The Mystery Behind the Unease—Fumi Nikaidō’s Award-Worthy Role in A Pale View of Hills

Film adaptation of Nobel Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro’s work

Called a woman of many loves, 30-year-old Fumi Nikaido shocked fans by announcing her sudden marriage to comedian Kazlaser of Maple Chogokin on August 10. Their pure love, which blossomed over eight years, surprised many. However, it seems she has no intention of stopping her career as an actress.

“A highly anticipated fall drama features her. She will appear in ‘If This World Were a Stage, Where Would the Green Room Be?’ (Fuji TV), starring Masaki Suda (32) and scripted by Koki Mitani (64). It’s also been announced that she will play a key role as Yodogimi in the second and third seasons of the Emmy-winning series ‘SHOGUN.’ Furthermore, the sequel to the popular Sunday drama ‘VIVANT’ (TBS), which aired in 2023, is about to start filming soon. Now in her 30s, it’s fair to say she is seriously looking toward expanding her career internationally,” said a TV show insider.

Nikaido won the Best Newcomer Award (Marcello Mastroianni Award) at the Venice International Film Festival in 2011 for the film Himizu at the young age of 16. Since then, she has always had a global perspective.

Currently, she stars in the Japan-UK-Poland co-production Light of the Distant Mountains, now showing in theaters. This film was screened in the “Un Certain Regard” section at the Cannes Film Festival this May and received a standing ovation, a recent highlight.

“This story follows Niki, an aspiring writer, who wants to turn the life of her mother, Etsuko (played by Yoh Yoshida), who survived the Nagasaki atomic bombing and moved to the UK, into a work. As she interviews her mother, Etsuko begins telling a story from shortly after the war about Sachi (played by Nikaido) and the summer she spent with Sachi and her young daughter in Nagasaki.

Gradually, the story reveals hidden lies behind Etsuko’s narration, unfolding as a mystery. The original author and executive producer is Nobel laureate Kazuo Ishiguro. The film is directed by Kei Ishikawa, who swept eight categories at the 2023 Japan Academy Prize for A Man. This ambitious project commemorates 80 years since the postwar era,” explained a producer from the production company.

One of the most striking elements is the mysterious Sachi. Dressed in vivid costumes reminiscent of Marie Laurencin’s paintings, Nikaido’s glamorous and beautiful presence stands out. The powerful contrast with Suzu Hirose (27), who plays the younger Etsuko, is truly breathtaking.

“Hirose praised working alongside Nikaido, saying, ‘I’ve always loved Nikaido-san’s acting and have watched her work for a long time, so I’m very happy to be working with her this time. She has an overwhelming presence, and no one else fits the role of Sachi like she does. Her unique sensibility brings Sachi to life, making it an incredibly stimulating experience,’” the producer added.

Playing Sachi is a very challenging role. Unlike the other cast members, who received detailed historical timelines from director Ishikawa to understand their characters’ backgrounds, Sachi’s character has no such past timeline to refer to.

Just being there is enough to bring tears to your eyes

“If I’m not afraid of spoilers, it gradually becomes clear that the mysterious Sachi is actually Etsuko herself. Therefore, Nikaido-san had no choice but to visit historical sites related to the background, read interviews with war survivors, and grasp the image of the role,” said a director from the production company.

However, this alone was not enough to portray Sachi, who exists only in Etsuko’s mind.

“Director Ishikawa wanted to bring a certain kind of ‘unease’ that the character Sachi emits into the film. But simply expressing this ‘unease’ through the script, art direction, or costumes wasn’t sufficient. To find the answer, they took their time with the script reading,” the director continued.

At the beginning of the script reading stage, it hadn’t yet been decided whether to use Nagasaki dialect or standard Japanese. The stagnation was broken by Nikaido’s approach to the role.

“What Nikaido brought to express this unease was a way of speaking and acting reminiscent of a 1950s film actress. ‘The vivid contrast between that and the Nagasaki dialect used by Hirose-san as Etsuko made me excited to see how these two very different characters would come together and become one,’ recalled Director Ishikawa,” the director added.

Fumi Nikaido openly declares herself a big fan of Showa-era great actress Hideko Takamine. In particular, she highly praises Takamine’s acting in the classic Floating Clouds directed by Mikio Naruse:

“Just by being there, she brings tears to your eyes.”

“She has a core as a person, and her strength as a woman gives off a beautiful aura. That beauty carries a profound femininity.”

This deep appreciation suggests that the “unease” Sachi emits in this film is the result of Nikaido’s divine acting imbued with Hideko Takamine’s aura.

Fumi Nikaido will turn 31 on September 21 this year. For her, the presence of the great Showa-era actress is undoubtedly the key to expanding her career globally.