[Full Text Published] Yutaka Mizutani: “I Was Always Prepared to Quit Acting” — The Renowned Actor Speaks Candidly About His Life

After Facing Setbacks

“Ah, it’s finally begun—that’s what I felt when I watched the finished film for the first time. I realized that my nearly 60-year career in the entertainment industry had been a long, long period of preparation, and that my own world was finally beginning.”

Actor Yutaka Mizutani (73) began speaking about his life with a gentle gaze.The “film” mentioned at the beginning refers to *Piccola felicità (Piccola Felicità) ~Small Happiness~*, which is currently being released in theaters nationwide in stages. It is his fourth film as a director—a major production in which he took on five roles himself: planning, directing, screenwriting, producing, and starring.

Mizutani first gained attention in the drama *The Scarred Angel* (Nippon TV), which began airing in 1974, and went on to star in the *Netsu-chu Jidai* series (1978–, Nippon TV), which achieved viewership ratings exceeding 40 percent,and the national phenomenon *Aibou* (TV Asahi), which celebrated its 26th anniversary this year—he has consistently remained at the forefront of the industry. So what does he mean by calling this a “preparation period”?

“I’ve been interested in the world of film and television since I was a child. My earliest memory is probably from when I was about three or four years old—watching *Kurama Tengu* at an outdoor mobile movie theater.Adults and children alike sat on straw mats spread out on the ground to watch. I remember the scene where Kurama Tengu defeated the villains being met with thunderous applause—it was incredibly exciting.”

Later, after watching an American TV drama, I thought, “I want to go to that world,” and joined the Himawari Theater Company. I made my acting debut at age 14 in the TV drama *Magma Ambassador* (Fuji TV), but in my senior year of high school, I gave up acting and decided to study abroad in California, USA.

“I decided to study abroad because I wanted to see a new world. However, my father’s company went bankrupt, so I had to give up on studying abroad. I also failed my entrance exams for Japanese universities, became despondent, and ran away from home. I ended up at a rest house on the shores of Lake Yamanaka, where I lived and worked for about two months.”

At the time, Mizutani himself had no intention of returning to the entertainment world. However, those around him wouldn’t leave him alone and approached him about appearing in a drama. He reportedly returned to the set thinking of it as just a part-time job, but…

“Just because it was a part-time job didn’t mean I’d do it half-heartedly; I gave my all to every project. Doing the best I possibly can is something I’ve always made a point of doing. But when it was over, for some reason, it didn’t feel like I’d actually accomplished anything. No matter how well-received it was, I strangely felt no sense of accomplishment.I always thought, ‘There must be another world out there that suits me better,’ and I was mentally prepared to quit acting immediately if I found that world.”

A Promise with Yusaku Matsuda

That feeling began to change when his daughter, Shuri (35), was born, when he was 38 years old.

“When I saw my daughter’s name listed in the family register, a feeling welled up inside me that I now had someone to protect. Of course, I still took jobs based on offers, but that was the first time I thought to myself, ‘I’ll try to keep acting for as long as possible.’”

September 21, the day Shuri was born, was, coincidentally, also the birthday of his close friend Yusaku Matsuda (who passed away the previous year at the age of 40).He first met Matsuda when he was 20. Mizutani had appeared as a criminal in the Nippon TV series *Howl at the Sun!*, in which Matsuda had gained popularity as the “Jeans Detective.” The two hit it off immediately and developed a close, easygoing relationship where they could talk about anything.

“Actually, around 1988, when Yusaku-chan was hospitalized for bladder cancer, I was diagnosed with the same disease. We were admitted to the same hospital and underwent surgery, but since we hadn’t made it public, I set my room name tag to ‘Yutaka Mizuta’—a combination of our two names.Yusaku-chan was flabbergasted, saying, ‘What on earth is this name?’ (laughs). Since we were both in and out of the hospital, whoever was discharged would visit the other, and we’d talk about all sorts of things. We even talked about how, once we were cured, we’d direct a drama together.”

However, that dream was cut short by Matsuda’s death.

In fact, Mizutani had received numerous offers to direct films since his 30s. However, he turned them all down.

“Most of the offers were based on the fact that I was known as an actor. Wouldn’t it be disrespectful to those who’ve been directing all their lives if I took on a directing role for that reason alone? So, I decided, ‘I won’t do it until I’m prepared to commit to it for the rest of my life.’ That resolve solidified when I turned sixty.”

As a film director in his 60s, Mizutani has helmed three films: *TAP—THE LAST SHOW—* (2017), *Hit-and-Run: The Best of the Worst Days* (2019), and *The Sun and the Bolero* (2022).Although he was ambitious—even writing the screenplays for his second and subsequent films—his feeling that “no matter how much I do, it never feels like I’ve really done it” remained unchanged. He began filming *Piccola Felicità* in 2024, just as he was thinking, “I suppose this is how my life will end.”“Piccola Felicità” means “small happiness” in Italian, and the film is an anthology-style story depicting the lives of three couples—one in their 60s, one in their 40s, and one in their 30s—as they face crossroads in their lives.

“There was absolutely no talk of adapting it into a film, , I had actually finished writing the screenplay back in ’22. The question ‘What is happiness?’ is always on my mind.We tend to assume that happiness is something we feel when something special happens. That’s why people chase after happiness, but perhaps it’s actually the small joys found in everyday life that are most important. With that in mind, I wove the story together, thinking, ‘I hope I can create a world like this someday.’”

“A Heartwarming Message” from My Daughter

It started as an independent production. When another project was canceled at the last minute, he was thinking about what he could do for the actors and crew he had already booked—that’s when he suddenly remembered the script.Even though a distributor hadn’t even been decided yet, he told those around him, “Let’s hold a test screening even if we don’t release it,” and began filming. He also appeared in the film himself due to budget constraints, laughing, “If it’s me, I’ll come to the set every day, and it won’t cost anything.”

Another topic of conversation surrounding this film is his first father-daughter collaboration with Shuri. He recalls that this was actually Shuri’s own suggestion.

“While I was writing the script, she asked, ‘Can I read it?’ so I showed it to her. But I didn’t ask for her opinion, and I hadn’t even considered casting her.However, once Shuri found out we were going to shoot the film, she said on her own, ‘I’d be happy to appear in it.’ I never mentioned this to her directly, but the role of the woman in her 30s that Shuri plays was written with her in mind. I don’t know if she sensed that, but I was really happy to hear my daughter say she’d be willing to appear.”

On set, I strictly maintained the relationship between director and actor. While I might have given direction on movement depending on the situation, I never offered advice on the acting itself.

“I could tell she was developing the role on her own. Even in our daily lives, we mostly just share our impressions; we hardly ever discuss acting in depth.I’d been telling Shuri since she was a child, ‘Don’t come into this world.’ It’s a world where the gap between heaven and hell is vast, so I didn’t want her to go through a hard time. That’s why, even when she decided to pursue acting, it seems she consulted with my wife, Ran, but she rarely told me. Still, now, every time I watch her act, I think to myself, ‘I’m so glad she came into this world.’”

Last year, Shuri married former “BE:FIRST” member Ryoki Miyama (27) and gave birth to their first child. Seeing his daughter cradle her own child reminds Mizutani of the moment he himself resolved to live as an actor.

“It feels strange to think she’s become a mother, even though it feels like just the other day I was holding her myself.”

Reflecting on the filming of this project, Mizutani said, “Everything I’ve encountered up to now has taken shape.”

“On set, actors and staff would often ask me, ‘What are you going to do today?’ I wasn’t even thinking about it, but apparently I’d suddenly suggest doing something not in the script, and everyone would look forward to it. I suppose that’s because that’s how I was raised.”

For example, in the finale of the legendary series *The Scarred Angel*, Akira—played by Mizutani—dies suddenly after his cold takes a turn for the worse.Osamu, played by Kenichi Hagiwara (who passed away at the age of 68), puts the body of his younger brother figure, Akira, into a drum and dumps it on Yume no Shima before fleeing—but this intense final scene wasn’t originally in the script.

“Director Eiichi Kudo (died at age 71) added it on the spot.It was also the director’s idea, thought up on the spot, for Osamu to say, ‘I’ll let you have a woman,’ and then plaster nude photos all over Akira’s dead body. He was always thinking of ways to make it more interesting right up until the very last moment. That mindset has become second nature to me as well; I’m constantly looking for something even more interesting right up until the clapperboard clicks.”

The idea to hold screenings of *Piccola Felicità* in halls across the country stemmed from Mizutani’s own memories of traveling movie theaters. Even towns without movie theaters usually have some kind of hall.The distribution company agreed with Mizutani’s desire for everyone to enjoy the world of cinema, and a touring screening was arranged at 23 locations nationwide (as of June 30).

“The reason I didn’t feel like I’d ‘made it’ is because I’m always wondering if there isn’t something even more interesting out there. I’ve come to realize that this curiosity helps me discover sides of myself I didn’t know existed, and it serves as the driving force that propels me forward. I can’t wait to see what kind of encounters and discoveries await me as I head toward a new world that’s still out of sight.”

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His fourth feature film, *Piccola felicità (Piccola Felicità) ~Small Happiness~*, will be released sequentially starting Saturday, July 11.For theater information, visit piccolafelicita.jp. “YUTAKA MIZUTANI” (published by A PEOPLE), a book chronicling her life as a director, is also on sale now!
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From the July 17 & 24, 2026, combined issue of *FRIDAY*