Kotaro Yoshida Opens Up About His Unconventional Rise and His All-In Approach to Performance

A stage actor meets a movie star

“I had this suit made to order on the recommendation of someone I deeply respect. I had admired how elegant he looked wearing an ascot tie, so I asked him about it. He said, ‘I know a tailor—let’s have some clothes made together,’ and that’s how we ended up going together.”

When a FRIDAY reporter commented, “That’s a wonderful suit,” actor Kotaro Yoshida (67) broke into an innocent smile. Dressed in a refined, slim-cut dark brown suit, he looked every bit the seasoned gentleman.

Who was this person he respects?

It was none other than silver-screen star Hiroshi Tachi (76), who co-stars with Yoshida in the film “Menkyo Hennō!?” (“Returning My Driver’s License!?”), scheduled for release on June 19.

The film serves as a sequel set roughly 30 years after the 1994 movie “Menkyo ga Nai!” (“No Driver’s License!”), once again following Tachi’s character, veteran actor Hiroshi Nanjō, as he becomes embroiled in a series of chaotic incidents revolving around his driver’s license.

Yoshida plays the president of the talent agency to which Nanjō belongs, bringing a commanding presence to key moments throughout the story. Despite this being their first time working together, Yoshida admitted with a wry smile that he had been too nervous to focus on developing his character.

“I kept wondering how much distance I should maintain with someone as legendary as Mr. Tachi, and what kind of acting approach I should take when interacting with him. That’s all I could think about.”

Since making his stage debut in a production by the Shakespeare Society at Sophia University, Yoshida spent many years building his career primarily in the theater world. A frequent collaborator of renowned director Yukio Ninagawa, he honed his craft on stage before finally achieving mainstream recognition in his fifties through popular television dramas such as “Hanzawa Naoki” (2013, TBS) and Ossan’s Love (2016, TV Asahi).

“Coming from a theatrical background, working with Mr. Tachi felt like participating in a kind of cross-disciplinary martial arts match. Even though we’re both acting, the genres are completely different.

This was my first time sharing the screen with a genuine movie star through and through. It was incredibly refreshing—but also intimidating,” he said with a laugh.

Although Yoshida had initially braced himself for this encounter with someone from a different acting tradition, the tension soon faded.

“I felt that the first day of filming would be crucial, so I approached it very seriously.

The scene involved me dragging Mr. Tachi’s character back into the location bus as he tried to get out.

To be honest, I hesitated. I wondered, ‘Is it really okay for me to do this?’ So I held back a little.

Then Mr. Tachi said to me, ‘You can do it for real—don’t hold back.’

It was as if we came to an understanding: neither of us needed to be overly considerate. Once that happened, I felt much more at ease.”

The reason he goes all the way

The shock Yoshida experienced as a high school student when he saw Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” performed on stage set him on the path to becoming an actor. Although he accumulated years of theatrical experience, his true breakthrough in film and television did not come until he was in his fifties. To outsiders, it may have seemed like an extraordinarily long apprenticeship.

“That may be how society sees it, but I’ve never thought of it as paying my dues. People who pursue theater generally don’t expect to make a living from acting alone, so they work part-time jobs and such. But I was different. For absolutely no reason, I just believed that someday I would make it,” he says with a laugh. “You have to be fundamentally optimistic to keep doing this job.”

What Yoshida values most is becoming someone viewers remember.

“Because I spent so many years focused on theater, I got a late start in screen acting. I don’t think I have as much time left in my on-screen career as people who began when they were young. That’s why I’ve always felt I needed to leave a mark with every single project.

That doesn’t mean standing out through bizarre performances. Rather, it’s about carefully drawing out the character that emerges from the script. I want to push things to the point where people might think, ‘No one like this could exist,’ while still preserving a sense of realism. I want to aim for that delicate balance.

But recently, when I search my name online, I see comments like, ‘His voice is too loud,’ or ‘His acting is too overbearing.’ So I suppose that’s something I need to work on,” he adds with a laugh.

Even after reading critical comments on social media, Yoshida says that although they catch his attention, they don’t discourage him. The source of that resilience, he believes, lies in a career that has already weathered countless challenges.

“There have been several turning points in my career that I never anticipated. One was in 2006, when I performed the title role in Shakespeare’s ‘Titus Andronicus,’ directed by Yukio Ninagawa, in England. The reception was overwhelmingly positive. For someone who had devoted himself to Shakespeare, it felt like a moment of genuine recognition.

Then, after turning fifty and entering the world of screen acting, I was fortunate to receive roles in productions such as ‘Guilty’ (2010, Fuji TV), ‘Hanako and Anne’ (2014, NHK), and ‘MOZU’ (2014, TBS) that gave me confidence in my abilities as a screen actor.

Those three projects excited me tremendously, and I approached them with enthusiasm. They also helped the public become more aware of me. Looking back, I think those were the two major turning points in my professional life.”

Today, Yoshida is no longer confined to the stage. He has become an indispensable presence in both films and television dramas.

“In the end, even in screen acting, I draw upon the tools I’ve developed through theater.

There was a drama called ‘The Brothers Karamazov’ (2013, Fuji TV), in which I played a truly despicable father. There was a scene where he berated his sons. During filming, my stage instincts kicked in. I started shouting, smashing plates, throwing bread around, and even breaking a glass.

In theater, that kind of improvisational flourish is often appreciated.”

He laughs as he reflects on it.

“Looking back, it was full of things you probably shouldn’t do on a television set. But the cameraman was incredibly talented. The camera had originally been fixed in place, but he instantly switched to handheld and followed everything I was doing.

That made me think, ‘Oh, so I can do the things I want to do.’

I do regret causing trouble, but at the same time, I’m glad I did it.”

Memorizing lines starts at 8:30 p.m.

Wild emotional swings and an almost unsettling level of immersion into his roles—this kind of larger-than-life performance could be called Yoshida’s signature style. But to him, it is nothing out of the ordinary.

“I worked for years under Yukio Ninagawa, an extraordinary director, so I’ve always pushed performances to the limit on stage. For me, it’s natural. But when I started acting on screen, it initially felt strange. I wondered whether it was really okay to perform so dramatically.

Still, there are productions that embrace that approach. One work where that kind of ‘all-out’ acting found unexpected support may have been the ‘Ossan’s Love’ series (2016 onward).

Since the premise involved an older man falling in love with his male subordinate, I wasn’t sure at first how to approach the role. But working with Kei Tanaka (41) was incredibly exciting. During the broadcast, I heard it even became the number one worldwide trend on X. I’d never experienced that level of reaction before.”

In his private life, Yoshida married a woman 22 years younger than himself in 2016. They now have two daughters, and the center of gravity in his life has shifted dramatically.

“After this interview today, I have to go pick up my kids. I go whenever I can.”

The expression on his face as he says this reveals the ordinary side of a devoted father.

“Back when I didn’t have children and had more free time, I think I used to make things more complicated than they needed to be. I’d tell myself I needed time alone to think about acting, or that I had to isolate myself to memorize my lines.

But now, my children come first, and everything related to them wraps up around 8:30 at night. That’s when I finally sit down with the script and start learning my lines. My mornings begin with walking the dog, then I come home, feed the kids breakfast, and wash the dishes—that’s my mission. It may sound like I’m praising myself, but I think it’s pretty impressive,” he laughs. “Especially the mornings—they’re an all-out war.”

More than fatigue, there seems to be a sense of fulfillment in Yoshida’s expression. Finally, he offered a few encouraging words for “FRIDAY” readers.

“People of our generation tend to become pessimistic at times. But it’s a waste to let that pessimism consume you. We’ve worked hard to get this far in life, and there are still things we haven’t accomplished yet.

So if we keep the engine running and continue filling up the tank, I think we’ll discover new scenery ahead. That’s what I choose to believe as I move forward.”

From the May 29, 2026 issue of “FRIDAY”