Why Takashi Sorimachi, who has successfully changed his character by “getting rid of his partner,” does not cut corners in body building.

In late August, Takashi Sorimachi, 48, emerged from a gym in Tokyo.

His T-shirt, shorts, sandals, and tanned skin reminded me of “Beach Boys” (Fuji TV), the movie that launched Sorimachi’s career, but his muscular and toned body still looks the same 25 years later.

He just graduated from the popular detective drama “Partners” (TV Asahi) this spring, and while Yutaka Mizutani is the brainy type, the role of partner requires physical strength. Sorimachi has been going to this gym for the entire seven years he has been on the show, in order to film scenes such as running after criminals,” said a TV drama production source.

However, there is another reason why Sorimachi is so meticulous about his physical training.

The entertainment agency Kenon, to which Sorimachi belongs, has a “body modification club” made up of young actors, and its members include Sota Fukushi (29) and Ryo Ryusei (29). The founder of the club is Sorimachi, and the gym is where he works. Sorimachi is called “Mr. Stoic” in the gym, and I hear that many members refer to Sorimachi’s body-building techniques.

In “Old Rookie” (TBS), his first regular role in a commercial TV drama after graduating from “Partners,” he played the president of a sports management company. At first glance, Sorimachi appeared to be a calm and cool-headed character, but he occasionally showed comical expressions, and viewers highly praised his performance, saying that his range of acting had broadened. His next film is “Mio Tsukushi Ryokucho,” a movie to be released in October, in which he plays the role of an easy-going man, but we hope to see him in a full-fledged action role soon.