[TRANS] Popolo (Aug 2021): Revealing Shintarou's childhood stories as a treat ♡
Revealing childhood stories for a treat ♡
I might have been precocious when I was young (laughs)
Morimoto Shintarou who has been active since he was young. He’ll be turning 24 years old on July 15! He talked to us about childhood memories and things♪
I was an absolute brat but I say Papa & Mama ♡
When I was really young, I was super naughty and would always play outside until dark. I was naughty, but I’d start crying immediately if I got in trouble. I’d try to read my parent’s faces to get praised, but my own desires will win out and I mess up… something like that (laughs).
At the time, people would call me “Shin-chan” and I referred to myself as “Shin”. Even after I became an adult, I sometimes call myself “Shin” when I’m with my family or members. By the way, I still call my parents by “Papa, Mama” (laughs). I didn’t think about changing that as I grew older.
My personality, the way I live, how I perceive things… I don’t think they’ve changed much in general since I was a kid. I guess the only thing is that my mischievousness has calmed down a bit. I was so naughty that it felt like I was an absolute brat every day, so I don’t know if I was popular or not, but I have a photo from preschool that documents my first love. From when I stayed overnight, there’s a picture of me holding hands with the girl I liked and sleeping. I couldn’t control those feelings of love and might have been rather precocious (laughs).
A Kanagawa to Ishikawa trip alone at elementary 2nd grade!
When I was in elementary school, I had many extracurricular activities like karate, soccer and swimming, but any time other than that I’d be playing outdoors after school. I was in the countryside so it’d take a 30 minute bike ride before I got to anywhere to play at, so I’d cycle for 30 minutes with my friends to go to the local pool. My age played a factor, but I was brimming with a sense of self-reliance at the time. From around when I was in elementary 2nd grade, there were a few times where I went from my home in Kanagawa to my grandmother’s house in Ishikawa by myself. I have to take the plane, but there was a “children’s passport” sort of thing right? I used that. I said bye to my parents at home, went to the bus stop by myself, then went on the long-distance bus towards Haneda Airport. I would go to the staff at the airport and then hop on the plane departing for Ishikawa. It was quite an adventure the first time, but it became really fun after challenging it a few more times.
I entered the company around elementary third grade. My thinking suddenly changed after interacting with adults for work; there was a trend about “choosing my own clothes”. All my friends around me wore the shorts that their parents bought them, but I thought sweatpants were cool for some reason and was full of myself, being the only one wearing sweatpants. But no one copied me and the sweats trend died without it catching on to my friends (laughs).
My beloved vehicle in middle school would have to be my bicycle. There were people that rode road bikes, but I was definitely of the mamachari [utility bike] camp. I thought it was cool to tinker with a mamachari, so I would fiddle with it like raising the handlebar’s height or lifting the luggage basket and using it as the backrest. This brings back so many memories!
“Look into their eye when you greet someone” is Morimoto strict family rule
Even when I’m looking back like this, I have surprisingly not changed. I wasn’t shy at all back then either. There was a time where I went scuba diving where I met people for the first time on the boat, but we broke the ice relatively quickly and became friends. Of course, they didn’t know I was in this industry, but there are times where it just slips out during the conversation right? But that didn’t change how they treated me and I was happy.
I don’t get nervous about greeting people for the very first time, but that might be thanks to my parents? My father practised karate too and he’s really strong - I’ve challenged him to matches a few times but I was nowhere near winning. And he, my father, is very strict about manners and greetings. My mother is also strict about that… More like, my grandmother in Ishikawa is strict about manners in the first place. Thanks to that, “looking into someone’s eye when you greet them” became natural to me, so I need to be thankful to my parents and grandmother for being strict about that!
If SixTONES were to throw a surprise for Shintarou’s birthday?
Jesse
I want to gift him candles
Since I’m into aromatic candles, I’ll bring a rather fancy one to work and give it to him casually. For Shintarou, I think a sea-like scent or one that makes you feel like you’re in the south seems like a good match☆
Kyomoto
I’ll let him swim as much as he wants
Since he suits the sea, I’ll make an inflatable pool as big as possible and let him swim as much as he wants (laughs). I want it to be a present where I let him swim as much as he wants in a day♪
Matsumura
A surprise appearance!
It won’t be a simple celebration but one where us members will go to “DASH island” to surprise him! It’ll be nice if we hide in a shack, and when Shintarou says “there’s a shack!” and comes in and sees us!
Kouchi
I look forward to Shintarou’s surprised reaction♪
I’ll get the cans that have drifted to “DASH island” and put them in a clear bag to give him and say, “Work hard on the island development. Do you remember seeing these?”. It’ll be a success if he reacts with “why do you have these?!”♪
Tanaka
I want to simply go for a meal
Not a party, but something simple like going out for a meal sounds good. Cause Shintarou always says “let’s go out for a meal” (laughs). It’s not that easy at the present point though.