Takehara Pistol: “It’s Always Been Fun, So I Never Felt Like I Had to Pay My Dues”

Admiring Tsukitei Hōsei

Takehara, who leads a busy life balancing singing and acting, finds comfort in a hobby he has been passionate about for the past two years.

“I love performing live, and acting is fun too. But it can be physically exhausting, and when I need to relax, I go to see rakugo (traditional Japanese storytelling) performances by myself. I’ve even gone to see Tsukitei Hōsei (57) in the Kinki region and Shōfukutei Tsurube (73) in Kōriyama, Fukushima Prefecture. I’m particularly a huge fan of Tsukitei Hōsei, but it’s so hard to get tickets!

In one of Hōsei’s books that I read, he wrote something like, ‘There have been many jobs I didn’t really want to do or couldn’t fully accept.’ But when I see the expression on his face during his rakugo performances, there are moments where you can glimpse the career he’s built as a comedian, Yamazaki Hōsei. It’s the same face he makes when Masahiro Chōno (61) slaps him on those variety shows. You can see the precious journey he’s been through, and while I’m laughing, it makes me a little emotional. I often go alone because I feel embarrassed if someone sees me like that (laughs).”

Reflecting on his admiration for Tsukitei Hōsei, Takehara recalls, “I thought, ‘I’d like to try rakugo just once.'”

“When I was in Yakōzen, I just rushed forward without thinking, like, ‘If you want to be a professional musician, just do live shows.’ I should have approached rakugo the same way, but I ended up listening to all these master performers and got intimidated, thinking, ‘I can’t do this.’ So I never gave it a try.”

Despite this, when asked what he wants to focus on most, Takehara smiled and said, “It’s still being a ‘utautai’ (a singer). On February 19, I released my first new album in three and a half years, Suwo~mu!!.”

“I have ambitions like wanting to top the music charts or perform in a dome, but even if I achieved that, I don’t think I’d ever be satisfied with myself. I think I’ll keep pushing myself, saying, ‘You can do better!’ all the way to the end.”

The ambitious musician was enjoying a life without a final destination.

“I’ll never be satisfied with me.”

From the March 7, 2025, issue of “FRIDAY”