Yutaka Mizutani Talks About “The Resolve of a Film Director” and “His Feelings for Shuri” — “Don’t Enter the Entertainment Industry, Where the Gap Between Heaven and Hell Is So Vast”

〈Yutaka Mizutani (74) boasts a 60-year career as an actor and has also been working as a film director for over 10 years.As his fourth film as a director, *Piccola felicità (Piccola Felicità) ~Small Happiness~*, in which he took on five roles—planning, directing, screenwriting, producing, and starring—is being released nationwide in stages, he spoke passionately about the appeal of directing.〉

The Resolve to Transition from “Actor” to “Film Director”

“Once I decide to do something, I’ll stick with it for life”

Mizutani made the decision to commit to a career as a film director about 10 years ago—when he was first offered the chance to direct a film. In fact, he says he had received offers to direct films before that, but had turned them all down.

“I think the people who offered me those opportunities back then probably did so because I was known as an actor. But if I were to take on directing for that reason alone, wouldn’t that be disrespectful to those who have been directing for a long time, as well as to those who are working hard to become directors? For me, a ‘director’ is someone who deserves that much respect. So I felt that if I were to do it, I’d need to be prepared to carry that title for the rest of my life.”

Even with *TAP—THE LAST SHOW—* (2017), which marked his directorial debut, he hadn’t intended to take the helm from the start. However, he had been nurturing the concept for a film centered on tap dancing since his twenties.

“I think it was when I was 23 that I came up with the story of a young man . I wondered if I could somehow bring it to life, so I even spoke with directors Kon Ichikawa and Kazuhiko Hasegawa about it. But it just never came to fruition.”

Still, he didn’t give up; he refined the concept time and again and kept advocating for its appeal. And so, after 40 years, the project was finally brought to the screen.

“I’m no longer young enough to play a young man myself (laughs), so I decided to change the character to a former tap dancer who’s hit a wall. During those meetings, the producer told me, ‘The only person who can direct this is Mr. Mizutani.’ To be honest, I’d already suspected I might end up directing it myself. After all, I know this project better than anyone else. That was the moment I made up my mind to take on the role of director.”

“I had already decided that if this project were to be adapted for the screen, it would be a feature film, not a TV show,” he says. The reason for this stems from his own experiences. Mizutani moved from Hokkaido to Tachikawa, Tokyo, in the second grade of elementary school. With a U.S. military base in the area, he grew up in an environment where American culture was close at hand and was particularly influenced by American films.

“It all started when I was in high school and had just begun appearing in films as an actor. I saw *Bonnie and Clyde*, a film from the American New Wave, at a movie theater in Tachikawa. I was captivated by how cool that couple heading toward ruin looked. Maybe it’s because I, too, had a desire to break something,” he says.

After he started going to the movies, Mizutani was captivated by Dustin Hoffman’s performance in *Midnight Cowboy* and looked up to Paul Newman in *Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid*.

“While watching a movie, I can forget all my worries and fatigue and immerse myself in that world. Of course, TV dramas are the same, but TV is something you watch at home. For me, just going to the movie theater was a special and joyful experience in itself. That’s why I wanted the audience to experience that special world as well.”

This is symbolized by the 24-minute tap dance show in the climax. This, too, stems from the stage production of *Peter Pan* he saw on the West Coast of the United States in his twenties.

“I was so overwhelmed by the lead actress, Sandy Duncan’s, dancing that I couldn’t stop crying. I wanted to present a show that would let the audience experience that same emotion. It’s hard to evaluate my own work, but there’s no doubt that I poured every ounce of my strength into creating it. I felt that by giving shape to 40 years of longing, I could finally move forward.”

The “Filming Set” as a Training Ground

Since then, he has directed *Hit-and-Run: The Best of the Worst Days* (2019) and*The Sun and the Bolero* (2022), and in this year’s *Piccola Felicità (Piccola Felicità) – A Little Happiness*—he took on five roles in one: concept, director, screenwriter, producer, and lead actor.Furthermore, this film has generated buzz for marking his first “father-daughter collaboration” with his daughter, Shuri (35).

“While I was writing the script, she asked, ‘Can I read it?’ so I showed it to her. At first, I hadn’t even considered casting her at all.However, once Shuri found out we were going to shoot the film, she volunteered, ‘I’d be happy to be in it.’ I hadn’t mentioned it to her at all, but I’d written the role of the woman in her 30s—played by Shuri—with her in mind, so I was really happy.”

Shuri was praised for her overwhelming expressiveness that captivated viewers in the 2023 morning drama *Buguiugi* (NHK), and has since grown into a talented actress who has taken leading roles in numerous productions, including the 2024 drama *Monster* (Fuji TV) andthe currently airing July drama *Great Airport: GATE 24* (TV Asahi), among others. How does he view her success—as both a father and a senior in the industry?

“Ever since she was a child, I kept telling Shuri, ‘Don’t come into this line of work.’ It’s a world where the difference between heaven and hell is vast, so I didn’t want her to go through any hardship. That’s why, even when she decided to pursue acting, it seems she consulted with my wife, Ran, but she didn’t really tell me about it.But now, every time I watch her act, I think to myself, ‘I’m so glad she chose this path.’”

Meanwhile, Mizutani himself has been quite active, directing four films in less than 10 years, but he remains enthusiastic, saying, “As a director, I’m still very much a rookie.” He says he’s already beginning to envision his next project.

In ’23, he returned to the stage for the first time in 23 years with *My Brother Has Returned*. Furthermore, filming for the TV drama *Aibou*, which celebrated its 26th anniversary this year, follows a grueling schedule that takes up seven months of the year. When asked if he has any secrets for staying healthy amid such a hectic schedule, he gave an unexpected answer.

“I haven’t worked out in decades,”

In his 20s, he ignored a shoulder injury, relying on his youth, but it lingered like a chronic condition, and intense training actually began to cause pain. While he was trying to figure out what to do, something a trainer told him changed Mizutani’s way of thinking.

“That trainer told me, ‘As long as you have the stamina and muscle strength to live a normal life, you’re healthy enough—so there’s no need to push your body any further.’ That really resonated with me. So I don’t do anything special, but I do pay attention to my leg muscles because they tend to weaken easily. That said, since I’m always walking around on set, I think I’m naturally keeping them in shape.”

Saying this with a smile, Mizutani strides briskly toward his next shoot. His back radiated the solid confidence of a director—