Japanese Director Visits Taiwan Three Times for Acting Invitation; Joseph Cheng Cries After Finishing Japanese Lines

(CNA Taipei, July 4) Taiwanese-Japanese co-production "Like a Rolling Stone" stars Taiwanese actor Joseph Cheng and Japanese actress Yukino Kishii. Japanese director Yukihiro Makabe stated today that he visited Taiwan three times to invite Cheng to act in the film. Cheng, on the other hand, was exhausted by the Japanese lines and burst into tears immediately after filming wrapped.

"Like a Rolling Stone" is adapted from the novel by Japanese author Banana Yoshimoto. 80% of the film was shot in Taiwan. Japanese director Yukihiro Makabe, Japanese producer Go Abe, Taiwanese actor Joseph Cheng, and Japanese actors Yukino Kishii and Satoru Fujiwara attended a Taipei Film Festival event today.

Japanese director Yukihiro Makabe said in an interview today that he visited Taiwan three times to have in-depth discussions to persuade Joseph Cheng to take on the role. Cheng admitted that he knew his language skills were not good and only had about two months to prepare and learn Japanese. He initially wanted to start with the basic Japanese syllabary but later realized it was too late and could only understand the Chinese lines before memorizing the Japanese ones. "Each scene took more than a week, and I am very grateful to the director. I didn't know what many of my emotions were, but when the director came to Taiwan for location scouting, he would practice with me. On days I wasn't filming, he would also come to practice with me."

Cheng revealed that the final scene had many Japanese lines that are not used in daily conversation. Midway through filming, the director even suggested he wear an earpiece to listen to Japanese on the side of his face that wasn't visible to the camera. "But my actor's spirit kicked in, and I didn't want to do that. Even if it was shot piece by piece, I wanted to complete it." He admitted that by the end, his willpower and physical strength were depleted, but the director encouraged him, saying everyone would be with him until the end. The moment filming wrapped, he was so relieved that he burst into tears on the spot. "Only then could I breathe again. I am very grateful for this work; it is a very precious memory for me, and I am looking forward to the movie's release."

Yukino Kishii said she has visited Taiwan seven or eight times, and each time it was for the fruit. "I can come anytime for the fruit, and this time, many fans greeted me at the airport, which was a pleasant surprise."

The 28th Taipei Film Festival will be held from now until July 11, 2026. (Edited by Chang Ming-kun) 1150704

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