Actor Takaya Matsutani / Actor Kentaro Maeda in the film "Glory Back Home"

I want you to keep growing every day and move forward step by step.

■Actor Takaya Matsutani

Born January 22, 1994, in Kanagawa Prefecture. He began playing baseball in the third grade of elementary school and played as a pitcher for Gakuho Fukushima during his high school years. He is 185 cm tall, weighs 74 kg, and bats and throws left-handed. He shares many similarities with Shintaro Yokota, including the fact that his father is Ryujiro Matsutani, a former professional baseball player who was drafted second overall by the Yomiuri Giants. He is known for his natural sensitivity and straightforward personality, and served as the fourth pitcher for Tokyo Mosaic, a baseball-themed entertainment group led by Yuriko Nakai, who also wrote the screenplay for this film. To prepare for his role in this film, he trained with the Fukuyama Rose Fighters, gaining weight to 94 kg and devoting himself to baseball. He also gained experience as a production and assistant director under Jun Akiyama, the film's director, deepening his knowledge as a staff member. He was close friends with Shintaro Yokota, and will use the glove he inherited from him to recreate the "miraculous back-home run" in the film.

■Actor Kentaro Maeda

Born September 6, 1999, in Saitama Prefecture, he made his acting debut in 2021, the same year he played his first leading role in "Kamen Rider Revise" (TV Asahi). His major drama appearances include "Tokumei! Metropolitan Police Department Special Accounting Officer" (23/Kansai TV), "I Can't Reach You" (23/TBS), "The Goddess' Classroom: Legal Youth Diary" (23/Fuji TV), "I'll Bloom with You: Shinsengumi Youth Record" (24/TV Asahi), and "PJ: Air Rescue Team" (25/TV Asahi). He also appeared in the film "My Beautiful Boyfriend: Eternal" (23/directed by Mai Sakai). He also voiced the lead character in the animated feature film "Touch Me" (24/directed by Tatsuyuki Nagai).
　

The movie "Glorious Back Home'. This movie is a moving piece based on the true story of former Hanshin Tigers player Yokota Shintaro. The lead role is played by Matsutani Takaya. And the role of Hojo Fumiya, Yokota Shintaro's rival and best friend, is played by Maeda Kentaro. We asked the two about their impressions of the movie 'Glorious Back HomeWe spoke to him about the highlights of the film.

■How did you feel when you were chosen to appear?

MatsutaniAbout four years ago, I was involved as a production staff member when Director Akiyama shot "Soul at 20." About two months later, I heard, "I want to shoot a film starring Shintaro Yokota for my next project, and I'm thinking of casting Takaya in the lead role." I couldn't believe it. Personally, I felt more like I wanted to play Shintaro's role than star in the film. Because of the COVID-2 pandemic at the time, I began working on the script remotely with Director Akiyama and screenwriter Nakai. Initially, Shintaro was recovering from his second bout with illness and in good health, so I even attended his lecture in Kagoshima. During that time, I heard he'd entered a hospice, so I paid him a visit. Then I heard the news of his passing. Up until then, Shintaro had been working hard on his lectures, so I was hoping to hold one together once the film was completed. However, after attending his funeral, I felt even more determined to tell as many people as possible about Shintaro, and I felt like I stepped up my game.

■ Playing a real person in a work

(I.e.: For me personally, this was my first time playing the role of a real person. It's different from a live-action adaptation. What I kept in mind was the idea of ​​"not imitating Hojo in my performance." I spoke to the director about this. I watched Hojo's YouTube videos, but I thought that if I watched too much, I would end up being too close to the real person, so I made sure to play the Hojo that was necessary for the film. Through this work, I learned about Yokota's admirable character. I thought, "I want to share this with as many people as possible." I think this will be a work that will give someone a push, so I feel that I have to do it with the desire to share this work with everyone.

■ Memorable scene

Matsutani: I played baseball for about 10 years, but I injured my shoulder and had to quit. Since I had been away from baseball for about 10 years, I couldn't throw at first. But when I first heard about the role, I had a strong feeling that "I have to do it, even if it means breaking my shoulder." Many people know about Shintaro's miraculous back-home run in his retirement game. Director Akiyama said from the beginning that he would not use any CG in the baseball scenes in this film. So, after hearing those words, I spent the last four years thinking only about throwing the "miraculous back-home run." On the day of filming, I was more motivated than usual, and I felt a deep emotion that "this day has finally come."

(I.e.: When I was first approached about the role, I was told there would be no baseball scenes. I have no experience playing baseball. But once we started, I was told, "Hojo, come in here," and filming began... We filmed overnight in a rural area, but Takaya helped with practice, and on our days off we both went to the training center to practice. I think the important scene with Hojo is when he practices his batting swing. At first, we do it together, and at the end, he practices alone. It's a scene that I still remember vividly, as it shows the connection between him and Yokota.

■What has changed while working in film?

Matsutani: Because I've been involved with the film for a long time, I've researched everything I can about Shintaro. Recently, I threw the first pitch at Koshien Stadium, and afterwards, I went to the Koshien Historical Museum. There, I saw the autographed autographed card that Hanshin players write when they join the team, complete with a message. Shintaro wrote the words "Growing Every Day." I was deeply moved by these words, which I felt symbolized how he set goals since he was a child and moved forward little by little, even when he became ill, setting goals one by one and making progress, even if only a little at a time. The film will be released soon, so I'm doing everything I can to help as many people as possible learn about Shintaro and the film.

(I.e.: Through this work, I felt closer to the fact that it was based on a true story. The way I saw the script changed before and after filming the movie. Because it was non-fiction, I was able to make the script my own. It changed the way I thought about acting, and I felt like the distance between myself and acting had narrowed.

Setbacks in life and how to recover

Matsutani: I played baseball from the second year of elementary school until the first six months of university. When I entered university, I injured my shoulder and had to quit baseball, which made me really sad. Ever since I was little, baseball was all I thought about, and I wanted to become a professional baseball player. When that dream was gone, I was depressed, but with the advice of my older brother, I decided to become an actor, and somehow I managed to get back on my feet.

(I.e.: Since I started this job, I've been disheartened many times, but I always bounce back. After each project, I hold a self-reflection session. I have an ideal in my mind, but I never reach it, so I try again and again. It can be difficult, but by continuing this, I believe my future self will be able to get closer to my ideal self. Setbacks are something you have to experience.

■Movie 『Glorious Back HomeHighlights of "

Matsutani: Everything is a highlight. The whole film is packed with Shintaro's 28 years, his family ties, and the lives of those who supported him, including the fans and the baseball team, so I hope you'll watch the whole thing and feel the greatness of it.

(I.e.: I thought it was wonderful that Yokota never gave up and kept working hard, and that he worked hard with his family and friends. I think everyone has experienced setbacks, but the appeal of this work is that when you see Yokota, you think, "If I work hard, the people around me will support me too."

■Message to university students

Matsutani: I think university students also have their difficulties. I hope that through the way Shintaro lives his life as depicted in this film, people will "grow every day" and think step by step about what they want to do and their goals. It may be hard to find your dreams or goals, but I think that just thinking about "what you want to do" is growth. Even if you don't grow every day, I think your life will change if you think "I want to grow every day." I hope that people will put into practice what they have learned from this film.

(I.e.: When I was a university student, I had a complex about not having any dreams or goals. When I was little, I was embarrassed to talk about my dreams for the future. I did karate, but I thought, "There's no way I'll become a karate player." In my third year of university, I started aiming to become an actor, and having a dream changed my life. If I had seen this movie back then, I think I would have been influenced by it. I would like to send this message to people who are wondering, "What are my dreams?" Even if you think, "This might be difficult," I want you to have a clear goal and work hard.

Interview with Haruna Shoji, a third-year student at Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, published November 1, 2025 by Student Newspaper Online