Actress Hiyori Sakurada

She is taking on the challenge with the mindset that she will quit acting if she is satisfied with the current situation. That is why regrets are what make her work worthwhile.

actress　Hiyori Sakurada(Hiyori Sakurada)

■ Profile
Born December 19, 2002 in Chiba Prefecture. She began her entertainment career at a young age and won the grand prize at the Miss Seventeen 2018 audition.

She began her entertainment career as a child actor at the age of 5, and thanks to her natural beauty and acting ability, she has been active in a wide range of fields, from modeling to acting.Hiyori SakuradaDespite being only 21 years old, Sakurada has appeared in many films and has built a solid career.buzzy noiseWe spoke to her about the highlights of the film and her career as an actress.

When I was 5 years old, I saw a rerun of a daytime drama and told my mother, "I want to be in this too!", which is what led me to enter the entertainment industry.
When I was a student, I tried to balance my studies and work by working on reports during breaks and on weekends. I think the key to continuing was being able to switch between work and studies well.
I think the biggest turning point in my life was when I finished my student life and graduated from high school. I had been doing this job since I was five years old, so I was always surrounded by work and school. However, after graduating from high school, I began to feel that I was stepping out of the student frame and entering society with determination and resolve. As a result, I think I was able to concentrate on my work more than ever before.
In particular, when I worked with Director Kazama on the drama "Silent," there was a moment when I was able to establish my own acting style, and I think that was a turning point for me as an actor.
In my private life, I value being able to switch off, just like I did when I was a child. I think that by taking proper rest when I'm off and not putting too much strain on my body, I'm able to approach my work in a better way. At home, I light candles and wear perfume to refresh myself. Perfume is an important part of my routine, and I sometimes change the brand of perfume depending on the role I'm playing.

■The appeal of acting is "being able to live someone else's life"

I think the greatest appeal of acting is being able to live the life of someone other than myself. Not only can I experience things in my role that I would never be able to experience in my own life, but the environment of being able to become someone else with each new production suits me well. Also, even though I'm no longer a student, I can wear a school uniform in my work, so I'd like to play many student roles while I can still wear one.
When a work is completed, I feel very rewarded. At the same time as thinking, "I'm glad I worked hard," I sometimes feel regretful and think, "I should have done a little more this way." However, I'm approaching acting with the mindset that I'll quit if I'm satisfied with the current situation, so I think the regrets I feel with each project also contribute to the reward.

■Movie 『buzzy noise" I was looking forward to the chemistry that would come from playing this role.

this time"buzzy noiseAfter I was confirmed to appear in "My Love Story," I had the opportunity to read the original manga. The work tells the story of Kiyosumi, a man who composes his own music on his PC, and Ushio, a woman who secretly enjoys his music. You can't hear any sound from a manga, but when I read it, I had the strange experience of hearing the sounds I imagined from the work. I became very emotionally involved with Ushio, the character I play, through the work, and I was looking forward to filming, imagining what kind of chemistry would develop between me and Ushio, and what kind of Kiyosumi Takumi Kawanishi would play.
The filming location was also very comfortable, and I think it was an environment where I could express my passion as it is. Director Kazama is a very considerate person who will communicate things to suit each person, and I feel that this is reflected in the atmosphere of the film. When I got the OK on the first take for a scene that I care about in this production, I felt that "the Ushio that the director and I had in mind was the same!" and I was happy.
I think the highlight of this film is that the way you perceive it and the characters you empathize with change depending on the situation you are in when watching it. As the situation changes, your impressions of the film also change. There are so many highlights scattered throughout the film that you could watch it over and over again.

■ Music was always playing to help him prepare for the role.

Music was a major keyword in this work, so I made a conscious effort to incorporate music into my daily life in order to prepare for the role. I kept the audio files I was given playing in my daily life. I also had music playing during filming, and there were times when music saved me. I hope this song will be a source of support not only to me, but to everyone who listens to it.
The most difficult part of acting was the Kobe dialect. Since it was my first time, I received audio recordings of people speaking the Kobe dialect in advance and compared them with my acting to adjust my pronunciation. It was difficult to get used to it, but before I knew it, the Kobe dialect was appearing in my everyday conversations (laughs).
When I actually met my co-star Kawanishi, he was more shy than I had imagined, so I discussed it with Director Kazama and made an effort to proactively talk to Kawanishi (laughs). Up until then, I had been surrounded by adults, and they had naturally closed the distance between me, which made me keenly aware of how dependent I had been.

■Message to students

I think the biggest difference between being a working adult and a student is that if you don't take action yourself, you won't be given any opportunities. You may also have limited freedom of time or place, or you may find yourself forced to do things you don't want to do. Because there are so many challenges, I hope you'll find something you enjoy that will give you a little break. To that end, first of all, enjoy the campus life in front of you.

Interview with Student Newspaper Online on February 7, 2024 by Sayori Yamamoto, second-year student at Keio University

Keio University 4th year student Miyu Ito / Keio University 2nd year student Yuka Matsuzaka / Keio University 2nd year student Sayori Yamamoto

Photography: Kosuke Shimoda