Ayami Nakajo: I'm not at my limit right now, so I'll keep challenging myself

■ Profile

Born February 4, 1997, in Osaka Prefecture. In 2011, she won the Miss Seventeen 2011 Grand Prix and worked as an exclusive model for the magazine Seventeen. After that, she appeared in various films and dramas. In 2018, she won the Newcomer Award at the 41st Japan Academy Awards for her role in the film Cheer☆Dance: The True Story of How High School Girls Conquered the United States with Cheerleading. She is currently appearing in the drama The Day the World Ends with You (broadcasting from January 17, 2021). Starting in January, she will be a regular on the TV shows Guruguru Ninety-Nine and Gourmet Chicken Race Gochi ni Narimasu!, and is also active in a wide range of fields, including as an exclusive model for the magazine CanCam.

After making her debut in the entertainment industry at the age of 14, Nakajo Ayami has been active as a model and actress, and this year she will be appearing in the first zombie action drama in the prime time slot on terrestrial television. We asked her about her thoughts as an actress, including why she decided to enter this industry, what is appealing about the job, and how she felt about taking on this project.

■There are no limits and no perfect score in this world, so we must always pursue

　It all started when I was scouted as a model on a family trip to Guam when I was 14 years old. In 2011, I auditioned for the fashion magazine "Seventeen" and entered the industry as an exclusive model. At the time, Seventeen models included Takei Emi, Hirose Suzu, and Hirose Alice, and I was inspired by the fact that there were so many actresses already active around me, so I decided to get into acting.
　The reason I'm able to continue working now is because of a commercial for a certain drink. I thought that if I didn't get the audition, I would reconsider my future work. But I was hired, and for the first time I realized that they needed me, and from there the scope of my work expanded.
　When I was appearing in commercials, I realized that the job of an actress requires a lot of physical strength and perseverance. Filming takes place regardless of the season, and you have to fly and run, so it wasn't until I tried it that I realized how difficult it was. Even now, I get very nervous when I start a new project or on set, and I make mistakes many times. However, I believe that this job has no limits and no perfect score. I can always pursue how to improve and how to make it more enjoyable. I think that's what makes this job so appealing and rewarding. The job of an actress is unique, and I think a big attraction is that by becoming someone different from yourself, you can experience a life different from your real self many times.

■Appearing in this drama was a valuable experience

　This drama is the first zombie action drama to be broadcast on prime time on terrestrial TV. To be honest, when I first heard about it, I was impressed by the intense content, unlike anything I'd seen in a drama before, and it made me feel like the cast had to work together as one.
　What was particularly difficult about acting was that I had to act in an extreme situation in a survival environment with a horde of zombies around me, which is far removed from my everyday life, and it was very difficult to get into the role mentally.
　Before starting this work, I watched a lot of zombie movies and tried to imagine what it would be like, but it was a valuable experience that made me think about a lot of things, like how long it's been since I last took a bath, or what I would have for my last meal. However, if I were placed in that world, I think I would not survive for long like in the drama, and would be quickly killed by the zombies.
　The highlight of this drama is, of course, the fact that it is a zombie action drama, so there is the thrill of the zombies attacking, but I would also like you to pay attention to the mystery elements, such as what will become of each of the characters in this world in the future. How will people behave in extreme situations? Is it not the zombies but humans who are truly frightening? This is a very stimulating work that is a little different from other zombie movies.
　Another highlight is the frustrating love story between Mamiya Hibiki, played by Takeuchi Ryoma, and Ogasawara Kurumi, played by me, who find themselves in an extreme situation where they seem close to meeting but are unable to, a complete reversal from their peaceful and happy lives up until now.

■I want you to challenge yourself every day so that you have no regrets.

　Currently, COVID-19 has limited what we can do, but if there are things that don't suit you, or if you're in an environment that isn't suited to you, I think you should try anything, even overseas, to find those things. The world is very large, so don't limit yourself and keep challenging yourself. I've had the opportunity to work with people from overseas in my modeling work, but it wasn't as an actress. However, I have some directors overseas that I like, so I'm planning to challenge myself more than ever to improve my English so that I can work with them.
　And just like in the situation in this drama, you never know what will happen to you. That's why I want you to live each day without regrets. Your time as a student is now. It's a time you'll never get back, so enjoy it to the fullest so you won't have any regrets.

Student Newspaper Special Edition April 1, 2021 Issue Hiroshi Harada, 3rd year student at Waseda University

Nippon Television × Hulu co-produced drama"The Day the World Ends with You"

Photo by professional photographer Seita Hirota

<English article>

Ayami Nakajo 

I am not limited now, so I will keep challenging 

■Profile:

Born 4 February 1997, in Osaka. She has appeared in various films and dramas after winning the Miss Seventeen 2011 Grand Prix 2011 and becoming an exclusive model for Seventeen magazine. In 2018, she won the 41st JBest New Actor award in the Japan Academy Prize for her role in the film 'Let's Go Jets.' She is currently appearing in the drama 'Love You as the World Ends' (broadcast from 17 January 2021). From January, she is also set to appear as a regular on the TV series Guru Guru Nainti Nain' and' Gurume Chicken Race Goti Ni Narimasu!'. She is also an exclusive model for the magazine CanCam. 

After debuting in the entertainment industry at 14, Ayami Nakajo has been a model and actress and will appear in the first zombie action drama in terrestrial prime time this year. We interviewed her about why she got into the industry, what attracted her to the job, how she felt about this film and her thoughts as an actress. 

A world where there are no limits and no perfect score of 100, so I always pursue it 

I was first scouted as a model on a family trip to Guam when I was 14. 

In 2011, I auditioned for Seventeen's fashion magazine and entered the industry as an exclusive model. I stepped into this industry as an actress because I was inspired by the many people around me already working as actresses, such as Emi Takei, Suzu Hirose, and Alice Hirose, among Seventeen's models at the time. 

 I can continue now because of a CM for a drink. If I couldn't pass this audition, I thought I would reconsider my future work. But I was hired and felt that I was needed for the first time, and my work expanded from there. 

 When I was in the CM, I realized that being an actress requires a lot of stamina and patience. I could understand the difficulties of the job only after I had done it, such as having to film in any season, flying, running, and so on. Even now, I still get very nervous when I start a new film or scene, and there are many times when I fail. However, I believe this is a job with absolutely no limits and no perfect score of 100. You can always pursue how to do it better or have more fun. I think that's what makes this job so attractive and rewarding. Acting is a special job, and the main attraction is that by becoming someone different from yourself, you can experience a different life from your real life many times. 

■This drama appearance was a valuable experience. 

 This drama is the first zombie action drama in the terrestrial prime time. To be honest, when I first heard about the drama, I felt that it had strong content that had never been seen before, and the cast had to work as one to make it work. 

 What was particularly difficult about playing the role was that I had to play an extreme situation in a survival environment with many zombies around me, which is very different from my normal life, and it was tough to get into the role mentally. 

 Before I started this film, I watched many zombie movies and tried to things myself. Still, it was a valuable experience because it made me think a lot about things like how long I actually didn't take a bath or what I would have for my last meal. However, if I were placed in that world, I don't think I would survive as long as in the drama and would be killed by the zombies quickly. 

 The highlight of this drama is, of course, the thrill of the zombie attack, as it is a zombie action drama, but I would also like the audience to pay attention to the mystery elements, such as what will happen to each of the characters in the future in this world. It's a fascinating film that is different from other zombie films, as it shows how people behave under extreme conditions, whether it's not zombies but people who are really terrifying. 

 Also, the love story between Hibiki Mamiya, played by Ryoma Takeuchi, and Kurumi Ogasawara, who I play, is also a highlight, as their peaceful and happy lives have changed completely. They can't seem to see each other under extreme conditions, which is frustrating. 

■ I want you to challenge yourself every day without regrets. 

 We are in a situation now where we are limited in what we can do because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but if there are things that you feel you don't fit into or if the environment is not suitable for you, you should try anything, like going abroad to look for those things. The world is vast, and you should challenge yourself without setting your limits. I have had the opportunity to work with people from abroad in modeling jobs rather than in acting jobs. However, there are directors abroad that I like, so I will challenge my English even more than before to work with them. 

 Also, situations like this drama are exactly the same, but you never know when it will happen to you. That is why I want you to live each day without regret. The time you have as a student is only now. It is a time that will never come back, so please enjoy it as much as you can without regrets. 

In charge of translation：INTERNATIONAL CHISTIAN UNAIVERSITY Mai Wako

Translated by Mai Wakao, a first-year student at International Christian University