Stage play "LIFE - The Story of the Beach House" - The origins of Kimaguren depicted through live music

The stage play "LIFE - The Story of the Beach House" opened at Akasaka RED/THEATER on January 10, 2026.
Based on the story leading up to the birth of Kimaguren, who reunited in 2024, this musical drama features live performances and singing by Kimaguren, who celebrated their 20th anniversary last year.
This production is a stage adaptation of an original story based on the real-life experiences of ISEKI and Clay Yuki, which explores how the feelings and experiences they have had up until now have led to the Kimaguren of today.
The role of Clay Yuki will be played by Yuji Hiroi, who has established a solid foundation in both popularity and talent, and the role of ISEKI will be played by Masato Yoshihara, a junior at Kimaguren's agency and member of the boy group BOYS AND MEN. The cast also includes Ryodai Ueno, Yurina Gen, Fumitaka Kuroki, Ryuhei Mikami, and other actors who are active in a variety of scenes.
The script was written by Tomoharu Suzuki, a playwright active in a wide range of fields, including his own theatre group and TV anime. The play will be directed by Taku Yamamoto, who heads a theatre company and specializes in portraying the contradictions and foolishness of human beings in a comical yet realistic way, and has recently directed a variety of works, including socially conscious pieces.
This time, we covered the press conference and dress rehearsal that took place on January 9th.

Shouting "I'm here" - Press Conference

Q. Please tell us how you feel and your enthusiasm.

Hiroi Yuji: The entire cast is convinced that we have created something truly wonderful. We hope to be able to deliver the miracle that the two members of Kimaguren have created.

Masato Yoshihara: The two members of Kimaguren are my seniors and I look up to them, so I'm honored to be able to be a part of a production that allows me to relive their lives. As a fan, it's a luxury to be able to hear their live singing from up close, and I think this is a rare production, so I'm really looking forward to the audience's reaction.

Yuki Clay: I think there are many different stories, but I believe nothing beats the real thing. I hope that I can share this real story with as many people as possible and that they can take something home with them.

ISEKI: Last year we celebrated our 20th anniversary as Kimaguren, and we are now standing on a stage we have never been on before. We are happy to be able to take on this new challenge together with the help of young people.

Q. Please tell us how you came to perform this kind of play.

Clay: Over a decade has passed since our major debut in 2008, and I feel like the song "LIFE" has reached a lot of people. However, we wanted more people to know how we became Kimaguren and the story behind the creation of "LIFE," so we decided to deliver that story in the form of a stage performance.

Q. I heard that the story is based on real experiences. What was your impression when you read the script?

ISEKI: Our experiences were the base, and Yamamoto's directing skills made it even more glamorous and dramatic. I was surprised to see our lives turned into entertainment, and there are parts that I feel a little embarrassed about, but I think the audience will enjoy it too.

Q. What did you think when you saw yourself actually acting out your role?

ISEKI: To be honest, I wonder if it was really that cool (laughs). But it's interesting to think, "This kind of thing happened," and "There were young versions of ourselves," and I'm grateful for that.

Clay: There are movies based on non-fiction, so I thought it would be quite a high hurdle to act in front of the real person. As he acted in front of us in the rehearsal room, I wondered what he was feeling, but I could also sense his passion.

Q. On the other hand, please tell us how it feels to act in front of the person.

Hiroi: I never thought I'd get to act in front of such a big star, so I was very nervous at first. But as a play, as an actor, I focused on the script, and when they looked at it, nodding in each scene and blushing with embarrassment, I thought, "Maybe I wasn't wrong." From there, I felt like my role deepened even more, and I grew as an actor.

Yoshiwara: He's a senior in the group I belong to, BOYS AND MEN, and he's been very kind to me. I've had the honor of performing with him on stage before, but as an actor, it was a completely different experience. I've had the opportunity to try to steal his habits from a perspective I'd never seen before, and think about him from an actor's point of view, and I feel like we're closer now than we were before. As a fan myself, I do feel some pressure, but more than that, I'm just happy to be able to do such an honor.

Q. Please tell us what you came up with when expressing the years that have passed since the two members of Kimaguren first met.

Yoshiwara: We've been together in scenes for a long time, so we had discussions and went out to eat together. I thought that friendship and the years we've spent together were important, so I wanted to get to know each other early on, so I invited her out to dinner on the first day of rehearsal. But she turned me down lol

Hiroi: I really couldn't go! I invited him later.

Yoshiwara: I'll never invite you again! lol

Clay: What really happened?

Hiroi: I wanted to go! But when he said that to me on the first day of rehearsal, I thought, "What a nice guy." He told me he'd never invite me again, but even so, he's such a kind person that I find myself opening up to him. As an actor, he's a really dependable senior, and no matter what kind of pass I throw him, he always returns it politely. We can talk to each other on stage, and I really trust him.

Q. How was it performing live in the story?

Clay: I thought the pauses were important. There was the timing of when the lines transitioned into the music, there were rests within the bars, melodies that had to be added, and beats, but it was refreshing to feel a different kind of breathing in the performance.

ISEKI: Usually when we perform live, it's just us and the audience, but this time we have actors on stage with us and backstage. It feels like we have more friends now, and we're creating something together, which makes it really comfortable to perform.

Q. Are there any points that you find interesting?

Clay: It all depends on what you look at, but I think this is a three-dimensional piece that can be enjoyed in different ways no matter how many times you watch it.

ISEKI: It's based on a true story, and when combined with music, it becomes a work that can be listened to and watched in a more three-dimensional way, so I hope you enjoy it.

Q. What is the atmosphere like in the rehearsal studio?

Yoshiwara: We practiced pretty hard, so to be honest, I don't remember much. Every day we came up with something new, destroyed it, and then created it again. We exchanged opinions and worked on the details. The rehearsal room had a warm atmosphere, but it was also a place where brilliant ideas were flying around... I need help lol

Hiroi: Everyone's ideas pile up, we share them, and the two members of Kimaguren watch them and then we combine them. Personally, since we're playing a role in a slightly earlier era in the Reiwa era, I carried around a gala game so that I could use props and clothing that were close to home.

Clay: Gala-K! lol

Hiroi: Sorry! (laughs)
Just now, Yuji asked me, "What time is it now?" and before I knew it, I was unconsciously checking the time on my flip phone. That's how much I felt that things from that era had become familiar to me, so I think you'll enjoy it as if you were going back in time. What do you think?

ISEKI: That's great! It reminds me of the old Clay.

Hiroi: I'm happy. Thank you very much.

Q. Please say a few words to those who are looking forward to the performance.

Clay: When it comes to creativity, we try our best to deliver it to the best of our ability. I think we live in a world where people can't say what they want to say. No matter what you say, you'll get criticized. The lyrics of our song "LIFE" say, "I want to cry, I want to laugh, I'm holding back my true self and can't get it across" and make you wonder who exactly I'm living for. This line was born from our true story.
Even though I feel that way, I still think, "I'm here," and "I'm going to live."
So, let's just say what we want to say. And we'll say it without worrying about it. There are things to consider, and there are things we have to be careful about, but we're making this with the feeling that we should live our lives shouting that we're still here. Everyone, please come and see it. Thank you.

Experience the answer to the story through live performances ~Student report~

It was a new production where the acting and music came together in layers, allowing me to feel the deeper meaning of the lyrics. I felt as if each word was slowly seeping into my heart.
It was very impressive to see how they were conscious of each other, battling with themselves, unconsciously comparing themselves to each other, and improving each other. I think it's an emotion that many people have experienced at least once. That's why I felt it was a story that could be easily shared with others.
During the live performance scenes, the atmosphere exuded by the two members of Kimaguren was calm and composed, something that comes from having been together for so many years, and their presence added even greater depth to the story.
The positions of Hiroi Yuji, Yoshihara Masato, ISEKI, and Clay Yuki stand out in stark contrast, and even the sense of tension and distance is what makes the work so appealing. It's a work that warmly embraces you like the summer air, gently pushing you forward.

<Overview of the performance>

[Performance Dates] Saturday, January 10th - Sunday, January 18th, 2026
Saturday, January 10th 13:00★／18:00★
January 11th (Sun) 13:00☆/18:00☆
January 12th (Monday holiday) 13:00☆／18:00☆
January 13th (Tuesday) No performance
Wednesday, January 14th 19:00★
January 15th (Thurs) 7:00 PM
January 16th (Fri) 7:00 PM
Saturday, January 17th 13:00☆／18:00★
January 18th (Sun) 13:00☆
★...Awatsumai performance
☆・・・Saeki Yuzuha performance
*The start of reception, lobby opening, audience seating opening, and performance times will be announced on the official website closer to the performance date.

[Venue]
Akasaka RED/THEATER (Akasaka Granbell Hotel B2F, 3-10-9 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052)
◆ 3 minutes walk from Exit 10 of Akasaka-mitsuke Station on the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line and Ginza Line
◆ 6 minutes walk from Exit 1 or 2 of Akasaka Station on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line

[Tickets (all seats reserved, tax included)]　
With bonus: 9,900 yen
General: 8,800 yen
*Bonus: Mini photo book with cast messages
* Same-day tickets are +500 yen

Official X:https://x.com/life_beachhouse
Official performance website:https://life-beachhouse.com/
For inquiries regarding the performance, please contact: stage.contact55@gmail.com

Production: style office
Organized by: Stage "LIFE - The Story of the Beach House" Executive Committee

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on July 9, 2026 by Musashino University third-year student Akira Yoshimatsu