Riisa Naka Braves the Heat for Her New Drama—Behind the Scenes of Protect Your Head!

“I’m 36 myself and I thought that makes sense”

The temperature was 34°C. Under blazing sunshine and with the risk of heatstroke particularly high, filming for a drama was taking place in an office district near the Imperial Palace.

Surrounded by four female staff members, one holding a large black umbrella over her and another waving an orange fan bearing the “Tokyo middle 30” logo, actress Riisa Naka (36) stood at the center, waiting for the signal to begin filming.

“On this day, filming for the currently airing Fuji TV drama ‘Tokyo middle 30′ was taking place in an office district of Chiyoda Ward. It is a story about the friendship between three women who were high school classmates in a provincial city and have come to Tokyo. Naka, the lead actress, plays Maki Sakura, a full-time housewife and mother of a five-year-old boy.” (TV magazine writer)

The series is an original Japanese remake of the Chinese drama “Nothing But Thirty (30 Women’s Thoughts: Shanghai Women’s Story),” which recorded 5.5 billion views in China.

In the first episode, which aired on July 22, Maki, Haruka Yamaji, played by Non (33), an apparel shop manager, and Kaoru Nagano, played by Mai Fukugawa (35), a public elementary school teacher, were high school classmates in a provincial city. The three happen to reunite at the beauty clinic run by Maki’s husband, Soji Sakura (Daichi Watanabe, 35). Their story begins as they reminisce about the past and quickly hit it off.

Each woman has her own struggles, but the series will depict the three of them positively searching for lives true to themselves at the turning point of age 35.

Now, back to the scene described at the beginning.

Naka stood surrounded by four staff members to shield her from the intense sunlight. Even so, perhaps because of the heat, her eyes gazed vaguely into the distance and her cheeks had turned pink.

But as soon as the call to start came, her expression sharpened, and she flashed a refreshing smile toward the camera.

Regarding playing a role close to her own age, she commented:

“I’m 36 myself, and while there are areas where I’ve become more free, there are also areas where I’ve become less free because my responsibilities and position have increased. I often found myself thinking, ‘I see,’ when it came to the worries and conflicts the characters face, and I really related to them.” (From Fuji TV’s program website)

She also sent viewers the following message:

“I don’t think life is determined solely by age, and I believe you can take a new step forward at any age. I would be happy if this show could give your everyday life even a small push toward becoming more positive and brighter.”

On July 18, Naka updated her own YouTube channel, “Riisa Naka desu.,” which boasts 2.15 million subscribers. She introduced 300-yen heat-protection goods she had found at THREEPPY, a sister brand of Daiso. Smiling, she said she was considering bringing them as treats to the drama set:

“Maybe I’ll bring these as treats for everyone on set? They’re only 300 yen. Like, ‘Protect your head!’”

With this positive mindset, she will surely make it through filming in the scorching heat.

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