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Satomi Ishihara nurses it better
By Chris Betros
Satomi Ishihara takes a break from "Nurse Aoi."
TOKYO — Any girl who can beat out 32,000 others in an audition must have something special going for her. Satomi Ishihara, 19, has certainly achieved a lot in the four years since she won the 27th Talent Scout Caravan “Pure Girl 2002” grand prix organized by the HoriPro agency. Ishihara is bright and excited about her first interview with English media. It’s the end of a long day at Fuji TV where she has been filming her current hit TV series, “Nurse Aoi,” and she is still in her nurse’s uniform, stethoscope and all.
Airing every Tuesday at 9 p.m. on Fuji, “Nurse Aoi” is sort of a Japanese version of “ER.” Ishihara plays the title character, Aoi Misora, a nurse at a big hospital, who finds herself constantly at odds with conniving doctors and bureaucratic supervisors. Nurse Aoi tries to bring a more humane touch to the intensive care unit.
“I think nursing is a wonderful profession. I’ve always had great respect for them, though I don’t think I could ever be one,” says Ishihara. To prepare for the role, she spent time with nurses and staff at medical facilities, learning how to measure blood pressure, take X-rays and so on. The drama, which is achieving good ratings, has been praised for its reality by real nurses, some of whom are Ishihara’s friends. “I have also received a lot of feedback from viewers, including young girls saying they’d like to become nurses.”
Ishihara says starring in the program has heightened her awareness of problems in the medical profession. “We’re hearing about a lot of problems that happen in hospitals, like mishaps and subsequent cover-ups. It’s scary that these things happen to everybody, from children to adults," Ishihara says. “From what I have learned doing this drama, I can see why these things happen, so whenever I hear such news, it gets my attention.”
Born in Tokyo on Christmas Eve 1986, Ishihara recalls having no plans to go into showbiz when she was a child. Having played the koto for nine years, she thought of becoming a teacher one day. “I was interested in becoming a radio announcer, but that was about as close to wanting to get into showbiz as I got,” she says.
Then one day she saw on the Internet that HoriPro was having its annual audition, which the talent agency does in 28 locations. Ishihara entered the contest, which consisted of a Q&A, some acting and a swimsuit contest. The rest is history.
Since then, Ishihara has worked pretty much nonstop in between completing her schooling. Prior to “Nurse Aoi,” she has starred in other TV dramas such as “Akai Giwaku,” “H2,” “Water Boys 2” and NHK’s popular year-long drama “Yo$hitsune,” which is considered a prestige for any actress. Her film credits include “One Year in the North” and “My Grandpa” (for which she won a Japan Academy Award for best rookie).
Besides acting, Ishihara has released photo albums, done calendar spreads and appears in many TV commercials, among them Glico Pocky, Dai-ichi Seimei insurance and Suntory BOSS. She also does a regular radio program called “Say to Me” every Sunday from 9:30 p.m. on Nippon Hoso. “It’s a variety show in which I reply to postcards and emails from fans and just chat about tall the things I’m doing,” she says.
Ishihara says she would like to get better at English and make her mark on the international entertainment scene. Besides filming commercials abroad, her only real exposure overseas has been two home stays in Sydney and Saipan.
When she is filming, Ishihara normally starts her day before 6 a.m. and finishes late at night, which leaves her little free time for her hobbies of classical ballet, hip hop dance and basketball, she laments. “About the only thing I have time for is cooking,” she says. On the few rare days off she has, Ishihara likes to hang out with friends, go to Disneyland or the movies. She prefers to dress casually when she is out and about, often hiding beneath a cap to ward off unwanted attention. “I don’t mind shaking hands or chatting with fans, though,” she says, citing Shibuya and Daikanyama as her favorite haunts.
Asked what her ideal man would be, Ishihara has no hesitation. “He must be smart, sincere and kind.” Oh, and guys, take note: you better like natto spaghetti because that’s Ishihara’s favorite meal.
Name: 
Saka no Ue no Kumo 
Voice 
