Mayu Hotta look.2

Mayu Hotta made her acting debut in a television drama in 2015 and has since appeared in numerous high-profile and critically acclaimed productions. Now marking her 10th anniversary in the industry, what thoughts are on her mind as she reaches this milestone year? We asked her to reflect on her journey so far—and to share her vision for the future.

First, a complete style refresh. In look.2, she showcases a mode-inspired outfit pairing a classic double-breasted jacket with sporty track pants.

“I absolutely love jackets and own quite a few, but I’d never paired one with jersey track pants before. The unexpected contrast felt very current and incredibly cute. Of course, a double-breasted jacket can be worn formally, and these vibrant blue track pants would also work well in a sporty mix look. Layering socks over the track pants was refreshing, too. It lets you play with different colors and patterns, and you can scrunch them like loose socks to adjust the silhouette—it’s really fun. I’ve been curious about how to style jersey pieces lately, so this was a great learning experience for me!”

In contrast to the sweet impression of look.1, she stepped in front of the camera wrapped in a cool, composed aura—as if embodying an entirely different character. Watching her effortlessly transform through fashion is a vivid reminder of her expressive power as an actor. What, then, does she find most compelling about acting?

“One of the most fascinating aspects of acting is being able to take on experiences you could never have in real life, or become someone you could never be. Sometimes, you’re not even human,” she laughs. “Another thing is that acting expands the range of your emotions. To build a character, you have to deeply understand someone else’s feelings. You use your imagination to construct a person within yourself who is completely different from you. If I hadn’t become an actor, I might have lived my life seeing everything only from my own perspective. Playing different people and professions has enriched my emotional world. At the same time, it nurtures compassion.

“When you only look at things from your own point of view, you tend to focus on your own sense of what’s right. But when you think about many different characters, you realize that each person has their own version of ‘rightness.’ There are as many truths as there are people. That awareness fosters respect and empathy, and helps you become kinder to others.”

For Hotta, acting is empathy. Hearing her perspective—shaped by continually becoming someone else—feels deeply convincing. To further refine her craft, she says she values one thing above all: truly listening to others.

“It may sound obvious, but I treasure attentive listening just as much in acting as in everyday life. Acting isn’t something you can do alone; dialogue with your co-stars is essential. I’m always conscious of really listening to the other person’s lines. The words you imagine while reading a script can sound completely different when you actually hear them spoken on set. In daily life, you can’t always predict what someone will say next. Acting is the same. Even if you know the next line, you shouldn’t fall into a rehearsed rhythm. I try to stay receptive to subtle changes in pronunciation or emotional nuance, and respond with freshness. That’s why I sometimes change what I had planned.”

Through this repeated practice of listening on set, she has built her career on remarkable expressive depth. Among her many works, she cites Ōoku: The Third Shogun Iemitsu and Arikoto Madenokōji Arc as a turning point—one that made her realize just how profound and joyful acting can be.“It remains one of my signature works,” she says, before explaining why.

“Appearing in a period drama—and portraying Tokugawa Iemitsu (Chie), the third shogun—was an incredibly significant experience for me. Ōoku is a beloved series that has been performed across generations by many esteemed actors, so I felt a lot of pressure at first. At the same time, I was entrusted with a crucial role that would connect the story to future eras—passing the baton to Riisa Naka as the fifth shogun Tsunayoshi and Ai Tominaga as the eighth shogun Yoshimune. It was both an honor and a responsibility that truly humbled me.”

Though she faced challenges and doubts, overcoming them made the experience all the more rewarding.

“I feel that period dramas suit me—they’re so much fun. There are stricter rules than in contemporary dramas, from language and dialect to gestures and movement, which makes them more demanding. But that difficulty brings an incredible sense of achievement. Iemitsu was also a deeply multifaceted character—forced to live as a man despite being born a woman, acting as the first female shogun while also becoming a mother. Portraying her many dimensions within a single story was challenging, but it gave me tremendous confidence.

“My approach to work hasn’t fundamentally changed, but since Ōoku, I’ve had more opportunities to take on roles and projects I genuinely want to pursue. I think many people came to know me through that series, which led to new opportunities. It also gave me the confidence to say, ‘I want to try a project like this.’ That work allowed me to truly express myself as an actor.”

Despite her extensive experience, she admits she hasn’t always been comfortable placing herself in new environments. However, taking on the role of MC for the information program Google Pixel presents ANOTHER SKY sparked a change.

“I’m actually the type who gets intimidated when trying something new. Even if I’m interested, expanding my world doesn’t come naturally to me. But through Google Pixel presents ANOTHER SKY, I’ve had the chance to reflect on the lives of many guests and witness their stories and values. That has inspired me to step into new worlds and broaden my own horizons. The program has also encouraged me to rethink how I spend my private time—it’s truly expanded my perspective.”

These days, the country she most wants to visit is Spain. She dreams of experiencing the local cuisine firsthand and seeing the Sagrada Família—scheduled for completion this year—with her own eyes. Perhaps her desire to “see the real thing” has grown stronger as she looks ahead to the future, now that she has reached the significant milestone of her 10th anniversary.

“For the past decade, I’ve approached every project with the determination to make every choice I made the right one. Since moving to Tokyo at 17, I’ve charged forward single-mindedly, focusing only on what was in front of me. You could say I’ve lived for acting. I treated even my hobbies and personal interests as things connected to my work. Now that I’ve reached this 10-year mark, I want to value balance more moving forward.

“As I’ve had more opportunities to travel overseas for work and encounter different perspectives through the program, my mindset has gradually shifted—from ‘living for work’ to ‘working to live.’ I want to approach acting while being conscious of what I truly want and who I want to be. Recently, I feel like I’ve been able to put that into practice.”

It is also a commitment to valuing herself more deeply. As she prepares for the next stage of her career, what does she envision for the future?

“While I don’t choose projects based on the protagonist’s gender, I do hope to be part of more stories centered on female leads. This is an era in which women are increasingly taking the lead, and I believe there’s a strength and lightness of expression that only women can bring.

“Also, through my seven-plus years on Sakagami Animal Kingdom, I’ve witnessed situations like animal hoarding firsthand, and it makes me strongly wish there were more places where animals could be rescued. Because I’m constantly confronting the relationship between humans and animals, I want to use my platform as an actor to help convey these messages. And through Google Pixel presents ANOTHER SKY, as I engage with different cultures and connect more with the world, I’ve become more determined to improve my English,” she adds with a laugh.

What has enabled Mayu Hotta to sustain such a vibrant acting career for a decade? Certainly, it is her deep passion and love for acting. But perhaps it is also because—even as she admits she is not naturally adept at expanding her world—she embraces the changes that come her way.We won’t want to look away from Mayu Hotta as she continues to evolve.

→ In look.1, we asked about her relationship with her favorite fashion styles.

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Direction : Shinsuke Nozaka
Photo, Movie : Genki Nishikawa
Stylist : Kosei Matsuda
Hair & Make up : Tomoe Nakayama
Text : Hisamoto Chikaraishi(S/T/D/Y)