MORE 2019.12 [TRANSLATIONS]

[amnosxmatsujun]

I'm still riding that Arashi high from November 3rd. Are you? Who else is listening to "Turning Up" on repeat? ;)

It's been a while since I translated a magazine interview, but I had a lot of fun with this one! Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did translating it.

Highlights from the article:

• Ohno unknowingly complimenting Nino
• MJ exposing Ohno's lie about dropping polite language when conversing together
• Sho's unforgettable memory has to do with Jun. #shoyourpurpleisshowing
• A glimpse into how they operate as a group

☆Translator's Notes☆

• The translations under the cut appear in page order, and the translations follow below the thumbnail.
• My translations are not available for retranslating purposes.



Arashi By Numbers: A Visual
Just how loved are they, and by how many? Just how much have they accomplished together? Words aren’t necessary when the answers are obvious. But, looking at their journey from the perspective of numbers, we get a better idea of “Arashi” as a group. Here, we see the miracle that symbolizes their 20-year journey.


20cm distance
Everything from the formation, posing, and sofa is the same. This month’s cover was shot as an homage to their first-ever cover for MORE, back in October 2010. Seeing their smiles from a close distance of 20 centimeters, one can’t help but realize that this is what makes Arashi, Arashi.



20 Chairs
Delicate, sturdy. Old-fashioned, sleek and modern. Each chair is unique, from the materials used, to its size and usability. These chairs are a metaphor for Arashi’s 20-year journey. They’ve had their share of disappointments, successes, a bit of sorrow and joy. We paid respects for each year Arashi has been together by gathering 20, unique chairs. Who sits where? That’s up to them.

“Pick a chair of your choice and sit in it how you please,” we told them. Matsumoto-san picked the high stool without hesitation. Next, Ohno-san chose a large chair with a unique backrest. Seeing this, Aiba-san chose a chair in between the two to balance out the shot, and Ninomiya-san quietly sat down on the chair placed behind the others, at one end of the set. We staff members thought that they would discuss positions or share some eye contact, so when they took their places as if they were told where to sit, we were disappointed at how anticlimactic it was. After the other four had taken their seats, Sakurai-san took a glance at their positioning before choosing his own chair and signaling us with his eyes as if to say, “How’s this?” Sitting in a chair--it is a simple gesture, and yet, even this brings out each of the member’s characteristics. The impeccable balance of this shot is quite obvious.



“I know of no other group who have continued to envision the same dreams for 20 years.” - Sakurai Sho
“There’s still so much we want to do and accomplish. This is not the finish line.” - Matsumoto Jun
“Because I was blessed with these 4 members, we could continue as the 5 of us.” - Aiba Masaki
“I’ll be happy if our fans can continue seeing us be ourselves.” - Ohno Satoshi
“‘A・RA・SHI’ is engraved into our DNA [laugh].” - Ninomiya Kazunari



A DSLR camera, a compact camera, a disposable camera, and an instant camera. They must take 5 photos with each. Here are all 20 photos, published here in this issue. In hopes of seeing a novel facet of Arashi, we challenged them to this exciting project.

First, we begin with shots taken with the same DSLR camera used for the magazine cover. Although the cameraman was giving them instructions on how to pose, we were impressed by the synchronization among them. They’re all grown gentlemen who have decades of experience in a wide range of things, and yet, look how charming they are when the 5 of them come together. How unfair!

(Captions translated from top to bottom, right to left)
Stand side by side in one line
Lean to the right
Lean to the left
Turn around
Turn to the side

Next, we entrust a disposable camera in their hands and have them take whatever shots they want. First, Ninomiya-san takes a photo of the other 4 members. Then, Matsumoto-san snatches the camera and suddenly snaps a shot of Ohno-san! Though taken aback, Ohno-san takes the camera to capture a selfie from an interesting angle. With every shot, their excitement grows. By the end, they had themselves a selfie party [laugh].



All 20 Shots
(Captions translated from top to bottom, right to left)
Turn around and look at the camera!
Squat and look at the camera!
Wait, who’s that in the back…
Oh, beautifully done~!
Ni-Ninomiya-saaaa~n!!

During the compact camera photoshoot, they all got in one line behind Ninomiya-san. The members peeked their heads out from behind him for this perfectly balanced shot. However, when Sakurai-san took his turn at the front of the line and posed for the camera, there was someone at the very back who was blocked out, almost unidentifiable…

For the final shots, they shoot with an instant camera. They keep track of the number of shots while they have fun counting down for each shot. Every photo looks casual and relaxed. As you’ll find out, Ohno-san complimented us in the round-table talk appearing later in this article. We think he enjoyed this portion of the shoot as well.



Looking Back on 20 Years
It’s impossible to remember every detail when they’re frantically sprinting through the years. However, these numbers they share together are packed with vivid memories.

77℉
--On the day of your debut press conference, September 15, 1999, it was 77℉ (25℃) in Honolulu, HI.
Aiba (henceforth A): How did you look that up [laugh]?! I don’t remember the temperature.
Matsumoto (henceforth M): I don’t recall sweating much.
Sakurai (henceforth S): True. I don’t remember it being excruciatingly hot, so it must have been pleasant weather.
M: It’s our 20th anniversary year so we’ve been reflecting a lot, but there are still many things we don’t remember at all [laugh].
Ohno (henceforth O): But, I do recall transferring between cruiser boats.
S: Oh, yeah! The press were waiting aboard another cruiser boat, so we inched our boat toward it and switched out.
A: That was pretty scary.
O: Yeah.
S: I remember some random things from our hotel room. Nino was playing games back then, too…
Ninomiya (henceforth N): I sure was [laugh].
S: There was also a day when we split up to do different things: one group hit up a ramen shop, the other group went to Ala Moana (shopping mall). Aiba-san and Ohno-san went to the ramen place, right?
A: Yup. What about the Ala Moana group? Did you all just do some shopping?
S: Um, I think we looked at shoes and accessories. Wait, you were with us then, right, Nino? Maybe not. Did you stay at the hotel and play games?
N: That’s likely.
A: No, no way! If he stayed behind in the room, I would have invited him to come have ramen with us.
N: I guess I went to Ala Moana, then [laugh].
S: Remember when Johnny-san prepared an FAQ cheat sheet for us the day before the press conference and we rehearsed it?
M: He was such an eager reporter [laugh]. “What do you think, Aiba-san? ...Argh, quit stalling!”
All: Ahahaha!
A: I thought, “I can’t come up with something to say that quickly.” [laugh]
S: I’m glad we rehearsed it, though. You had one job, Aiba-san… “What’s your dream?”
A: “We want to create a storm all around the world!”
S: “What would you like to do?”
A: “We want to create a storm all around the world!”
N: Ahahaha!
A: That was my answer to everything [laugh].
S: I bet we remember this so well because that was our first ever press conference.

3 Years
--Ohno-san was born in 1980, Sakurai-san and Aiba-san in 1982, and Ninomiya-san and Matsumoto-san in 1983. The largest age difference within Arashi is 3 years.
N: It’s pretty rare to be in a group where all members are so close in age.
M: Still, 3 years was a big difference when I was in my teens. When I was a Jr., I hadn’t spoken a word with Riida (Ohno-san). I felt a noticeable gap.
O: There was some disconnect at first, yeah. You used to use formal language with me, Matsujun. But, before I knew it, you weren’t so polite…
S: Hahaha! I love this story.
M: Do you prefer me using polite language? I can, if you so insist. (*T/N: Jun’s second sentence is in formal Japanese.)
O: Stop it, others will start wondering what happened.
M: You’re making me look like the bad guy here, but it’s the other way around [laugh]. I was fine using polite language. Riida, it was you who told me, “There’s no need to be so polite.”
O: I don’t even notice the age difference anymore.
S: Where else would you find a group with the same vision and destination, and with a 3-year age difference among the members? We truly have a special relationship.

1/5 of a Century
--20 years is 1/5 of a century. You were all born in the Showa era and debuted in the 20th century. You’ve continued your journey in the 21st century, through the Heisei era and now, Reiwa. We believe you symbolize this generation.
S: I don’t really feel that way.
O: True, that doesn’t really resonate with us.
S: Still, because we debuted in 1999, I remember saying, “We want to be a symbol of the new millennium.” How audacious of me to speak in 1000-year increments [laugh].
N: I vaguely recall that.
A: You’re a confident man [laugh]. I also remember Riida constantly worrying about the Prophecies of Nostradamus. (*T/N: Also known as Catastrophe: 1999) He kept saying, “The world is ending, the end is near.” [laugh].
N: He’d say that with mere rainfall [laugh].
O: In the end, none of that ever came true…
M: Yeah. When you look back on it like this, though, it feels like it’s *only* been 20 years since.
S: We’re a group that pursues everything in 1000-year increments, after all [laugh].

12 Strokes
--There are 12 strokes to the kanji, 嵐 . With so many groups with alphanumeric names, 嵐 stood out quite a bit.
S: Very true. I think the last group with a kanji name was 忍者さん (Ninja). (*T/N: Ninja was a Johnnys group active from 1985-1997.)
N: If we’re talking the same age group, yeah.
M: The CD cover for”A・RA・SHI” was shocking, too. It was 嵐 written with a calligraphy brush.
A: We looked all pumped up.
S: The calligraphy and the name give off a strong impression, but we were all so scrawny. It was such a dichotomy [laugh].
N: [giggles]
A: Well, that contradiction is what makes it so great.
M: To some extent, I think all groups are like that. They’re all hesitant when they first hear their group name.
O: Ours was pretty memorable.
S: But the first time we felt lucky to be named Arashi was when we met George Clooney. Right, Ohno-san? [laugh]
N: You guys are so lucky! I wish I could have met him!
O: We even shook hands.
S: Ohno-san and I were invited as guests for his movie, The Perfect Storm. It’s pretty awesome to be able to translate your group name into English.
O: Didn’t we give him a video of our first concert?
A: I wonder if George Clooney watched it.
N: Duh. Of course he did! [laugh]

4 Movies
--There are a total of 4 movies starring all 5 of you: The PIKA☆NCHI series (2002, 2004, 2014) and Kiiroi Namida (2007).
S: It’s unusual for a group to star in this many movies together. The filmings were a lot of fun and I just remember being with the 4 of you all the time. During Kiiroi Namida, we were also on tour. We’d sit in for meetings, then film the movie late into the night, then take a shinkansen the same night to make it in time for a concert performance…
A: We were young back then. After filming, we’d say, “Let’s go get some drinks.”
M: I wasn’t there for those filmings.
O: You were in the middle of a play (Valkyrie of the White Night, May 7-30, 2006).
M: After the matinee was over, I’d arrive at the movie filming only to have my scenes prioritized. I’d finish my scenes and take off again. I felt bad for troubling everyone.
S: That’s the privilege you have as a fellow member. We all knew you were tired from the play. It was easy for us to say, “You should film your scenes first and go home.” Also, I think it was during PIKA☆NCHI Life is Hard Dakedo Happy. Didn’t we go shopping during our downtime, Aiba-kun?
A: Oh, yeah! We did!
S: I went to an electronics store with my pompadour hairstyle (the same hairstyle as his role in the movie). I can’t remember what I bought, though [laugh].



4.5 Times Around the World
--The total distance you all have traveled since Arashi’s First Concert 2002 up to now is roughly 176,230km. You’ve traveled the earth’s circumference 4.5 times.
S: We must have racked up those numbers touring in Asia and Hawaii.
M: We also tallied up a lot of those kilometers during Arashi Summer Tour 2007 Time - Kotoba no Chikara, since we performed so many shows.
-- You performed a total of 47 shows.
S: The show I remember like crazy was the one in Kagoshima. They readied a limo for us to use. The long kind [laugh]. We’re just not the kind of group to ride one of those without feelings embarrassed, so we boarded the van behind it instead. But, Matsujun felt bad for the people who prepared the limo for us, so he rode in it alone. When we got to the airport, Matsujun was the only one climbing out of that thing. I bet the fans who were waiting for us there were surprised [laugh].
N: He’s a superstar! [laugh]
M: Before I knew it, they had put me in that limo. [laugh]
-- Do you all remember traveling a lot back then?
O: Yes. We also traveled a lot by bus.
N: We once took a bus from Nagoya back to Tokyo.
A: It was tough, being on the road for so long [laugh].
O: Sometimes, we’d have to leave right after the performance so we’d board the bus in our concert outfits.
A: And change on the bus.
O: We also did 3 shows in one day.
M: During ARASHIC ARASHIC ARASICK Cool&Soul back in 2006, right?
A: Our days started early. We had shows starting at 10:00AM.
S: We’d say, “Good morning!” to the audience. It was basically a morning assembly [laugh]. We’re thankful for those fans who came early.
A: Definitely. I mean, they must have been excited since the day before the show. Some may not have slept the night before.
S: More recently, we’ve taken to eating in the green room but I enjoyed those times when we’d go out together every night to eat.
-- When was the last time you all went out to eat while on the road?
M: 2016, I think. We went on an arena tour, ARASHI “Japonism Show” in ARENA, for the first time in 9 years. It was then we realized eating out was physically impossible [laugh].
S: That’s right! All of us started having our own routine around that time: massages, cold compression, getting ready for the next day… we couldn’t get everyone together at the same time, so we decided to just eat in the green room.
N: To clarify, though, we don’t just nibble on sandwiches and go home.
A: They served us jingisukan (*T/N: grilled mutton), sushi, and ramen at Sapporo!
M: We even had local shop owners cater their food.
S: We’ve been doing this for 20 years, so there are a lot of old friends who support us every time we’re in town. It’s all thanks to the locals!

20 Issues
--You first appeared in MORE for our December 2002 issue. It was a single page to promote your movie, PIKA☆NCHI Life is Hard Dakedo Happy. As you grew in popularity, you made more appearances in our magazine. There are 20 issues published with all 5 of you, for a total of 161 pages. You’ve been on the cover 7 times.
M: We’ve been featured that many times? I gotta say, it’s still a little strange: why are we on the cover of MORE? [laugh]
S: It’s a women’s fashion magazine, after all.
M: We can’t answer any questions about fashion [laugh]. We did get asked often back in the day, though.
S: “Which do you prefer: pants or skirts?” Those kinds of questions, right?
A: Honestly, I like both.
N: Exactly. Not “either,” but “both.” [laugh]
M: “Which do you like more: long hair or short hair?”
A: I like both [laugh].
O: What a bogus interview.
All: Ahahaha!
S: May I read the cover story from the October 2010 issue where we first adorned their cover?
N: Go for it.
S: “The dark truths about ‘divorcing in your twenties’.”
A: That’s harsh [laugh].
S: This is definitely a magazine geared toward women. It’s quite strange for us to be on the cover.
N: I don’t think there are many guys who feel confident being on the cover of a women’s magazine. It doesn’t motivate us men if the cameraperson compliments us by saying, “Very cute!” [laugh] But, that kind of technique is necessary for creating these kinds of magazines. I’m sure it makes the female models feel good, so it’s unique to this line of work.
A: I have noticed that during photoshoots for women’s magazines, the staff members behind the camera all look like they’re having fun.
O: True. I also really liked that “take 5 photos with each camera” idea.
M: Oh! This a rare compliment!
N: From Ohno-san, no less. He rarely initiates conversation.
O: You can focus better when you’re given a time limit.
-- Just so you know, the “take 5 photos” idea and the “ready 20 chairs and have the members pick their seat” idea came from Ninomiya-san. Back when he had the “It” series with us, he said, “If I were to photograph Arashi, I’d do it like this.”
S: No way! Way to go, Nino!
N: Thanks. My dreams have come true [laugh].

1 Commonality
-- This is something the MORE staff discovered. Don’t you think it’s rare to have a group where all the members are first-born sons? That’s 1 commonality among all of you.
N: Interesting. We all come from different backgrounds, though.
S: Aiba-kun and I have younger siblings.
N: The rest of us are the youngest, but first and only sons. Just because we’re first-born sons, doesn’t mean we have more pictures of ourselves as kids.
M: This one isn’t resonating much.
N: We appreciate you finding this commonality, but I guess we don’t have much to say about it. Sorry! [laugh]

0 Times
-- You often say that you’ve never fought. Looking back, is the count still at 0?
M: True. We’ve never fought.
N: We can’t even joke, “Now that it’s been 20 years, we can finally admit…” [laugh]

557K Copies
-- This is the number of albums sold during the first week for your debut song, A・RA・SHI. You broke this record with Hatenai Sora, selling 572K copies (2010). It took over 10 years to break your own record. This number should reveal just how big an accomplishment it was to set such a huge record with a debut single.
S: I had no idea! We sold that many?
M: They don’t even make those anymore, those 8cm CDs.
A: That’s right! That’s our one and only 8cm CD!
M: I bet we’ve set a record for the number of times we’ve performed it, too.
-- You’ve performed over 500 concert shows. Assuming you’ve sung it at each show, you’ve performed it over 500 times.
N: If you include rehearsals and TV performances, the number should be even higher. During our first concert, we sang three, different arrangements of it [laugh].
M: No wonder we never forget the words or choreography [laugh].
O: Seriously.
S: It’s muscle memory at this point.
A: I’ll remember it as long as I live.
N: It’s engraved in our DNA [laugh].



5 Members
-- Of all the numbers, this is undoubtedly the most cherished. Not once has it risen or fallen. The biggest miracle is in the unchanging number: 5.

ARASHI
Their commemorative 20th anniversary tour, ARASHI Anniversary Tour 5x20, is scheduled to run through December 25, 2019. Also happening nationwide is the ARASHI EXHIBITION “JOURNEY”, where fans can experience Arashi’s 20-year journey through different exhibits.

One day, they were suddenly gathered to form Arashi. They released their debut single soon thereafter. For boys who were used to traveling via trains, drastic changes would overwhelm their everyday lives like an engulfing wave. When they reflect on those days, they unanimously admit, “I thought those days would go on forever. It was really rough.” However, more daunting waves would crash upon them as their schedules filled to the brim, and yet, they’ve overcome each of them, together as 5. Now, 20 years later, the guys who were suddenly gathered to form a group are still together, standing side by side, without a single one missing. Many call this a miracle, but how do they feel about it?

-- Why do you think the 5 of you were able to share these long, 20 years together?
M: Why do you think so?
N: Is this a quiz? [laugh] This is unusual.
-- Was it 99% effort and 1% miracle?
M: Like Thomas Edison. (*T/N: Edison’s famous quote: “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.”)
N: Correct.
A: Absolutely correct, he says!
S: Ahaha! But, there definitely is a miraculous element to all this. If we were all in the same class, I’m pretty sure we wouldn’t hang out with one another. I mean, do you think a guy who loves fishing and another guy who plays games all day would naturally gravitate toward each other? [laugh]
O: Very true.
S: That’s what makes us interesting. Initially, I heard we were going to be a group of three, so to have Aiba-kun and Ohno-san here is a miracle as well. I’m hesitant to say that effort is what nurtured us as a group, though. If one of us were to say, “Let’s go that way,” another may tell him, “Hang on, let’s wait a bit.” On the other hand, if one of us were to say, “I’m going to sit this one out,” another may reply, “You’re coming with us.” We’ve consistently done that as a group.
-- During Ninomiya-san’s “It” series, he’d repeatedly say, “What’s most important is that the ‘5’ remains ‘5’.”
N: Absolutely. That’s the most important thing. Wouldn’t it be rough if the number were to increase or decrease?
A: The “5” is important to me as well, of course. But, what’s most significant to me is how blessed I am with these “4 members.” I believe that’s why we can remain as 5.
N: Says the guy who buys 5 souvenirs every time he goes somewhere.
M: Accidentally.
N: He probably gets too excited.
A: That’s because in my mind, I’m thinking, “I’m buying gifts for Arashi!” It didn’t occur to me at first, but in hindsight, I feel like we were all compatible with one another from the very beginning.
M: I bet that feeling is directly proportional to the amount of time we’ve spent together, too. We’ve shared many memories and dreams.
O: Remember that time Nino was in L.A. for his movie? I think it was The Shounen Club. It felt strange appearing as just the 4 of us. Our positions and choreography were totally different from what we’re used to.
M: I think we performed “Kitto Daijoubu.”
O: We’ve always done choreography as a group of 5.
M: It didn’t look or feel right.
O: Exactly. It didn’t feel right at all.
N: Therein lies the reason why we are so particular about the “5.”
S: When something goes wrong during concerts, words aren’t necessary; we just make eye contact and troubleshoot. I feel the weight of our journey during those times.
N: “He looks tired today.” “He must have had a long day of filming yesterday.” “Riida probably went fishing.” We can just tell [laugh]. I believe that this feeling of being in tune with the members is a feelings shared with our fans as well.

They have about a year left before they take their hiatus. Whenever they discuss how they’d like to spend the remaining time, they consistently voice words of gratitude for their fans, without fail. Here, they share something unexpected.

-- What do you have planned next?
O: I hope our fans can continue seeing us be ourselves.
S: We have never fundamentally been a group to “summarize.” We didn’t settle just because it was our 15th anniversary; we went on tour as usual. Our newest single is “BRAVE,” but our latest album is “untitled” and the album single was “Mikan.” (*T/N: Unfinished) It’s never occurred to us to summarize our journey at this point in time. We’re constantly looking ahead and onto the next thing.
M: Absolutely. Our 20th anniversary is neither our final destination nor the time for summarizing our journey. We still have so much we want to do. There are also preparations for Tokyo 2020. We’re simply focused on what we can do at this moment.
A: Yeah, we want to continue challenging ourselves.
N: Of course, my wish is that we remain unchanging and continue to be ourselves as we have fun doing what we do.
S: Yeah. If we could make a selfish request, we want to create as many unforgettable memories not just for our fans, but also for the 5 of us to share.