<figure id="attachment_413080" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 748px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-413080"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="f6a3a95f"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/02/0a2b0484318e610d580f68fd358cde2f.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-413080" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">During a break in filming, Hata Mei warms her hands with a hand warmer, but her expression shows just how cold it is.</span></figcaption></figure>
<h2><b>A glimpse of the spirit of an actress</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In late January, around 2 PM, a film shoot was taking place in a plaza in front of JR Shinagawa Station (Minato Ward, Tokyo), featuring a dozen extras. Among the onlookers watching from afar, the center of attention was a petite woman wearing glasses—22-year-old rising actress Hata Mei.</span></p>
<p><b>&#8220;She started her career in the entertainment industry at just one year old, making her a true veteran child actor. In a 2019 interview at age 17, she said, &#8216;By the time I realized it, I was already working&#8217; (Shūpure NEWS, October 28, 2019). She was once a member of the all-girls idol group Pocchimo, but in recent years, she has gained recognition as an actress.</b></p>
<p><b>She drew attention in the 2020 drama Joshi Kōsei no Mudazukai (TV Asahi) for her role as Loli, a sharp-tongued high school girl known for phrases like &#8216;That jerk!&#8217; and &#8216;Hey, you guys!&#8217; Her performance significantly expanded her fan base. In her currently released film Uchi no Ototo-domo ga Sumimasen, she plays a high school girl who suddenly gains four younger stepbrothers after her mother’s remarriage. She is widely considered one of the young actresses expected to break out this year,&#8221; </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">says a TV magazine writer.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">That day&#8217;s filming was for a scene in Kimi ga Tokubetsu, a movie set to premiere in June. Hata stars alongside Naniwa Danshi member Kazuya Ohashi (27) in a dual lead role, playing Sahoko Wakaume, an introverted girl who dislikes handsome men, opposite Ohashi’s character, the nationally adored idol Kōta Kirigaya, in a romantic story.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The temperature that day had dropped to a chilling 5°C (41°F), with icy winds cutting through the air. Despite bundling up in a thick bench coat and gray hand warmers, Hata’s expression was visibly stiff from the cold.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, once she changed into her costume—a striped long-sleeve shirt and an apron featuring a cute character—her demeanor shifted instantly as she immersed herself in the role. She confidently performed multiple takes of a scene walking through the plaza.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As soon as filming wrapped, she quickly put her bench coat back on and slipped her hands into the warmers. Sipping hot coffee, she finally let out a relieved expression. Witnessing this switch between on and off moments was a testament to her dedication as an actress.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a FRIDAY interview from September 2020, when she was 18, she shared her aspirations for the future:</span></p>
<p><b>&#8220;I want to continue growing and become an actress who can express my thoughts about my roles during productions and I want to become a strong woman.&#8221;</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While her beauty is striking, it’s her powerful performances that truly deserve attention.</span></p>
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<div data-friday-nextpage-lead="Meiku Hatake working hard on a movie shoot in the bitter cold."></div>
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<figure id="attachment_413082" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 802px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-413082"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="fc1edb59"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/02/2d2e0e95ec5786a6d9d231435b7e70d5.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-413082" class="wp-caption-text">During a break between shoots, the hand warmer remained close at hand while sitting in the director&#8217;s chair.</figcaption></figure>
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<figure id="attachment_413083" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1377px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-413083"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="43e7d4db"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/02/ed3f777086a1ccfd2cad062dda5bbe7d.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-413083" class="wp-caption-text">Mei Hata buying a cup of coffee and looking relieved.</figcaption></figure>
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 It was in late January that we spotted Meiku Hata, starring in the movie "My Little Brother's Sorry," which is currently in theaters. It was late January, and it was on the set of "Kimi wa Tokubetsu," a movie to be released in June, in the bitterly cold weather. Even though it was during the daytime, it was so cold that he looked relieved to have a cup of coffee.

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