[JAPAN] Haruma Miura Tribute - Award-winning Actor (part 2)

This video is dedicated to Mr. Haruma Miura, who was born on 5 April 1990 and passed on on 18 July 2020; he was 30 years old. At the peak of his successful entertainment career, he ended his life abruptly. At this time, people still do not understand why he had to go so soon. My deepest condolences to Haruma's mother and father! Haruma was born as an only child to Japanese parents who lived in Tsuchiura, Ibaraki-prefecture, a very traditional Japanese town. When he was four years old, his mother put him in a local acting school for he had no children of his age living near his house. In this way, she thought her child can make friends his age. Haruma enjoyed it, learning how to act, sing, and dance. One day, a TV producer at NHK, Japan's major TV station, came to audition the children at this school for the producer was looking for a child for a role. Haruma was selected to be cast in an NHK TV drama. Since then, Haruma's career as a child actor took off, and his life was completely changed. Hard-working and multi-talented Haruma continued to enjoy his life as a child actor, balancing his school life with his entertainment career. When he graduated from a junior high school in his hometown of Ibaraki, he had to move to Tokyo all by himself to attend Horikoshi High School, a special school for talented children in the entertainment business. Haruma was only 16 years old then. He did not like to leave his family or his hometown at all but he had to do it, so he was told. When Haruma was filming "Samurai High School" in 2008, 18-year-old Haruma felt for the first time in his life that he felt sick and tired of acting and being alone. He began wishing to quit. Haruma felt that in this business, there are constantly many new faces always trying to replace you, and he felt pressured. One day, at the studio he looked around and saw that there were many more attractive young actors than him trying out for the same role. He felt that he wanted to run away from everything. So, he called his mother in Ibaraki and told her that he wants to come home. He told her that he wants to attend school in his hometown to become an agricultural scientist/farmer. His mother advised him that the life of a farmer is not so easy as he thinks and that since his acting career is going well, he should stay on. Haruma listened to his mother but during the filming of a TV drama after "Samurai High School," he could not put his mind to it at all. He was having trouble memorizing his lines, and for the first time, his film producer got upset with him. He (20) was told by his film producer that he had to lead everyone in the production for he is playing the main character. Haruma blamed himself and got depressed. He sensed that if he stayed in the entertainment business, it would be impossible for him to get out. Yet, he didn't know what to do. At age 30, just before he took his life, he revealed his honest thoughts about his acting career which he kept secret for 12 years; in the interview, he had tears in his eyes even though he was trying to smile. As he grew as an actor, Haruma gained popularity in not only Japan but also around the world. His fans from all over the world even learned the Japanese language to see his musical shows. Haruma appreciated his fans' dedication tremendously; yet, at the same time, he was desperate for a peaceful lifestyle in the countryside of Ibaragi, his hometown. He once said that fundamentally, he had a shy personality; thus, he is ill-suited for an entertainment career. Contrary to his wish, though, Haruma's career expanded from acting to singing and musical plays, etc. He was loved by so many people around the world. In the midst of his extremely busy life, he hanged himself in his room at one of the most luxurious apartments in central Tokyo. He came a long way in his career but didn't know how to get out of it gracefully. P.S.) It is Ibaraki-prefecture, instead of Ibaragi-prefecture.