※The names of the managers appearing in this article are shown with initials to protect personal information and out of consideration for online literacy.
In the fall of 2025, NHK will premiere its new Serial TV Novel “THE GHOST WRITER'S WIFE”. Akari Takaishi, who plays the protagonist modeled after Setsu Koizumi, the wife of Meiji-era literary scholar Yakumo Koizumi, has received much praise for her performance, firmly placing herself in the spotlight.
And behind her success, of course, is the presence of the team supporting her. This time, we spoke with Takaishi and her managers, Manager S and Manager R, from Avex Management Agency Inc., about her journey so far and what lies ahead.
Through their laughter-filled conversation, the positive atmosphere surrounding them shines through.
（Photo from left）
Avex Management Agency Inc. Manager S
Akari Takaishi
Avex Management Agency Inc. Manager R
There’s No Finish Line.
And That’s What Makes It Fun.
From a young age, Akari Takaishi admired television dramas and would often say, “I want to be an actor.” She entered the entertainment industry at the age of 11 and has built her career mainly on stage performances.
Manager S first met her in 2019, when Takaishi was 17. Looking back, Manager S describes her as “radiant.”
Whenever Takaishi listened intently to someone or became absorbed in something, her eyes brimmed with curiosity, as if they were shining with light.
Yet she herself was unaware of this. Even when she was being corrected by Manager S, a situation in which most people would be downcast, Takaishi was told, “Your eyes are sparkling,” which she herself found puzzling.
Unconsciously, her eyes would shine whenever she was trying to take in something new, a natural expression of her eagerness to learn.
Manager S spoke to her with strict but affectionate words, and each time, Takaishi accepted and absorbed them, knowing that, “She is being corrected because it’s something that will help her.”
Even now, after shifting her career from stage acting to television, film, and other screen productions, Takaishi’s eagerness to keep learning through each project remains unchanged.
The driving force behind this, she says, is the joy she finds in the fact that “There is no finish line in acting.”
For her, this means “Continuing to deepen the understanding of the role.”
In the past, she focused only on her own performance. Now, through her roles, she strives to continually explore and refine each character. That, she says, is the true depth of acting, and the reason she continues to love her work.
She feels the essence of acting lies in the endless pursuit of each role, never reaching complete satisfaction, but finding meaning in the journey itself.
As she spoke, Takaishi's eyes shone softly, unchanged from the days when Manager S described them as “radiant.”
Fulfilling Her Dream with the Entire
Avex Company Involved
Takaishi views her own growth with composure.
In the past, even when she was on set, she could not shake off a “floaty feeling,” as if she were still dreaming. But she knew that was not enough to be a professional.
At 18, through many conversations with Manager S, she began to develop the mindset to “look at her own work from an objective perspective” and to “separate work from dreams.”
In contrast, from the very beginning Manager S drew a clear line, seeing herself as a “business partner.”
With a calm, sometimes strict eye on actor Akari Takaishi, she maintained that stance. Looking back, Takaishi reflects, “If our relationship had been more like friends, it definitely wouldn’t have worked.” What permeates their bond is deep gratitude and a “tremendous love.” That balance of composure and affection creates just the right distance, making their relationship unique.
An actor carries her own name and stands in the spotlight alone. Because it is an irreplaceable role, Manager S has always emphasized the importance of having an “on/off switch between work and private life.”
Even in moments when she felt on the verge of breaking, Manager S supported Takaishi while deliberately keeping a little distance, so that she could reset herself. This approach is standard in business, but here it also reveals the strong trust they share.
The two have continued walking side by side with a “two as one” sense of partnership, like running a three-legged race. Because they have shared both joys and sorrows on the same level, Takaishi says her time with Manager S has become “a switch that helps her return to herself as an actress,” a pillar of support whenever her heart begins to waver.
Another force behind Takaishi’s broad range of activities is Avex’s corporate culture: “As long as it makes sense, we’ll back any challenge.”
The wide discretion given to managers is also one reason she can pursue her dreams so freely.
When there is something Takaishi wants to do, she voices it, and draws others in. That spirit extends beyond just the actress and her manager, spreading throughout Avex as a whole.
Becoming a Well-known Actor
Throughout Japan
And finally, the NHK Serial TV Novel “THE GHOST WRITER'S WIFE” is about to begin. Takaishi plays the main protagonist, Toki Matsuno, a character inspired by Meiji-era’s literary scholar Yakumo Koizumi’s wife.
Becoming the "star of a Morning drama” had long been her dream.
She had auditioned twice before, but each time her excitement got the better of her, and she went into the auditions with a frivolous attitude.
The third attempt, however, was different.
The day before the audition, Manager S sent her a message: “I have no proof, but I have a good feeling about this.” These words struck a deep chord with Takaishi, easing her tension and allowing her to calmly give her all on the day of the audition.
Looking back, Manager S recalls feeling an affinity between the role and Takaishi's position as both an actor and an individual at the time, and she had an intuition from the start that it would be a perfect fit.
This conviction led her to decide not to take on any new work for the following year until the audition results were known.
Before filming began, after her casting was confirmed, Takaishi received a birthday gift accompanied by messages from the staff. Deeply moved, she already felt a family-like bond with the team. Reflecting back on that moment, she said, “I want to work with these people,” and “I want to repay them with performances that live up to their expectations.”
It was at this turning point that Manager R joined the team. Manager R, who “wanted a job where she could find meaning in every task,” had switched careers from a different industry.
She immediately resonated with the Takaishi team's approach, and was particularly impressed by their unwavering attitude of gratitude and respect towards everyone involved.
Now with Manager R joining the team that the two had built up until now, one could feel that this three-person unit now places even greater emphasis on the “attitude of gratitude and respect for everyone involved.”
This attitude naturally spreads to those around them, and it is certain that even more fans will come to love her, and the name “Akari Takaishi” will become known to an even wider audience.
When asked what they expect from Takaishi, the two managers replied that she should continue to be “an actor who thinks outside the box and keeps taking on interesting challenges.”
While carefully selecting projects is important, they also believe she should actively embrace roles regardless of a project’s scale, as long as audiences feel, “This is a role I want Akari Takaishi to play.” Ultimately, they want her to become someone for whom audiences think, “If Akari Takaishi is in it, I want to see it.”
Takaishi herself takes these expectations to heart, saying, “First of all, I will never forget my gratitude to my two managers, and I want to be an actor they will always adore.”
You cannot continue working as a manager without genuinely liking the person you support. It is this feeling that drives her determination to “continue honing herself, both as an actor and as a person, so that people will want to support.”
“Love” is the purest driving force in the entertainment world. Takaishi gathers the various forms of love surrounding her, transforms them into her own strength, and climbs steadily higher and higher as an actor.
Her eyes always sparkle, and her two managers watch over her with strict but warm gazes. Their relationship is unusual, closer than family, yet maintaining the professional distance of business partners.
She will continue to strive to become an actor widely loved throughout Japan.
