jiban, Jiban!’ That surprised him.

How did you feel at that moment? “Sugoi!” says the actor, using an expression that indicates astonishment and is equivalent to “awesome”. As he speaks, the Wow Expo Fest special guest often responds with ‘yes’ in Spanish, his favorite word. “I’m Jiban, I’m from Japan” is another of the phrases he learned during his travels, along with “good morning”, “hello” and “thank you very much”.

Calm and careful, He describes himself as a shy and reserved person, who does not talk much, like any Japanese, except that as soon as he gets on stage he gives in to the energy and enthusiasm of the audience and ends up doing things that make him blush later, like singing the show’s theme songs Jiban Steel Police (1989). There are videos of those moments, and he adds an anecdote to them.

Guayaquil has nothing to fear! Jiban is already in Ecuador at the Wow Expo Fest

In Brazil, after singing at the people’s request, he got off the stage to meet backstage with the original singer, who was also one of the guests and saw the whole performance. “He applauded me. ‘You did well,’ he says, laughing sheepishly. The pop singer was his friend Akira Kushida, known for his hero series themes (Stone Raider) and also anime (Dragon Ball Super).

But when Hiroshi is asked if he would sing at Wow Expo Fest again, he becomes cryptic. “I couldn’t tell you,” he says, smiling.

It was in Sao Paulo, Brazil that he felt the greatest connection with his fans, especially during photo shoots, he says, hugging his fans. “Sometimes I feel some people shaking with excitement to meet me.” He adds that this is the impression that remained in his heart. He never felt in danger, even when surrounded by a crowd.

Television series Jeez enters the tokusatsu or metal hero genre, and for Hiroshi Tokoro, it’s very memorable because, apart from being the reason why he now travels the world to delight his fans, it’s also the title that came out in the very year Japan transitioned from the Showa era to the Heisei era, when Emperor Akihito entered to the throne.

That year he also left other memories: Jiban’s toys: the character’s police badge and also his weapon, called Maximilian. Do you keep any of them? He makes a gesture of silence and then laughs. “Yes, I have them, but it’s a secret.”

A fan of thriller series and movies, he says he saw it on the flight to Guayaquil fast and furious 10 and who also loves Marvel production. As he previously told this paper, he admires Robocop. But his hero par excellence is Superman. The reason is simple. “He can fly and he can save immediately. Jiban needs his motorcycle to confront the enemy. But Superman immediately comes to the rescue.” And yet, it’s not a superpower he would seek for his character. He indicates this through his interpreter It would help Jiban a lot if he could read other people’s minds.

In Japan, Hiroshi has an older sister and a nephew. “He grew up watching Jeez, and he’s really surprised” that he still has a following at this point and is being invited to other countries. But he is also a reserved person and prefers to see and support him from social networks.

Do you have a desire to return to acting? “Yes, if there’s an offer, I’ll take it.” But he would no longer try his luck in action series. “Love and Uncertainty” would be your choices. His current hobbies are traveling and cycling and maintaining health, which he has been doing since he was young. Do they admit it in Japan? “No no no. That’s why I travel pretty relaxed.”

He assures that, While in Ecuador, you don’t feel like you’re in another country or that you’ve left Japan. “It’s like I’ve known you for a long time.” To strengthen it, he made a city ​​tour through Guayaquil together with his colleague, Argentinian actor Felipe Colombo, another guest of the Wow Expo Fest. He politely says that he is grateful to have met Columbo and to be at the event with someone who is a fan of Japanese culture. “He is an actor, I was too, and we seem to understand each other.” (AND)

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