Rising actress Keiko Kitagawa (23) will star in a drama special on TBS titled “Hitsudan Hostess.” The story is based on the bestselling autobiography of 25-year-old Rie Saito, who became a number-one hostess in Ginza despite being deaf. “Hitsudan Hostess” was published by Kobunsha this past May, and so far it has sold roughly 115,000 copies. The book depicts the life of Saito, who was born in Aomori and became deaf at the age of 1 due to an illness. She rebelled against her strict parents, and she ran away from home several times as a youth. At a local club, she began taking an interest in “hitsudan” (communicating through writing), which she later made use of when she moved to Tokyo and became a popular hostess at a Ginza club. Kitagawa will play the part of Saito in the drama, with Yoshiko Tanaka (53) playing her mother. Kitagawa’s role will be difficult as it has almost no lines, requiring her to express herself in a different way. Incidentally, the actress already has a strong interest in writing, as she learned calligraphy at a young age. The show, scheduled to air in January, will include an introduction by Saito herself.

Original Source of Keiko Kitagawa to play deaf role in "Hitsudan Hostess" drama