Rintaro Hachimura: "It's okay to chase two or three rabbits" Working hard at everything is cool

Actor/Artist　The tide is turning(Hachimura Rintaro)

■ Profile

Born July 28, 1999 in Kanagawa Prefecture. Selected as a member of WATWING at Horipro's Star Boys Audition, he made his major debut with Toy's Factory in September 2021.
He made his acting debut in the same year in "My Fantasy Meals I Want to Be Praised" (TV Osaka). He is currently holding a fan club-only tour.

Dance vocal groupWATWINGHachimura Rintaro is a member of the group and is also active as an actor, appearing in the TV drama "Kimi no Hana ni Naru" as a member of 8LOOM. Behind his success lies strong conviction and a lot of hard work. We spoke passionately about his life so far, his outlook for the future, and his thoughts on balancing his work as an actor and artist.

Ever since I was little, I've always had a tendency to be the center of attention and have always had a serious personality. I'm the type of person who likes to be in the spotlight, and I've been class representative, cheer leader, and everything else that comes with it, and I even tried short-term study abroad. I thought it was uncool to be in the spotlight but not be able to balance it with my studies, and that it was uncool if I didn't work hard at club activities and get results, so I spent my student life doing everything I could. I think I felt that working hard was cool.
Of course, I had my struggles. When I transferred to a new elementary school, I struggled to adapt to the new environment and struggled with the gap. But eventually, I got to the point where people would ask me, "Did you just transfer schools?" Perhaps that's when I realized that the more effort you put in, the more those around you will respond. I think I was able to persevere without getting discouraged because I was blessed with such good people around me. I'm also very grateful to my family. My older sister was my guide in life, and my mother was the type who supported what I wanted to do, so she was a great support.

■ Admiration for heroes and discovering new possibilities

I've always loved heroes and wanted to become one myself. My mother always told me "You can do it, Rintaro", but while she let me dream, she also gave me realistic advice. I had a lot of opportunities to think about it, and I had feelings like "I want to be on the other side of the TV screen" and "I want people to scream for me", so I gradually began to feel that "I have to go into the entertainment industry!"
However, in middle and high school I was always responsible for the clubs and events I wanted to do, so I didn't think about being active, and it wasn't until I became a university student that I finally started to think seriously about going into the entertainment industry. Up until then, although I had always admired it, I hadn't done much related to it, so I wanted to get my hands on the arts and started dancing at university.
I thought that I could only take on various challenges until I was a university student, and I entered Keio University to broaden my horizons, so my goal during university life was to grow as a person. I thought that I could use this experience if I ever wanted to do something other than entertainment in the future.
At the same time, I also tried out for various auditions. At the time, I thought that even if I couldn't sing or dance, I could probably do something about acting. Of course, it wasn't that easy, and more times than not things went well (laughs). Around this time, I saw "Kiseki - Sobito of That Day" and admired Masaki Suda, and I was encouraged by the idea that "there is someone who embodies what I want to do."

■The ultimate goal is to move the hearts of those who see it with just one expression of your own.

Until recently, I had never had an experience where I was clearly moved by music. I was more excited than anything else, and thought of music as something that made me forget the bad things and was fun to listen to. However, when I saw Vaundy's live performance the other day, emotions I had never experienced before welled up inside me, and before I knew it, I was bursting into tears. Up until then, I was happy to hear people say, "They were moved by our music," but it didn't really sink in. However, being overcome with emotions I couldn't quite put into words for the first time made me understand firsthand that there are emotions that can only be conveyed on stage, emotions that cannot be put into words.
Since then, I feel like the range of what I can deliver has expanded, and I have become aware once again that I want to work harder as an artist.
I think the reason I aspired to enter the entertainment industry in the past was because I wanted to be screamed at and do what I wanted to do. However, through the various experiences I had, I realized how wonderful it really is.
Right now, my biggest motivation and goal is to "touch someone's heart with my expression." When my expression reaches someone and moves them, it can make them cry, laugh, feel better, or forget about something bad. Anything is fine. I'd be happy if it could be something for that person.
Although they are both forms of expression, I believe that artists and actors are clearly different. As an actor, you can't just be Hachimura Rintaro; you have to become someone other than yourself to be able to communicate something. Conversely, as an artist, you can only be Hachimura Rintaro, and there is meaning in existing as Hachimura Rintaro. I've recently been reminded that what I can deliver as an actor and as an artist is completely different. That's why I'm so happy to have the opportunity to do both.

■To put all my effort into my personal workWATWINGThis leads to the activities of

I was determined to carry the weight of WATWING on "Kimi no Hana ni Naru." Because of this, I sometimes found myself comparing 8LOOM to WATWING, and sometimes I felt confused. But I eventually realized that "it's all about how much I believe in myself," so I stopped thinking about it too much. If I thought too much about "doing it for the group," I'd restrict myself and become unable to move forward, so I decided to focus all my energy on the activities in front of me. To begin with, I was the least well-known member of 8LOOM, so I was desperate to figure out how to make my presence felt among such a strong group of members. I left the group to the members I trusted, and just worked hard, believing that if the spotlight was on the group, it would attract attention. I feel that this is paying off, and it's given me confidence.
I'm conscious of visible evaluations like numbers because they're easy to understand as the result of hard work, but I think that if I've achieved my goal of "moving people's hearts," it will ultimately affect the numbers. That's why, through this work, I felt that I want to stick to my beliefs and work hard at what's in front of me.

■ "How it blooms where it is placed is up to you"

There is a saying that goes, "Bloom where you are planted," but blooming is a given, and I want to think about how I want to bloom. There is no right answer as to where and how a flower should bloom, and the way a flower looks will differ depending on the person looking at it. I have many different selves, such as an actor, artist, and variety show star, but I want to make it a priority to sort out and face each of them in my own way.
It's important to blossom in any place, so I want to try anything in the future. I especially want to take on more challenges as an actor. I think there is a certain flavor to the role that comes from me acting, but I want to blend into the work as a part of it, without leaving any trace of myself as Hachimura Rintaro. That's why my goal as an actor is to move the hearts of those who watch the works I appear in.
Above all, I want people to know about me and my work. There are many things I can't do unless I'm known, so I want to first get people to know me and broaden my options. To that end, I'll do my best with the resources I've been given.
As WATWING, our current goal is for everyone who comes to our ongoing fan club tour to think, "WATWING is the best!" To achieve this, we will put all our effort into our performance and make the event the best it can be. We also hope to take on the challenge of performing overseas someday, so we will work even harder.

■Message to university students

You are free to choose whether to go to university or not, and you are free to do whatever you want, and I believe there are many choices in life. I also tried many different things when I became a university student. The best part of being a university student is being able to try anything, so I hope you will do what you want to do to the fullest. If you want to slack off, you can slack off, and if you want to work hard, you can work hard. Even if you slack off, you can still grow from it.
This is a precious time, so make the most of it. However, it is also a time when you must become an adult, and I hope you will keep in mind that freedom comes with responsibility.
This is a place where dreams and possibilities explode, so I think the important thing is to be passionate about it. It's no good doing things half-heartedly! Please give it your all!

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on March 27, 2023 by Ayaka Yagi, a fourth-year student at Sophia University

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