Taisho Iwasaki of the idol group "KEY TO LIT" from STARTO ENTERTAINMENT will appear in the movie " Shijiki Fudosan " starring Tomohisa Yamashita . Iwasaki said, "I was happy to be able to work with Mr. Yamashita and was excited to see what kind of role I would be playing." We asked him about working with Yamashita and the role he played.
◇"An unexpected role as a musician" - I've been dedicating time to practicing the guitar.
The film is based on the manga of the same name serialized in "Big Comic" (Shogakukan). It's a social comedy about Nagase Zaichi (Yamashita), a real estate salesman who, after a strange turn of events, can no longer lie, and who uses only his honesty and integrity as weapons to delve into the "dark side" of the real estate industry. A TV series aired on NHK in 2022, followed by a special drama and a second season of the TV series in 2024.
Iwasaki played Yamaguchi Hiroto, a childhood friend of Nagase's junior, Tsukishita Sakura ( Haruka Fukuhara), and a musician pursuing his dreams. "I thought he might be a customer rather than a salesman, but he turned out to be a musician. I was given a really great role," he recalled.
The film also features scenes of guitar playing and street performances.
"I play the guitar regularly, but I dedicated a considerable amount of time to practicing every day, to the point where I couldn't sleep until I was satisfied. I'm an extremely single-tasking type, so it's simply difficult to do two things at once while singing and playing guitar. On top of that, it was really difficult to multitask, as I also had to be conscious of what kind of feelings the song should convey."
I enjoyed the street performance scene, but I remember thinking that you need a really strong mentality to do it. I wanted people to listen, but at the same time, I didn't want them to listen. It would be sad if they ignored me, but I also felt a little nervous knowing that people were watching me."
There is a scene of him singing at his high school's cultural festival, but when asked about his own high school days, he reveals, "Unlike Hiroto, I wasn't the type to actively participate in school events..."
"Being able to shine at the school festival is the complete opposite of me. I remember being really nervous during that scene. Singing confidently in front of everyone, Hiroto is so popular. If I could go back to being a student again, I'd like to experience it, but I'd have to push myself quite hard (laughs)."
◇Singing a song with lyrics written by Tomohisa Yamashita
I have a connection with Yamashita-san from when we were both affiliated with the same agency; he provided me with a song.
"At the time, he had a mysterious aura about him, and I remember being very nervous. When I met him again recently, he greeted me with, 'Oh, Iwasaki, it's been a while!' We were able to talk about a lot of things, and he invited me to go out for a meal, and we exchanged contact information. He created a comfortable atmosphere for conversation, and he was the one who reached out to me, so I realized once again what a kind person he is."
The scene in which Yamashita's character, Nagase, sings the "honest song" that hits a sore spot for Hiroto was filmed on the day Iwasaki finished filming.
"Up until that point, I had mostly scenes with Fukuhara-san, but then I met Yamashita-san at the Tosaka Real Estate office, and when Yamashita-san was blown away by the wind, he honestly blurted out his true feelings...and that's when I thought, ' Shijiki Fudosan, this is it!'"
In the play, Yamashita will perform "Yasashii Sekai" (A Gentle World), for which she wrote the lyrics.
"I was surprised to hear that Yamashita-san had said, 'If Iwasaki-kun is going to sing it, I'd like to write the lyrics.' I was very happy, but also nervous."
◇The type of person whose lies easily show on their face; even other members have pointed this out.
"I don't usually tell outright lies, but when I'm embarrassed or nervous, my mouth tends to smirk a little," says Iwasaki. He's aware that his emotions show on his face, and reveals, "My bandmates often tell me, 'Oh, you've got that lying look on your face again.'"
If Iwasaki-san could express just one honest cry from her heart, like Nagase-san, what would it be?
"There are moments when I can't be honest with myself, but I wish I could live honestly. I want to live without lying, just being straightforward, but when my self-consciousness gets the better of me, I get embarrassed... I want to shout out, 'I want to live honestly!'"
*Note: The character "崎" in Iwasaki's name is the one with the standing radical (tatsusaki).
