ab： Let's speak about what you get up to outside of work! What kind of things are you into at the moment?


Yamaguchi: I got into rakugo (traditional Japanese comic storytelling) in May this year. As soon as I started I was totally hooked. My teacher is from the Tatekawa-ryu (school). I was telling my mom about it on LINE and she sent me a message saying "You've finally become a rakugo story teller!" That was pretty funny!

Everyone: (lol)!

Ito: She might have thought that you changed jobs!

Yamaguchi: I never told my mom that I wanted to become a rakugo story teller, so I'm not exactly sure where she got the idea that I am "finally" doing it (lol)! But I definitely want to give it my best shot.

Ito: Autumn is said to be the best season for reading in Japan, so I've had my head in a lot of books recently. I enjoy pretty much any genre, I tend to read mystery, science fiction, and fantasy. But I'm also interested in titles like the "Ten Rules for Happiness." I'm majoring in literature, so I enjoy having contact with printed text. I recently finished reading "Katte ni Furuetero" (Tremble All You Want) by Risa Wataya. That is a book I would definitely recommend. It's an interesting, well-paced work that succinctly captures the emotions of a woman.


ab: Reading e-books on smartphones, tablets, and other devices has become pretty widespread, but there is something quite reassuring about actually holding a book in your hands. It gives you a warm kind of feeling, don't you think?

Ito: Definitely!

Yamaguchi: Do you prefer digital? Or do you enjoy reading an actual book?

Ito: I like books! I love book stores, I think that they are great place to relax and unwind.

ab: Finally, do you have a message to all the asianbeat readers both in Japan and overseas?

Yamaguchi: When I attend events and conventions overseas, I am always surprised at the amazingly warm response I am given, even in places that I have never been to before. Those kinds of experiences have shown me how much people love Japanese animation, and that fills me with so much happiness. I hope we can have some more great times together next time I visit!

Ito: When I go abroad I often experience people calling out my name; they usually call out a greeting or introduce themselves to me in Japanese. I really feel peoples love for Japan. That makes me really want to travel overseas and give my all every time I go outside of Japan. I am so honored to have worked on the film version of "MAZINGER Z," a title that has so much history. I hope that the readers of your multi-lingual website asianbeat enjoy the picture, along with people all over the world. Please check-it-out if you get a chance Thank you so much!