Kohei Matsushita's film "Light of the Distant Mountains"

The secret to making your dreams come true is to keep doing what you love

Actor and singer-songwriter Kohei Matsushita

■ Profile
Born March 6, 1987 in Tokyo. In 2018, he won the Sugimura Haruko Award for Outstanding Actor at the 26th Yomiuri Theater Awards and the Newcomer Award in the Theater Division at the 73rd Agency for Cultural Affairs Arts Festival for his plays "Living with Mother" and "Thrill Me." His major appearances include the drama "Scarlett" and the musical "Cain & Abel."

What is the secret to balancing acting and music?

Looking back, I was a student who was passionate about the things I loved. I originally wanted to be a musician, so I worked as a musician for two years after graduating from a music college. However, when I was worried because I wasn't getting the results I wanted, I decided to pursue acting.

Ultimately, I think the reason I was able to achieve my dreams of becoming both an actor and a singer-songwriter is because I never gave up. It takes effort and stamina to keep going, but the source of that power is, of course, the feeling that you love what you do. Some people may not know how to find what they love, but until you find it, I think it's best not to force yourself to search for it, but to just do your best at what you enjoy now.

◆Please tell us about the film "Distant Mountain Light"

『遠い山なみの光』I play the role of Jiro, a disabled veteran, and while acting, I was conscious of the fact that "for the people who were alive at the time, that was everyday life." It was normal for people to have no food, and for their family and friends to die one after another right in front of their eyes. I acted with the hope that I could bring out that reality in this work.

◆Please give us a message for the students.

The best thing is to do what you want to do. As you become an adult, there are times when you have to do things you don't want to do. That's why I think it's important to make choices that "avoid doing things you don't want to do" as much as possible.

Student newspaper October 2025 issue Rinno Koshiyama, third year student at Toyo University

■Thoughts after the interview
It was impressive to see him carefully choosing each word as he spoke. I felt that he was also carefully considering the work.
I think I am where I am today because of all the hard work I've put in up until now.
I also want to spend my student life devoting myself to the things I love. (Rinno Koshiyama, 3rd year student at Toyo University)

Ochanomizu University 1st year Ieda Arisa / Showa Women's University 2nd year Abe Rurika / Toyo University 3rd year Koshiyama Rinno / Sophia University 4th year Shirasaka Himari / Sophia University 4th year Yoshikawa Minami

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