Asaka Seto Returns to Acting: ‘It’s Been a While, I Was Nervous but My Body Remembered

Returning to acting after 7 years, appearing in a film for the first time in 10 years!
Time has passed since the classic dramas “Kimi to Ita Natsu” and “Age, 35 Koishikute”

“My first movie appearance in about 10 years really felt like being ‘Urashima Taro’ [a person out of time],” actress Asaka Seto (48) said with a big smile, contrasting her usual cool demeanor.

Seto made a full comeback in the January drama “Ensemble” (Nippon TV), her first serious return in seven years. The film “Seishun Gestalt Collapse,” released on June 13, marked her long-awaited return to the big screen after 10 years. Interestingly, the movie was actually filmed before the drama.

“I played the school nurse who became an emotional anchor for high school students. As an adult standing quietly by students struggling with adolescence, I wanted to be a gentle support. The shoot lasted about five days, and I was inspired by the young cast’s focus—I learned a lot.”

I was surprised to see that the style of the scene was completely different!

With some anxiety about the long break, she asked a trusted director to hold a simple workshop before stepping onto the set.

“I had scaled back my activities due to giving birth, but this was the longest gap ever. I was really nervous when I returned to set after such a long time, but my body remembered, and I did better than I expected. Still, the way things worked on set surprised me — scripts aren’t on paper anymore, they use iPads, no split sheets, and filming moves quickly scene by scene. There’s rarely one-take shooting, so there was a unique tension.”

When asked how she spent the time away from the spotlight:

“I was just a normal ‘mom’ (laughs). Cooking meals, taking my kids to and from school, chatting with other moms — living a truly typical life.

When I was younger, I wasn’t good at exchanging contact info with co-stars, but now I exchange numbers with mom friends right away and have lots of group chats. When they say, ‘You’re easy to talk to,’ it makes me a little happy (laughs).”

A turning point that made me consider a comeback

After marrying in 2007, she prioritized child-rearing and scaled back her entertainment activities. The turning point when the desire to act again began to grow came three years ago, when her son, who was in the first year of junior high school, decided to study abroad, giving her more free time.

“My children don’t really know the time when I was an actress. Even when I show them on YouTube, they just say, ‘Hmm,’ (laughs). That made me a little frustrated, and my desire to ‘show them’ actually grew stronger.”

After a while, her elementary school daughter, influenced by her older brother, also decided to study abroad. At that time, she received an offer for the film “Seishun Gestalt Collapse” at just the right moment.

“Both of them became independent, but I was still hesitating when my son said, ‘You should do it. We’re fine.’ That gave me the push I needed. For the first time, I honestly thought, ‘Okay, maybe I’ll do it.’ From there, I started appearing in dramas again, and acting naturally came back to me — that’s how it felt.”

Behind the scenes of the representative work “Age, 35 Koishikute”

In the mid-1990s, she rose to fame through commercials for KOSÉ LUCÉRNE alongside Toshiaki Karasawa (62) and the drama Kimi to Ita Natsu (Fuji TV), embodying the ideal heroine of the trendy drama golden era. Among these, the 1996 drama Age, 35 Koishikute, which depicted a “forbidden love” with a married man played by Kiichi Nakai (63), remains a much-talked-about classic nearly 30 years after its broadcast.

“I’m often told it’s one of my signature works. When older men say, ‘It made my heart race—I couldn’t watch till the end,’ I wonder, ‘Are they having an affair?’ (laughs).”

Seto was 19 at the time and felt conflicted playing a 23-year-old woman having an affair, but the director’s guidance and the atmosphere on set helped shape her performance.

“I was told, ‘Your way of walking doesn’t look like a 23-year-old.’ So I asked, ‘Then how should I do it?’ At that time, listening to Sharan Q’s theme song ‘Zurui Onna’ helped me understand the vibe perfectly. My co-star Nakai-san really immersed himself in the role and got visibly thinner as filming went on—I got a bit worried (laughs). The drama had a faint pink filter over the footage, which gave it a unique atmosphere.”

In her second year after debut, in the drama Mou Namida wa Misenai, she received a remark from veteran actress Yuko Natori (67) that still stays with her.

“It’s not enough to just act—you have to perform with your heart.” That phrase has supported me ever since. Nowadays, I’m often the one encouraging younger actors on set. There are many young people around, so I try to talk to them as much as possible. I don’t want to be a ‘nagging senior’ (laughs), but I never forget the love I received and want to return it as much as I can.”

Homesick and in tears every day

Seto moved to Tokyo from Aichi Prefecture at age 15 and entered the entertainment world after being scouted. She recalls it was a continuous experience of confusion and loneliness at first.

“The agency had just started up when I was scouted, so it was like I was the ‘sole founding member.’ I didn’t know right from left when the work began, and I cried every day from homesickness. My phone bill was like 110,000 yen a month (laughs). But my mother worked from early morning until late at night and always listened to all my tears. She never once said, ‘Come back home.’”

Later, she learned in an interview that her mother had her own struggles.

“My mother said, ‘I wondered many times if this was really the right thing to do’… When I heard those words, I truly felt from my heart that I wanted to show my gratitude properly. That was a turning point for me, the moment I decided to keep going with this job despite my doubts. It wasn’t until I got into my twenties and got used to acting that I finally felt, ‘I’m glad I kept going.’”

What I realized when I became a sender

And now, Seto has begun to take on the same role her mother once did as a parent.

“My son was relatively okay, but my daughter studied abroad and cried every night for about a month while staying in touch. It was just like me back then.”

Seto herself, who once cried from homesickness, has now become the one sending them off.

“When they’re feeling lonely, I tell them ‘It’s okay to cry. If you want anything, I’ll send it to you.’ My mother once said that to me and it saved me. Now, those are the words I say to my daughter. I would never say ‘You decided on your own, didn’t you?’”

She recalls a surprising moment that happened with her daughter not long ago.

“One day when my daughter was temporarily back home, I said, ‘Your return day is coming soon,’ and she replied, ‘It’s not ‘return,’ it’s ‘go back.’’ I got goosebumps. When I was leaving for Tokyo, my mother asked me, ‘You’re going back, right?’ and I said, ‘I’m going back! Home is here (the house).’ Without me teaching her, my daughter naturally said the exact same thing. She laughed and said, ‘Mom, you said the same thing! We’re alike!’”

A happy family and a flourishing career… The environment Seto has carefully nurtured is full of warmth.

“My child-rearing isn’t completely over yet, but I want to gradually get involved in acting again. Next, I want to try some comedic roles. My real personality is actually like that (laughs).”

Supported by her family, the popular actress who returned to showbiz is regaining her shine once more.

”Next time, I would like to try my hand at comical roles.”

From the June 27 and July 4, 2025 combined issue of “FRIDAY”