Actor Ai Hashimoto

I want to deliver works that will give someone vitality in life.

Actor Ai Hashimoto

■ Profile
Actor. He gained attention for his role in the 2010 film "Confessions." He won the Japan Academy Award for Best New Actor for his role in the 2012 film "Kirishima, Bukatsu Yamerutteyo." He is currently appearing in the NHK historical drama "Berabou." He is active in a wide range of fields, utilizing his unique sensibilities to write serials on fashion, book reviews, and columns.

◆Please tell us what the highlights of the work are.

movies"In the case of Kanako Saotome" depicts the struggles of girls with various worries, making it a work that many people can relate to.
When I was around 20 years old, I was trying so hard to fit in with the industry rather than being myself, and I didn't understand the meaning of living as I am. Kanako's self-consciousness and the way she becomes shackled reminded me of my past self.
I also feel that feminism is at the heart of this film. How do women live in a male-dominated society and how do they deal with gender roles such as masculinity and femininity? I would be happy if today's university students could empathize with the conflict.

◆Please tell us about the rewarding aspects of your job.

It's a place where you can learn about the lives of many different people. If I wasn't an actor, I would only be able to experience one person's life, but by acting, I can learn about many different lives.
I feel like it's a great deal to have so many lives in my body, and it's something that helps me grow as a person.
Furthermore, artworks have the power to have a major impact on society as a whole, and I feel great joy in being able to influence the lives and thoughts of those who see my work.
As an actor, I feel extremely rewarded when a work I'm involved in creates a movement and brings about change in the world.

◆Message to students

I think university students are in a period where they are struggling with various worries, caught between childhood and adulthood. This film depicts people who live with the same struggles. I would be happy if they thought, "This is my story, my life has been made into a movie."

Student Newspaper April 2025 Edition by Maruyama Mitomo, 2nd year student at International Christian University

Sayori Yamamoto, third-year student at Keio University / Mitomo Maruyama, second-year student at International Christian University

Photographer: Kosuke Shimoda