Actor Akari Takaishi has been chosen as the heroine of the NHK Asadora drama "Bakebake " in the second half of 2025. She is currently appearing as a regular on the TBS Sunday Theatre drama " Mikami Sensei" (Sundays at 9pm), and will also appear in the film "Yissho, Kaiho" (directed by Tsutomu Hanabusa), which will be released on January 31st. She is also starring alongside Sato Shori in "Apollo no Uta" (MBS/TBS, Tuesdays at 12:59am and 1:28am), which starts on February 18th, making this a year of great progress for her. We spoke to Takaishi about "Mikami Sensei" and "Bakebake" at a special kimono press conference held by her management company, Avex Management Agency.
"Mikami Sensei" is an original work in which Tori Matsuzaka plays an elite bureaucrat from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology who is transferred to a private high school to become a homeroom teacher and lead his students while standing up against authority. The students are played by a number of notable young actors, including Takaishi, Aju Makita , Airu Kubozuka, Sakura Kiryu, Yoshiyanagi Sakura, and Yuka Kageyama.
Regarding the atmosphere on set, he said, "I was able to act while feeling the passion of the staff and cast.The story is on a heavy note, but the atmosphere on set was lively, or should I say very bright (laughs).I was surprised by the contrast."
There are many actors of the same generation who are active at the forefront of the industry. When asked if she felt any sense of rivalry, she immediately replied, "I don't feel that way at all (laughs)." She is humble and says, "They have everything I don't. There is a lot to learn from them, and I absorb things every day."
Despite her busy schedule, she showed no signs of fatigue and was always smiling throughout the interview. Perhaps her personality was also appreciated. She was selected from 2,892 candidates in an audition to play the heroine Toki Matsuno in the Osaka-produced Asadora"Bakebake ."
Filming has not yet begun. Regarding her current state of mind, she said, "The staff in Osaka are all so warm and supportive, so I want to rely on them and approach filming with confidence. Of course, I also want to do my best to create an atmosphere that everyone can enjoy during the filming period."
The character she plays, Toki Matsuno, is modeled after Setsu Koizumi, the wife of Lafcadio Hearn , a Meiji-era literary figure known for his works such as "Kaidan." In preparation for filming, she revealed, "I read books about Setsu and visited Matsue (where the story takes place)," and added, "Toki is the daughter of a samurai family, so I think she's a strong-willed woman. She respects her husband, but also has the strength to protect him, so I want to be conscious of that kind of strength."
During the filming of " Bakebake", she will be relocating to Osaka. "I'm so excited! I'm looking forward to the food, so I'm currently looking up various restaurants I want to go to in magazines. I learned that yakiniku is famous in Osaka, so I'm looking forward to going to a yakiniku restaurant in Osaka (lol)!" she said, excited about the Osaka cuisine.
*The "taka" in Akari Takaishi's name is pronounced with a "hashigodaka" sound.
