Interview with Tamao Satou “Pumppun” “What I Think of Reiwa’s ‘Mockingjoes’ at the Age of 50” (in Japanese)

I won’t announce my retirement.”

The characteristic of today’s “azeki joshi” is that they are highly supported not only by men but also by women. Satou continues, “Minami Tanaka has done a great job in this regard.

I don’t have a personal relationship with Minami, but I think it’s amazing that she has taken what she has learned about what the show and the world expects of her and has taken it to the next level. Her stoicism is totally different from mine. Minami is a hard worker and a quick thinker, so she understands the needs of women in the world precisely and approaches them. I think it’s because she has a coolness in her mockery that makes her so popular with the same sex.”

During her breakthrough, Satou says she did not even have time to play. She recalled in her own unique way how busy she was at that time, “I was so trapped that there was a big bear in my consciousness that would talk to me sometimes.

After that, there was a court case with her office over money (Satou won the case in ’15), but Satou says she is now able to work calmly.

If I had continued working at that pace, I would have collapsed. It was absolutely impossible. At that time, I wasn’t earning that much money on salary, and I didn’t have time to spend money in the first place. Tamao Nakamura (83) even told me, ‘You have to play more. But in some ways, that allowed me to maintain a sense of normalcy and not get carried away. I think I am where I am today because of that experience.

Relaxing his shoulders and enjoying each day without overdoing it. Satou, who is enjoying life as a single man, says that his joy in life is going for walks with his dog.

People often ask me what my goals are for the next five or ten years.　In my 20s and 30s, I worked so much that I had no idea what I was doing, and as a result, I have almost no memory of those years. I met Nanako Fujisaki (45) the other day, and we both said, ‘I don’t remember anything at all’ (laughs). Now I can face my dog and regain my human life. By the way, I have never thought about retiring from show business, and if I did, I would do it quietly. It would be unbecoming of me to announce my retirement.

At the end of the interview, she also struck the promised “pum-pum” pose. The 50-year-old Pumppun, who has overcome the rough and tumble of the entertainment world, looked even more lively than before.