Joint press conference for the stage play "Porno"

The shocking stage production returns after 24 years: The play "Porno" questions the very essence of humanity.

The stage play "Porno"　
Director: Daigo Matsui
Actor Reo Tamaki
Actress Atsuko Maeda

Keishi Nagatsuka's play "Porno," which premiered in 2002 and left a powerful impression on audiences, will be performed again after 24 years.
We spoke with Daigo Matsui and Reo Tamaki, who were audience members at the time, and Atsuko Maeda, who is currently performing in the show, about what attracted them to this work, what they feel is the significance of performing it in this day and age, and their thoughts on the work's appeal and the performance itself.

Q. Please tell us how you came across the play "Porno".

Matsui: When I was in high school, I was the type who didn't leave the house much, but my mother liked theater and independent films, so she invited me to see Asagaya Spiders' "Porno," and I went. When I saw "Porno," it was saying things that you shouldn't say, things that aren't expressed on TV, in movies, novels, or in manga, and everyone was sharing that in the darkness of the theater and laughing, and I felt a great sense of doing something forbidden. After that, I joined the agency Gochi Brothers, which produced "Porno," a play I had admired ever since I saw it. We (Matsui and Tamaki) joined the agency together in 2010 as contemporaries, and in 2016 we performed a play called "Dog Day," and I think it was around that time that we started talking about "Porno."

Tamaki: For me too, it started when I was a first-year high school student and an adult took me to see a play, saying, "There's an interesting play, let's go see it." Before seeing "Porno," I had only seen mainstream plays, so it was an experience that "introduced me to new values," making me think, "It's okay to do things like this on stage," and "It's okay to have works like this."
Actually, our office (Matsui-san and Tamaki-san's) used to have barbecues (laughs), and that's when we talked about how we used to watch it when we were in high school.

Matsui: At a barbecue, the topic of "Do you want to do 'Porno'?" came up, and I said, "I'd like to do it if I could," but then I realized that we're still in our twenties, and "Porno" is set in a town with many hills, so it would have to be performed in a medium-sized theater, and I thought, "We don't have enough experience yet."

Tamaki: Rather than talking about the specifics, I think we were talking about how it was a really shocking work. Another thing was that there was a symbolic scene where flyers with the face of the main character, Koji Kokugi, printed on them fell into the audience, and when I mentioned that I had taken one home and kept it carefully after seeing the play, I heard that Daigo Matsui had done the same thing. When I heard that, I thought, "Maybe the day will come when I can do 'Porno' with this person."

Q. What do you find appealing about Keishi Nagatsuka's works?

Matsui: What's characteristic of Keishi's work is the sense of loneliness, the contradictions that arise from resisting it, and the cry of what it means to be human. I really like the persuasive power with which he convinces you over two hours through the play that even if someone deviates from societal norms, if they believe they are right, then that's okay.

Tamaki: Keishi's works often featured expressions that were considered inappropriate or otherwise inappropriate, and it was commonplace for such things to appear.
There are always characters and worldviews that are somewhat distorted, but despite their distortions, the thoughts and feelings they harbor are very straightforward, and for them, it is justice and they are working on what is right.

Matsui: It may sound inappropriate, but it has a certain elegance to it.

Maeda: I've worked with Nagatsuka-san before, both as an actor and as a director, but this is the first time I've participated in a play by Asagaya Spiders. I heard that the two of them saw this play when they were teenagers, and were shocked and didn't understand what was going on, but it has stayed with them ever since. I think it's rare to encounter a work like that, so I thought, "That sounds like a great experience," and "I want to peek inside," which is what made me want to participate in this play. At first, I was a bit distracted by the title "Porno," but after reading the script, I felt that there are a lot of eccentric characters, and all the characters are desperately trying to live. They are so straightforward that it stirs up maternal feelings.
It's a profound work that allows you to reflect on yourself, because it's filled with things that make you think, such as, "I wonder if that's what it meant," "There are surprisingly many people like that," and "That might be me."

Q. After reading the script, what did you think was the significance of staging the play again after 24 years?

Matsui: I think this work is timeless because it depicts the universal essence of humanity. As Maeda mentioned earlier, it explores the idea that what's normal for one person is normal for another, and how, in order to be human, one must verbalize their feelings and sensations, with each character baring their heart and speaking about various forms of love. Nowadays, we can communicate solely through text via social media, and scripts can be written by AI, so perhaps we live in an era where even AI can weave stories. However, I feel that art, where people gather on stage to create a work and experience it in a theater, is something that absolutely only humans can create.

Tamaki: To be frank, the values ​​and other aspects of this work are not suited to the Reiwa era.
One reason we're doing this project is that it's a very memorable piece for both Daigo and me, but another is that it deals with a universal theme that people need to keep thinking about.
The characters each possess their own sense of justice, righteousness, and love within a distorted world and its portrayal. I believe that if I can explore these aspects as an actor and bring the theatrical world to life as a real person, then what might seem inappropriate in this era will resonate deeply with the audience.

Maeda: This time, we want young people to see it, so we've prepared plenty of U25 seats for the Tokyo and Fukuoka performances. First of all, I want you to come and see it. I would be happy if you could learn about the content, think about it in various ways, and see a brighter future, even just a little.
It would be truly wonderful if this play could inspire young people to think, "It's okay to do things like this," just like Ms. Matsui and Mr. Tamaki did back then. The fact that everyone chuckles when they're all in the same space and subjected to inappropriate language is a phenomenon unique to theater, and it's incredibly fun. This production made me realize once again that I want theater to be a free space, unbound by anything.

[Outline of performance]

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on July 5, 2026 by Yurie Watanabe, second-year student at Josai International University