‘My Treasure’ is a 2023 Kageki feature where stars describe their personal ‘treasures’ and play a Q&A game about a treasure hunt. Towaki’s was published in the November issue.
My Treasure – Towaki Sea, Flower Troupe
GOODS: A picture made by Ishi-san (Todoroki Yuu)
It’s a drawing of the streets of Paris with the Eiffel Tower. It’s sunset, and it’s such a lovely picture, so I treasure it. I feel like I can get some of Ishi-san’s power from it. In my house I have a zone I call my ‘shrine’, so I decorate it with photos and candles and put my favorite things there. And that picture is right in the center!
PRODUCTION: Paris in the Winter Fog
This was my first show as a member of Flower Troupe, and it left such a deep impression on me. Its point of view on the world is so unique, and we could feel the stinging atmosphere of Paris in the mists even in the rehearsals. Even remembering it there seems to be a weight in my chest. In a character sense I was a wreck body and soul, and I’ve never cried so much onstage, so it felt like it was eating away at me. But at the same time it was so fulfilling, and that time we all spent together expressing ourselves and aiming towards the same goal seems like a dream…I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.
WORD: Thank You
When I want to convey my gratitude, I consciously try to say ‘Thank you’ instead of ‘sorry for the trouble’. Also, when former Cosmos Troupe member Suzu Haruki came in as a choreography assistant, she told me that when you get nervous on stage and start feeling unsteady, if you say ‘thank you’ it will drop your energy back into your belly. When your nervous, if you think ‘I have to do my best!’ it will keep raising your tension, but apparently those feelings of gratitude are grounding. I feel like it’s a magic word.
SCENE: My birthday last year
My birthday happened while the performances were stopped, and the next time we were all gathered for a dress rehearsal, I came out of the orchestra pit where I’d been checking on a direction and everyone was lined up on the stage waiting for me! “::Pop!:: Congratulations!” I was so happy, though I was self conscious too (laughs). Happy that we were together again, happy they’d remembered my birthday, happy that we were celebrating onstage, and on top of that happy about Yuzuka-san thinking about me and saying they shoud do it–it all made me just so happy. I’ll never forget that sight.
TIME: Between waking up and going out
I think the pace of each day is established in the time before I leave my house. I try to make my mornings as fulfilled as I can. My favorite part is when I’m brewing my coffee. I got a coffee mill from a classmate as a birthday present so each morning I decide what kind I want to drink based on my mood and make it starting with grinding the beans. It’s like a reward for me, so on days where I’m wanting to do my best I’m looking forward to that. I find the sound and scent soothing. Appreciating the scent I enjoy and slowly getting ready is a really important time for me.
If you went on a treasure hunting journey…
Q1: You are going on a journey for a legendary treasure. You head to…
A cave. A jungle. The ocean.
I love the ocean and I was raised watching things like The Little Mermaid and Peter Pan that are about the sea, so I feel like adventure equals ocean!
Q2: During your journey you find a great clue! You are shown the way by…
A ring. An animal. A mysterious old person.
There’s some romance to that. Like it’s carved into it, or when you put it on there’s lights, or something (laughs). I like ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Detective Conan’ so it must be the effect of that. It feels like something from those (laughs).
Q3: You finally found the treasure! When you opened the treasure chest, you found…
Beautiful gems. A potion of immortality. Boots that will take you anywhere.
If you dilute it I wonder if you can just make it into a potion that keeps you from aging too much. Say, so many milliliters mixed in and it gets rid of your wrinkles (laughs). I think I’d like to drink it and live for generations. But I don’t have to be the one who drinks it, maybe I could give it to somebody else.
Q4: If you were bringing someone from your troupe with you on your treasure hunt, who would you invite?
I think Hanako (Ichinose Kouki)! She knows a lot so we could have lively conversations, and she seems really steady somehow (laughs). So I think she’d set a calm pace and I wouldn’t have to rush (laughs). I think it would be a warm and relaxing trip.