Japanese actor Tatsuya Fujiwara, best known as Shuya Nanahara in Battle Royale and Light Yagami in Death Note, will be headlining the stage adaptation of Haruki Murakami’s 1985 novel Hard‑Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World. The production, titled End of the World and Hard‑Boiled Wonderland, sees two parallel worlds unfolding simultaneously on stage: one rooted in cyberpunk data‑slipstream, the other in a dreamlike, walled‑city fantasy.
Fujiwara plays Watashi, a data specialist working with a secretive encryption technique called “shuffling”. His carefully controlled life begins to unravel when he crosses paths with the mysterious Doctor, played by Narushi Ikeda, and the Doctor’s granddaughter, Pink, portrayed by Miu Tomita. Their introduction sends Watashi spiraling into a chain of events that blurs the line between information, identity, and control.
Alongside this, the narrative thread The End of the World follows Boku, played on rotation by Kiita Komagine and Ryunosuke Shimamura, who arrives at a quiet, walled city and is separated from his Shadow by the gatekeeper, Shinya Matsuda. Boku learns that when his Shadow dies, so too will his heart—launching him into a quest to help his Shadow escape while unearthing the hidden logic of the city itself.
The piece is directed and choreographed by Philippe Decouflé, with the stage adaptation by Ako Takahashi, and is produced by HoriPro Inc. as part of the show’s international run, which includes stops in London and Paris following the Japanese and Singapore seasons. The Singapore leg is the only Southeast Asian stop so far and will run from April 3 to 5 at Esplanade Theatre.
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Fujiwara last appeared at Esplanade in 2013, playing the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi in Musashi. Reflecting on the venue, he told The Straits Times: “It has been 13 years, but I still vividly remember the energy of Singapore and the wonderful acoustics of the Esplanade.”
His filmography ranges from cult classics to franchise hits, including The Incite Mill and the Rurouni Kenshin live‑action films, while his theatre work spans Shakespearean staples like Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet, as well as the Japanese‑language version of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Tatsuya’s early career roles still reverberate with fans. He told The Straits Times via e‑mail: “Every time I hear someone call me Nanahara or Light, it reminds me of how fortunate I was to be part of such remarkable works.” The same sentiment underpins his approach to Murakami’s text, which he first read as a teenager on the recommendation of the late theatre director Yukio Ninagawa.
“[At that time, I was simply overwhelmed by its mysterious power and unique world],” he said, noting that revisiting the book now has given him a deeper emotional and philosophical grasp of its themes. “I sense a kind of pain and beauty that I can truly grasp, and I believe there is meaning in performing this work at this stage of my life.”
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The show will be performed in Japanese with English surtitles, and tickets start at $68. Fujiwara encourages audiences whether or not they’ve read the novel to give themselves over to the production’s atmosphere. “I believe it can be enjoyed either way. If you know the original novel, you may appreciate its structure more deeply. But even without that knowledge, the performances, dance and music on stage should communicate the essence of the work.”
Acknowledging the language barrier, he added: “Our job is to convey emotions that go beyond language. There may be moments when following the surtitles is challenging, but there will always be something that reaches you through our expressions and the atmosphere of the theatre as a whole.”
On returning to Singapore, Fujiwara said: “To be able to perform in Singapore again is a source of great happiness for me as an actor. I’m also looking forward to having chicken rice. And no matter how many times I visit, I would still like to take a photo with the Merlion.”
