Captivating Fans: Decoding the Significance of Erika Sawajiri’s Enigmatic Smile in Latest Stage Performance

On a mid-February evening, a beautiful woman with blonde hair appeared at the backstage entrance of the New National Theatre in Tokyo. She was Erika Sawajiri (37), an actress who has made a surprise return to the stage.

 

Sawajiri was about to leave the theater after finishing his starring role in “A Streetcar Named Desire”, which was her comeback work. On this day, the weather was warm for February, so she was wearing a simple white T-shirt, but her good style was so noticeable that it made everyone around her excited. I thought  she would get into the shuttle car right away, but she stopped in front of the car and chatted with the staff, and then smiled and nodded to the fans waiting for her. 

Sawajiri showed her unchanged appearance on the stage after a long absence. There were two factors behind this.

The role that Sawajiri played in her return to the stage was a difficult role that had been played by Shinobu Otake and other major actresses. At first, there were harsh opinions that Sawajiri was not good enough for the role, but once she opened her eyes, she attracted a large audience with her expressive power that showed no signs of blankness. There have already been calls for another performance, and I would say that it was definitely a successful first step in her return to acting. She has already received several new offers after the performance, so we can expect great things from her in the future.

Furthermore, Sawajiri’s relationship with her wild businessman boyfriend, Mr. A, which this magazine reported at the end of last August, is going well, and his devoted support is also helping her to make a fresh start.

Sawajiri seems to find time between stage rehearsals to go for a drive in Mr. A’s car and enjoy traveling. The relationship is already officially sanctioned by the agency. The agency has already given their relationship their blessing, and it is quite possible that the success of their return to the stage this time could be a stepping stone to marriage. It looks like she is going to have a good year both publicly and privately.

The smile she showed at the end of the performance must have been a reflection of her sense of fulfillment.

Judging from her successful performance, you might think that her return to terrestrial broadcasting is near but surprisingly, that is not the case. When it comes to terrestrial broadcasting, there are many hurdles such as the intentions of sponsors, and it takes time to see the smiles on people’s faces. Under such circumstances, Pierre Taki is the person Sawajiri should use as a role model.

 

With her return to the screen, Erika’s presence as an actress has been recognized once again, but it will be a long time before she can return to terrestrial broadcasting. That is why the model should be Pierre Taki, 56, who has a similar past. He made a splash with his excellent performance as a sumo stable master in the Netflix original drama “Sanctuary” which was a big hit around the world, and he is being pulled in again this year, mainly for distribution, including Ninja’s House. I think Erika-sama will continue to focus on films and TV dramas for the time being, as well as the stage productions that were well-received this time. Even if there is no terrestrial broadcasting, there is no shortage of venues for expressing oneself. I am sure that she will be active in a variety of venues without being limited to television.

We can’t help but have high expectations for Sawajiri’s future activities.