Sara Oshino Embraces Sensuality of Words in Her Writing Three Years After Retiring from Gravure

Her talent as a calligrapher has blossomed.

With her straightened back, serious gaze, and graceful movements, she slowly moved the brush, writing characters on the blank sheet of paper repeatedly before softly whispering, “It’s done.”

“In the arts that carry the word ‘do,’ like calligraphy, it’s important to be free of distractions and be in a state of nothingness. That’s why I chose this character.”

This is said with a seductive smile by actress and calligrapher Sara Oshino (29). She debuted as a race queen in 2015, and began her gravure career the following year. Becoming known as the sold-out queen, she gained immense popularity in the gravure idol world, but at the age of 25, she suddenly announced her retirement from gravure and decided to focus on acting. Currently, she is active as an actress in TV dramas and Netflix series, while her talent as a calligrapher has blossomed, attracting attention.

“Last year, I changed my name from ‘Oshino Sara,’ which I had been using since my debut, to ‘Oshino Sara’ and started fresh. At the same time, I also announced on social media that I would be starting my calligraphy journey under the pen name ‘Ura.’ I had learned calligraphy as a child under the influence of my grandmother, who was a calligraphy instructor, but I didn’t find it fun and quit quickly. After retiring from gravure, I started reflecting on myself and thought, ‘I want to learn calligraphy again,’ so I began attending a local class. From there, I got completely absorbed and earned my master’s degree in calligraphy within three years.”

In this winter’s drama “Jeanne no Sabaki” (TV Tokyo), in addition to her regular role as an actress, she was also asked to create the title lettering for the drama.

“The story was about the weak fighting against the strong, and the director asked me to express ‘the strength of will even in clumsiness.’ I wrote about 100 pieces. When I saw the finished works, the director and co-stars were pleased, and it felt rewarding. I’m often told that my writing looks feminine. In calligraphy, we express it as living lines or dead lines, and I try to focus on the sensuality of the characters like that.”

Also, in this summer’s Sunday drama “Black Pean Season 2” (TBS), she was responsible for creating the calligraphy pieces displayed in the hospital director’s office. The beautiful characters for “Ryo,” shown behind the character played by Seiichi Uchino (56), received a great response from viewers.

“For any project, I usually write about 100 pieces. No matter how much I write, there are times when nothing works, and in those cases, I graciously give up. On the other hand, there are times when, even after writing many pieces, the first one I wrote turns out to be the best. The beauty of calligraphy might be in the different sensuality each character carries.”

Acting and calligraphy—how do they influence each other?

“While both are a form of expression, they are, in fact, opposites. In the entertainment industry, you have to be asked and stand on set to begin, but with calligraphy, I can set my own path. Even when I hold an exhibition, I can go at my own pace, from finding a gallery to creating the works. I think being a dual-threat is a good balance. Also, calligraphy requires researching the meaning of words in depth, so that kind of detailed work may have a positive impact when preparing for a role.”

Thoughts on Gravure

Many readers still remember Sara Oshino from her time as a gravure idol. In 2017, she graced the covers of more than 20 magazines and dominated the gravure world. But what led her to make the decision to retire from gravure at the peak of her popularity?

“During my active years, I had a strong desire to do things I could only do at that moment. After doing gravure for several years, I realized it wasn’t something I could do long-term. Becoming a model in swimsuits was something I could do because of my youth and energy. As I thought about the future, I wanted to focus on things that I could do and develop over the next 5 or 10 years. That’s when I decided to dedicate myself to acting, which I had been doing alongside gravure.”

Thus, she took her first step toward a new path. However, despite her current sincere demeanor, she admits that she used to be quite wild.

“From childhood to middle school, I was allowed to take many lessons, such as ballet, English, swimming, calligraphy, badminton, and study classes. Ballet, which I started at the age of 4, was particularly important to me. I dreamed of becoming a ballerina and was so passionate that I even entered competitions. But when I was in the second year of middle school, I experienced a setback. Something inside me just snapped, and I started skipping school, hanging out, and not going home. As a result, I became estranged from my parents.”

Due to the growing distance from her family, she didn’t even talk about her work.

“At that time, I wasn’t on good terms with my parents, so I didn’t properly tell them about my race queen or gravure work. But one day, my father found my gravure work in a train ad and got furious. He immediately called me, made me sit in front of him, and yelled, ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ Fortunately, because I had been successful in gravure, photo books, DVDs, and other projects, he didn’t say much more. I do remember my mother telling me, ‘You’re getting close to the limit with those swimsuits.’ Now, I talk to them often, and they support my work the most. I’m truly grateful.”

From December 3rd to 8th, she will hold her fourth solo exhibition in Kyobashi, Tokyo. As she embarks on her journey as both an actress and a calligrapher, what is her vision for the future?

“As an actress, my dream is to star in a movie that will become my defining work. As a calligrapher, I have the ambition to hold a solo exhibition overseas. When I had my exhibition in Ginza, many foreign tourists bought pieces as souvenirs from their trip, which made me feel that I was on the right track. In today’s world, with many things mass-produced by AI and machines, I want to continue creating things that can only be made by my own hands, like calligraphy.”

Her name may soon resonate overseas as she continues to challenge herself with big ambitions.

Exclusive photo cuts for this issue – Oshini Sara: “I cherish the allure of characters in my calligraphy.” About three years after retiring from gravure, she became a certified calligraphy master.