Riisa Naka and Mayu Matsuoka Go Freelance: The Work Style Reform Behind Popular Celebrities

Riisa Naka Announces Independence, Fan Club in June

Riisa Naka announces her independence, and a fan club will be launched in June

On April 11, actress Riisa Naka (35) updated her Instagram, announcing that her exclusive contract with the entertainment agency “Amuse,” where she had been for nearly 20 years, has ended. She also shared that she will now be working independently.

Riisa expressed her gratitude to her previous agency and commented, “From now on, I want to challenge new things as an individual.” She also revealed that she would be launching a fan club in June and has created an official website.

Riisa is known for her great performance as the older sister of the heroine, played by Kanna Hashimoto (26), in the NHK morning drama series “Omusubi,” which aired until March. She is also currently featured in the “Uber Eats” commercial, which has garnered attention for her co-starring with her husband, Akihiro Nakao (36).

Two days after her independence announcement, on April 13, Riisa appeared on TBS’s documentary program “Jounetsu Tairiku.” Although she didn’t directly address her independence, she has likely been preparing for the next stage of her career. According to the program, Riisa’s YouTube channel, which has 2.11 million subscribers, and her apparel brand are supported by her sister, who plays a crucial role as her brain behind the scenes.

On April 1, actress Mayu Matsuoka (30) announced on her homepage that she had left her agency “Hirata Film” on March 31.

Mayu expressed her determination, saying, “I want to think for myself, make my own decisions, and broaden my perspective by confronting myself, not just staying in a comfortable environment.” She also announced that she had signed an agent contract with “Don-crew” starting that day.

“Don-crew” is a new agency founded in May 2021 by former employees of Amuse. Apart from Mayu, other artists such as Juri Ueno (38), Asami Mizukawa (41), and Sakura Oohara (29) have signed artist agent contracts, while Kento Kaku (35) and Riisa Naka have signed commercial agent contracts.

STARTO ENTERTAINMENT, which took over management from the former Johnny’s agency, primarily offers agent contracts, and experts suggest that in the future, more agencies may adopt agent contracts rather than strictly binding talents with exclusive contracts.

Ryo Koizumi (49), Junichi Okada (44), and Kazunari Ninomiya (41) from Arashi are among those who have successfully ventured into independent activities. Entertainment journalist Kazuhiko Nida explains, “There is a growing trend of workstyle reform among popular entertainers.”

An environment that encourages a black lifestyle

In Hollywood, it is common for actors and singers to sign contracts with talent agencies and work in a way that suits their ideal lifestyle. In contrast, in Japan, it was once typical for actors to be exclusive to major movie studios. Later, it became standard for entertainers to belong to talent agencies, with the agency handling everything from promotion to scandal management. This has continued until today, and only a few long-established stars, such as the late Ken Takakura and Sayuri Yoshinaga (80), had their own agencies.

“Most of the people who leave their agency after becoming successful are actors. Once an actor has built a career, they can secure jobs on their own, and directors and producers find it quicker to communicate directly with the actor when offering roles. Since filming often involves long hours, actors can build strong networks on set. Many actors probably wonder, ‘Can I do this on my own?’

For actors, the biggest reason for independence is to have the freedom to choose the work they truly want, rather than accepting jobs brought to them. However, the decision of whether or not they will actually receive offers after going independent is a tough one. Actors always face competition from peers of all generations,” says Kazuhiko Nida.

Despite the challenges, it seems that the number of actors who go independent will continue to rise. This is because the environment to support independent actors is improving, according to Nida.

“If the agency is established by someone with experience in managing talent from major entertainment companies, they can safely trust that agent contracts will be well managed. Moreover, such agencies can operate with a small staff, which allows for a larger share of the talent’s earnings. In the future, agencies focusing on agent contracts will increase, and more talent will likely switch agencies.”

The traditional entertainment industry has often been criticized for a “black” environment, where agencies meticulously nurture newcomers but then bind them to the agency even after they become successful. However, it seems that the workstyle reform is slowly making its way through the entertainment world.

 

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