In 2024, she took the stage by storm.
Nairu Yamamoto has made waves in the indie film world this year. Her film SUPER HAPPY FOREVER, which was selected as the opening feature for the Venice Days section of the 81st Venice International Film Festival, continues to enjoy a long-running success. This November, she will star in Koko de no Hanashi and co-lead ‘Night Drifting’ alongside Amane Kabe, marking an incredible six film releases in just one year. With a string of impressive performances, she has become an essential muse for up-and-coming directors in the indie scene.
Yamamoto’s cinematic debut came in 2020 with Rikiya Imaizumi’s The Cat Stepped Out. Her unassuming, effortless presence struck a perfect balance of being relatable and intriguing—someone who could be tough to deal with but whom you’d still want as a friend. In her upcoming fall releases, she embodies the role of a captivating femme fatale who transforms the lives of the men she meets, bringing change without malice and with a refreshing authenticity. We caught up with Yamamoto to find out why she’s become one of the most sought-after figures in indie cinema today.
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The Time I Gained in the Past Called for the Next Chapter
This year, you’ve had an incredible six movie releases, four of which you starred in. Especially in the second half of 2024, films have been released monthly, making it feel like you’ve taken over the theaters. How did such an amazing year come about?
Yamamoto: When you look at it like this, it might seem like everything came together at once, but that’s not the case. The filming schedules were spread out, and each opportunity came through auditions I attended on my own. It was through going to those audition venues and meeting people that these projects came to be. Both ‘Night Drifting’ and ‘A Tale of Winter’ were cast through auditions.
She started her career as a model, appearing in magazines, commercials, and shows. In 2019, she began to pursue acting as well. At the same time, she launched EA magazine, a free publication for which she serves as editor-in-chief, showcasing her active role as a creator.
Outfit: Turtle neck sweater ¥15,400 (Brahms/Wanderism ☎️03-5797-9915). Other items are personal belongings.
The film ‘SUPER HAPPY FOREVER,’ which is still showing, tells the story of a man revisiting a resort with his best friend to retrace memories of a woman he met five years ago. Yamamoto plays the role of Nagi, the woman. According to director Kohei Igarashi, it was Yoshiaki Miyata, who played the best friend Miyata and had been involved in the project from the planning and script stage, who recommended Yamamoto for the role.
Yamamoto: When Miyata-kun came to see the screening of The Way of Those Who Cannot Run, we happened to sit next to each other at the theater. He told me that he noticed me and my outfit at that time and felt that I embodied the presence of Nagi, the character who is described as someone who would look good in a red hat. That’s how I was invited to join the project.
In Teppei Isobe’s ‘Night Drifting,’ which will be released on November 22 (Friday), the protagonist, Shinpei, is set in his early to mid-twenties and has neither gone to university nor started a job. The director originally envisioned the female character, whom Shinpei meets at the same part-time job, to be about two years older than him. However, when I appeared at the audition, I heard that they decided to raise the age of both the male and female characters.
Yamamoto: Really? I didn’t know that.
It’s amazing that you were able to change the director’s original plan. In Ryoma Kosasa’s film ‘Push Pause,’ you play Shiko, who works as a live-in part-timer at the guesthouse “Koko” in Tokyo.
Yamamoto: Before appearing in Ryukiya Imaizumi’s ‘The Cat Escaped’ in 2020, my main focus was modeling, and I only had small roles in music videos. At that time, I hadn’t yet immersed myself in the film industry. When I worked with Director Kosasa, he told me, “I’m planning to make a film next, and I’d love to work with you then.” I thought, “People say things like that all the time, so it probably won’t happen,” but [laughs] it really did come true. The debut project came to life, and when the script was sent to me, that was the start. But I did audition for the role.
Yamamoto: At the time, it was before I had appeared in ‘The Cat Escaped’, so I didn’t have anything to show as an actor—no prior works for them to see how I performed. Casting someone with no track record as the lead in a feature-length debut is a big leap, and I’m sure the adults involved would have been concerned. That’s why I participated in the audition. After they saw me perform, it seems they felt confident enough to say, “She’ll be fine.”
‘A Tale of Winter,’ releasing in December, features Yuya Matsuura as a struggling screenwriter living in Hirosaki, Aomori. The story unfolds as he guides a visiting graphic designer, played by you, through the snowy streets of Hirosaki for a day—a sort of ‘Roman Holiday,’ set in Hirosaki from the male perspective. How did you come to join this project?
Yamamoto: Director Shunsaku Okuno of ‘A Tale of Winter’ apparently took an interest in me after watching ‘The Cat Escaped.’ I landed that role through an audition, but I think auditions aren’t just about luck, connections, or timing—they’re also influenced by the energy and vision of the directors and staff. The opportunities I encountered back then have led to new ones, creating a chain of connections that shaped my current situation. So when people praise me for the string of releases I have this year and ask, “How does it feel?” I see it as the time I invested in the past paving the way for the opportunities I have now.
