Charlotte Kate Fox, lead actress in the NHK morning drama "Massan," said Wednesday that like the character she plays, she has grown stronger since coming to Japan.

Becoming the first foreign actress to hold a starring role in one of Japan's most popular TV series was a daunting challenge, she said during a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo, accompanied by senior "Massan" producer Ken Sakurai.

"I sort of thought it was a joke," Fox said of when she was invited for a screen test. "I flew to Japan for the first time in my life, and I was terrified."