Up until last year, 24-year-old Hikari Mitsushima was best known as a former member of the Okinawan idol group Folder 5.
Then she returned in fine style, wowing critics and cinemagoers alike with her role in Sion Sono's critically acclaimed, four-hour exploration of religion and romance, "Ai no Mukidashi" ("Love Exposure"). Now she's a searing hot property as one of Japan's most in-demand young actresses.
"My working environment has changed a lot," Mitsushima said during a recent interview with The Japan Times at the Eurospace Theater in central Tokyo's Shibuya Ward. "Now I get more offers to star in films."