When I get a script for a new work, the first thing I do is read it and crystallize the image of the character I'm playing.

"Of course I memorize my lines, but I also think about how the character will act and what they are thinking inside when there is a line that says '...' and flesh it out. In the case of a play, I write down everything from basic things like how to move from here to what I feel as I perform each day, and I also write down instructions from the director, including the date. Interestingly, the script is all connected by the flow of the play, so I also write down points such as which parts of the other person's lines were good. In serial dramas, I sometimes act without knowing what will happen to the role I am playing as the story unfolds, but sometimes I imagine what will happen next in the script and consult with the director or producer while I act. Thankfully, I have been blessed with wonderful teachers and mentors since my days at Takarazuka, so although they didn't tell me to do things in particular, it's a habit that I naturally acquired."

To expand on a role from the script, watching other genres of stage productions and people watching can also be helpful.

"I learn a lot from watching other people's plays, but Kyogen has been particularly instructive. I had the opportunity to experience the phrasing of lines in a chanted style, and felt the importance of each and every sound in the words, which gave me a chance to deepen my love for acting. I also get inspiration from many other places, such as Korean dramas and the way office workers smoke cigarettes."