Breakthrough Role for Ayaka as Minamikawa in Jaa Tsuku – Talks Admiration for Miki Nakatani

Skills nurtured since childhood

“‘Then You Try Making It’ became an opportunity for people to get to know me. Some people discovered me through this work, while others looked back at my past works saying, ‘Oh, she was in that too.’”

Actresses Ryoma Takeuchi (32) and Kaho (34) co-starred in the drama “Then You Try Making It” (TBS). In this autumn drama, which became the most talked-about show with over 1.74 million favorites on TVer, actress Kyoka (26) stood out with a unique presence.

She passionately portrayed junior office worker Ami Minamikawa, who bites back and completely rejects every move of Katsuo Ebihara, a fossil man with an unusually high self-assessment and outdated values, played by Takeuchi. After the final episode aired, many viewers voiced their “Minamikawa loss.”

“I really empathize with Minamikawa, who boldly argues against outdated values. I wanted to convey her charm. During filming, I focused on keeping the conversation lively so as not to be overshadowed by the energy of Ebihara, played by Takeuchi.”

Although Kyoka gained widespread recognition with this role, her career is surprisingly long. She debuted as a child actress in 2007 in the Detective Conan drama special “The Revival of Shinichi Kudo! Confrontation with the Black Organization” (NTV). Since childhood, she studied classical ballet and vocal music, building her experience as a performer.

“Ever since I was little, I was very interested in expressing myself. My mother took me to see musicals, and I thought, ‘So cool! Such a sparkling world!!’ By the time I announced my future dream at my kindergarten graduation, I said, ‘I want to be a musical star.’ Seeing that, my mother applied for an audition at my current agency when I was eight, which led to my debut.”

Afterward, she appeared in dramas such as Hagane no Onna (TV Asahi) and the morning drama Ohisama (NHK). A turning point for her came with the 2009 drama JIN – Jin (TBS).

“I believe the audition went through about eight rounds. The director was very strict, and on set every day I was told, ‘That acting isn’t good enough,’ and I felt like giving up. I went to the set thinking, ‘I don’t even like acting.’ But looking back now, it might have been the director’s own direction to bring out my tense expressions.”

Admiration and Growth

There is another reason why she cites her appearance in JIN – Jin as a turning point: the presence of Miki Nakatani (49), her co-star.

“I played the childhood version of Nakatani-san, but the set of JIN – Jin was strict, so I, being in fifth grade at the time, cried almost every day. Seeing that, Nakatani-san said, ‘The director is scary, right? It’s okay,’ and helped ease my tension. From that moment, she became someone I admired. Watching the atmosphere she carries and her acting, even as a child, I thought, ‘So this is what an actress is.’”

While steadily building her career, she also struggled to balance it with her studies.

“For a one-season drama, filming can keep you away in a different region for a whole month. During that time, I had to miss school. I borrowed stacks of notes from friends to catch up and prepared for exams.”

In 2014, Kyoka won an audition with over 1,000 participants and made her film debut as the lead in Setouchi Kaizoku Monogatari. Despite this remarkable achievement, she reflects, “I didn’t really feel a strong sense of accomplishment at the time.”

“I honestly didn’t have confidence in winning the audition but I was determined to get this role. It was a leader-of-the-kids type character, so I went to the audition in short sleeves and shorts in the middle of winter to match the image. Maybe that helped me advance through the judging rounds. Was it a strategy win? (laughs)”

In 2025, Kyoka made a major leap forward as an actress. What does she aim for next?

“I want to play specialized roles, like a police officer or a doctor. So far, I’ve mostly played relatable characters like students or office workers. I want to challenge roles I’ve never done before. I was able to try comedy for the first time in Then You Try Making It. Maybe even a ghost role could be fun (laughs).”

A kind-hearted beauty OL (office lady) who dislikes wrongdoing and loves grilled motsu and coke highball, Ami Minamikawa — overcoming this perfect role will be Kyoka’s next challenge.

From the January 23, 2026 issue of “FRIDAY”