PROFILE
Born on January 15, 1993. Born in Kyoto, Japan. He gained attention for his role in the TV series Asa no Kita (2015), and won the 43rd Japan Academy Award for Best New Actor for his roles in the 2019 film Parallel World Love Story and the film he starred in, Invisible Witness. His major recent works include the dramas "Ren'ai Mangaka" (2021), "Brilliant Family" (2021), "Shizuka and Papa" (2022), the films "Crying is a Wonderful Thing" (2020), "Horik xxxHOLiC" (2022), "Haken Anime! (2022), and the film "Shimamori no Tower" (2022). He is currently starring in the drama "Gannibal," which is available exclusively on Disney Plus Star.
PROFILE
Born in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. Studied under photographer Kosei Ishiguro, began working as a photographer in 2007, and established Nitoland Inc. in 2023.
We are pleased to talk with Riho Yoshioka on the occasion of her 10th anniversary in show business and the release of her W-anniversary photo book "Hibi Hibi" to commemorate her 30th birthday. Since this photo book was taken by Mr. Takahiro Otsuji, a photographer who is also a member of HOUYHNHNM's, we would like to present it to you in the form of a dialogue between the two of you.
Otsuji: Best regards.
Yoshioka: It's fresh, something like this.
Since Mr. Otsuji is here, I would like to ask him about the behind-the-scenes production process. I heard that Mr. Otsuji brought up the idea.
Otsuji: Yes, I have. I had always wanted to meet and photograph Mr. Yoshioka. I wanted to do something proactive on my own, so when Mr. Yoshioka celebrated his 28th birthday, I suggested that it would be interesting to take pictures of him over the course of a year from his 29th birthday to his 30th birthday. I suggested this to him.
Do you often start a project with this kind of pattern to begin with?
Yoshioka:It is rare to hear someone say, "Wouldn't it be interesting if we could do something like this? But it is rare to hear someone say in a serious manner that they want to shoot something like this, or that they think it would be interesting to do something like this, in a concrete and direct manner.
I see. So Mr. Otsuji's enthusiasm, or rather, his brazenness, was a factor in that (laughs).
Yoshioka:But without that, I don't think this project would have started. If I had heard it from the manager, I would have felt differently, or it would have felt a little more like work, but I somehow felt that he was trying to take pictures of me in a personal way. I felt that he was trying to take pictures of me on a personal level. I felt that he was communicating with me as a human being, and it really resonated with me.
What would you do if you got a lot of offers like this? (Laughter)
Yoshioka:(Laughs). Mr. Otsuji's story was very specific, and his words were carefully written, as if he had a lot of feelings for me. I also liked the idea of shooting on the day of my birthday.
It's very nice, isn't it?
Yoshioka:Yes, I have. It is unusual, and I had never done this before. I have published photo collections at every milestone in my career, and I have been doing gravure for many years, so I had a sense that I had done many things, but this was something I thought, "Oh, I haven't done that before! I thought, "Oh, I haven't done that! So when I heard about this project, I had a good feeling about it.
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Why did you want to photograph Mr. Yoshioka in the first place?
Otsuji:I have been watching her in various media as a viewer, and I always thought she was very attractive in general. However, when I saw her various expressions in her performances, I felt that there was more to her than that. When I thought that, I knew I wanted to shoot him for sure. I thought that if it was her, she would bring out the Riho Yoshioka that I couldn't see. So I started to make various plans in my mind.
What do you mean?
Otsuji:It's just my imagination, but for example, I was thinking about what it would be like to combine my car and Riho Yoshioka, or how interesting it would be to combine Riho Yoshioka and something else.
Yoshioka:So it was.
Otsuji:At that time, I came up with the idea of starting filming on my 30th birthday, and I thought it might work. I knew I had to have a keyword.
When did you first become aware of Mr. Otsuji?
Yoshioka:Err, I don't know. I thought I liked the instagram photo, but I don't know if there was a photo that triggered it or what.
Otsuji:I remember being followed out of the blue (laughs).
Yoshioka:I don't remember the exact day, but I remember seeing a picture that Mr. Otsuji had posted (on Instagram) and thinking, "Wow, he takes pictures like this. I remember thinking, "Wow, he takes photos like this! Even if I didn't know the person, if I wanted to see his/her photos all the time, I would immediately follow him or her.
Otsuji:You followed me, and I followed you after a while (laughs).
Why did you put a cushion between the two? (Laughter)
Otsuji:As I said before, I really wanted to shoot it. But I thought it would be different to say, "I'm a fan! I wanted to meet the photographer and the subject on an equal footing. I wanted to meet the photographer and the subject on equal terms. It's a bit pretentious.
Yoshioka:LOL!
Otsuji:That's how important I thought it was (laughs). (Laughs) I wanted to be involved in the project not as a small photo shoot or something, but as an official Riho Yoshioka job, if possible. As a result, the first project I ended up shooting was a mook book for a certain brand. I didn't want to go too casually, so I didn't follow her on Instagram. I didn't want to go too far off the beaten path, so I didn't bother to follow their Instagram feed.
I'm not sure if I would consider this cute or not (laughs). I think I understand though. It is a basic premise that you want to work because you like it, but if you are dealing with other professionals, it is a bit different if it is just because you are a fan.
Otsuji:That's true. One day, I saw on Stories that Yoshioka-san was going to perform at the Honda Theatre in Shimokitazawa. I couldn't resist and sent him a message saying, "I'd like to see the play, but how can I get there? I couldn't resist and sent him a message saying, "I want to see the play, but how can I go?
Yoshioka:Yes, it was.
Otsuji:I asked the manager if I could contact him, and he was willing to do so. So in my mind, I was actually gradually taking the offensive.
Yoshioka:So it was (laughs).
What was the initial shooting like?
Otsuji:Rather than wanting to get up close and personal, my aim was to shoot Riho Yoshioka as she is now, in a rough and ready manner. So at first, rather than saying that this was the kind of shoot I wanted to do, I told them that I would be there on January 15, my birthday, no matter where it was or what the site would be like. I turned down all other offers before I even knew if the photo book would be published or not (laughs).
There is also a section where you photograph Mr. Yoshioka's personal clothing. This is something that doesn't happen very often.
Yoshioka:That's right. In the past, we had discussed the possibility of using personal outfits for a photo book, but at that time, I brought my own clothes to the site and we decided what to wear from among them. So this is completely different.
So you used your own clothes as costumes.
Yoshioka:Yes, I do. But this time, it is really about the clothes I wear to the site, the coat I wear because it is warm, the pants I wear because they are easy to move in, and so on.
When you wear plain clothes, do you change your switch or mode?
Yoshioka:It may not have felt like a photo shoot. They were very ordinary clothes. I tend to wear feminine or pretty clothes for shoots, but I usually wear clothes that are easy to move in or are rough, so it was something new for me.
Otsuji:The reason I wanted to shoot in plain clothes was because I wanted to photograph Ms. Yoshioka in her everyday life, but I thought that if I decided to do so, she would think about this photo collection for a moment when she chose her clothes. With a normal job, you might go to the site, decide on an outfit, and then the switch is made, but with plain clothes, you would think about what to wear tomorrow the day before, and I thought that would make you feel more emotionally involved with this photo book.
Yoshioka:Ah, I see. I didn't know that.
This photo book has a variety of contents, including a photo shoot on the Goto Islands, a private clothing section, and a special edition shot in Kyoto, as well as close-up shots of each site. How was this decided?
Otsuji:Basically, I wanted to photograph Riho Yoshioka herself, so the first thing I did was to photograph her in her own clothes. However, there were no days when we had a whole day free, so we had to go to some other location to shoot her. So, after filming Tsurube-san, we decided to do a close-up of him as well, because he was interesting in his own way. Then, as the editors and I talked about various things, we decided that we wanted to shoot somewhere pleasant, whether it be on a southern island or in Hokkaido.
I see. So it plays the role of a photo book.
Otsuji:Yes, I did. Also, since this is a compilation of photos, we wanted to go back to our roots in Kyoto, and it seems that everyone's fantasies and ideas came together and were decided upon.
I am sure that you are in close contact with the staff, which means that Mr. Otsuji is on site on a regular basis, right?
Yoshioka:That's right. So, as far as the close-up part is concerned, it is as if I am gradually allowing myself to become more and more relaxed (laughs). (Laughs.) At first, I was trying to figure out what kind of pictures Mr. Otsuji wanted to take. I didn't know if what I was thinking and what Mr. Otsuji wanted to photograph were the same.
That is certainly true.
Yoshioka:Also, I have an image of Mr. Otsuji as a fashion designer. However, I had the image that the theme of this project would be a little closer to human beings rather than fashion, so I thought a lot about how much of my inner self I should show. Photographs capture the emotions of the moment, don't they? In my daily work, I am more conscious of what I want to convey in each medium rather than my personal feelings.
The purpose of a play or an advertisement is different, isn't it?
Yoshioka:Yes, I am. In advertising, it is important to show the product beautifully and accurately. There are different types of photography in this way, and I was really trying to figure out which of them you wanted to take.
You often say that you have to show your true colors, but that's quite difficult, isn't it?
Yoshioka:Yes, it is. Which element? How much of the elements? I wonder. There are some things that are not true to themselves.
Otsuji:It is one thing to act out one's true self. I think the basic premise is that when you are working in the media, you are acting as you are being photographed, even though you are saying you are showing your true self. However, I was able to get a really good shot of the first one in plain clothes.
Otsuji:The sun was about to set, so we took all the photos at the very last minute. When I saw the finished product, I thought it looked great. I knew then that this was the way to shoot it.
It was great to be able to shoot something like that for the first time.
Otsuji:However, there were times when I had to take pictures in the 5 to 10 minutes I had between shots. In those cases, I sometimes shot in a fashionable or work-like manner. Rather than showing Mr. Yoshioka as he really is, I forced a story on him that I wanted him to tell. The photos are good, but they are not the real you.
Yoshioka:I am glad to know that Otsuji-san had that awareness. There were times when I felt that way. I met with him at least once a month for this photo book, and I could tell right away that he was different today. I would suddenly ask, "Are you okay like that? (laughs).
So they are trying to stir things up.
Yoshioka:That's right (laughs).
Otsuji:Yes, that's right. I did it in various ways each time. I would say, "I've already taken the picture, is this okay?" (laughs).
You are shaking things up, aren't you? You're really setting things up, Mr. Otsuji.
Yoshioka:However, I was also troubled by the feeling that if something is really too simple, it may not be of high quality as a photograph, and that it needs to look good when it is turned into a photograph. I was also troubled by the fact that I felt that the photos had to look good when they were taken.
The Goto Islands were the last to be photographed, weren't they?
Otsuji:Yes, I know. But I really didn't have time to talk with him. Mr. Yoshioka is very busy, you know. So I decided that in order to see other people's true selves, I had to show my true self as well. I wanted people to see the kind of people I usually connect with.
Yoshioka:So that's what that was all about. That day was a lot of fun. I even got to order some clothes.
Otsuji:Yes, I did. I invited them into my field by having them talk to designers.
Yoshioka:It's true that they usually came to my place of business.
Otsuji:I made various suggestions like that as I went along.
I think communication between the two of you is crucial to keep the shoot going for a long time.
Yoshioka:That's right. I wanted to talk to you before Gotō, but I really didn't have time.
Otsuji:You also went to Kyoto once during that time.
Yoshioka:Kyoto was pretty bulletproof too. We shot what we shot, and then we were done! It was like that (laughs).
Otsuji:Yes, it was. There were many things that happened, but I feel that I did the best I could. I spent all of 2022 thinking about this photo book.
It has been a year with Riho Yoshioka, hasn't it?
Otsuji:It was really like that. I thought about how interesting it would be to photograph Mr. Yoshioka in such a way at other sites as well.
I know that you have been interviewed by various media regarding "Nichinichi".
Yoshioka:I think this photo book is a gift. It started because Mr. Otsuji approached me, and I feel as if I received a gift from him. I don't take time to remember myself unless something like this happens. My mind was preoccupied with the future and my future work, but thanks to the fact that you wrote a book about me, and thanks to the fact that you followed me for a year, I felt as if you were giving me a gift for all the days I had been busy. I had not paid much attention to the fact that I was turning 30, but thanks to this photo book, I can greet it with the thought that this is a good thing.
I guess I wasn't aware of any kind of milestone.
Yoshioka:I didn't at all. People around me would say things like, "So you're already 30 years old," or "I heard you're celebrating your 10th anniversary," to which I would respond in a light-hearted way, "Oh, yeah. But thanks to this photo book, I realized that I have come a long way. There is a reading page in the photo book, but I only think about things when I am asked about them. So I am really grateful for that. I have to communicate with people based on myself, but I sometimes neglect myself in my work.
I think the role and the work are more important than that.
Yoshioka:Yes, I do. I think it is important to be the person that the viewer wants to see. However, wanting to capture the real me is a total affirmation that I can be myself.
Otsuji:Yes, it is.
Yoshioka:I think that is love. That's why we talk about it.
I've heard such good things about you in various places. Good for you, Mr. Otsuji (laughs).
Yoshioka:I haven't been able to talk this intensely (laughs). But I am really grateful for that.
Lastly, please tell us about the title "Nichinichi".
Yoshioka:I kept thinking about how to come up with a title that would be unique. Everyone was trying to come up with something stylish. Then I came up with "Nichinichi," but I thought it might not fit with the Japanese style, so I asked around and everyone I talked to said it was a good idea.
So these words came from Mr. Yoshioka himself. Did you decide on the title yourself?
Otsuji:Or rather, I and the editors thought the title was too heavy for us to decide on (laughs). (Laughs.) So I waited, and then the title "Nichinichi" came up.
Yoshioka:I often get so busy that I really forget about every day things. I am grateful to the people who kept me from forgetting, and I also look back on those days. I also think of it as a kind of anniversary and a fresh start. I like the juxtaposition of the upcoming day and the past days, and I think the simplicity of the song allows for a lot of meaning to be put into it.
The phrase "Nichi-Nichi" was the basis for "Nichi-Nichi," which is a favorite phrase of yours?
Yoshioka:Yes, I have. It is a word that I have always liked, but I thought it would be too long a title for a photo book.
It is true that the five Kanji characters may be so.
Yoshioka:But I thought I like this soft feeling. Yes, I was conscious of the soft words.
Otsuji:As Mr. Yoshioka says, there are so many ways to look at "Hibi Hibi". The people involved in this work and the fans who pick up this photo book all perceive it in different ways, and I, too, have been following Mr. Yoshioka on a daily basis.
Yoshioka:(Laughter). But of course there was that part of me.
Otsuji:It's a really good title, isn't it? It really got things going at home, too.
Yoshioka:I am very happy to hear you say so, Mr. Otsuji.
