Oscar winner Meryl Streep joined the star-struck Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the red carpet on Tuesday as the 29th Tokyo International Film Festival got under way.
“This red carpet is a lot more exciting than the red carpet at the parliament building,” said Prime Minister Abe, who admitted to having watched many of Streep’s films.
“I’m feeling very excited, and it’s sinking in that the Tokyo International Film Festival has finally kicked off.” Abe said he particularly enjoyed Streep’s portrayal of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady a film that he said “left a very deep impression on me”, and for which Streep won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2012.
Korean singer and actor Yesung and Japanese actress Nozomi Sasaki were also on the red carpet along with a procession of figures clad in decorative costumes carrying pumpkins as Halloween approaches at the end of the month.
The Tokyo International Film Festival will run until November 3.
