Inside the Mind of Hayato Ichihara — An Actor Who Never Stops Creating

What goes on inside the mind of a disciplined actor?

I like the character 志 (kokorozashi — aspiration or will)

When asked about his favorite word, Hayato Ichihara (38) said this as he put pen to paper. The three characters he wrote — “志高く” (Aim High) — reflected the sincerity with which he approaches his craft.

In contrast to his stoic, food-obsessed character Amrita from Oishii Kyushoku (Delicious School Lunch), Ichihara’s expression in person carries a quiet, fleeting tenderness. His strength lies in his ability to handle both comedy and serious drama with equal depth.

Known for his passionate, fiery performances, Ichihara stars in the latest film of the series, Oishii Kyushoku: Honō no Shūgakuryokō (Delicious School Lunch: The Fiery School Trip), released on October 24. In this gourmet comedy, he plays Yukio Amrita, a middle school teacher and school-lunch absolutist who throws himself into a full-blown battle with his students to see who can savor their lunch the most.

Amrita is an eccentric character who loves school lunches above all else — and cannot tolerate anyone who doesn’t share that love. Since the drama’s debut in October 2019, the Oishii Kyushoku series has expanded to three TV seasons and three theatrical films, earning a devoted following.

For Ichihara — an actor known for tackling roles with total earnestness — this offbeat, comedic project could be seen as a curveball. How did he approach it?

“Because it’s a comedy, people often say, ‘It must be fun to play that role,’ but honestly, I don’t have the luxury to enjoy it. There’s no original work to base it on, so we have to build both the character and the world from scratch. On top of that, Amrita is one of the most extreme characters I’ve ever played Most of the scenes were ad-libbed.

There’s a quote by Chaplin: ‘Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot.’ This series embodies that perfectly. I’ve played intense action roles and mentally unstable leads before, but this is by farone of the toughest shoots I’ve ever done. Plus, we spend all day eating school lunches on set — it’s physically demanding. Bread and soup are especially dangerous because they fill you up so quickly,” he laughed.

Despite his long career of over 20 years, Ichihara admits that playing Amrita was a challenge — though he does share some traits with the character.

“Maybe our ability to think from a neutral perspective,” he said. “I don’t like having a biased view. If something’s good, I’ll say it’s good; if something’s bad, I’ll say it’s bad. That honesty is something I relate to. And like Amrita, I really love food. When I was a kid, I loved fried bread and always joined the rock-paper-scissors battles to win extra milk. Honestly, I went to school for the lunches,” he said with a grin.

“Acting is all I have.”

Just like Amrita, the teacher who devotes himself wholeheartedly to perfecting school lunches in Oishii Kyushoku, Hayato Ichihara pours his entire being into one thing.

“It’s acting, without question,” he said firmly. “I’m grateful that since two years ago, I’ve barely had any breaks — I’ve been able to play so many roles. Even when I’m not performing, I’m constantly thinking about character work, 24/7.”

Ichihara repeated the phrase “Acting is all I have.” What drives him to such single-minded dedication?

“It’s the voices of the audience,” he said. “When I first debuted, I actually wasn’t good at performing in front of people. But as I played more roles, I started receiving messages like, ‘Watching your acting while I was in the hospital gave me strength,’ or ‘My child, who had stopped going to school, started attending again after watching your work.’ Those words brought me to tears. Knowing that my acting could touch someone, even a little — there’s nothing more rewarding than that.”

By fully inhabiting this uniquely eccentric character, Ichihara has carved out a new frontier for himself as an actor. When asked what kind of role he wants to take on next, his eyes lit up with intensity.

“I want to return to a film like my debut work, All About Lily Chou-Chou — something artistic, filled with pain and beauty. I’d also like to play another outlaw-type role like in A Family (Yakuza and the Family). Maybe it’s a reaction to having just played such a pop, lighthearted character this time,” he said with a laugh.

“Of course, I want to keep doing Oishii Kyushoku too. It’s been six years since the first season aired, and now it feels like home to me. The first was set in the ’80s, and this new one moves into the ’90s. Through that transition, the story reflects the old-fashioned moral values that Japanese people may be starting to forget. I hope viewers can feel the deeper message beneath the surface comedy.”

Even now, Hayato Ichihara continues to confront acting with unshakable dedication — living proof of a man whose life and soul are bound to the stage and screen.

From the October 24/31, 2025 issue of “FRIDAY”