MORIYA Co., Ltd. CEO, actor, artist Bando Takumi

Circulating smiles through art

CEO of MORIYA Co., Ltd., actor and artist　Bando Engineering　(Takumi Bando)

■ Profile

He pursues parallel careers as an actor, narrator, artist, and entrepreneur. He has appeared in Hollywood films such as "Letters from Iwo Jima." He began his artistic career in 2011. He is the CEO of MORIYA Co., Ltd. He has hosted all series of the reality shows "Bachelor Japan" and "Bachelorette Japan" on Amazon Prime. In December 2018, while he is known for his work as an actor and host, his "Aura Art," artworks that express energy, are also attracting attention.

Having experienced a variety of things since his teens, including living alone and traveling 10 kilometers across America, Bando Takumi made his debut as an actor in Hollywood. He now leads a life full of ups and downs, hosting all series of "Bachelor Japan" and "Bachelorette Japan," as well as working as an actor, voice actor, and artist. Through his extraordinary experiences, he says, "I realized the importance of real-life experience." We spoke to him about how he has spent his time so far and what he keeps in mind in his work.

Due to family circumstances, I lived on my own from around the age of 10. In addition to the 3 yen my parents sent me every month, I earned money by doing various part-time jobs, such as delivering newspapers. However, as a small child, it was common for security guards to stop me at bank ATMs (laughs). I was so busy with daily life that I didn't have time to think about what I wanted to do in the future. Then, when I was in high school, I was exposed to the world of theater and decided I wanted to become a director. This was because I thought that a director's role was to use their imagination to convey the world they create. So I went on to Nihon University College of Art with the goal of becoming a director. However, looking back, I realize that while learning is important, it's also important to have the courage to step out into a new world.

■ The opportunity to live a unique life

My older brother is an elite who attended a top university and works for a top company, and my older sister is a studious person who studied abroad in Boston. I grew up watching my older brother and sister like that, so I didn't have the opportunity to be exposed to the so-called typical path in life. Also, I spent my time alone from a young age, so I didn't have anyone to look out for me. Getting a job was not an option for me, so after graduating from university I went to New York in the United States to discover myself.
I traveled 160,000 kilometers in the United States for about two years, and encountered many dangerous situations, such as encountering a bear at close range in a dangerous state before hibernation and being shot with a gun.During this trip, I happened to come across an advertisement on a message board for a drama school recruitment, and applying was the start of my career as an artist.If it had been for a cameraman, I might have become a cameraman by now.
At the time, I had no particular intention of doing so, and I wasn't good at being taught something by others or imitating others. I wasn't aiming to live a unique life, but rather I pursued what I was good at, and as a result, I think I naturally became known as the only one of a kind. Perhaps I was "guided by nature."

■ From a perspective of "self" to a perspective of "social contribution"

Currently, I am pursuing a wide range of parallel careers, including hosting a matchmaking reality show, creating art that depicts energy, acting and voice work, running a company, producing commercials, directing and producing, and giving lectures. For example, even in my art work, I used to burn my soul and aim to reach the top, but now I open my heart, accept the other person's life, and create art naturally; my expression and work have changed to enrich my soul in this way.
What made me start working with a burning passion was an audition in America. Auditions are like a game of musical chairs where you compete for a role. If you don't believe you're the best, others will push you aside. I believe that the words you speak define who you are, so I spent every day focusing on having a strong hunger to push through and being the best. As a result, I achieved the remarkable feat of being the highest-grossing Asian actor for two years.
However, even though I achieved results, when I looked back, I realized that there was no one around me who was happy for my success. That's when I suddenly felt empty. I felt a big gap between what I was doing now and what I really wanted to do.
The truth is, maybe it was just me who wanted to make someone happy. A mentor once told me, "If you keep going like this, your soul will burn out," so I looked around and realized that there were indeed many people around me creating works with smiles on their faces, and I vaguely thought that I wanted to be like that too.
At that time, by chance, someone asked me to draw a picture for them, and that's how I started to paint, which became the prototype of "Aura Art." It's a painting that I create using my body, receiving the energy emitted by the other person, and simply feeling what I feel, without any intention. By opening my heart to the other person, they will open their heart to me. And by allowing the other person to enter into me, I can paint without any composition or intention.
Through this cycle of thoughts, I began to think, "I want to express myself and provide services that enrich the hearts of those involved." From a time when I could only think about myself, I have gradually developed a proactive perspective of what I can do, and have shifted to a perspective of contributing to society.

I want to cherish this moment now

I don't have any particular plans for what I want to do in the future. Rather, I want to cherish this moment right now. I want the people who are there at that time to have a better experience of time and space. I also hope to be able to always think outside the box and find interesting things to do. In fact, to achieve that, it's important that I'm having fun (laughs).

■Message to university students

Life is full of possibilities that allow you to walk the path you want. It may seem paradoxical, but that's why I want you to give up on many things and live true to yourself. Some people may have a negative impression of the word "give up," but "give up" comes from the word "to clarify." Therefore, I want you to clarify what suits you and what doesn't, and enjoy the things that you find to be suitable for you.
It is also important to think about whether you are giving others a negative impression, but I believe that repeatedly choosing things that you truly believe are wonderful and taking action on the things you want to do will lead to enrichment for yourself and society.

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on May 19, 2022 by Hayato Tane, a fourth-year student at Chuo Gakuin University