【Model Anna Tsuchiya】 “Enjoying Work and Motherhood to the Fullest” the Secret to Always Staying Positive

How do professionals who continue to challenge themselves in various fields such as sports, business, art, and culture approach their bodies and unleash their potential? We ask about the "conditioning" they practice in their lifestyles.

This time, our guest is Anna Tsuchiya, who has many faces as a model, singer, and TV personality, and is always powerfully moving forward.

*Conditioning, as defined by TENTIAL, is the act of optimizing all factors related to one's physical condition to improve life performance.

Approach to Work

-- Ms. Tsuchiya, you debuted as a model in your teens and have continued to work at the forefront as a singer, actor, and TV personality. How do you approach your work?

Our profession is not something we can do just because we 'want to,' but it only happens when we receive offers. I'm grateful for every job I get, and I try to give my all to everything, regardless of the content.

As for modeling, it's what led to my debut, and I want to continue as long as there's a need, even as I get older. I also enjoy being photographed as art and being involved in creating works. Singing has been a dream since I was little, so I'm particularly attached to it. Unlike other jobs, singing allows me to directly convey my thoughts and messages, so there's a lot to think about. I want to continue singing for life. As for acting and variety shows, honestly, I don't even know why I'm being called (laughs). But if viewers enjoy seeing me being natural, that makes me very happy, and I enjoy it myself too.

-- Indeed, no matter which face of Ms. Tsuchiya we see, it feels like you're enjoying it to the fullest.

Work is all about enjoying it, right? To be honest, there are physically tough locations sometimes, but during work, I don't think about negative things and just focus on enjoying it! I might feel 'I'm tired!' after getting home (laughs). Also, I have a work policy of 'not wanting to decorate myself.' I originally don't have a desire to be seen in a certain way or to show myself in a particular manner. I'd be happiest if people love me for being free and true to myself.

Balancing Work and Motherhood

-- Ms. Tsuchiya, you're busy with work every day, but you're also a mother. How do you balance work and motherhood?

I can't balance them at all! (laughs) I get a lot of help from my family and staff. That said, I'm actually a perfectionist by nature. I want to give my all to work and also mop the floors spotless at home every day. But that's not realistic. So, I suppress my desire for perfection and do what I can. People around me say, 'We'll take care of that, Anna, you don't need to do it.' I'm open with my children and rely on them too. I'll say things like, 'Sorry, I didn't check your printout!' or 'I don't remember the school schedule, can you tell me again?' (laughs)

The reason I try to 'rely on others as much as possible' and think 'it's okay not to be perfect' is because I don't want to show my children an irritated mother. I ideally want to be an energetic, powerful, and slightly funny mom. The presence of children is really significant. Sometimes they give me letters saying 'Mom, do your best,' which is encouraging, but more than anything, it's their very existence. By living together with them, I might be unconsciously pushing through tough times.

What I Do for Conditioning

-- To maintain an energetic and powerful state, conditioning seems essential. Is there anything you do for conditioning, Ms. Tsuchiya?

I've been doing classical ballet for 5 years now. In my current schedule, I prioritize ballet lessons above all else (laughs). If I see any free time in my schedule, I squeeze in a lesson, and on days when I absolutely can't go, I do stretches and workouts at home to maintain my condition. I've always loved physical activity, and since childhood, I've constantly been involved in sports like swimming, figure skating, volleyball, basketball, and even surfing in summer and skiing in winter. I was confident in my physical strength, but when I started classical ballet as an adult, it was harder than any sport I'd done before! I thought, 'Is ballet this tough?!' It's not graceful at all (laughs). That was the moment when my competitive spirit was ignited (laughs).

Also, the body shape of ballerinas is what I consider 'the most beautiful body in the world.' It might look just thin at first glance, but that's not the case at all. The lower body is well-muscled and sturdy. A muscular lower body is very important for human life. Being able to train that area well is also one of the attractions of ballet. As it's become harder to build muscle with age, I might be working even harder now than when I started (laughs).

-- So Ms. Tsuchiya's toned body was created through classical ballet.

When I was younger, there was a time when I just wanted to be thin. Compared to Japanese girls, my mixed heritage gave me a naturally sturdier frame, which was a big complex for me. There were times when I couldn't fit into prepared clothes, which affected my work (laughs). I tried unreasonable diets like reducing meals, which resulted in feeling depressed and worrying those around me. After going through that phase, as more mixed-race models appeared, the trend shifted to 'it's okay to have a sturdy build,' and I started to feel more comfortable. Also, muscles are necessary for singing. Workouts have become an essential part of my life.

-- Does physical activity have a positive impact not only on maintaining your figure but also on your mental state?

Of course! Even just an hour of workout makes me feel like my internal organs are moving, my body feels lighter, and I'm released from stress. We have lots of strength training and stretching equipment at home too. We're set up to train anytime. By the way, during the COVID-19 pandemic, our whole family got into home training. When you properly tire out your body, you sleep well and your mood brightens. We said things like 'This is fun, like a training camp' and managed to get through it positively without getting depressed.

I really want to recommend exercise to the readers. People who are always working hard, busy moms with housework and childcare, those who are always using their brains to the fullest - these are the people who should make time to move their bodies, even if it's just for a short while. When you're moving your body, you're freed from all the 'things you need to think about' that are scattered around. You only think about the movement in front of you. Like 'What's the next move?' or 'I need to use this part of my body.' I think it's important to create time where you only think about the training in front of you.

-- Do you also pay attention to your diet?

Yes. I naturally like vegetables, fish, and fruits, so I eat them regularly. I also try to eat things that are easy on the stomach and digest well. My pattern is to have light meals for breakfast and lunch, like a banana or a protein bar, and then eat a proper meal at night. I keep breakfast and lunch light to enhance work performance. Overeating can slow down brain function and make you sleepy. I always want to be in a sharpened state. It's all about balance. I love salads, but if I feel like my body might be getting cold from eating salads continuously, I'll eat root vegetable dishes or baked sweet potatoes the next day. If I overeat one day, I'll have lighter meals the next day. I try to balance it out over several days. I also drink a lot of water. With ballet lessons being so intense, I think I drink about 2-3 liters a day. That might also be a secret to maintaining good condition.

About TENTIAL

-- You're wearing TENTIAL wear as your personal clothes for today's interview. We're glad you like it!

Oh, it's just the best in one word! (laughs) The fabric is soft and plush, thin and light, yet warm. It's stretchy, so it's comfortable when I do flexibility exercises between work or at home. The MIGARU series hoodie I'm wearing as personal clothes today has a stylish design and looks cool, so I particularly like it. Actually, I was wearing it as loungewear at home this morning, but when it was time to go out, I thought 'I can just keep this on' and went to work in it (laughs). It's too good to be just loungewear! It's like, 'Thank you for making such wonderful wear!' I'd recommend it to people who exercise. The fabric is soft so you can exercise in it, so I'm going to recommend it to my ballet friends right away. Also, because it's light and warm, I think it would be good for people who work outdoors.

I also like the recovery wear because it's thin yet warm. Sleep is really important, right? I'm the type who can sleep anywhere, but my mother is the type who pays attention to sleep, particular about mattresses and pillows. I'd like people like her to try TENTIAL's recovery wear, and I think they'd be satisfied with it.