Tamamoto Fukaito I do what I want to do. I want to live my life following my intuition.

Choreographer/Director, TMS Co., Ltd.　Tamamoto Fukaito　(Fumito Tamamoto)

■ Profile
Born 1999
He joined Johnny's Entertainment in 2010.
She has appeared in a variety of productions including concerts, stage plays, and dramas.
He began working as a choreographer/director in 2019 and founded TMS Co., Ltd. last year.
We operate consulting businesses in the entertainment field, including idol/talent development, choreography, and directing, as well as food and beverage businesses such as food trucks, catering, and bars.

Tamamoto Fukaito has been using the entertainment experience he has cultivated since childhood to choreograph, train, and direct live performances for idols and talents, while also starting a cafe and food truck business in his second year of university. We asked him about the mindset he values ​​as he currently works in both the entertainment and food service industries.

■ The importance of "what you want from work" learned from experience

I grew up in Shonan, and spent my elementary school days devoted to soccer and surfing. When I was in fifth grade, my parents told me, "Let's take a photo of you smiling!" and the photo I took of me wearing a uniform ended up being used on my resume to an entertainment agency. During a soccer tournament, my parents told me, "Kazuto, we're going to Tokyo," and I suddenly found myself dancing at an audition. Then, before I knew it, I was performing in concerts (laughs).
I wasn't originally interested in the entertainment industry, but I didn't mind being in the spotlight at the time, so I didn't quit right away. I started commuting to an office in Tokyo, but as a child I loved Thomas the Tank Engine and trains, so commuting by train from Kanagawa wasn't too difficult.
In my sixth year of elementary school and first year of junior high school, I gained a lot of experience, appearing in dramas on various major networks. However, while I was active on stage and on TV, my feelings changed, and after much consideration, I decided to leave my agency. Many opinions were expressed, but I think deep down, I wanted to be a normal person. In my second year of high school, while everyone around me was studying hard for entrance exams, I spent my days constantly thinking about what I wanted from a job. I realized that the answer wasn't money or the environment, but who I wanted to work with. In order to work with people I love, I should start my own company. With this in mind, I decided to go to university to study business management.

■ Realize your desire to work with trusted friends

I love milk tea so much that I drink it every day, and with the desire to "drink what I like," I invited some friends to start a cafe called "Tea Shop MoN TEA" in 2019, when I was a second-year university student. Looking at it now, it's a business plan that makes me laugh, but I took it and spent my days telling the CEOs around me, "I want to open a cafe!" As a result, the owner of a restaurant in Shibuya thought it was interesting and let us use his Sunday, which is his regular day off, so we opened for a limited time. We are currently looking for a property with the aim of opening a store there, rather than just once a week!
Another thing I've started is a food truck. My friends said they wanted to try it, and my parents did too, so I started selling food from a food truck. Eventually, I'd like to expand the food truck business and focus on business with companies, including catering for theatrical performances.

■To shine and impress on stage

When I'm giving instructions on stage, I've made it a point to never be afraid of being the "villain." I'm always thinking about how to make the members shine the most on stage, so when I'm giving instructions, I'm quick to say what I think, even if it means saying something harsh. I give detailed instructions on facial expressions and singing style. At the same time, I make sure the members think about what they want to convey through their performance on stage.
When I think about the direction and choreography, I try to create movements and compositions that tell a story that matches the lyrics, so that the audience won't tire of watching and that are easy to understand. I feel rewarded when the members and the audience understand my intentions. Also, because I want to show the audience something that looks good, I pay particular attention to the direction, such as lighting and smoke, and special effects, depending on the choreography and standing position. If the audience doesn't think, "Live shows are fun," we won't last long in this industry. That's why I always tell the members to value the audience's perspective.

■ Cherish your intuition and take on any challenge

One thing I'd like to try in the future is creating a dance studio exclusively for idol groups. Currently, many non-major groups rent regular studios, but this creates problems with security and the like. I think many people would be pleased if we could operate a subscription-based studio with solid security measures in place.
My current motivation is my family and my colleagues at work. I work to support them.
However, having lived this long, I think what's interesting about life is that you get back what you put in, and by making various connections even about seemingly unrelated things, they will eventually come together. In the future, I plan to focus on two separate areas: the entertainment industry and the restaurant industry, but I look forward to the day when these two areas will overlap.

The message I would like to convey to university students is "do things in moderation and appropriately." We live in an age of information overload, but I hope you will carefully select and discard each piece of information and think carefully about whether it is truly necessary for you. University classes are important, but use your time efficiently and create more time for yourself. If there is something you want to do, analyze what skills you will need to achieve it. And if you have time to worry, take action. Life is too short to waste time being depressed. If you think, "This is good!", I hope you will try to act on your intuition and give it a try right away.

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on December 12, 2022 by Mari Okabe, second-year student at Kunitachi College of Music