30 Years After Moving to the U.S., Eisaku Yoshida Reflects on His Ongoing Journey and Bold Past Statements

“With the hit drama Mou Daremo Aisanai, he became the darling of the era, but at the age of 26, he declared an indefinite hiatus and moved to the United States.

Nearly 30 years later, he has expanded his activities to period dramas and stage performances, stepping onto a new stage alongside his wife.”

“When I announced my indefinite hiatus at the age of 26 and moved to the United States, I had no intention of returning to Japan. I thought I had done everything, but I realized that I hadn’t done nearly as much as I thought.”

Looking back on that time, Yoshida Eisaku (55) had a calm and natural expression.

He made his film debut at the age of 19 in the movie Glass no Naka no Shōjo (1988) starring Kumiko Gotō, and at 22, he took on the lead role in the drama Mou Daremo Aisanai (1991, Fuji TV), which became a huge hit with a viewership rating of over 23%. As an actor, he appeared in many popular works and, along with Taishu Kase (54) and Yuji Oda (56), became known as part of the “Trendy Three,” gaining widespread popularity.

Though Yoshida became the darling of the era, he reflects, “At the time, I had complex feelings.”

“When I was 16, I aspired to enter the entertainment industry, and I felt a sense of mission that I had to become famous to move forward in this path. That’s why I made sharp statements, but now, looking back, I think it was ultimately a good thing.

At 21, I performed Kokoro no Tabi on the NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen (New Year’s Eve Music Festival), and the following year, Mou Daremo Aisanai became a hit. I had become the person I had envisioned, yet I still hesitated. It was because I had a sense of loss from having achieved my dreams in my early 20s without much struggle. I thought this wasn’t good. I wanted to take time to balance things out, so I began thinking about moving to the U.S.”

He threw away his success in the entertainment industry and crossed the ocean, but Yoshida has no regrets.

“I’m really glad I went to Los Angeles. If I had continued working in Japan, I probably would have earned a decent amount of money, but I feel like I was able to grasp what you can’t buy with money.

 

Period dramas are a guiding light.

 

In Los Angeles, Yoshida handled everything on his own. He studied acting, attended auditions, and also focused on live performances. Looking back, he recalls making friends with people he could be comfortable with.

“One day, I walked into my regular soba restaurant in LA and unexpectedly ran into Hiroyuki Sanada (64). It turns out we had both attended the same audition nearby (laughs). Even after I returned to Japan, whenever I visit LA, he always makes time to meet me. For someone from my generation who watched his work with JAC (Japan Action Club) in films, it’s really exciting.”

This year, Sanada won the Best Actor award at the Emmy Awards. Yoshida, naturally drawn to the period dramas that his idol was involved in, began to feel a strong connection to them.

“Back in 1995, on the Asian channels in America, they used to air NHK’s historical dramas like ‘Hideyoshi’ and ‘Mōri Motonari’ with English subtitles once a week. I had never watched them when I was in Japan, but when I saw them in the U.S., I got hooked. Just like how being surrounded by English and Spanish makes you crave Japanese food, watching a genre I had never tried made me realize that I hadn’t even scratched the surface, and I thought, ‘I want to do this.’ Around that time, I received an offer for a big historical drama, which led to my decision to return to Japan.”

In 1999, Yoshida appeared in the NHK Taiga drama “Genroku Ryōran,” playing an original character, Tadatsugu Okajima. He had to stay in Japan for a year to film. As a result, he concluded his three-year life in America and moved his base of activities back to Japan. Since then, he has continued to appear in period dramas, which became a significant turning point in his career.

At the age of 36, Yoshida took on the new challenge of theater.

“Honestly, I never thought of myself as an actor on stage. I didn’t particularly like projecting my voice. But, playwright Ai Nagai (73) passionately persuaded me, saying, ‘I absolutely want you to do this! Feel free to do it however you like.'”

Since then, he has continued to perform on stage at least once a year, with more than 20 performances under his belt. For Yoshida, theater became one of his main fields of activity. As he expanded his work, what he has continued to hold dear is his curiosity.

“You know, I think life itself is a journey. Living as an expressionist is also a journey. And that is nothing but curiosity. It’s not about burning passion, but if that flame disappears, I wouldn’t want to continue. I don’t want to work just to make money.”

 

Reason for leaving the agency.

 

As Yoshida grew older, his approach to expression and work began to change. After years of trial and error, at the age of 45, he confronted the lingering unease within himself.

“When I thought deeply about it, I realized, ‘It would be better to be on my own.’ In other words, independence. As I aged, I kept feeling like it wasn’t the right time, but at the milestone of turning 50, I acted on my intuition and momentum, thinking, ‘Now is the time!'”

In 2018, Yoshida left the agency he had been with for about 30 years and established his own personal agency, naming it “Doota.” The name comes from a Sanskrit word meaning the bag a monk carries when receiving alms. Yoshida’s image was of himself traveling with nothing but that bag.

In addition to his acting career, Yoshida cherishes another passion: music.

“Music is my form of self-expression. If you ask me what my profession is, I would say ‘actor.’ But music is not about work or business; it’s something I love. I took a break from acting and went to the U.S. once, but I have never taken a break from music.”

He sometimes performs live at small bars and even sells signed CDs by hand. Yoshida’s approach is to enjoy himself in his own way, in the places he loves, with the people he enjoys.

 

The presence of his wife and late mother.

In his personal life, Yoshida married actress Rina Uchiyama (42) in 2021, beginning a new chapter at the age of 52.

“There was this trend of ‘COVID divorces,’ right? Where husbands who worked in offices suddenly found themselves at home all the time… Well, we were together the entire time, and I actually thought it was a good thing. From there, it just felt like a natural progression,” he said.

Uchiyama, who holds a yoga instructor certification, also supports Yoshida’s health.

“At home, we do stretching with breathing exercises. Sometimes, my wife advises me on how to make it more effective, or we practice together. She also takes care of my meals, making sure they’re balanced, so we’ve been eating out less. She’s always looking out for my health, and I’m truly grateful every day.”

In fact, about six months before marrying Uchiyama, Yoshida lost his beloved mother. When he left his agency, his mother, who had always been his greatest supporter, had simply said, “I believe in you, Eisaku.”

“There’s this sense of peace when we’re together, the timing of our marriage. Maybe, in a way, my wife is carrying my mother’s spirit inside her?”

Yoshida reflects quietly, thinking of the two important women who have watched over him.

Last year, Yoshida celebrated 35 years in the entertainment industry and is now moving on to a new stage in his career, focusing on producing, including bringing movie production to his hometown of Hadano City, where he serves as a tourism ambassador.

Of course, his main profession remains a priority. In the movie “BISHU: The World’s Softest Clothes”, released in October, Yoshida passionately portrayed a father who is thinking of his daughter’s dreams. Additionally, he is set to hold an acoustic live concert at the Yatsugatake Kogen Music Hall in November.

“Life has a beginning, a middle, and an end. How you finish it, how you conclude it—that’s the answer I’m seeking, and I intend to keep traveling until I find it.”

With curiosity as his driving force, Yoshida plans to continue living in a way that is true to himself.

Yoshida Eisaku Live Information

• November 4 (Mon, Holiday) – Yoshida Eisaku ACOUSTIC LIVE at Yamaguchi Prefecture Education Hall
• November 30 (Sat) – Yoshida Eisaku Acoustic Concert at Yatsugatake Kogen Ongakudo

Yoshida Eisaku Appearing in Film

• “BISHU – The World’s Most Gentle Clothes” – Early release on October 11, expanding nationwide from the 18th.

 For more details, visit the official BISHU movie website. https://bishu-movie.com

Yoshida Eisaku “No End to the Journey of the Heart” Special Interview.