The allure of the stage came to Hajime Mori in an unusual way.
When he was a small boy, his mother took him to the theater, where his seat at the end of the row happened to give him a sideways glimpse into the wings.
He said: “I was so interested to realize that actors were working on stage. When they went off, I could see a little bit how they reverted to being themselves. That moment was wonderful, so funny, so exciting.” For Hajime, that was the beginning of a continuing passion, leading him to the only career he has ever considered.
He is gentle, genuine, and devoted. He grew up in Osaka, the only child of parents who both worked as civil servants.
Upon their retirement, the pair then became potters.
On finishing high school, he came on his own to Tokyo to enter the drama school of Toho Gakuen.
“My father was opposed to the idea as he knew how difficult it would be to make a living. I was 18, and at the drama school completely the junior, among students who had already studied literature and drama in university.
“My first two years were so hard, but I didn’t have enough time to think about giving up. I did enjoy life on my own.”
Mori passed in all his subjects, and graduated in four years.
But then, he failed his audition to enter the theater company Haiyuza. “I had to have a serious talk with my father,” he said. “I asked him for one more chance, and he agreed. My parents were so good to me. Fortunately, the next year I passed.”
He began his theater life fully committed to work on stage, with some television and film performances added. Although he inclined toward British and Russian classical plays produced in the Japanese language, he also felt it important to attend language school to study English.
“I made lots of international friends at Tokyo International Players, and learned about different kinds of theater.
“The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art was giving workshops in Tokyo, and I attended four of them.”
In 2000, Mori had his big chance when he was given a one-year scholarship to study at RADA in London.
Understandably, he is still ecstatic at the rewards he reaped from that course, and at the confidence he developed in himself as actor and beginning director.
“At first I was so nervous,” he revealed. “Then I asked myself, ‘Why am I so frightened?’ This is a workshop.”
He attended a course on Shakespeare in which he was the only Japanese student in company with an English student and several Americans.
When he was named assistant director for an RADA play, he decided to keep a rehearsal diary.
On his first day in the position, he wrote, “I was quite nervous: would the RADA students accept me or not? Would I understand the English well enough? Was I really up to the work?
“But I realized that they were trained very well already to work with outsiders. And I was surprised at the high standard of their acting ability.”
As an assistant director and through his other RADA courses, Hajime learned to probe the depths of every aspect that goes toward making up theater.
“I used to be afraid of failure on stage,” he said. “Now I am afraid in case I cannot explore enough, cannot discover more in each character.”
As part of his training in London, Mori received instruction in the Alexander technique.
This, he said, centers on the spine and is very important. “If we have good spine position, we can breathe deeply, increase our oxygen supply, improve our blood circulation and even our thinking processes.
An actor needs not only to be able to breathe deeply, but often he has to assume different postures which are not good.
The Alexander technique teaches physical correction.” After concentrated study, Mori qualified to teach trainees of his own.
He is able to receive people, “not only actors, but also anyone needing some physical help,” at his lovely riverside residence in Seijo in Tokyo’s Setagaya Ward, tel. (03) 3483-7421.
His sojourn in London opened up many new directions for Mori’s career. As well as acting and doing voice-over work through his Haiyuza company, he teaches classes in acting. He is currently involved in translating the Alexander technique text book.
“I saw many good plays in London last year,” he said. “I would like to translate some of them. And now I want to do more directing.”
Click to enlarge