Japan's 'Cleopatra' heads back to her roots

Kei Aran by Kwon Hyeok-jae

The name Kei Aran may not ring a bell to many Koreans, but across the East Sea, the Japanese actress has risen to star status.

In 2007, Aran became the first person of Korean descent to assume a lead role in the Takarazuka Revue, one of Japan's leading women's musical theater troupes. Playing a charismatic male character, she quickly grabbed the attention of middle-aged Japanese women.

This November, the 40-year-old, who left the Revue two years ago, will star as Cleopatra in the Japanese play "Anthony and Cleopatra" at the LG Arts Center in Yeoksamdong, southern Seoul. The performance is Aran's second in Korea after she first appeared at Kyung Hee University in 2005 with the Japanese troupe.

"It was interesting and thrilling to perform in the land of my ancestors", Aran said in a recent interview while visiting Korea ahead of her November performance. "Again, I feel that Korea is close to Japan, but very different: Korea is stimulating and intense and full of energy".

Aran's maternal and paternal grandparents, who are all Korean, went to Japan when Korea was under Japanese rule. Even though she lived in Japan her entire life, Aran said her family held on to its Korean roots.

"When I was young, the adults spoke in Korean", she said. "We held Korean memorials. I was told to be proud of being Korean".

Aran recalls struggling to straddle her two nationalities: "I didn't hide my Korean identity, but I didn't boast about it either", she said.

Aran, whose real name is Touko Yasuda, joined the Takarazuka Revue in 1991 after graduating top of her class at Takarazuka Music School. All actresses in the revue, which was created in 1913, must come through the music school.

After joining the revue, she deferred to her Korean heritage when selecting her stage name. "Aran" comes from the Arang story, a part of Korean folklore. "Kei" is the Japanese reading of "Gyeong", the first character of Gyeongsang Province, where her ancestors lived.

Aran joined the Snow Troupe in 1991 with high prospects, but had to stand by and watch as her classmates Hikaru Asami, Mari Hanafusa and Sumire Haruno ascend to starring roles in their troupes. Each of the five troupes in the Takarazuka Revue have two top stars, one for the male and one for the female roles.

Aran's promotion in 2007 to coveted star status within the Star Troupe, which she joined in 1999, came years after that of her peers and closest classmates.

"After I joined Takarazuka in 1991, I didn't get the lead role for 16 years", Aran said. "I wondered, 'Maybe it's because I'm Korean'. It was difficult. I was frustrated at not knowing if it was because I wasn't talented enough, or because I was Korean".

Two years later, she announced her decision to leave the troupe.

"I'd been the leading actress for two and a half years", Aran said. "I thought, 'Wouldn't it be wonderful if I could step down while I'm still at the top?' I was at Takarazuka for 18 years. I wanted to take a break from the fierce competition".

Since then, she has pursued an independent acting career. In "Anthony and Cleopatra", Aran is working with producer Yukio Ninagawa. "Ninagawa borrows from traditional Japanese dramas, such as Kabuki and Noh, but still achieves universality", she said.


By Choi Min-woo