12/7/2023 0 Comments Saito soma![]() I was looking up a couple of things when the thought ‘Ramen is a food culture that Japan should be proud of’ suddenly occurred to me. I think Soma-kun’s tried out a lot of Japanese ‘experiences’ so far so I wanted to pick something that hasn’t been done yet. It’s surprising to see a link between the Heart of Japan and ramen. Q: In volume 4 we see you tackling ramen making at the request of Uchida-san. My experiences here have taught me about flexibility in calibrating between 2 different types of approaches and I hope it will aid me in expressing myself in a way that suits a character or a story. Some of the techniques used are relevant in acting as well in terms of how a performance changes depending on whether you apply too much or too little. However, if you overdo it, the shape might crumble so you have to apply a gentle touch – both elements of power and subtlety are needed. In the making of wagashi, there are sections where you have to use a bit of strength. Saito: Through this programme we were able to observe various methods of creating, and what I learned from it was that ‘no matter what you do, “100% fearlessness” is unnecessary, neither is “100% gracefulness”. From his fingers alone, you could understand that they were the fingers of one who had been making these sweets by hand for many, many years. I saw how big and broad the fingers of the (store owner) father who taught us how to make the confectionery were. When I consider how much thought goes into each individual piece of wagashi, the importance of the history of our culture really hits home. It takes a lot of time as you have to use your hands to make them one by one, and not by using a mold. Uchida: I had fun, but it was really tough…! This time, we tried to make nerikiri – I learned for the first time, just how intricate the process is. For volume 3, the 2 of you took part in a wagashi (Japanese confectionery) course – what did you think of it? He’s also a very considerate, good listener no matter what you have to say, which makes me think ‘What an incredibly kind person he is’. When I’m dining with Yuma-kun, all I need to do is look at him eating and I am filled with bliss. Also, I love to see Yuma-kun eating! I discussed this with (Okamoto) Nobuhiko-san before as well – that it’s wonderful to see someone eating so much food so deliciously. Saito: (laughs) Yes, that smile encapsulates everything that is good about Yuma-kun his pleasant personality, friendliness etc. Q: Saito-san – what do you like about Uchida-san? He’s also a very genuine person and I feel at ease when I’m with him. Uchida: He’s very logical, thinks about a lot of things deeply and is very passionate! He may look cool but he’s a guy who’s full of fire! When we stay together past midnight you can start to feel that passion flowing from him. Q: Uchida-san, what do you like about Saito-san? I admire Soma-kun as he possesses a lot of traits that I lack, and it’s really fun to be with him. Uchida: I was just thinking that I’d like to talk to Soma-kun more – our schedules matched up, and we spent all that time talking. We once spent around 5 hours at a restaurant, just the 2 of us (laughs) Uchida: After getting acquainted we started working together quite frequently and would often go for meals together…and that brings us to where we are today. Yuma-kun has always been very frank when speaking to me, which means I don’t have to put my guard up around him too much. Saito: Before we met, I’d heard from Kaito-kun that ‘he’s fun and a really nice guy’ (laughs) And true to his word, he turned out to be a really interesting guy when I met him. Uchida: Oh yeah, we were introduced by a mutual friend! Saito: Weren’t we introduced by Ishikawa (Kaito)-kun? ![]() ![]() Uchida: What…was it? Seems like we were always together by the time I’d noticed it (laughs) ![]() Q: First of all, please tell us how you became friends. The series, a spin-off from Eguchi Takuya’s Ore-Iya show, features Soma exploring the ‘Heart of Japan’ through various Japanese cultural experiences such as shrine visits, bonsai, sake brewing and so on. Quick 30-min translation of a short piece with Saito Soma & Uchida Yuma regarding Saito’s variety show ‘ Saito Soma no Wagokoro o Kimi ni’ (Saito Soma brings the Heart of Japan to You) aka Somakimi. ![]()
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