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This article is a joint project with the radio program "Jeep® CREATIVE GARAGE" on J-WAVE (81.3 FM). AKO and HOUYHNHNM's editor-in-chief Ryo Komuta will be the program navigators, and will delve into the roots and staples of the guests on the theme of "standards" for about an hour on the last Sunday of each month at 10:00 p.m. In addition, using "radiko," a service that allows you to listen to the radio on your computer or smartphone, you can listen to the show in real time or at your own leisure with the time-free function. We hope you will enjoy this new approach to radio and HOUYHNHNM's together!

• Jeep® CREATIVE GARAGE
• Last Sunday of every month 22:00-22:54
• Navigator: AKO, Ryo Komuta (Editor-in-Chief, HOUYHNHNM)
• J-WAVE 81.3FM "Jeep® CREATIVE GARAGE
• www.j-wave.co.jp/original/creativegarage/

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I want to continue to be an expressive person all the time.

Rina Ota is a very natural actress. Although she is in the glamorous world, she is not proud of her role as an actor and lives her life with sincerity and dignity. She has a firm grasp of the position she should be in, the place she should be heading for, and she is making her way there. However, this was not the case when she made her debut in 2001, when she stepped into the world of entertainment as a model at the age of 13. Driving a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport, she told us about her early days in the business.

I thought, 'I might be able to do it,' while looking at a magazine, so I applied for the audition with a light heart. I didn't tell my parents about it (laughs). I passed and ended up debuting, but I didn't have any particular goals in mind. I promised my family that I would put my studies first, and I had no desire to become a top model or a great actress.... But the adults I worked with kept telling me, 'Be more ambitious! I was always told by the adults I worked with to be more ambitious.

Looking back on those days, Mr. Ota says, "I was very passive when it came to work. In the short time since his debut, he has had a steady stream of work, and has experienced many different things. However, it was not all good things that came with it.

I knew so many things before I found my goal, and I started to wonder what I wanted to do. I started to wonder, 'What do I want to do? If I had a concrete goal, such as 'I want to do this or be this,' it would surely be a strength, but at the time I had no vision... I felt complex about that. I felt a complex there.

A turning point for Ms. Ota came in 2009. She had debuted as a model, but at that time she was also active as an actress, appearing in movies and TV dramas.

I had a child that year, which made me strongly think, 'I want to continue being an expressive person. I thought about quitting my job to focus on raising my child, but I couldn't do that. I felt that I could not live without outputting something. I could not find a goal for my work, but I realized then that I loved acting. I realized that I was enjoying working on a single piece of work with the people on the set. I was finally able to see my role, or rather, I was able to have a clear and unclouded will.

It is important to connect the mind and body well.

When I asked him about his most memorable performance, he told me, "I recently performed in a play called 'Teachings of Monsters,' and that left a lasting impression on me. It was difficult, not good at all, and frustrating. It was very depressing, but I think I found a new goal."

It was my first time on stage. My performance lasted about 20 minutes. I put all my experience into it. But I was so nervous that I couldn't move my body as much as I wanted to. Unlike movies and TV dramas, the stage is a live performance, and it is not cut out for the screen, so you have to express yourself with your whole body. There was a scene in which I had to say a very long line without moving my body, but I really wanted to say it while moving. But if I stiffen up my body, it looks cramped. The way you move your body changes the impression you give to the viewer.

He felt again that acting is all about skillfully connecting the mind and body.

I realized how chipper my mind and body were. But I felt like doing it because I was frustrated, and that was fun. It takes guts to perform in front of an audience (laughs). I would like to exercise my mental muscles more and have more confidence and composure. And I want to challenge myself in more productions. That's how I feel now.

As an actress and a person of expression, Ms. Ota is moving forward with her goals in mind. She values her health in her work. This is also true of her mind and body.

It is a matter of course, but you have to have a healthy body before you can do anything. And the worst thing you can do is to lose the balance of your mind. If the mind is not in a good state, I feel that everything will go in a bad direction. Everything is connected. I think good health is the most important thing.

To maintain her health, she makes it a point to get up early in the morning. No matter how tired she is or how little sleep she gets, she wakes up at sunrise, takes care of her children, and spends time eating breakfast. She says that because her job has irregular hours, the things she takes for granted play a very important role in her life.

I try to wake up in the morning and get some sunlight anyway, even if I have to take a nap afterwards. I feel like that alone makes me feel more positive. When you are feeling down, you tend to be inert, and you tend to sleep in. But if you make a habit of getting up in the morning, you will have the strength to get up and leave the depression behind. That's what I believe."

With a car, you can go anywhere you want.

In addition to being healthy, another important thing is to have a variety of experiences, Ota said.

I think an actor is a mirror that reflects people. Through my roles, I live the lives of many people. But I have only one life. I wonder how much I can cherish each and every one of my experiences. I feel that everything in my life, including the good and the bad, is connected to my acting."

In order to experience many things, she says that the car is an indispensable tool in her life. She has always loved to drive cars, and they have been an active part of her work and personal life.

I'm actually a very lazy person (laughs). If I didn't have a car...I would probably stay home and not go anywhere. The car takes me out of the house. I go out of my way to drive to see local concerts. I'm not good at making a schedule, so I just go out of the blue and say, "Let's go here today! I often go out on a spur of the moment and let my mood take me. There are times when I just drive around aimlessly. Maybe the car helps me adjust my mood.

If I had a lot of money, I would rather have many cars than live in a mansion (laughs). (Laughs.) That's how much I like cars," says Ota. Why are you so strongly attracted to cars? When I asked him why he was so strongly attracted to cars, he replied, "I don't know..." as he searched for the answer in his mind.

Well... I like the shape, but I think I am attracted to the fact that I can go anywhere I want by myself. Also, maybe it's because I can create a private space. I even sing loudly while driving (laughs). It's definitely better to sit in a car and look at the scenery while thinking than to sit in a small room and stare at my head.

I would like to travel in a jeep to visit my friend's parents.

When we asked Ms. Ota, such a car enthusiast, about her impression of Jeep, she gave us a unique answer from her unique perspective.

I feel tough. He looks like a muscular older brother in a white tank top (laughs). Not aggressive, but gentle and very dependable. I feel like he would help me if I was in trouble. He looks big and strong, but I don't feel intimidated when I see him on the street; in fact, he seems very friendly.

When I heard that I would be able to drive this car, I was excited," she said with a laugh, referring to the Wrangler Unlimited Sport she was asked to drive this time.

I really like the look of this car, which seems to embody the image of a Jeep. The lights are round and cute against the large and powerful exterior design. I thought it would have more of an analog feel to it to match the exterior image, so the interior is very practical. I was betrayed in a good way. With this car, I would like to drive long distances. My everyday car is an old car, so I can't drive it in a harsh way, but with the Wrangler, it's totally doable."

Where would you like to go on a long-distance trip? When I asked him, he told me, "Wakayama has been on my mind lately.

My friend is from Wakayama and told me about its charms. He said there are hot springs and delicious food. I had never been to Wakayama before, and I was getting interested in Wakayama, so I thought I would like to go there in this car. In the past, I was allowed to visit the home of a friend's family who became good friends through work, and I like people's homes. I feel at home, and it is fun to see how they live. I would like to do that again. A trip in a jeep to visit my friend's parents' house (laughs)."

How did you feel about actually driving it?

It is very smooth and easy to drive. The visibility is high, so the view is different from that of a normal car. Also, it feels good to drive a big car. It is fun to drive. I think this is very important when driving a car. You feel like you're in control, or rather, you're driving along with the car, feeling its breath. The Wrangler makes me feel that way.

The words of my father that have been etched in my heart for a long time.

This time, Ms. Ota showed us a down-to-earth expressionist figure. What exactly is the standard of living for her?

I still remember what my father said to me when I was just starting out. If you want to keep doing what you're doing, you have to know that there are many worlds outside of the one you're in. I've relied on those words ever since."

She was a teenager just starting out as a model. When she happily told her father what she saw in the glamorous world, he said those words to her as if they were a nail in the coffin.

I interpreted it as, "Don't think that the world you are in is all there is and don't think that people around you will listen to you. I was very ashamed of myself at that time. I had a little experience in modeling and felt like I was wanted by the people around me. If you want to be a true expressive person, you must have a broader perspective and remember to respect everyone. There are all kinds of people in the world, and they have all kinds of charm. It is thanks to my father's words that I came to realize that."

She is not acting in a noble manner just because she is an actress, but rather, she is facing herself and steadily doing what she needs to do in order to step up to the next level. I think I saw what is at the center of her attitude.

It's easy to settle down in one place and become the color of that place, but that's not good enough, is it? But that's not enough. The reason I still remember those words is because I still need them, and I think they will continue to resonate in my heart for a long time to come.