What Filmmaking in Japan Looks Like from the Extra’s Perspective

By Tomoki Okamoto / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

10:34 JST, January 14, 2026

The tide of blockbuster movies and hit dramas continues to rise. Every day, new releases generate buzz as they premier in theaters, on TV and on streaming services.

This has led to rapid growth in filming on location, and a constant, urgent demand for regular people to play extras. So I traveled to a remote set where I could experience the life of an extra firsthand.

A group effort

I spotted a request online for extras for the movie “Busshi,” directed by Koichi Tanaka and set in the Hida region of Gifu Prefecture. I applied immediately, and in August, I headed to the site.

The night before the shoot, I observed the filming of a different scene at a roadside station in the prefecture’s city of Takayama. They were acting out a summer festival, with about 60 extras serving as villagers.

The staff instructed them to “watch the fireworks and react to them,” or told them, “Don’t stand in a single straight line; spread out a little.”

Seeing how the scene was dependent on so many people, I thought: “If I make a mistake in my performance, we’ll have to reshoot the scene. That’s a major responsibility.”

Part of the scenery

After the shoot, I talked to one of the extras, Minako Yoshida, a 37-year-old office worker from Setagaya Ward, Tokyo, and a fan of the lead actor, Yuya Endo. “It was difficult to look surprised by the fireworks, but the professional actor next to me reacted loudly, which helped me to act,” she said.

As I was nervous before my own scene, she advised me, “You might try approaching it with a natural, relaxed feeling, like you are already part of the scenery.”

The filming for my part was held in the neighboring city of Hida. The sequence showed the lead character connecting with locals by helping them with chores, such as cutting grass. Four extras, including myself, portrayed the villagers.

I showed up for the costume check in my own long-sleeve shirt, sweatpants, work gloves and boots. I was handed a straw hat and a towel for my neck. Then, I was briefed on what to do.

I was to swing the weed whacker twice, left and right, and then walk up the slope. The scene was to take less than a minute. There were no words to speak, yet the tension was palpable.

“Rolling,” called out the director. “Ready, action!” At the sound of the clapboard, the camera began turning. With the pressure on, I acted as directed. “Cut! That’s good!” I let out a long sigh, feeling the tension go out of me.

Waiting for sunlight

However, that was not the end of it. They proceeded to shoot many takes of the same scene from various angles — facing the lead actor, close-ups, shots of other people’s expressions.

These shots were then to be edited together, sometimes with scenery woven in, to create a complete scene. Every single take required rehearsals and test runs before they started the real filming.

We also returned to our starting positions every time and repeated the same movements.

Even though I thought I was doing the same thing, I was corrected over and over with notes like, “Stand a bit closer to the pole,” and “Make sure your towel is around your neck just like it was before.”

I was impressed by how professional actors repeat the same movements while refining their performance based on the director’s instructions and their own ideas.

After the grass-cutting scene, we shifted to filming a new sequence: sitting on the steps of a nearby shrine, eating watermelon and pickles while chatting.

I was just starting to get the hang of things, so I went into the scene feeling much more relaxed, only to hear, “We’ll pause for a moment.” The shoot was brought to a halt.

I asked the director why we had paused, and he replied, “We started off the shoot with bright sunlight, so if it clouds up even a bit, the continuity with the previous scenes is lost. For exterior shots, there’s a good deal of time spent waiting on the sun.”

That makes sense.

I am usually quite shy, but during the long wait, I managed to break the ice and relax by making small talk with the other extras about our day jobs and other random things.

Once I was at ease, I really started noticing the scenery. There was a blue sky with white clouds overhead. Although it was a scorching hot day, a welcome breeze swept through the shade of the trees.

After an hour-long break, filming started up again on the steps.

“Busshi” is an original work that depicts the relationship between a sculptor of Buddhist statues, who can no longer carve due to an incident, and the local community.

The four hours I spent at the shoot will translate into less than ten minutes on screen, I hear. I was just relieved that I somehow pulled it off.

They plan to continue filming throughout the seasons.

While sports are often referred to as “dramas without a script,” I realized that even creating scripted dramas requires immense effort, as they have to be built up carefully, scene by scene.

Casting calls online

Casting calls for extras are typically posted on the websites of local authorities, film commissions, production companies and similar organizations.

For this specific shoot, I found the casting notice on the website of the Hida municipal government.

While I was not paid since it was a volunteer role, the extras who took part received vouchers in a local e-currency specifically for use in the Hida area.

There are also websites run by individuals that post recruitment notices. Tokyo Extra Notes (https://tokyo.mport.info/ex/notes.html)lists recruitment information for various shoots across the country, centered around Tokyo.

Kenji Yanagisawa, who runs the site, said he used to join film shoots as an extra around 100 times a year at his busiest.

The website began in 2004 as a blog where he shared his personal experiences. After he started including casting calls, the site’s traffic increased, leading production companies to ask him to publish their notices.

“The appeal is that you meet diverse people on set and have the chance to work in sync with them to produce a single piece of work,” he said.

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My changing perspective on films

One of the extras, Toshimi Nomura, 66, from Hida, remarked with deep appreciation, “I didn’t realize until I participated just how carefully they put together these productions.”

I feel exactly the same way. I have also started considering how specific scenes were filmed and edited whenever I see a movie or drama.

By participating in the film as an extra, the world inside the screen, which had felt like a separate realm, has become much more familiar.

I can’t wait for the premiere, so I can finally see how the segment we filmed turned out.

—Tomoki Okamoto