Mizu Natsuki interview/presentation

- carlyas

Mizu was a guest speaker at what looks like some kind of career convention sponsored by a technology company. It’s a bit awkward how the interviewer keeps relating everything back to her company, but Mizu has some awesome stuff to say.

What’s the “male spirit” inside a woman?
Actress Mizu Natsuki

From the ultra-competitive Takarazuka Revue, we present a top star who charmed a huge number of people, Mizu Natsuki. Since she turned to the career of an actress, how does Mizu-san, constantly expanding her fields of activities and continuing to sparkle, overcome her obstacles and difficulties time and time again? She spoke to us about everything from her view of life based on her experience in Takarazuka to her strength as a woman she got from mastering the otokoyaku.

Interviewer: HY, Managing Director of Accenture Technology Consulting

HY: Hello, Mizu-san, thank you for being here.

MIZU: Thank you for having me. This time, since I was invited to speak with Accenture, I read the homepage. The president’s words, “It’s not just the profits, but the success of the business partner that is a company’s true gratification,” are written there, and I got a strong feeling that that part is related to the entertainment industry.

HY: I’m so happy to hear you say that the entertainment industry has something in common with our job. Most people might think that the path you walked as an actress and a Takarazuka top star is totally different than that of an Accenture employee in our field. However, as a top star you had to exhibit leadership, and Takarazuka is a place where it’s necessary to refine yourself in dance and singing, not to mention various other skills. Since you left Takarazua in 2010 you’ve truly branched out into a different field, taking on the activities of an actress. I suspect that part of your experience is similar to the problems and challenges we encounter from day to day. From what I see just looking around, there are a lot of young people here. Mizu-san, when you were young, how did you go about building your career?

MIZU: In Takarazuka, there’s something called Shinjin Kouen. For one day only, just the underclassmen get to perform in the Grand Theater, and the program is exactly the same as the actual show. In my third year, I had the privilege of being selected for the lead in one of those shows. Of course, I’d held the aspiration of wanting to appear in a lead role someday, but I was thinking a lot about whether that was the right time, if my preparations regarding singing, acting, and dancing were in order, if I’d arrived at having enough confidence in myself to be able to appeal to people. But even though at that time I felt like I was under-prepared, this chance was dropped in my lap. Even though this was the sort of chance that every member of Takarazuka hoped and longed for, I thought, “If only this turned out to be a bad dream……..” No matter what I did, every day, something didn’t feel right. It was like, “I have to play this lead part, what on earth should I do.”

HY: How did you overcome that?

MIZU: In that Shinjin Kouen program, it was a role that Amami Yuuki-san played in the real show. When Amami-san was an underclassman, she had the same experience as I did of being selected for a lead shinko role, so she said to me, “I can understand the tremendous worry you’re experiencing right now, so please ask me anything.” For that role, I had to handle a hat in a cool way and quite a bit of skill was needed for that, and she gave me the advice, “You should take that hat home with you, every day, and practice with it until midnight. Because if you do it until you’re sick of it, you’ll definitely be able to master it.” In the beginning, I turned my eyes away from reality, but if you keep on procrastinating day after day, your deadline steadily approaches, and your impatience comes out. If you get like that, reality catches up to you. Even though I kept running away, the day of the Shinjin Kouen came.

HY: When I hear that, I can really sympathize with you. It’s the same feeling we get in our job when a presentation approaches.

MIZU: You’ve got no choice but to do it. As far as not being able to run away is concerned, that time a switch went off. Because the switch went off, as the Shinjin Kouen, approached, I continued to challenge everything every day.

HY: When everyone is troubled, they listen carefully to their superiors. We might not have Amami Yuuki-san in our company (everyone in the assembly hall laughs), but we do have reliable superiors. Everyone in that position, with the intention of becoming like Amami-san, let’s listen closely to what’s being said and give advice.

Mizu-san, at the beginning, you said you understand part of the Accenture motto, “It’s not just the profits, but the success of the business partner that is a company’s true gratification,” as it relates to your job. Is there a concrete example you can give of a time you were able to feel like you shared that sentiment?

MIZU: In Takarazuka for instance, to talk about a typical day’s schedule, the whole morning would be filled with lessons and interviews and things, and then we’d rehearse from the afternoon until 10 o’clock at night. Since the rehearsal room was still usable from 10 to midnight, we’d take it upon ourselves to have lessons, and then when we returned to our rooms we’d study our scripts; every day was like that.

HY: So there’s a ton of effort going on behind the scenes.

MIZU: In Takarazuka, I thought about theater and acting and musicals all day long. There were days when my whole body hurt, and there was pressure not to miss performances even if you were sick. But still, when I went out on stage for the finale, and saw all the fans applauding, the feeling of how much fun they had would well up, and this turned into my own joy. I received energy from everyone, and everyone enjoyed the performance that I poured my heart and soul into. It’s like a swapping of energy. That would become my driving force for moving on to the next thing.

Working at Accenture, you must have to support other people’s companies. If you simply think of that job, doesn’t ambition surge up inside you? The feelings you have for other people’s companies, and being able to please each person in those companies, the point of that becoming your own satisfaction, I think that really resembles my job.

HY: For all of the Accenture employees too, I think that more than simply working to raise your own achievements, contributing to the satisfaction of the client makes you reliable and enables you to gain trust.

MIZU: The bigger the mountain you have to climb on a project, the bigger the sense of accomplishment when you reach the summit, and there’s a feeling of solidarity that comes from it, isn’t there. It’s not something you can express in words, or calculate in numbers, or whose value you can measure in money.

HY: You could also say, the harder the project, the tastier the drinks are when it’s over (haha).

MIZU: But, until you become top it’s a competitive community. In order to stand out from the person next to you, you’ve got to perform while thinking, “What’s my own special charm?” Even so, at times when I was thinking, “Argh, being treated the same as everyone else is rough,” there would be troupe reassignments, and it went from going along with the crowd to “Please figure this out yourself.” To that extent, even though I’d thought I wanted stand out as one person, it was scary and I couldn’t take it. On stage, when I’d come out alone, I felt like “don’t look at me!” When I was competing with everyone, I could do my best. But being able to persevere when left alone, I started to realize that takes true courage. If you lose to the mental aspect of it, your body breaks down too. Because of all the pressure I put on myself on stage, such as “it’s scary” or “what do the fans see in me” or “if only I was a better singer,” my physical condition was destroyed.

HY: How did you get over that?

MIZU: Whenever I was standing on stage, I absolutely did not let the severity of my physical condition show. I refused to lose to myself. If my body stopped functioning, then it would be over. I thought about how I could thrive on the chance I’d been given. I fell to the very bottom, and from the spot I fell to, one day in a flash I asked myself, “What do you really want to do? Why do you want to perform on stage?” I couldn’t go on like that, and I was able to revive myself.

HY: Did you gradually get used to your position of having solos?

MIZU: Pretty much. In Takarazuka they sell stage photos to the fans. When I was an underclassman, in the photos they shot I had weird faces, weird poses, weird makeup… there were nothing but weird photos (haha). As I became an upperclassman, the number of good photos gradually increased. The gap between how I appeared on stage, and the performance I wanted to give, became filled. If I do that it appears this way, or when I act this way it falls flat; in this way I started to be able to build myself up while objectively analyzing the things I was doing. Even within the concept of otokoyaku, I began to gain an understanding of what kinds of roles suited me, what performances enabled me to exhibit the most power, what my “type” was. I began to design myself, and as for my self-confidence, I came to be able to walk on my own.

HY: In our work too, in order to differentiate ourselves from other companies, so that we don’t end up following the crowd, we must always be conscious of our strong points. Even with this event that’s going on right now, the theme is trying to consider anew how our assets, experience, and skills can become like our career capital, and it’s become a place to reaffirm our strengths. From this point of view, what do you consider your strengths?

MIZU: Hmmmm…..I think my strength is my tenacity. I think it’s the same no matter what your job is, but there are times when you haven’t made much progress, right? Times that make you say, “Even though I’ve been practicing this much, I’m still no good.” But, if you give up there, you get zero. On the other hand, if you keep plugging away, day after day, little by little it adds up. The moment you realize, “ah, so THIS is how you do it!” finally comes. That moment of recognition is gratifying, and you gain confidence. Even if your progress is slow, when you can sense your growth that has piled up in tiny increments, at some time after that, you’ll come to believe, “I won’t give up, I’ll get on without being bothered by little things, and I will definitely have discoveries and realizations that lead to growth.”

HY: Everyone, isn’t that exactly the same in your work?

MIZU: Entertainment is simple work. Things whirl around on stage, and if some kind of balance can exist, even if that balance is put into words and taught to you, it serves no purpose unless you experience it for yourself. To master something there’s nothing you can do but keep learning time and time again. It’s really simple, and it may be a small thing, but I think it’s most important to keep going without letting the little things get you down.

HY: How was it when you became top of Yukigumi?

MIZU: Well, when I became top, it wasn’t my own feelings, but whether or not the fans would accept me as top that was most important. I got the title of top star the day after the previous top left, but that didn’t mean all of a sudden that day I’d become good at singing, good at dancing, and able to charm the audience with my acting. What could I do from the time it was decided I’d be top until I actually performed in my introductory show? It was a song-heavy show, but nevertheless in my impatience I lost my voice, and I fell into a lethal situation……. I was really churning with anxiety about how long I’d be able to perform as top.

HY: After you became top, in 2010 you retired. Is there a big difference between Takarazuka and the work you’re doing now as an actress?

MIZU: They’re totally different. First of all, the standard for an otokoyaku is pants style. I didn’t wear skirts at all. Since my arms were slender and appeared feminine, I wore long sleeves even in the summer. My hair was short. Anyway, just doing guy things was like a revolution! On the contrary, now as a woman, even when  go to photoshoots, I’m told, “Wow, the emotion in your eyes is so intense!” Like when you look at the pictures, there’s a force in my eyes that comes shooting out of the screen (everyone laughs). Ah, so I can’t open my eyes wide that way. Later I realized I can’t spread open my underarms. When I was an otokoyaku, I’d express manliness by opening my arms wide and making my body appear larger. So everything that I’d studied for 20 years was wrong. I had to analyze everything bit by bit, and find out all the ways I was different from a woman (haha). Everyone said to me, “You were born a woman, so you’re fine the way you are now,” but things like the way I’d arrange my legs were CLEARLY wrong. The first 2 ½ years of being an actress were really difficult. I still have such a long way to go. Even though I’m so careful about coming across like a woman, I’m always told, “You’re really masculine after all, aren’t you.” It feels like “Argh! It’s still not enough!”

HY: Since you accumulated 20 years in Takarazuka, it’s not so simple to change, is it. But, I don’t think there are that many women who think that hard about being a woman.

MIZU: That’s probably true. I’m always thinking about what it is to be a woman, etc. Like what can I do to be seen as a woman?

HY: What do you think?

MIZU: Of course, it’s a mental thing. Since I left Takarazuka I’ve been trying to be more feminine visually, like I’ve been wearing skirts, and going to the nail salon, but in the end I have a feeling it’s really mental. Kindness and maternity. Beyond that, the “male spirit” that a woman has can also be a woman’s strong point. Because that is there, I think I can face life positively, and it helps me overcome obstacles.

HY: I hope there are a lot of women in our company with “male spirit” too.

MIZU: Why, if they don’t have that before a presentation, does it go poorly?

HY: That’s right. Well then, Mizu-san, as someone who’s gone from Takarazuka top star to actress, you’ve attained a position that a lot of women yearn for. What’s your secret to success?

MIZU: I wonder if it’s greed. I think I have a taste for fun, deep emotion, and gratification. I think I want to savor the atmosphere of the summit I’ve reached even more. But I also want the taste of different scenery, and stronger emotions. Since that’s not something you can attain by walking a flat road, I want to feel the things you can only feel because you experienced troubles while passing through a thorny path, and since I want that, I feel like I can do my best. Beyond I also understand without a doubt that there are gifts. If you doubt yourself along the way, it’s over. Only those people who believe in themselves and steadily progress will have the state of mind of being able to reach the summit. Isn’t it the same with skincare? Doing it day after day, it’s so bothersome! (everyone laughs) But, because you do those little things, 10 years later, there’s a huge difference.

HY: Work is like skincare, it accumulates, huh (haha)

MIZU: If you have talent and willpower there’s nothing you can’t do. But, If you have talent and do nothing, I think the people with no talent and willpower will surpass you. Since I didn’t have much talent, I got by on willpower. By immersing myself in my own willpower, the result I got was Takarazuka top. On the other hand, it was also important for me to accept my lack of certain abilities. When I failed, rather than pretending I hadn’t failed, it was better to be sufficiently hurt, and to feel thoroughly upset. Then without giving up, I’d inspect my failure, and if I found something new to work on, next time for sure, I’d have a thorough understanding of it in my performance.

HY: Thank you so much for all of your strong messages.

DAN REI x MAYA MIKI Interview

- carlyas

From this article.

The Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Platinum Card motto is, “Now, more than ever, let’s shine.” and we have two women here who live by this expression: actresses Maya Miki and Dan Rei, who originated in the Takarazuka Revue. These two were by no means honor students. Amidst adversity they found their own special way to shine, and they talked together about their thoughts and the possibility of expressing themselves as Takarazuka meets its 100th anniversary.

MAYA: There are definitely a lot of people who have never gone to see Takarazuka, aren’t there. Actually, I was one of them. I think the symbols of Takarazuka are the otokoyaku appearing on stage laden with feathers, and things that can’t exist in reality. This is the shape of the tradition that has been built over the last 100 years.

DAN: That’s something that isn’t represented anywhere other than Takarazuka, isn’t it. During the performances you forget about reality, and through the eyes of the musumeyaku, the otokoyaku make your heart flutter. To me, offering that dream is the essence of Takarazuka.

Please set the scene for your feelings on the importance of Takarazuka reaching it’s 100th year.

MAYA: Whenever I tried to express myself in a new way, I was always worried about destroying the tradition that my senpai had built. What finally gave me a push was something the iconic Takarazuka otokoyaku star, the late Kasunago Yachiyo-sensei, said to me. She said, “Every person who starts something gets knocked in the head, but still, you either want to do it or you don’t,” and then I resolved myself.

DAN: In the days when Maya-san led Hanagumi, she expressed a new sort of urban type of guy, and some really stimulating performances unfolded from that. Everyone admired her.

MAYA: Seriously? I wish you’d told me that sooner! (haha). But, the senpai-kouhai relationship in Takarazuka makes it difficult, doesn’t it.

DAN: Haha. Takarazuka’s traditional hierarchy and etiquette really are strict, huh. But then, it creates a certain kind of unity, and I feel as though it’s precisely because of that that each individual Takarasienne can concentrate on being able to construct that single dream world.

MAYA: Thanks to the discipline I got in Takarazuka, I feel like now I can obediently take advice and criticism. For sure after I left Takarazuka, I felt the real weight of my gratitude for that tradition.

On your journey to become top, it wasn’t smooth sailing.

MAYA: Right after I enrolled, my rank was 37 out of 39… almost last. Since I was burning with the hope of being #1, I was shocked.

DAN: Actually my grades were terrible too……..so no one would sense my frustration at not getting roles, I pretended to be tough.

MAYA: Me too! I briefly thought I’d quit. But little by little I started to receive kind words from fans, and I got to the point where I was able to think it’s just like how life is a long haul—you never know what’s going to happen.

DAN: For me, my impetus was the closing of the theater because of the Hanshin earthquake. Even though I wanted to stand on stage and I’d entered Takarazuka, I didn’t know what the heck I was doing. Alone in my dorm room I told myself, “instead of being defeated by the things you can’t do, do the things you can do with a smile.” That was my breakthrough.

Maya-san, as a liberal otokoyaku in suits with long hair, you were called a “Takarazuka revolution.”  What was your driving force in your pursuit of self-expression?

MAYA: My number one motivation was the desire to turn even people who didn’t have an interest in Takarazuka into fans. So, as one troupe among 5, I wondered if it would be ok to suggest that the otokoyaku dress stylishly in suits. For the purpose of people-watching, I rode the Yamanote line around and around, and studied the modern man.

DAN: Outfits consisting of felt hats and suits in those days in Takarazuka were really fresh. From the point of view of a musumeyaku, seeming to get close to an otokoyaku like that appeared natural and had a lot of appeal.

MAYA: The otokoyaku’s ability to shine on stage is thanks to the support of the musumeyaku. So, it’s very difficult for the musumeyaku. In order for the fans to see the dream, the musumeyaku’s role is very important.

DAN: Thank you. I had the privilege of being top musumeyaku of both Tsukigumi and Hoshigumi. In order to carry out that responsibility the second time, I decided that I’d cut myself off at 4 Grand Theater shows. After that, I concentrated single-mindedly on those performances. On the last day of my final show, it didn’t hit me while I was giving my speech in my hakama, but during the curtain call when the audience stood up and applauded, the feeling that I’d not made a mistake in taking on this challenge, that I’d done it, finally surged up.

After leaving Takarazuka, you’ve both expanded into movies and dramas. Up till now have you ever felt lost in a different world?

DAN: There truly have been times when I’ve felt helpless standing in a different place than on stage. But anyway I’d lost the career I’d cultivated as a top musumeyaku, and I had to start from zero and take it on like a first-year student.

MAYA: Having played an otokoyaku for so many years, as an actress I felt like I was starting as a -15 year student (haha). But since I felt incomplete, I was able to accept a new challenge. Being able to take on this unknown world in the second half of my 30s was so much fun. To decide you can’t do something because of your age or experience is ridiculous. Precisely because of the accumulation of all of that, I have the depth of an adult, and isn’t that interesting?

Lastly, please tell us your thoughts about Takarazuka reaching its 100th year, and your dreams for the future as actresses.

DAN: No matter what generation we’re in, I hope they’ll protect the wonderful tradition of Takarazuka to the end. As for me, I feel like I’m still inexperienced. Even now as when I was new, I face struggles from day to day. For this reason, even if from yesterday to today, and today to tomorrow, my growth is only a millimeter, I want to continue to refine myself.

MAYA: The soul of Takarazuka is “learning from the past.” From now on, while taking in younger generations and expanding further, they’ll present themselves as a passionate and broad-minded theatre company. Beyond the shining tradition of 100 years, I expect they’ll continue to dream up a whole new Takarazuka. The work of an actress is to touch people’s hearts through your performances. As an actress I’m aiming toward being able to experience my aspirations for tomorrow, and enjoy my challenges.

Sou Kazuho determined her retirement when she became top

- carlyas

Quick translation of this article.

On February 13th in Osaka, we interviewed Sou Kazuho, the Yukigumi top star who has announced she will retire from Takarazuka this August.

Sou, who announces her retirement just over one year since she was inaugurated as top in December of 2012, confessed that the moment she decided on her retirement was when she became top.

“When I was told I’d be reassigned to Yukigumi (to become top), I wanted to stake everything on the remaining three productions. I’ve reached the limits of my accomplishments, and with the significance of aiming high until the very end, wondering how long my physical endurance and emotional strength would last, I decided that would probably be the time when I would be spent,” Sou explained with a refreshed expression.

When we asked about her post-retirement plans, she said, “That question always comes up without fail, doesn’t it?” with an impish smile. “I’m not getting married, I haven’t decided what I’ll do after I leave, I’m sorry that’s such a conventional thing to say, but I want to take a little bit more time to think about that privately,” she responded with her Sou-like frankness that made everyone laugh.

When we asked her if she has any interest in becoming a normal actress after she leaves, she said, smiling, “Whatever they tell you here, afterwards everyone (among Takarazuka OG) in some form or another participates in activities, whether it’s involvement in the entertainment industry or some other field, and I think while some follow the paths they thought of for themselves, many also end up walking down a different path.”

“Instead, I want to hear offers. Whatever happens to me after this, I want to get excited,” she said with her chest held proud.

When she told her classmate Ranju Tomu, who has announced that she’s retiring in May of this year, she replied, “So soon?”

“My term as top may be short, but I’ve been in Takarazuka for 19 years. I’ve hit walls over and over again,” Sou said. As for how many times she’s thought of retiring, “I’ve been giving every production everything I’ve got in order to figure out when it would be ok to quit.  If there have been times I’ve said I want to retire based on my mood, there were also times when I thought about it seriously. So the feeling steadily became stronger, although on the other hand if not for all that I wouldn’t be who I am today,” she said reminiscing.

As for the subject of retiring as the company is on its way to its 100th anniversary, Sou said, “Rather, because it’s the 100th anniversary, within that year, I think there is also a sense of passing the baton to the next generation.”

The Musical “Omohide Poro Poro” Starts on February 2 in Osaka! Interview with Asami Hikaru, Starring as Taeko

- carlyas

Original Japanese interview courtesy of WalkerPlus. First half is here, second half is here.

Studio Ghibli’s first musical production will be performed in Kansai. Based in Akita, the creators of this original musical are the Warabi-za company, a theatrical troupe that tours the whole country. The musical “Omohide Poro Poro” was first performed in 2011, and in 2012 went on national tour. The 2011 Warabi-za Tokyo performance featured former Takarazuka otokoyaku top stars, with Asami Hikaru starring as Taeko, and Mori Keaki playing both Taeko’s mother and the grandmother in Yamagata. This time for the tour finale, it will debut in Osaka and return to Tokyo.

The story takes place in the summer of 1982. One day, 27-year-old office lady Taeko sees her 5th-grade self appear before her. Utilizing her summer vacation, Taeko leads “herself” on a trip to the Yamagata countryside…

The movie’s story is being revived in a musical performance. We asked Asami Hikaru to share her thoughts about the production.

Q: Can you tell us about your decision to perform in this show?

I’m from Sendai, the story of the show is about Yamagata, and Warabi-za uses Akita as its headquarters, so therefore, somehow  I immediately got the sense that Tohoku was calling me. And truly, I was moved to answer quickly. Shortly before the first rehearsals started in Akita the 2011 Tohoku earthquake happened, and I thought ah, this didn’t happen by chance, it was surely fate that I would inevitably perform in this show. Even though at the time that I accepted it was really an unforeseen diversion, from then on I thought that it was really important that I do this show. When I was given the opportunity to take part in this production after the earthquake, I thought it was something truly necessary for me to do for myself, and now I still really think so.

Q: How did it go?

I was able to perform very freely, but day after day, it was like my heart was being cleansed. Nature is such an important thing, and even though I think everyone feels this way, it started to hit closer to home, or how should I put it… I got the sense that it began to influence me in an unconscious way,  and I began to love nature more and more, and I grew to like rural areas. I work in the city, but when I have time I’ll go somewhere in the countryside, and even though it might only be a short trip, I can recharge just by breathing the air and strolling. I began to long for this kind of time more so than before; it really increased. Therefore since the middle of the previous Tokyo performance, I’ve thought I definitely wanted to do the show again, and Mori (Keaki)-san and I talked about it together.

Q: Have you seen the movie? What do you think about the stage adaptation?

I love Ghibli films, so of course I’ve seen it. I’m a Ghibli fan, and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is my favorite, but I’ve seen all of Hayao Miyazaki’s animations and Isao Takahata’s works. I’ve also seen Heidi, Girl of the Alps and Conan (hehe). So I was also thinking how on earth are you going to turn this into a stage show? While we were going through rehearsals, each and every time I thought, “Oh, so this scene is being done like that,” and “Aaah, I see.” Some scenes are made differently from the animation, like when the 2nd year high school girl who plays childhood-era Taeko and I have conversations together; Kuriyama Tamiya-san’s direction is very interesting. So it’s full of scenes that make me think “Ah! This is so Ghibli!!” (haha). Naturally there are also scenes that are the same as in the animation. During rehearsals, I was admiring how well done it was. I think there are absolutely things you have to be a Ghibli fan to understand, and the director is. Therefore, I think Ghibli fans will be able to enjoy it twice as much. There are so many scenes I absolutely adore, and ones that are quite Ghibli-like as well.

Q: What are some scenes that you wanted to see, or that were especially enjoyable?

When Taeko goes to Yamagata and has a conversation with the local people for the first time. Here I think even the audience all at once has the same point of view as Taeko, and strongly gets a feeling of “Wow, we’ve come to the countryside!” I keep thinking, ah, they’ll be able to see that again, and I’m so excited. After that, the scene with Warabi-za’s Japanese dance festival band is really magical. It’s incredibly cool, but the dancers gradually become more scary-looking. There, my own feelings and Taeko’s troubled state of mind overlap each other. Reflecting on it now, I think that’s really amazing.

Q: Since it’s you who’s playing Taeko, are there also dance scenes?

Yes. One scene was made. In the scene where I’m helping to pick safflowers, I put on work pants and dance. The sun rises, and Taeko dances with happiness while the safflowers are glittering in the light. It was put together so fantastically, and when I was able to do it, I thought ah, so the show turned out like this, and I was very impressed.

Q:  Sounds like fun! How did the audience react the first time?

It is fun. So much fun. It’s truly a magnificent production. I think the guests probably had more feelings along those lines. In the last Tokyo performance, we didn’t specifically include comedy, but everyone laughed a lot, and said it was extremely enjoyable. I was always giggling too while I was watching from the wings of the stage. I had to keep leaving, because I had to change my clothes 2 or 3 times. Even so, everyone found the theme easier to understand than in the animation. It was easy to convey and easy to understand. Even the last scene, the way it ends is the same as in the movie, but it might be clearer in the stage version. In the last scene, everyone starts crying naturally. There were a lot of people who said, “Warm tears really started dropping down, huh.”

Q: Taeko’s image suits you perfectly.

That’s what everyone tells me (haha).  My parents’ house is sort of in the mountains of Fukushima, so I was familiar with the countryside from a young age, but since I became an adult I’ve only lived in the city. Since I also have the same sorts of feelings as Taeko, it’s been truly refreshing each and every time I’ve played her. So, it’s fun. Taeko gets tired of work and says oh, I’ll take a summer holiday, and goes to Yamagata. I think there are a lot of women who are worn out from their jobs, unmarried women who are living in the city and really doing their best with all their effort to make a living, people who would say “that’s exactly how I feel right now.” Since I also naturally have a lot of aspirations, I can sympathize. Truly, I feel like I understand. I’ve never been an office lady, but I can understand ah, they have times like this. Being 27 is tricky isn’t it, when you’re being told various things like you have to get married, but you’re doing your best to play an integral role at your job. I think the psychology of women in delicate situations like that comes through, and even though it’s just an animated movie those feelings are so real.

Q: Is there something you would like to convey through your performance?

The most important thing is something incredibly simple, that humans are living within nature, that each person is part of nature. So you’e living with your feet on the earth. I think this musical sets you up to think about these sorts of things anew. The way it’s interpreted by the people who see it may be different, but I think the theme of the production is how humans and nature face each other, and for each and every human being to find the simplest and most valuable way of life. So every day I’m deeply moved. In the dialogue and the songs, just about everything really, I feel the same way as Taeko. While I played her I was emotional every day.

Q:  So you must be happy that you can play her one more time.

Yes, so happy. I’m looking forward to it. I really think it’s a privilege, and I’m truly happy to be given the opportunity to be accepted into Warabi-za. Everyone is straightforward and genuine above all else. The energy they put into this one show, I have a strong feeling it’s even more than those working in Tokyo.  It’s something Mori-san has always said, when we’re here our spirits are cleansed.  When you produce a show genuinely it turns out sincere. Where rehearsals are, although the previous time it was April, we were immersed in Mother Nature with snow still left on the ground. Certainly the environment helped too, and I’m full of truly wonderful memories.

Q: So Omohide Poro Poro has become an important production for you?

With things being the way they were, I was invited by Warabi-za, doing their best as a theater company to make local Japanese musicals, and so we made an original musical that was truly purely made in Japan. There really aren’t too many like that. I think it’s important and I want to continue doing Japanese-made musicals like that, so from now on if I have the opportunity I think it would be nice to steadily do more of them. As for musicals, after all they tend to be flashy western stories, but I want to do more Japanese stories for Japanese people about Japanese people, and in the midst of creating this run of Omohide Poro Poro I’ve been talking to the staff about that constantly.

Q: Since you re-watched the DVD beforehand, how do you think it’s going?

Watching the DVD in preparation, it’s unmistakably interesting. Making a movie into a stage show, generally when fans see it, there are lots of times when they think, “Eh?? That’s totally wrong!” I also feel that way often, but, really, this time I don’t at all. Since I’m saying this as a Ghibli fan, you can depend on it (haha). In the last scene, even I get a feeling of purification every time; it’s really a mysterious production. When they see it, I think all the guests will become good people (haha). I think it’s a musical that teaches you to keep living facing forward without standing still. So, if you’re a Ghibli fan, please come to the theater!