<h2>It was finally a year where I got my feet on the ground</h2>
<figure id="attachment_452976" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1966px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-452976"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="bbb70643"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/01/34e9d58a781e872b8d4ac2fb34d5eade.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-452976" class="wp-caption-text">Nouchi Maru / From Kanagawa Prefecture. Started her entertainment activities at 18 and works as a model and actress. She made her first appearance in a morning drama with the currently airing Bakabake and is a young actress attracting attention in the industry. She is also scheduled to appear in the January drama Fuyu no Nanka sa, Haru no Nanka ne (Nippon TV).
“If I were to describe last year with a color it would be blue. The light cyan like youth I experienced in Mikami-sensei(TBS) and the cobalt blue for new challenges. It was a year where, from not knowing my right from my left, I finally got my feet on the ground.”
In recent years, actress Maru Nouchi (23) has left a vivid impression on the entertainment world. She began her entertainment career at 18, and last year appeared one after another in notable works such as Hirokazu Kore-eda’s (63) Netflix series Asura no Gotoku and the film Under Ninja. In the currently airing morning drama Bakabake (NHK), she plays Ume, a maid at Hanada Ryokan who supports the lead Akari Takaishi (23), making her a young actress whose breakout is all but certain.
“Ume is close to me sensorially, so she’s easy to play, and the set is really fun. There was a memorable episode during filming: before a take, I stepped on a nail that had fallen on the set and it made a clink sound. Then, Ms. Takaishi immediately reacted with ‘Ah, shijimi’ (laughs).
I was impressed by the quick thinking to bring the character (selling clams) to mind instantly. A few days later, Chizuru Ikewaki (44) also said ‘Could it be shijimi?’ at the same sound. Everyone is living in their roles! It really made me tighten up and focus.”
She has a phrase she cherishes.
“It’s something I picked up from a friend’s father: ‘Be careful, because things will only turn out as you prepare them to.’ It’s not about things not going your way! Even if you lament, in the end things will only progress according to your preparation. That’s why you need to prepare thoroughly and be ready. In 2026, my goal is to become an adult whose words carry conviction.”
Her meteoric rise has only just begun.
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<figure id="attachment_452977" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 2500px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-452977"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="87302daa"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/01/85953ac54441ab2b91299bfd24f90624.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-452977" class="wp-caption-text">Unpublished shots from this issue – Actress Maru Nouchi, the promise of a great talent: “My goal is to become an adult whose words carry conviction.”</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_452978" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1667px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-452978"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="59dcf719"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/01/4335d64a388d5ba3b867723a1575e1b7.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-452978" class="wp-caption-text">Unpublished shots from this issue – Actress Maru Nouchi, the promise of a great talent: “My goal is to become an adult whose words carry conviction.”</figcaption></figure>
From the January 23, 2026 issue of &#8220;FRIDAY&#8221;

 Shu Nishihara

 Yoko Fuseya (ESPER)

 Anna Yamamoto

 Maru Nouchi, 23, who has been in the spotlight for her roles in Hirokazu Kore-eda's films and the NHK morning drama "Bakebake," looks back on the year 2025. She says her goal for '26 is "to be prepared because things can only go as you wish.

Rising Actress Maru Nouchi Shares Her Goals and Inspirations

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