Shima Tabata:The 19-year-old who is gaining attention for her role as Natchan in "Omusubi" and whose smile makes people happy, is good friends with Nao's family and "I hope we can work together someday"

NHK連続テレビ小説「おむすび」に出演している田畑志真さん
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NHK連続テレビ小説「おむすび」に出演している田畑志真さん

Shima Tabata is appearing in the NHK Asadora drama "Omusubi" starring Hashimoto Kanna. She plays Sakuma Natsumi, also known as "Nacchan," a childhood friend of the heroine Yui (Hashimoto), and has been drawing attention for her "cute smile." She just turned 19 last December, and her charm point is undoubtedly her "smile." "My friends around me often tell me that 'You always look happy when you smile,' and that makes me really happy," she says. Tabata, whose popularity is likely to grow even after 2025, talked about "Omusubi" as well as her future goals.

◇ The bright and carefree "Nacchan" is "just like me"

Tabata was born on December 24, 2005, in Kumamoto Prefecture. "Omusubi" is her first Asadora, and she plays Natsumi, the daughter of Misae (Kimura Midoriko), who runs a bakery in the Sakura-dori shopping arcade in Kobe. Tabata says, "Natsumi is very cheerful and carefree. I think that's similar to me."

"Even during the audition, I was told that I have a bright personality. Even after filming started, the producer told me that he wanted me to show my natural innocence, so it's something I'm conscious of."

Natsumi's trademarks are her bun hairstyle, which she designed in collaboration with her hair and makeup artist, and her smile, which Tabata says "is one way to create an impression."

"Because the cameras aren't rolling, the shopping street members get along really well, and I also enjoy the experience, so my smiles are genuine. So I was really happy when I received feedback like, 'Seeing Nacchan's smile gives me energy in the morning.'"

Not only her smile, but her wide range of facial expressions are also charming.

"I heard from people who watched ' Omusubi' that her constantly changing facial expressions are one of Natsumi's charms. I hope that playing this role of Natsumi will become one of my strengths in the future."

◇What is your relationship with Nao? We still keep in touch and I respect her.

What kind of year was 2024 for Tabata, who made her first appearance in a Asadora?

"It was the most changeful year so far. After graduating from high school, I decided not to go to college and instead focus on this job, which was a change of heart. Also, participating in the filming of the Asadora has changed the way I think about my acting. This was my first time playing one character for more than one season, and up until now there were many things I only thought about superficially, but by acting for a long time, I have come to face the character's feelings and emotions more deeply than ever before. I have come to want to act in a way that conveys messages from deep within the eyes, rather than on the surface. I'm not sure if I'm doing that yet, but I would like to continue to keep it in mind."

His close friend is Nao, with whom he studied at the Polar Star Tokyo Academy, an acting school supervised by screenwriter Nojima Shinji.

"We were always together at Polar Star, which I attended before joining my current agency, and we're still good enough to keep in contact with each other. I've respected her way of thinking and attitude towards acting since we first met, so I always watch all the works she appears in, and I hope that one day we can work together. In fact, our families are very close, and even when Nao-chan isn't there I go to see her mother and she treats me to dinner."

◇My biggest goal is to one day return to a Asadora as the heroine

Nao also made her breakthrough by playing the heroine's best friend in the Asadora"Hanbun, Aoi." in the first half of 2018. She has now become an indispensable presence in the film industry, and Tabata dreams of following in her footsteps.

"I want to become an actress with a wide range of talent, and although I still have a lot to learn, my biggest goal is to one day return to a Asadora as the heroine."

In his private life, Tabata's hobby is collecting temple stamps, and he is also a baseball fan influenced by his father and older brother (he has been a Giants fan since he was a child), so 2025 will be his last year as a teenager.

"Anyway, I want to face acting, feel a lot of things, take in a lot of things, and use them to grow as a person. I want to be a teenager with no regrets."


This site uses machine translation. Please note that it may not always be accurate and may differ from the original Japanese text.

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