Takumi Saito: Only by acknowledging your weaknesses can you become stronger

An actor　斎藤工(Takumi Saito)

His starring role in the Netflix original series "Hiyama Kentaro's Pregnancy" will begin streaming on April 21st. He is also active as a filmmaker under the name Saito Takumi, and was the first Japanese to win the Best Director Award at the Asian Academy Creative Awards 2020. His latest feature film, "Sweet My Home" (starring Masataka Kubota), is scheduled for release in 4. His diverse activities include running "cinéma bird," a mobile cinema project that brings films to children in disaster-stricken areas and developing countries, and founding "Mini Theater Park," an actor-led platform to support mini-theaters.

He began working as a model when he was in high school, and made his acting debut in a film released in 2001. He also made his directorial debut in 2012, expanding his field of activity. We were able to hear a real-life story from Saito Takumi, including his encounter with the film "Shin Ultraman," which will be released in May 2022, his passion for film, his profession as an actor, and what he would like to convey to students.

■ Facing the "craftsman" known as an actor

I believe functionality is the most important aspect of the human species. A "craftsman" is someone who uses that functionality to create something valuable for others, and I believe actors are craftsmen as well. I admire such "craftsmen." However, at the same time, I felt helpless in my 20s and 30s, as I realized that I could not find the functionality that is the beauty of human beings within myself. When I look at my own work, I am devastated by the weakness of my expression and the lack of ability.

It goes without saying, but actors are expected to memorize their lines and stand in front of the camera. As an actor, I must always be conscious of leaving a realistic impression on film, no matter how difficult it may be, and continue to create better works through trial and error. I look back at my work, reflect on it, study what went wrong, and put my new ideas into practice. Then I look back at what I've put into practice and reflect again. By repeating this cycle, I train the invisible muscles within me. These are not muscles I'm born with, but muscles that are necessary for overcoming adversity, and I believe that by training these muscles, I can become stronger not only as a person, but also as an actor.

I chose to become an actor, and while I acknowledge that my past self, who worked hard at the base, was not wrong, I am thinking about how to face something that I cannot see in the future. I am constantly aware that my current self is part of a necessary process to obtain that "something," and I am working hard at acting. I may never obtain that "something" in my lifetime, but I believe that humans have no choice but to struggle and grow stronger. That is why I want to become stronger by facing my weaknesses and my past.

■ Thoughts on "Shin Ultraman"

When I got this role, I felt a strange sensation I'd never felt before, as if my entire life was connected to this work. I've been researching the mysterious intelligent life form known as humans in my own way. Then, when I encountered this work, I felt like it depicted an answer to the question I'd been researching: "What is a human?" That's why, when I got the role, I felt like something invisible had been communicated to me, like the dots had connected, and I was so excited that it far exceeded my feelings of nervousness and excitement. At the same time, it was an encounter that affirmed everything about me, to the point that I began to think that perhaps appearing in this work was the reason I'd been able to continue acting from my student days until now. I believe that my encounter with "Shin Ultraman" was a special and necessary encounter, not only for my life up to now, but for my future life as well, and it was a major turning point for me.

I believe that the words Kaminaga says in the film, "There are things you can see because you are in the gap," sum up everything about this film. Through Ultraman, a character that has existed for as long as we can remember, this film connects the past, future, and present from the same perspective. This film is a major clue in unraveling the mysteries of humanity. I hope that many people will enjoy the dynamic and realistic visuals.

■ Make the most of being young

As I get older, I've come to realize that youth is something older people would be willing to pay millions of yen for. Some people achieve success while they're young, and some already have high specs, but that's incredibly valuable and irreplaceable. Japan, in particular, seems to place the utmost value on age, to the point where people even include their age in parentheses after their name. This sense of value and way of thinking is completely absent overseas, to the point that it makes me feel uncomfortable. Since you were born in Japan, a country where youth is valued, make the most of your youth, turn it into courage, and keep trying. And, let those small cuts and scrapes help you grow stronger.

Young people today seem to live smart and smooth lives, adept at avoiding friction before it happens. This may be a necessary skill for living in today's world. However, I think that even so, there is a reality that by avoiding things too much, they end up losing sight of them. Precisely because the COVID-19 pandemic makes it difficult to confront things, I want people to learn not only from the people and things they encounter, but also from themselves. Just as sometimes the things we think are farthest away are actually the closest, I want people to question themselves, even the things that are so far away that they cannot even begin to consider them, and learn more deeply.

(Sakurako Kojima, Meiji Gakuin University, Class of 2022)

Filming assistance: Photographer Seita Hirota

<English article>

Actor Takumi Saito

Facing “the craftsmen” of actors.

■Profile
Netflix's original series “Hiyama Kentaro's Pregnancy,” in which he plays the lead role, began streaming on 21 April. He is also a FILM MAKER working under the name of Takumi Saito, and he won the Best Director Award at “The Asian Academy Creative Awards 2020” for the first time as a Japanese director. His latest film, 'Suite My Home' (starring Masataka Kubota), is scheduled to be released in 2023. He is also involved in a variety of activities, including organizing the mobile cinema project 'cinéma bird,' which delivers films to children in disaster-affected areas and developing countries, and founder of 'Mini Theater Park,' which provides support for mini-theatres led by actors.

He started working as a model in high school and made his acting debut in a film released in 2001; he also made his directorial debut in 2012 and is expanding his field of activity.
We interviewed life-sized Takumi Saito about his encounter with the film Shin Ultraman, which will be released in May 2022, his thoughts on the film, his acting profession, and what he wants to tell students.

I think the most important aspect of functionality of human beings is. A person who demonstrates this and creates something of value for someone else is a 'craftsman,' I believe an actor is also a craftsman. I have a longing for such 'craftsmen.' However, on the other hand, I felt that I could not find the functionality of that human beauty in my twenties and thirdies, and I felt helpless to do anything about it. When I look at my productions, I am disappointed by my lack of expression and ability.

It is obvious, but actors are expected to learn their lines and stand in front of the camera. As such an actor, I have to be constantly aware that no matter how painful it is, I have to leave something with reality in the form of images and keep trying to improve it through trial and error. I look back at my productions, reflect on them, research what went wrong, and put my new ideas into practice. After that, I reflect again on what I have put into practice. By repeating this cycle, I build up the invisible muscles within me. It is not a muscle that you are born with, but a muscle that you need to overcome obstacles, and I believe that by training that muscle, I can become stronger as a human being and as an actor.

I am trying to figure out how to face something that I cannot see in the future while recognizing that I was not wrong in the past for choosing to be an actor and paying my duties at work. I am acting while always being aware that now I am part of the necessary process to gain 'something.' I may not be able to achieve that 'something' in my lifetime, but I still think that people can only struggle and become stronger. Therefore, I want to face my weaknesses and my past and get stronger.

■My thoughts on 'Shin Ultraman'

When I received this role, I had a strange feeling that I had never felt before, as if my whole life had been connected to this film. I have been researching this mysterious, intelligent life called humans. Then, I encountered this film, and I felt that this work gave me an answer to the question, “What is a human being?” I have been researching.
That is why when I received the role, I felt that something invisible had been transmitted to me, or rather, I thought that the dots had been connected, and I was so excited that I was more than nervous and looking forward to the role. At the same time, it was an encounter that seemed to confirm everything about me, to the point where I thought I had been able to continue acting all the way from student to today because I was cast in this film. I am convinced that this encounter with Shin Ultraman was a big turning point for me, as it was a special and necessary encounter not only in my life until now but also in my life from now on.

I consider the line Kaminaga says in the film, “There are things you can see because you are at the edge,” to be everything in this film. The film connects the past, the future, and the present from the same perspective through Ultraman, a character that has existed since everyone was a child. The film provides a major clue to solving some mysteries about human beings. I hope many people will enjoy the dynamic and realistic images.

■Making maximum use of youth.

As I get older, I gradually realize that youth is something that older people would pay hundreds of millions of yen to buy. Some people are young, successful, and already have good specifications, but it is precious and invaluable. In Japan, people put the highest value on age, to the extent that they put their age in brackets after their name. This sense of value and way of thinking is entirely different when I go abroad, making me feel very strange. Since you were born in Japan, a country where youth is more valuable, please make the most of it, change it into courage, and keep trying. Also, create small scars and scratches, and become stronger.

Young people today seem to live smart and smoothly and are good at avoiding conflicts before they happen. That may be a necessary skill for living in this day and age. However, I believe that there is still the reality that we have avoided too much and, therefore, become invisible. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the difficulty of confronting the world, I want people to learn not only from the people and things they face but also from themselves. Sometimes, the thing you thought was the furthest thing from you is the closest; I would like you to learn more deeply by questioning yourself, who is the furthest thing from you, but so far away that you can't even think about it.

In charge of translation：INTERNATIONAL CHISTIAN UNAIVERSITY Mai Wako
Translated by Mai Wakao, a first-year student at International Christian University

<Chinese article>

Acknowledgment of self-deprecation and talent change

actor 斎藤工

■ Introduction

Starring Netflix's original story ``Kentaro Hiyama's Pregnancy'' will be released on April 21st. In addition to Takumi Saito's famous work as a video producer, he was the first Japanese performer to win the 2020 Ishu Gakuin Film Festival. The director's latest storybook "Sweet My Home" (starring Masataka Kubota) will be screened in 2023. Other activities include ``Cinema Bird'', a comprehensive international moving movie theater item, ``Cinema Bird'', a Chinese children's movie in the local Japanese theater exhibition, and the founder of ``Mini Theater Park'', and the first place performer in the small theater branch.

In addition, when he was in high school, he was a homeroom teacher at the beginning of his junior year. In 2012, he played the role of head teacher, and his own career. We will meet Shin Ultraman, the movie ``Shin Ultraman'', which will be screened in May 2022, as well as the work of the actors in other movies, and other ideas from East and West.传达给student.

■The masked actor is an “artificer”

I believe that ability is the most important aspect of humanity. In the East and West, people who use their own abilities are "artificers"; I am an "artificer" who wears clothes. However, on the other hand, when I am 20 times or 30 times, I can see the beautiful abilities of people who can't reach me, and I can't help them. When I look at my own work, I feel the difference between my own ability to express myself and my lack of ability.

Unused language, actors demand backstage language in front of the station. The work is by a famous actor, I have to write about it from time to time, and I don't have any doubts about the reality of the East in the East. Repeated self-engineering, progress and reconsideration, research and completion of questions, and practice with new ideas. After that, I repeated my own practice and thought again. As you pass through the passage, you will be able to read the text and see the invisible skin inside your body. It's not natural, but it's necessary to overcome adversity, and I know that it's not necessary to overcome adversity.

I admit that I have chosen to perform in the past, but I have lost my self in effort, but I can't see the future in any way. I put in the effort, and at the end I realize that I am a part of the necessary process of achieving something. It is possible for us to have no choice but to be in the East and West, but we are mutually trustworthy, we do not choose people, we are just good at it, and we are stronger. This is what happens when I think about my own weaknesses and overcome them.

■ Feelings towards "Shin Ultraman"

When I arrived at this unique moment, I felt a sense of strangeness that had never been seen before, and all of my works throughout my life had come to an end. Before we get there, I am the only human being who is living in mystical wisdom and conducting my own research. After that, when I saw this work, I realized that I had a direct research question: “Is it worth it?” Therefore, when I arrived at this particular time, I felt that I had no sense of any kind in the East and West. At the same time, Naya was the first Buddha to have a positive encounter with the Buddha, and since I was a student, I have not appeared in any of his other works. This is a "Shin Ultraman" encounter, but it is a special encounter in my current life, and it is a special encounter in my future life.

I understand that the original phrase in the video is "Have you seen the East and the West since you can see it, because you are here", which is all the contents of the video. As the video goes through Ultraman, each person's memory is different, and the same angle is connected in the past, in the future. This is an important research work that provides some of the mysteries of the author. I hope that many people will be happy and active. A true image of Japan.

■Maximum limit of one year's worth of ground picks

Due to the increase in the number of years, it is obvious that the number of people who came to Japan in 2008 was higher than that of the previous year. Although there are some people who have succeeded in getting the position at the time of the year, there are some people who have reached the level of success, but in this case the capital is very far away from the East and West. Specially, since I live in Japan, I have added parentheses to my last name, and people who have seen it since then are the best. This way of thinking, I have completely lost my job abroad, and I feel very different. Japan is already a country with a history of ``years'', a country with a history of making maximum use of the land, a country with a history of promotion, and a continuous effort to change the world.然后，做些小的割伤和擦伤，请变得坚强。 The current age of people, the fact that they have woken up and are now living in the land, and the friction of protecting and suffering from unforeseen land evacuation. It is also an ability that is necessary for the present moment of existence. However, I believe that it is correct to avoid this, because of the unseen actual circumstances at the meeting. The correct cause is that Japan's corruption is an objective society, so it is not necessary to study human things, but also to study one's self. Since the creation of the image, since the farthest East and West, it is the most recent one, the work itself is the one that exists, the most recent, therefore, the farthest self of lawless thinking, the more profound learning.

Translated by: Mio Nakayama