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Keita Machida, Be Your Own Treasure/ 町田啓太成為自己的寶物

Dylan Tang
Apr 26, 2021
4 min read

Japanese pop culture has always been iconic in Asia. As the largest island country in the region, Japan's high standard for everything can perhaps explain why they can always be the best of the best. Because of "Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!", Keita Machida has become a desired talent. His exquisite acting and flawless appearance make his every move a hot topic on the Internet.

"I have experienced many frustrations,

and of course there are some times I can't overcome them."

Popular culture has always been a trend in Japan. Whether it is singing, variety shows, or acting, every field has its own popularity indicators for each period. Keita Machida was born in Generation Z and earned his fame during Generation Covid. Such a phenomenon can be said to have produced a huge change overnight. When asked if he had ever experienced a low point, Machida said "I have experienced many frustrations, and of course there are some times I can't overcome them. But I don't think it's a sin to be unable to overcome them. I will ask others for help and don't make myself stressed. It's okay to give up if it's not easy. This thought always stays with me." Maybe he is such an unyielding spirit that he can only have the energy to shine when the opportunity that belongs to him comes!

"I want to go anywhere as long as it belongs to destiny"

As an actor, Keita Machida has a lot of opportunities, but he still has something to write about and to do. He wants to understand the values of others, who they are and how to present the performance. "The people I want to collaborate with are Keanu Reeves, Eddie Redmayne, Tom Cruise, Tony Leung, Takeshi Kaneshiro... I may not be able to list them all. Because I want to know how the actors perform in the work, I want to understand their values when performing." From his answer, it can be guessed that if it weren't for the current pandemic making it impossible to travel around the world, the 30-year-old actor with a different worldview might have performed different kinds of activities around the world. More carefully, I asked; if you want to develop overseas, where will you choose as your first stop? He said shyly "I want to go anywhere as long as it belongs to destiny"

"Power may be something that can affect the future"

As his reputation grows, Machida's influence on social media should not be underestimated. However, he has many explanations for the English word Power. "I think there are various explanations for Power. It may be something that can affect the future. If you can make something better, you will want to own (Power), but if it makes something degenerate or abused, it's not good. This makes me feel that I must re-examine the meaning and use of "Power" again.” Machida's answer gave me pause, because his simple sentences defy the literal meaning of the word. Perhaps this kind of open-ended answer makes people more fascinated by the actor and want to know his daily life which has a different lifestyle from ordinary people.

"I attach the most importance to sleep and food,

and now I will try my best to improve these two qualities in my life."

Keita Machida's lifestyle must be relatively different from everyone, but for him, there are also rules that must be followed in his life. "My physique consumes energy very easily and I will try my best not to forget to eat." And in balancing work and life, he emphasises the quality of diet and sleep. "I attach the most importance to sleep and food and now I will try my best to improve these two qualities in my life." Perhaps it is a rigorous attitude towards life, Machida can always show consistency on and off the camera.

"How are the eyebrows growing?"

At the end of the interview, I asked Keita Machida what career he would have if he weren't an actor. He mentioned that he would be a teacher and even wanted to be a pilot. Teachers and actors often come into contact with the crowd, whereas a pilot more closely represents his desire to explore the world. Perhaps it was because he learned that something different from others might actually become his own treasure. Because his eyebrows are the most attractive part of his body. Keita Machida said, "My favourite part is my eyebrows. I felt a little inferior but everyone said they looked pretty so I was surprised. I learned that things that are different from others can actually become my own treasures. Thanks to my parents for giving me such eyebrows. The sense of their presence has increased year by year, and I feel that I like it more and more." Finally, when asked what he wanted to ask himself ten years later, he replied playfully “How are the eyebrows growing?”

完整內容詳見臺客雜誌第8期

All content is in TAIKER Magazine ISSUE08