Actor Osamu Mukai

There are views that can only be seen through steady effort

Actor Osamu Mukai

■ Profile
Born in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1982. Made his acting debut in "White Night Walk" (2006). Recent appearances include the TV dramas "Paripi Koumei" (23), "Angel Flight" (23), "Double Cheat: False Policeman Season 1" (24), "Lion's Lair" (24), and the film "Ichikei no Karasu" (23).

◆Is there anything that hasn't changed since your university days?

I guess it's because I've gotten into the habit of working backwards from my goal. I studied genetic engineering at university and did a lot of experiments, so I used to think about what I needed to do in the short, medium and long term to get to the answer I wanted. You can't just warp straight to your goal, so you have to think about what you can do now that will lead to that goal. This also helps with creating characters.
For example, if I'm going to do a period drama, I need to know how to move, and if I'm going to do sword fighting, I should do Japanese dance, etc. Even if it doesn't directly lead to my goal, I think my determination to find something that will lead me to the intermediate point and work hard at it has not changed since my university days.

◆Please tell us what you value most about your work.

I work hard and diligently. This job begins when you are chosen. This is the first time you are "selected." I want to do my best to live up to the expectations and trust that you have placed in me.
For example, if I'm playing a role that involves cooking, I'll go to culinary school and learn how to do the work at hand, so I can shoot scenes that flow from close-up to long shots. Sometimes different people shoot the long and close-up shots, but I feel like there's no point in me doing that. I want to do work that only I can do as a professional.

◆Movie "Paripi Kongming THE MOVIE"Please tell us the appeal of

What makes this film so special is that it's a music film of unprecedented quality. With the cooperation of people at the forefront of various genres, including rap and ballads, it can be enjoyed like a music festival. The audience is real, not computer graphics, so the excitement is real. I feel that in a movie theater with good acoustics, the sound resonates even more, making the music more aggressive in a good way. At the same time, we also placed emphasis on the dramatic parts that depict the bond between Komei and Eiko during filming.
The core of this work is the relationship between the two characters, and I thought that portraying this properly would add depth and make the work more interesting. That's why I absolutely did not want to include any romantic elements between Komei and Eiko. I even talked to Kamishiraishi Moka, who plays Eiko, about how "we should make sure that the relationship between Komei and Eiko doesn't even seem platonic." I wanted to portray a relationship of trust, rather than a relationship between the opposite sex, so I was conscious of not including any love in scenes where they gazed at each other or fought.

◆Please give us a message for the students.

I think university is the last place to learn before entering society, so I want you to experience as much as possible. Even if the knowledge you gain doesn't prove useful in the future, it may become a topic of conversation or lead to a job. There are some things you can't see unless you fail, so try things you can only do now.

◆After the interview　
"Working seriously and with all your might" is a simple concept, but it's not easy to achieve. Mukai-san treasures each and every job opportunity, and I could sense his sense of responsibility and love for his work in every word he spoke, which filled me with respect.

Student Newspaper April 2025 Issue, by Minami Yoshikawa, 4rd year student at Tomo University

Toyo University second-year student Rinno Koshiyama / Sophia University third-year student Minami Yoshikawa / Toyo University third-year student Fuka Ota

Photographer: Kosuke Shimoda / Hair & Makeup: Ryota Nakamura / Styling: Yukari Toyama