Interview with Megumi Okuna, now in her 40s, “I’ve been so busy that I don’t remember those days (laughs).

In those days, the entertainment industry had loose labor standards, and I worked as hard as the adults around me, and I just needed time to sleep. I went to work in between classes, and after school, I would shoot until morning. I was on a strict schedule, taking a short nap and then going back to school. I also took part in a school excursion, but I don’t remember much about it, probably due to lack of sleep. But looking back, it all happened so fast, and it was definitely intense.

Actress Megumi Okuna (44) looks back on her busy teenage years.

She made her debut in the entertainment world when she was 13 years old. She has appeared in dramas such as “Pate*o” and “Hanabi, shita kara mieru ka? Watch from the side? (Fuji Television Network), and her cute looks and acting ability quickly catapulted her up the ladder to become one of the entertainment industry’s leading young, innocent stars. However, her popularity at the height of her career was taking its toll on her.

The workload was so huge that it exceeded my capacity, and my feelings were not able to keep up with reality. Mentally, I was on the edge and had no time to spare. When I suddenly thought about myself at this point in time, rather than in the future, I wondered, ‘Am I doing okay now?’ I was very anxious. I felt like I was just trying to get through one day at a time.

I was allowed only two to three hours of sleep to balance work and schoolwork. In his autobiography, “Red Thorn” (Futabasha), published in 2008, he wrote about his anguish at the time.

When I was a high school student, there was a time when I rushed to the hospital. I was so sad that I cried and screamed as if I was possessed by something, became confused, and could not breathe properly. （I was in a state of panic disorder, dysautonomia, and depression ……. I didn’t care what they called it, to say the least.

Okuna has experienced the twists and turns of life, such as her retirement and divorce. Recalling those days, Okuna mumbles as if biting her teeth: “If I could call on myself back then, I would have done it.

If I could talk to myself back then, I would tell myself, ‘It’s going to be all right. Yes, that’s right. Don’t worry about anything. It’s going to be all right.’ ……”

True to her words, in 2004 she announced her second marriage to actor Ryo Kimura (35). She is currently leading a hectic but contented life with her two beloved daughters and family of four.

She says, “Since the birth of my daughter, my first priority is my children. Since my daughter was born, my first priority is my children. I can only do what I can do with them at that time, so I try to work as much as I can. There are peaceful times, but now I am busy, and my schedule is packed from morning to night. My hard schedule hasn’t changed (laughs).

Having struggled in the adult world since childhood, she says she is more careful than others about how she deals with her daughter.

I spent a lot of time in the company of adults, and there were times when my opinions didn’t always stand up to them,” she says. Now that I am a mother, I try to treat my daughters as human beings before they are children. I try not to forget to listen to what they say about what they want to do.

Okuna turned from loneliness, became a mother, and gained a beloved family member. However, a disease called “vitiligo” suddenly struck her.

It was three years ago that I found out I had the disease. One day, I noticed that a part of my body had turned white, so I went to the hospital, and the doctor told me that I had a diagnosis of ‘vitiligo vulgaris. Like the disease itself, I was at a loss for words and unable to think of anything when I was confronted with the reality that I might not even be able to continue working because of this kind of occupation. I couldn’t accept it easily.

Vitiligo is known as a disease that also affected Michael Jackson, and even now there is no fundamental cure for the disease.

My disease is progressive and I don’t know if it can be completely cured. There is not that much of a cure, and at present I have to live with it. I am currently controlling it by taking ointments, oral medications, and undergoing light therapy. Fortunately I don’t get sick, so I’m dealing with the disease as it comes.”

It was only last year that she announced the name of her disease on her social networking site. This post brought about a lot of reaction.

To tell the truth, I didn’t intend to make it public. I was afraid that it might affect my work because I have many opportunities to be in the public eye, so I was reluctant to make it public. However, I had just had a chance to explain about a cosmetic product I had produced after my illness. It seemed unnatural for me to sell the products without talking about “Vitiligo Vulgaris,” so this is how I came to this conclusion.

I had been thinking about it in my mind for a long time, but I decided to make it public on the day of posting. I was surprised to receive words of encouragement from people suffering from the same disease, and the response was more than I had imagined. Since the disease is still under-recognized by the public, there are people who are bullied and discriminated against, and I am glad that I made the decision to publicize it in the hope that understanding of the disease will spread, even if only a little.

On April 3 this year, she released her first photo book in 15 years, “Okina Megumi” (Takarajimasya). The book, which includes bold cuts, has been attracting a great deal of attention.

When I was first asked to do a photo book, I frankly wondered if I was the right person to do it,” she said. But when I talked to the people around me, they said, ‘Go for it! They said, “Go for it! I had to be prepared for the fact that my illness limited the areas I could expose, but I think the work is more challenging than ever.

When she was young, she risked her life in the entertainment industry. She has accepted her illness, and her “okay” days are here to stay.

From “FRIDAY” April 19, 2024 issue