<figure id="attachment_476320" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-476320" style="width: 2541px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="4de4315b"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/07/04506661cabc13641c5b4fb61afcc5d3.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-476320" class="wp-caption-text">Hokuto Matsumura of “SixTONES,” who stars in *Confession: The Secret After 25 Years*</figcaption></figure>
<h2><span class="strongInContent"> 〈A bit unsettling, yet somehow it has a refreshing summer vibe〉</span></h2>
<p> Ouch, ouch, ouch…</p>
<p> The man walking with a pained expression on his face and his hand pressed against his shoulder is Hokuto Matsumura (31) of “SixTONES.” On a night in mid-July, filming was taking place at a plaza in front of a station in Yokohama for the currently airing drama “Confession: The Secret of the 25th Year” (Nippon TV).</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> “*Confession* is an original romantic suspense drama written by screenwriter Mako Watanabe (39), who also penned last April’s drama *Love Is Darkness* (Nippon TV).Matsumura plays the protagonist, Sota Yukimura, who has harbored feelings for one woman for many years and watches over her from the shadows.</span></p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> “Although Sota appears to be a ‘harmless, airheaded guy’ who can’t make eye contact when speaking, his obsessive, stalker-like behavior toward the heroine, Mariko Nose (played by Sae Okazaki, 30), escalates further and further as he becomes increasingly determined to protect her,” said a TV magazine writer.</span></p>
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<p> On social media, the show has received high praise, <span class="strongInContent">with comments such as, “It has a great creepy vibe—it really makes you think, ‘He’s such a great actor’” and “The role fits perfectly with Matsumura’s image as a cool, introverted guy.”</span></p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> “Are Sota’s feelings and actions pure love, or are they madness? And when they reach her, will pure love arrive as pure love, will it arrive as madness, or will it be perceived as madness from the very beginning?“It’s a bit unsettling, yet somehow exudes a refreshing summer vibe—it’s a drama with a mysterious balance,” (published July 11, ’26)</span></p>
<p> Matsumura introduced these highlights on the official Nippon TV program website, and just as he says, the actions of Sota—played by Matsumura—do indeed give off a somewhat unsettling vibe.</p>
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<p> During the opening location shoot, Matsumura filmed a scene where he stands motionless at a nighttime performance with a troubled expression.He exudes the aura of a heartthrob who looks picture-perfect no matter what he does, but in the next scene, clutching his waist and shoulders with a look of agony, he began running desperately with a wide-legged stride. Even that sight was somehow full of charm, and one could even sense a certain coolness about it.</p>
<p> In the “ViVi National Treasure-Level Heartthrob Ranking: First Half of 2026,” announced on July 15, Matsumura was inducted into the Hall of Fame in all three major categories (NOW, NEXT, and ADULT). This drama is packed with the charm that comes from seeing such a super-handsome actor play a “slightly odd protagonist.”Even non-fans are sure to be curious about how the story unfolds.</p>
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<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" Hokuto Matsumura clutching his lower back and shoulder, his face contorted in agony"></div>
<figure id="attachment_476321" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-476321" style="width: 2541px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="080b29e1"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/07/faa7d1e1470c977aab307d700afbb36c.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-476321" class="wp-caption-text">Hokuto Matsumura walking with his legs spread wide while holding his lower back</figcaption></figure>
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<figure id="attachment_476322" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-476322" style="width: 2541px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="09e313e2"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/07/8de93576c428e6b97f89ed3d3a72fe63.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-476322" class="wp-caption-text"> Next, he clutches his shoulder and wears an expression of agony</figcaption></figure>
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<figure id="attachment_476323" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-476323" style="width: 1752px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="a413c4b8"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/07/d8deb4009a64bbca4d42806017722e6f.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-476323" class="wp-caption-text"> Hokuto Matsumura walking through the “Joyful Sannomiya Shopping District” during a location shoot in late July</figcaption></figure>


 Kumatarō Arai

 We spotted Hokuto Matsumura of “SixTONES,” the lead actor in the currently airing drama *Confession: The Secret of the 25th Year*, on the set! Matsumura was acting out a scene where he was walking with a pained expression after injuring his lower back and shoulder—but even that looked cool.

Even when he takes a little tumble… he still looks cool! Hokuto Matsumura of “SixTONES” Shines with a “Mysterious Performance” in His Lead Drama Role

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