Matsumoto Wakana’s Journey: From Unagi Restaurant Poster Girl to Leading Her First Prime-Time Drama at 40

On July 9, Matsumoto Wakana’s drama *Saionji-san Doesn’t Do Housework* (TBS) premiered. Matsumoto plays the lead role of Saionji Itsuki.

 

Saionji, a 38-year-old single woman who does not do housework, is a talented product manager recognized by her company. She is a genius engineer who returned from America and begins an unusual neighborly relationship with a younger single father, Kusumi Toshinao (played by Hokuto Matsumura of SixTONES). 

 

After the first episode aired, social media buzzed with praise for Matsumoto’s performance, with comments like, “Matsumoto’s acting is really engaging” and “Despite being beautiful, her acting is so skillful and completely free of any unpleasantness.”

 

“It’s surprising that she has finally landed a lead role in a prime-time drama (7–11 p.m.). She’s 40 this year, so it’s a late bloom, but it wouldn’t have been unusual if she had taken the lead earlier. Her talent has been highly regarded in the industry for some time.” (sports paper entertainment desk)

 

Matsumoto first caught the attention of many viewers with her role in the January 2022 drama “Mystery Doesn’t Need to be Named” (Fuji TV), where she appeared in the last two episodes. As a senior detective partnered with Sairi Ito, she showcased impressive physical acting. 

“‘Who is this beautiful woman?’ The internet was abuzz. Matsumoto’s charm lies in her stunning beauty, which looks great up close. I heard that when she was a high school freshman, she was scouted by actress Etsuko Nami and the head of Nami’s agency at a shopping center in her hometown of Yonago, Tottori. Her beauty was so striking that they couldn’t resist approaching her.

Although this initial opportunity didn’t lead to a career in entertainment, after graduating high school and working locally, she decided to enter the industry and contacted Nami’s agency herself.” (TV magazine writer)

 

Matsumoto moved to Tokyo at 22, and it’s well-known that she worked part-time at a nearby unagi restaurant while taking acting lessons at *Lumine the Yoshimoto* in Shinjuku.

 

“Among young comedians, she was famous as the ‘extremely beautiful poster girl.’ Many comedians visited the unagi restaurant just to see her. When she started appearing regularly on dramas, it became a hot topic, with people saying, ‘Is she really that girl from the unagi restaurant?.'” (previously mentioned writer)

 

In 2007, Matsumoto made her acting debut in “Kamen Rider Den-O” (TV Asahi) and had her first lead role in the film “Fujoshi Kanojo.” She won the Best Supporting Actress Award at the 39th Yokohama Film Festival for her role in “Gukoroku.” She appeared in the NHK Taiga drama “Kirin ga Kuru” in 2020. Her name became widely known through her roles in “Mystery Doesn’t Need to be Named” and the April 2020 drama “YangoTonaki Ichizoku” (Fuji TV). 

“Matsumoto played the role of Sato’s sister-in-law, married to Akitou, portrayed by Matsuya Onoe, in “YangoTonaki Ichizoku.” To maintain her position as the ‘eldest daughter-in-law’ of the prestigious Miyama family, she used exaggerated acting and lines that could seem somewhat absurd.

This performance was a huge hit with viewers, and Matsumoto’s scenes became known as ‘Matsumoto Theater.’ Her popularity on social media was so overwhelming that Fuji TV staff were a bit flustered, noting that the public reaction was different from what they had anticipated.” (previously mentioned writer)

 

 

In July of the same year, Matsumoto starred in the late-night TV Tokyo drama “Vengeance Widow”.In this story, she infiltrates her late husband’s workplace as a temp and uses her PC skills to exact revenge, even performing in sexy scenes.

 

In 2022, she won first place in the Yahoo! Search Awards for the actor category. This year, she appeared in TV commercials for “Kirin Beer” and “Myojo Foods,” and in July, she also served as a monthly regular on the information program “THE TIME” (TBS), engaging in discussions with announcer Shinichiro Azumi while promoting “Saionji-san Doesn’t Do Housework”.

 

“‘Saionji-san Doesn’t Do Housework’ has both comedic and touching scenes, and it also showcases the character’s elegance as a career woman. It’s a perfect role for 40-year-old Matsumoto, who has steadily built her career. Her ‘too-beautiful facial expressions’ are also a highlight.” (drama commentator)

 

We should keep an eye on the new of Matsumoto Wakana, the most talked-about actress right now.