Reina Tanaka Reveals Early Career Struggles: “Back Then, Every Day Felt Frustrating” — 25+ Years Since Her Acting Debut

A challenge to comedy for the first time in over ten years

“Since I was five years old, I dreamed of entering the entertainment industry. Back then, every night I used to pray, ‘Someone please find me!’ (laughs).”

Recalling her youthful ambition and frustration, actress Tanaka Rena (45) reflected on those days.

In her debut film “Ganbatte Ikimasshoi” (1998), she played the lead role of Etsuko Shinomura (nicknamed “Etsu-nee”), a high school student who forms a rowing club she had long admired. In the final part of the film, Etsu-nee shouting “Ganbatte Ikimasshoi!” delivered a refreshing emotional impact to audiences, making the film a major hit.

After that, she continued building her career through a series of notable works such as “Hatsukoi” (2000) and “Tokyo Marigold” (2001), and remains active at the forefront of the industry today.

In the film “Kogane Dorobo,” released on April 3, she takes on a comedy role for the first time in over ten years. Tanaka plays Mikako, a housewife who becomes a thief after being captivated by money. Although the premise is unusual, Tanaka felt a strong sense of synchronicity with the character’s inner conflict.

“Mikako is someone with strong ambition from a young age. She originally wanted to be someone who works hard and contributes to society, but her parents told her, being ordinary is best, and decided she should just be average. Then her partner tells her to follow his work, and she ends up quitting her job. I really understand her frustration at not being able to live as herself.”

This pain of not being able to live authentically overlaps with Tanaka’s own impatience, who grew up in Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture, and decided at age five that she would become an actress. Watching stars from her hometown such as Seiko Matsuda (64) and Fujii Fumiya (63) on television, she believed she could become like them—but reality was not so simple.

“When I was around 15, I really started to feel anxious. During career guidance at school, when I said I wanted to become an actress, my teacher was surprised, and even my mother said, ‘What are you talking about, that’s just a dream.’ I didn’t have a way to go to Tokyo, and I truly thought maybe it was impossible. I’m able to live now because I became an actress, but if I hadn’t, I probably wouldn’t have been able to live—I would have been that frustrated. So I really relate to Mikako’s feelings.”

Amid strong opposition from those around her, a life-changing moment finally arrived.

“I was about to graduate high school the next year, and I felt despair at having already turned 17. I still remember the slope and the color of the sky as I walked home from school, thinking, ‘Am I just going to live an ordinary life?’ Around that time, I was appearing in a local Kyushu commercial, and my mother encouraged me, saying, ‘If you keep doing this, someone will find you.’ But I felt like I was running out of time every day, and it was really frustrating.

Then one day, when I got home from school, my mother told me that an audition request had come for the film ‘Ganbatte Ikimasshoi.’ I immediately thought, ‘This is it! I’m definitely going to pass. This is my role!’ (laughs).”

With a confidence as intense as a manga protagonist, it turned out that during the long search for the lead role, a staff member happened to see her in a local TV commercial while visiting his hometown and said, “This girl is good,” bringing her into the final selection.

“My mother’s words came true. But when I got to the Tokyo audition venue, everyone there had serious training. All I had was raw determination (laughs). At some point I got confused and even stopped acting during the audition, but the director told me, ‘It’s okay, you still have time to grow.’ When I saw his face, I instinctively thought, ‘I’ve been chosen!’”

As she had sensed, she won the role of the heroine. The released film became a long-running hit, and she herself swept rookie awards that year, making a dazzling debut.

More than 25 years later, Tanaka has grown into one of Japan’s leading actresses.

In the April 28 issue of “FRIDAY” (combined April 17/24 issue) and the paid version “FRIDAY GOLD,” she speaks candidly about stories from her breakout “Nacchan” commercial days and her future outlook.

For more details and multiple photos, click here↓

From “FRIDAY” 2026 April 17/24 combined issue