Recommendations Pouring In! Masanobu Takashima's First Essay Collection "Smart Kids Don't Stay Long" to Be Released on June 24th (Wednesday)!

Behind Takashima Masanobu's calm smile lies a sense of danger. This actor, who exudes an unyielding presence, has penned an essay collection titled "Smart Kids Don't Stay Long," in which he recounts his unadorned daily life along with memorable quotes. The collection will be published by Shinchosha on June 24th (Wednesday).

Since its serialization, the rakugo performer Kanda Hakusan has highly praised the essays on his radio program "Kanda Hakusan's Unrestrained Talk," and the episode "Intimacy Coordinator," which records his filming experience for the NHK drama "Ooku," has garnered a huge response online and been selected for "Best Essays 2025," among other pre-release accolades, making it a highly regarded volume.

Prior to its publication, recommendations have arrived from Kanda Hakusan and the writer Kawakami Mimi.

Rakugo performer Kanda Hakusan

"Sister, it's an incident!"

Takashima Masanobu's essays are very interesting.

I'm sorry!

Writer Kawakami Mimi

The dazzling days of an entertainment family, precious memories, the severity of the arts, and everything learned from them.

Takashima's cheerful narration invites us to the delightful space between acting and living,

and shakes our hearts so softly.

The lost hotelier from the familiar "HOTEL" where "Sister, it's an incident" is known, to Takeda Shingen from the weighty "Toyotomi Brothers!" He has acted in a wide range of works and left a strong impact on viewers with his all-out performances, sometimes called "eccentric." The first essay collection by Masanobu Takashima, Japan's number one eccentric actor, will be released.

Born into the entertainment family Takashima, the volume featuring memories of Masanobu includes the continuous appearance of big names in the entertainment world. His father, Takashima Tadashi, who was actually a super eccentric person, and his death. His mother, Sumika Hanafuda, casually reveals memories of the master director Yasujiro Ozu. Summer vacations swimming in the pool with John Lennon, being stunned by the great actor Fujiyama Kanbei and aspiring to become his apprentice, and spending dreamy time with his idols Ito Shiro and Uekusa.

In addition, there are his outrageous acting methods that do not fear bloodshed, his harrowing overseas audition experience, the essence of acting told to his son, his supernatural experiences with "Zashiki-warashi" twice, and his strong interest in cosmetic medicine, among other hot, straight, and somewhat off-center daily lives, which are delivered to you along with the quotes he encountered there.

■ Release Commemorative Event Decided!

To commemorate the publication of this book, talk and signing sessions have been decided in Tokyo and Osaka.

[Tokyo] June 30th (Tuesday) 19:00~ Kinokuniya Bookstore Shinjuku Main Store

▶ https://store.kinokuniya.co.jp/event/1779865796/

[Osaka] July 5th (Sunday) 18:30~ Umeda Lateral (available for streaming)

▶ https://lateral-osaka.com/schedule/2026-07-05-19499/

■ Selected for Best Essays 2025!

"Intimacy Coordinator," included in this book, is a record of the entire process of carefully proceeding with filming while employing an intimacy coordinator (a specialist who supports the filming of sexual scenes or nude scenes in movies and dramas, considering the mental and physical safety of the parties involved), which is still rare in Japan, when playing the role of Tokugawa Ieyoshi, who sexually assaults his daughter in the NHK drama "Ooku."

When it was published on the web, it received a huge response, and the post introducing this essay recorded 8,000 retweets and 16,000 likes. It threw a stone into the way of the filming site, which is said to be prone to power harassment and sexual harassment, and was also selected for "Best Essays 2025" (Kobayashi Shoten Publishing) compiled by the Japan Writers Association.

Try reading here

■ Comment from Masanobu Takashima

"Life" is a script, and I have been playing the role of "Masanobu Takashima." You can play it any way you like, and if you get tired, you can quit anytime. But if you continue to act, I want to act happily. I know from experience that those who are having fun, regardless of age, are unbeatable.

I have been saved by the words of many great seniors so far. Actors, comedians, rockers, jazzmen, chefs, dermatologists, designers, hoteliers, fighters, horror masters, and my parents.

These legendary words will surely be useful when you are stuck in life.

I, who have been playing "Masanobu Takashima" for 59 years, will teach you all about role-playing in this book.

■ Book Introduction

The acting methods that produce "eccentric performances," the dreamy time with Fujiyama Kanbei, whom he seriously aspired to apprentice, and his idols Ito Shiro and Uekusa, his father who was a super eccentric person and his death, his mother who casually reveals memories of director Yasujiro Ozu, supernatural experiences, and interest in beauty treatments. We deliver the hot, straight, and somewhat off-center daily life as it is. Includes 20 pieces, including the highly acclaimed "Intimacy Coordinator."

■ Author Introduction

Masanobu Takashima (Takashima Masanobu)

Born in Tokyo in 1966. Born between the actor Takashima Tadashi and the former Takarazuka top star Sumika Hanafuda, he was raised in a family of entertainers, and his older brother Masahiro Takashima also works as an actor.

Made his acting debut in 1985 with the stage "Tokoton Yasashiku Soba ni Ite." Appeared in the consecutive TV novel "Junchan no Oenka" in 1988. The role of Akikawa Ichiro, a hotelier played in the drama "HOTEL" which began broadcasting in 1990, became a huge hit along with the line "Sister, it's an incident," and the work became a long-running series. In 1991, he won the Japan Academy Award for New Actor for the role of Kuroki Shou in the movie "Godzilla vs. Biollante." Other representative works include the role of Shiinagi Keisuke in the drama "Kochira Honjukujo," the role of Moriyama Taku in "DOCTORS: The Strongest Doctor," and the role of Hojo Ujiyasu in "Sanadamaru." Since 1995, he has also been active in various fields, such as hosting the reading session "Reading Session."

Masanobu Takashima © Shinchosha

■ Book Data

[Title] Smart Kids Don't Stay Long

[Author] Masanobu Takashima

[Release Date] June 24, 2026

[Binding] Softcover, A5

[Price] 1,925 yen (tax included)

[ISBN] 978-4-10-357041-7

[URL] https://www.shinchosha.co.jp/book/357041/