Tetsuko Kuroyanagi recalls childhood Santa memory on TV Asahi's 'Tetsuko's Room

During the August 3 broadcast of TV Asahi’s talk show "Tetsuko's Room," veteran host Tetsuko Kuroyanagi shared a personal recollection of believing in Santa Claus until about fourth grade. She explained that wartime shortages meant the gifts she received were makeshift, leading her to question Santa’s existence. Actor Kaoto Hosoda, appearing as a guest, prompted the story by asking Kuroyanagi what had made her realize Santa was not real.

Hosoda, a young actor known for recent roles in a morning drama and a historical series, also spoke about his own childhood, noting that he continued to believe in Santa until the second year of middle school. The segment highlighted both Kuroyanagi’s wartime childhood and Hosoda’s early career challenges, including repeated audition rejections before landing a leading film role.