Don’t flirt
Don’t say it’s impossible
And definitely, always give your opinion
I caught a glimpse of Ms. Keiko Kitagawa while she was standing before a camera, still elegant while braving the freezing cold. As I had scheduled the interview with Ms. Kitagawa directly after a photo shoot, it was as if the words were already coming out of her mouth about her work ethic: “giving 120%”, “always working hard”. This year marks the 11th anniversary since her debut. She’s gone from being a model to a full-fledged actress, and has had the uneasy experience of being on set for audition many times. Watching her work and seeing her style, one can’t help but begin to compare oneself with her. “Never compare yourself to others”, she says, almost with intuition as we’re conducting the interview. She gently hints: “Every year on your birthday, you have the opportunity to compare yourself: against last year’s version of you.”
Ms. Kitagawa says that in work, she swears by her three rules: “Don’t flirt, don’t say it’s impossible, and always give your opinion. I often work with male co-stars out in the field, and it’s so hard to be yourself instead of being weak and going along with the crowd. And I tell them the same thing – don’t leave things unsaid, don’t say it’s impossible, and give everything your best effort.” Words of wisdom from a woman who knows. “It takes about 2 months to shoot a movie, and four months to shoot a drama. I believe that in order to build a good working relationship in such a short period of time, that you must have open communication and trust. In order to do that, you have to open your mind to others.”
Ms. Kitagawa recently reunited with her co-stars on the set of the movie “HERO” which continues a drama series that was broadcast over a year ago. In the world of entertainment, Ms. Kitagawa says, it’s important to give the spotlight to your peers. She pointed out that she especially enjoyed working with Takuya Kimura and her beloved mentor, Takako Matsu, whom she co-starred with.
Questions for Keiko
Q： What are you addicted to right now?
Keiko: Cooking. I even have paid memberships on recipe websites (laughs). Recently I’ve been paying a lot of attention to recipe ratings when reading magazines. Having the nutritional information available as a reference is really nice too. I really enjoy cooking using seasonal ingredients.
Q: What is your ideal alone time like?
Keiko: I watch MTV while lying around with my cat, it’s a lot of fun. I also enjoy planning, like writing To Do lists or getting shopping taken care of. I like to get things done on a weekly or monthly basis.
Q: What are your rules about money?
Keiko: I’ve always thought that one should use money to support the whims of the heart. So for example, I like to use it to give gifts to the people around me, or western clothes and cosmetics to adjust my grooming so I am more pleasant looking to those around me…but ideally, how you use money should be about expressing yourself.
Q： To you, what is the ideal female image？
Keiko: I yearn to be more like Takako Matsu from the movie “HERO”. She’s wonderful to work with, and her home is so beautifully kept. I think if I work hard enough, maybe one day I can be more like her.
(Translated by Fandom Services. Paid for by this blog to the benefit of all English-speaking and English-learning Keiko fans.)
Tags: Keiko, Keiko Kitagawa, Kitagawa, 北川景子
TAF: apn 