Avoiding Loneliness Means Never Becoming a Pioneer: Exclusive Interview with Ryoko Yonekura

──In Netflix's 'The Journalist', you played Anna Matsuda. Her solitary battle for truth amidst the 'darkness' of large organizations and implicit bias was inspiring for those in the media. What did journalism mean to you through that role?

Ryoko Yonekura (hereafter, Yonekura): Personally, I see journalism as being endlessly honest about 'rightness' and 'truth'.

However, what I discovered through the character of Anna Matsuda was slightly different. For her, journalism seemed to be more about the strong will to 'never stop questioning' rather than just uncovering the truth.

For each event, she questions what is happening and whether it is truly right. While empathizing with the bereaved, she never stops thinking and never gives up questioning. I felt that this attitude was her form of journalism.

──Did playing that role bring about any changes in, or influence, your internal stance on 'continuing to question'?

Yonekura: When I approach a project, I believe I have my own 'journalism of character creation'. In a world where there is no definitive 'correct answer' for a role, I constantly search and question. In that sense, the relentless pursuit in a world without a perfect score might resonate with her (Anna Matsuda).

However, personally, I tend to prefer clear 'yes or no' answers. So, I feel my journalism differs from hers.

Yet, if there's one commonality, it might be 'continuation'. I've practiced ballet since childhood, and I've found meaning in the accumulation of practice. Even if not naturally talented, results inevitably appear through persistence. Just as daily meals shape us, consistent habits eventually become part of us, forming who we are.

Therefore, in character creation, there are always new discoveries, and the moment I think 'this is OK', my growth as an artist ends. I want to always maintain that spirit of inquiry.