Komai Ren: If I'm going to do it, I don't want to give up or lose!

■ Profile

Belongs to Box Corporation Co., Ltd.
Born on October 2000, 12 in Aomori Prefecture.
Hobbies: Drawing, playing the piano, reading, watching movies
Special skills: singing, calligraphy

Komai Ren was an elementary school student who dreamed of becoming an actress. For a girl living in Aomori, it was an incredible dream, but she seized the opportunity! However, things got even more difficult from there. What drives her to move forward? We spoke to her about her beliefs as someone of the same generation as her, who is currently a university student.

■ I lived in Aomori and had no clues about becoming an actress.

"How can I become an actress?"
I've been thinking about it since I was in elementary school. At the time, I was living in Aomori Prefecture. The entertainment world was a really distant world, and I couldn't even imagine how I could become an actress. But I had a strong desire to act.

When I was in elementary school, I was obsessed with the drama "Amachan," which tells the story of a protagonist who becomes a local idol. When I stood in front of an audience and spoke my lines in a school play, I felt, "Wow, this is kind of fun!" From there, I naturally began to think, "I want to appear in a drama too." However, as an elementary school student in Aomori, there was no information available, so there was nothing I could do.
Then, my chance came my way! I was on a trip to Tokyo during spring break in my first year of junior high school when I happened to be scouted on Takeshita Street. I was unsure what to do, but I felt like someone was pulling me towards the path to show business, and I was so happy.

■It was great to be scouted, but...

But there's an epilogue to that story. When I was scouted, they asked for my home phone number, and I was so happy I jumped for joy, and in the heat of the moment I gave them my number. When I got home and told my parents I'd been scouted, they told me, "Don't just give your phone number to strangers so easily!" I remember them scolding me very sternly. Of course they would... (laughs).

However, the Komai family motto is "Go ahead and do what you want to do," so my parents didn't oppose my decision to enter the entertainment industry. They encouraged me, saying, "If you've decided to do it, be determined and do your best."

■ Commuting alone to Tokyo, a four-hour commute each way

When I was in junior high school, I used to commute from Aomori to Tokyo by Shinkansen, a four-hour one-way trip, whenever I had work. One Sunday, I was taking the last Shinkansen train home, but the local trains were stopped by snow, and I didn't get home until 3am (!). That incident traumatized me, and I remember commuting to Tokyo feeling very scared. I didn't have a cell phone back then. I didn't know how to transfer, and I couldn't check the train timetable, so I was alone and full of anxiety.
My mother made me a lunch box to eat on the Shinkansen. She was worried about me, but she sent me off with a smile, which was really reassuring. I found comfort in knowing I had a place to return to, someone waiting for me. With my family's support, I made many trips back and forth between home and Tokyo, and I got used to traveling long distances by myself, and gradually I became able to do everything on my own.

I moved to Tokyo when I was about to enter high school, and even then I was scared and anxious. When I talked to my parents about it, they scolded me, saying, "You've already made up your mind!" My parents have always supported me, whether it was when I decided to enter the entertainment industry, when I commuted to Tokyo alone, or when I moved to Tokyo. So, partly as a way of repaying them, I didn't slack off on my studies. When I got into my first choice university, everyone was happy for me, and I thought, "I'm glad I worked hard." Even now, during university exam periods, I cut down on my sleep to make time to study. I don't want to compromise on either work or study. Maybe I'm just competitive.

■My one kanji character for 2021 is "soku" (immediately)

Working as an actress, of course there are worries. I wonder if that performance was good, how can I get people to know me...
But I've made a decision. I won't agonize over it, I'll just do it right away, I'll do it now! If I come across something that would have taken me an hour to decide before, I'll just go ahead and do it. That way, I only have five minutes to think about it (laughs). That leaves me with 55 minutes, right? I have more time and peace of mind. It's easier if I just do it. So, my goal for this year is "immediately." For me right now, time spent worrying is a waste. I want time to evolve.

■Message

When you're little, you have a lot of ideas for what you want to do in the future, but when you become a university student, it can get a little hard to know what they are... I think that's because you start to feel tied down by things like academic background and social status. But I think it's okay to take the plunge and challenge yourself to pursue your childhood dreams. Sometimes you'll feel discouraged after trying, but when that happens, I cry my heart out. Crying makes you tired, and the only thing you can do is laugh. And then you get hungry (lol). In most cases, eating something delicious will cheer you up! I think it's important to know how to bounce back from failure. For our future!

Student Newspaper WEB January 14, 2021 Interview by Kaisei Tsujiuchi, 1rd year student at Nihon University

---

　

"Itomichi" is based on the coming-of-age novel of the same name by Koshigaya Osamu, the author of the bestselling "Girl in the Sunny Place," and stars Komai Ren and Toyokawa Etsushi as father and daughter (pre-screening in Aomori on Friday, June 18th, and nationwide release on Friday, June 25th).

The main character, Soma Ito, is a 16-year-old high school student from Hirosaki City, Aomori, who excels at playing the Tsugaru shamisen. Her name comes from the path of threads that form on the fingernails when playing the shamisen.
She has a complex about her strong Tsugaru accent, has difficulty speaking, and has few friends, but deep down she is stubborn.　
After making a big decision and starting a part-time job at Tsugaru Maid Coffee Shop, she grows as a person with the encouragement of her grandmother, father, and coworkers.
The film is garnering attention for its exquisite human drama of a three-generation family, set against the backdrop of the Tsugaru shamisen, and centered around the struggles of adolescence, as well as for its soothing, majestic scenery, shot entirely in Aomori.

June 18th (Friday) Aomori advance screening, June 25th (Friday) nationwide release
Director and screenwriter: Yokohama Satoko
Original work: Osamu Koshigaya's "Itomichi" (published by Shincho Bunko)
Ren Komai and Etsushi Toyokawa　
Mei Kurokawa, Mayu Yokota, Ayumu Nakajima, Daimaou Kosaka, Jonagold (Apple Girl), Shohei Uno, Yoko Nishikawa
Production: "Itomichi" Production Committee (Ark Entertainment, Showa Holdings, Nissei Real Estate, RAB Aomori Broadcasting, To-o Nippo, Dragon Rocket)　
Distributor: Arc Entertainment  
Cooperation: Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture, Itayanagi Town, Kitatsugaru District, Aomori Prefecture, Hirakawa City, Aomori Prefecture
www.itomichi.com