Japanese actress Tomoko Inoue, who went to mainland China for studies in 2005 and later entered the entertainment industry there, recently returned to Japan and gave an interview to a Japanese media outlet. She mentioned being shocked by the unwritten rules of the Chinese entertainment industry and expressed gratitude for not making foolish decisions.
At 44 years old, Inoue was born and raised in Japan, where she was already active in the entertainment industry before heading to China. She had been signed by a prominent Japanese entertainment company. However, a twist of fate led her to become the first Japanese entertainer to join a major entertainment company in China.
Having returned to Japan recently, on April 22, Inoue spoke to the Japanese media outlet “News-Post Seven” about her experiences in the Chinese entertainment industry. She revealed her astonishment at the culture of relying on connections in China. In contrast to securing job opportunities through talent agencies, Chinese celebrities often land roles through their personal connections, and it’s common for actors to give directors “valuable gifts.” Competition among actresses, in particular, is fierce.
Inoue recounted an incident where she attended a dinner with the owner of an entertainment company. A female actress who was sitting next to the owner, without a talent agency contract, provocatively said to him, “I’m free tonight.” However, the owner seemed to brush her off to avoid suspicion and arranged for others to sit between them to prevent her from getting closer. Much to Inoue’s surprise, the actress then crawled under the table and directly asked the owner between his legs, “Shall we go?” Inoue was dumbfounded by the incident, realizing the cutthroat nature of the industry.
She admitted to receiving requests for unwritten rules from directors and producers multiple times, all of which she refused. “Once, when I firmly rejected an unwritten rule during a car ride, I was left in a dark snowy area with no one around,” she shared. Another memorable experience for her occurred after filming “Desert Wolves.”
Having dinner with the producer of “Desert Wolves,” the producer whispered to her, “If you come to my hotel, next time I’ll give you a better role.” Although hesitant at first, Inoue convinced herself to accept the invitation in order to establish herself in the Chinese entertainment industry. Later, she discovered that the producer had also arranged for four other actresses to stay at the same hotel.
Recalling the situation when she entered the room and saw the producer cheerfully saying, “You’re here,” Inoue felt unsettled. She excused herself to the bathroom, but when she mustered the courage to return to the living room, she found the producer completely naked except for a pair of red underwear with a golden bell attached, prompting her to exclaim, “I can’t do this!” and quickly leave the room.
Fortunately, the producer did not chase her out in the nude, allowing her to escape the situation. Inoue revealed that the producer, later involved in multiple unlawful activities, has since disappeared from the industry. She reflected, “Even complying with unwritten rules doesn’t guarantee job opportunities. I’m truly grateful that I didn’t make any foolish decisions at that time.”