Teppei Koike: Especially in these difficult times, I want to "never forget to challenge myself" and entertain people.

■ Profile

Actor and singer. He made his acting debut in 2002 and won the 42nd Kikuta Kazuo Drama Award for his work in the musicals "1789 - Lovers of the Bastille" and "KinKy Boots." In recent years, he has appeared in the dramas "Great Love: With You Who Forgets Me," "Guilty: Is This Love a Sin?", "Can't Write!?: The Unscripted Life of Scriptwriter Yoshimaru Keisuke," and "Aoi Tou wo Tsuke," as well as the film "One Meter Radius From You."

Teppei Koike entered the entertainment industry as the 14th Junon Boy and has been active as an actor and singer, and in 2020 he also opened the "Koike Family's Tecchan Channel" on YouTube, expanding the scope of his activities. On the other hand, it was a difficult year as the stage play he was starring in was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We spoke to him about his thoughts on his latest stage production, "Makai Tensho," and working during the COVID-19 pandemic.

■An exciting job where your life experiences come into play

　When I was a first-year high school student, I saw an audition for a movie in the newspaper and became interested in the entertainment industry. At the time, I went to the audition on a whim, but there were so many people who seriously wanted to be in movies, and I was shocked to see that there were so many people my age who had such dreams. Even so, I was lucky enough to be selected as the Osaka representative, but I failed the final audition in Tokyo. At that time, I felt a sense of regret that I had never felt before in my life. This experience made me realize that maybe I was interested in this job, and I decided to enter the entertainment industry.

　Since joining this industry, I feel I've been able to continue because I enjoy my work. While there are many unique actors, I want to become an actor who can handle a variety of roles. I believe that this will lead to more opportunities to encounter new works. As I gain experience, I think it's difficult to show new sides of myself and figure out how to communicate them. It takes constant effort to get people around me to say it was good and fun, and it can be tough. The roles I play change as I get older. By gaining life experience and studying, I gradually expand my horizons. And I believe it's okay to have as many horizons as possible, so I want to keep my antenna up for new things and incorporate them into my work. It can be challenging, but it's also really fun. And when what I incorporate is reflected in my work and it works out, I feel even happier.

　While 2020 was a year that was greatly shaken by the coronavirus pandemic, I also believe it was a year that gave me the opportunity to turn my hobby into a career. I'm sure everyone is feeling a lot of frustration and anxiety due to the pandemic, but I'm sure they're also struggling to find joy and get by somehow. We're the same. I felt like I had to somehow carve out my own path. And now, I've been given the opportunity to stream "Koike-san's Tecchan Channel" on YouTube. I've always loved filming my own videos, and I'm hoping to upload videos of my hobbies, like diving, and share them with everyone. I'm really glad I've been able to stream my passions and my life in this way. It's important to try anything. I also hope people get to know me better. I'd like to do work outside of acting that makes people think I'm an interesting person.

　Little by little, the theater world is starting to move forward even amid the COVID-19 pandemic. I'm sure everyone is watching dramas, but I've been reminded that the job of "acting" will never go away. I think acting is a job that can inspire people. I want to continue working hard.

■ I want you to feel the atmosphere of a live performance.

　Around December last year, I happened to have a lot of work overlapping, and each location has its own unique character. For example, with a stage production, once it starts, it can't be stopped, and there's a lot of tension because it's a one-shot deal, and the sense of accomplishment when you overcome that is unbelievable. On the other hand, with a drama, the footage is left behind and you have to perform the same act over and over again, so you really need to concentrate. Both are fun.

　As I've been photographed and interviewed for "Makai Tensho," I've been getting more and more excited. I recently watched a video of the previous performance, and although the play is a period drama, it makes full use of modern technology such as projection mapping, giving it a strong sci-fi entertainment feel. I've been doing a lot of musical work over the past few years, so it's been a really long time since I've been in a play without singing. That's why I was so happy to hear about this.

　Although things are not going as usual due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I would like everyone to experience the joy of live theater. Video is wonderful, but especially at a time like this, I would like people to see a play with their own eyes and feel the atmosphere. Please come and see a play. I hope that this will make theater more accessible and that we can create a theater that everyone can come and enjoy.

■ Share your lasting memories

　I hope you continue to make more and more memories with the people around you. And I hope you continue to be honest with each other. It's important to have opportunities to communicate. When you're feeling down, encourage each other, or have fun doing silly things. No matter how you spend your time, it remains as a memory. I only vaguely remember things like studying, but I remember in my heart the games we played. Nowadays, we don't have many opportunities to meet in person, but we can now meet online, and that helps motivate us and is really fun. I hope you will continue to clash with your friends in any way you can, and continue to share the things that make you happy and fun. I hope that theater will be one of those experiences!

From the April 1, 2021 issue of the Student Newspaper by Aki Kawanami, a third-year student at Tsuda University

Photo by professional photographer Seita Hirota

<English article>

Teppei Koike 

I want to make people enjoy “without forgetting the challenge,” especially in difficult situations. 

■Profile:

Actor, singer. Debuted as an actor in 2002. He won the 42nd Kazuo Kikuta Theater Award for his roles in the musicals '1789: Les Amants de la Bastille and' Kinky Boots.' In recent years, he has appeared in dramas such as 'Don't Forget Me,' 'Guilty: Kono Koi wa Tsumi Desuka'Guilty,' Can't' Write!?: A Life Without Scenario',' Reach Beyond the Blue Sky, and the film Hankei Ichi meter no Kimi (1 meter radius of you)'. 

He entered the entertainment industry as a member of the 14th Junon Boy and has been active as an actor and singer. In 2020, he also started 'Koike-sanchi no Tecchanneru' on YouTube, expanding the scope of his activities. On the other hand, he has struggled this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused the cancellation of his lead role in a theater performance. We interviewed him about his thoughts on this year's theater performance. performance, 'Makai Tensei,' and his work on COVID-19. 

■An exciting job where life experiences are directly reflected in the job. 

 I became interested in the entertainment industry in my first year of high school because of an audition for a film in the newspaper. At the time, I went for the audition casually, but I was shocked to find that many people really wanted to be in films and so many people of my generation who had such dreams. Even so, I was lucky enough to be selected to be an Osaka representative, but I failed to pass the final audition in Tokyo. At that time, I experienced a frustration that I had never felt before in my life. This experience made me think I might be interested in this job, and I decided to enter the entertainment industry. 

 Since I entered the industry, I feel that I have been able to continue because I enjoy what I do. There are many unique actors, and I want to be an actor who can play many different roles. I believe that I will be able to encounter more films in this way. As I gain experience, I think it isn't easy to show a new side of myself and think about how to express that. It takes a lot of hard work and effort to make people happy and enjoy it. As I get older, the roles change. I gradually increase my range of skills through life experience and study. I also think it doesn't matter how many skills I have, so I want to keep my antenna up for new things and keep getting more and more of them. It's hard work, but it's also enjoyable. And I am even happier when my work reflects what I have taken in, and it works well. 

 2020 was a year of significant change because of COVID-19, but I think it also allowed me to connect my hobby to my job. I'm sure you all have a lot of frustrations and anxieties about COVID-19, but I'm sure you're all struggling to find enjoyment somehow. It is the same for me. I felt that I had to manage to open up by myself. And this time, I was given the opportunity to start YouTube “Koike-sanchi no I have always liked to spin videos by myself, and I hope to upload videos of my hobbies, such as diving, and enjoy sharing them with everyone. It's really good to be able to share these things I like and my life on my YouTube channel. It's important to try everything. I also hope that people get to know more about my personality. In addition, I want to do work that makes me look funny, that I do other things than acting. 

 Little by little, the theater is starting to move in COVID-19. Everyone watches dramas, and I was reminded that the job of 'actor' will never disappear. I think that being an actor is a job that can give energy. I want to continue to do my best. 

■I want you to feel the atmosphere of a live performance. 

 Around December last year, I had a lot of different jobs that happened to overlap, and each place had its own color. For example, in theatre, you can't stop once you start, and there is an excellent tension of one chance, and there is a great feeling of achievement when I get over that. On the other hand, drama requires a lot of concentration because it is recorded on film, and you have to act the same way repeatedly. Both are enjoyable, though. 

  In the photography and interviews for 'Makai Tensei,' I'm also getting into the mood and feeling good about it. This time, I could watch a video of the previous performance, and even though the stage is a historical drama, it uses a lot of modern technology, such as projection mapping, making it a highly entertaining stage with science fiction-like effects. I've been doing a lot of musicals in the last few years, so it's been a long time since I've been on a stage without singing. That's why I was really happy to receive this offer. 

 Some things won't work the same way as before because of COVID-19, but I want everyone to see the quality of a live performance. The video is lovely, but it is times like this that I want you to see the play with your own eyes and feel the atmosphere. I want to encourage you to visit the stage. I hope that theater will then become more familiar to you and that we can create a theater that you can come and enjoy. 

■I want you to share memories lasting forever in your hearts 

 Please make more and more memories with the people around you. And I hope you will have more honest conflicts with them. It is essential to have opportunities to communicate. When you feel down, you can encourage each other or have fun doing stupid things. No matter how we spend our time, it will last as a memory. I can only remember my studies vaguely, but I can remember in my heart what kind of games we played. Now, we don't get to see each other in person as often, but we get to see each other online, and that kind of thing motivates us, and it's enjoyable. I want people to bump into their friends in any way possible and share what makes them happy or fun. I hope that theater will be one of them! 

In charge of translation：INTERNATIONAL CHISTIAN UNAIVERSITY Mai Wako

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