Run! Run! Non Returns to Fuji TV Series After 14 Years, Playing a 35-Year-Old Woman With “Zero Planning”—Giving It Her All During Daily On-Location Shoots

This marks her first appearance in a Fuji TV network drama series in 14 years

A young woman wearing a bright orange jacket over a printed T-shirt is running toward a subway station in a flustered manner, glancing repeatedly at her wristwatch. It is actress Non (33).

In mid-June, filming for the drama “Tokyo Middle 30” (Fuji TV) was taking place in a shopping district in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo.

“This series is an original Japanese remake based on the hit Chinese drama ‘Nothing But Thirty’ (‘Thoughts of a 30-Year-Old Woman: A Shanghai Girls’ Story’), which recorded 5.5 billion views in China. It was also broadcast in Japan on ‘LaLa TV’ in 2021 and became a hot topic.“The drama centers on the friendship of three female high school classmates from a provincial city who came to Tokyo in search of a glamorous life. They face a reality that doesn’t go as planned, but despite that, they help one another and positively discover their true selves at the turning point of their lives—age 35,” said a TV magazine writer.

The lead role is played by Risa Nakamura (36), who portrays Maki Sakura, a stay-at-home mom to a 5-year-old son. Co-star Mai Fukagawa (35) plays Kaoruko Nagano, a public elementary school teacher.Non plays Haruka Yamaji, a woman with zero sense of planning who, despite once dreaming of becoming a musician, has resigned herself to her current situation—swamped by a job in the apparel industry she took on by chance, unable to save money, and facing an uncertain future.

Let’s return to the beginning of the story.

Non was dressed in a typical apparel store clerk’s outfit, and her slightly reddish, wavy hair complemented her jacket perfectly. Even while waiting under a parasol held by a crew member before filming began, she appeared fully focused on her performance. When the call to start came, she dashed off in a fluster. Her destination was a subway station a few dozen meters away.

About a month later, we spotted Non filming again. This time, she was running at full speed through the downtown skyscraper district, wearing pumps.

“Non made a guest appearance in the third episode of TBS’s Sunday Theater series *Caster* last April, marking her return to commercial television dramas for the first time in 11 years. She also appeared as a regular cast member in the January drama *Here Comes the Reserve Self-Defense Hero?!* (Nippon TV), drawing attention for her full-fledged return to terrestrial television dramas.This time, her appearance in a Fuji TV series marks her first in 14 years, since *The Locked Room* (April 2012),” said the writer mentioned earlier.

On July 18, a production announcement press conference was held at Fuji TV headquarters (Minato Ward). When asked what aspects of her role she could relate to, Non replied,

“There’s a line in my script that says, ‘Dying alone is inevitable’ (laughs), but I thought, ‘Yeah, there are times when I suddenly feel that way too,’ so I found it interesting,” (from Fuji TV’s official website)

she said, drawing laughter from the audience. The three actors seem to have great chemistry. Expectations are high for Non’s performance.

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