Sano Hayato plays Yotsugi Shoya, the lover of Yui (Hashimoto) in the NHK Asadora drama "Omusubi " (General TV, Monday to Saturday 8:00 a.m. and others), starring actor Kanna Hashimoto . Sano, who has realized his dream of appearing in a Asadora since his debut, looked back on 2024 and talked about his future goals.
◇ The six months spent filming "Omusubi" "just flew by"
Sano, who is active as an actor as well as a member of the five-member group "M!LK," looked back on the approximately six months since filming began on "Omusubi" and said, "It really went by in a flash. I was busy filming other projects and working with M!LK and it went by faster than I thought it would."
Shoya, played by Sano, is a student from Tochigi Prefecture studying baseball at Fukuoka Nishi High School. After graduating from high school, he gets a job at Seika Denki, a prestigious company in the amateur baseball league, but he injures his right shoulder and has to give up his dream of becoming a professional baseball player. Although Sano is originally from Aichi Prefecture, he naturally plays Shoya, who is from Tochigi Prefecture, in the play.
Sano revealed, "There was actually a moment when I felt that Shoya had really taken over. After work, I was talking to my manager on my way home and suddenly I started speaking in Tochigi dialect. I was so surprised that I burst out laughing."
"On the other hand, people also said that my way of speaking sounds similar to Tokunaga Hiromi from "My Diary" (ABC TV/TV Asahi), which was filmed at the same time as "Omusubi". It made me wonder, 'What was the real me like?'"
He said that filming "Omusubi" was "very comfortable and fun," and added, "It was my first time acting with Sugao Araki, who played Yota, but he was incredibly friendly. He'd suddenly come to my hotel room saying, 'I'm heading to my room now,' and then we'd talk for about two hours and then leave. His communication skills are incredible."
Sano became close with Sugo through the filming, but said with a smile, "Our schedules don't always line up... We haven't been able to hang out privately yet. But he contacts me often, and if our schedules match I'd love to go out."
◇Looking back on last year and future goals
Despite his busy schedule, Sano confesses, "I'm not really good at relaxing."
"People around me sometimes ask me, 'Why are you working so hard?' but I don't really know myself. I'm always in work mode, but maybe that's what makes it fun."
Sano-san has appeared in many dramas and movies and is currently on a roll. When asked about his future goals, he said emphatically, "To star in a primetime drama, for M!LK to perform the theme song for that drama, and to win an Academy Award. These are goals I've had for a long time, so I definitely want to achieve them."
Looking back on his outstanding performance in 2024, he says with shining eyes, "I feel like I worked really hard last year and it was a fulfilling year, so I'm looking forward to seeing results in 2025."
"Of course, it's about the numbers, like the viewer ratings, but for M!LK, it's about getting everyone to know our songs and appearing on Kohaku. In my private life, I want to buy a car. I think it's important to take time off, but I don't think now is the right time. I want to work hard for the next two years and produce results first."
Sano, who is currently 26 years old, spoke passionately, saying, "I definitely want to do a dome tour before I'm 30. Right now I'm working hard, so I'd like to be able to have more time to relax. I always feel like I'm in a hurry, so I'd like to get rid of that feeling and enjoy life about 50% as much."
