[MORE Dec 11’] Arashi’s Special Presents - Part I
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Part I | Part II | Part III
ARASHI The Form of Gratitude
Excitement, laughter, times filled with joy and fun… etc. Arashi who has always brought us wonderful things, now has a special present for MORE readers. Enjoy the charm and the gratitude of these 5 people as you flip the pages!
This feeling, please accept it!
From their thoughts to various experiences regarding presents, we get to feel the difference of the heart and warmth in the 5 of them.
Matsumoto Jun
Not just for special days, there are times I just want to give
This is Matsumoto Jun who shows us the elegant performances during live concerts. Just when we think he’s all professional in acting sweet and giving presents, he gave a wry smile and said “not at all! It’s still fine if I’m giving friends, but I’ll definitely not be acting when it comes to romance. It’s embarrassing that it feels like I’m dreaming”. To him, presents are things to be given not on special days but comes as something common.
“When I buy things, I think about that person. Ah, I give out live performance tickets quite often. I will definitely get 2 tickets of the shows I want to watch, and give it to someone who wants to watch it with me. Not long ago, I went to Yamashita Tatsuro’s concert with my friend, but I couldn’t go to the Black Eyed Peas concert, so I gave the tickets to a friend and his girlfriend, they were so happy and grateful.”
Though he appears to be cool, he is gentle and sensitive. “For my birthday this year, an old friend sent me a mail saying ‘Jun hasn’t changed a bit. Please stay this way and don’t change at all from now on too’ and it made me happy. ‘From now on’ feels really warm.”
Aiba Masaki
What I really want is a “travelling friend”. Rather than enjoying myself I want to share with someone
“When my brother grew up to be an adult, he wanted a good wristwatch, I have a deep impression of the time we went and bought it together, I also enjoy shopping for souvenirs for group members when I go travelling. But, I can’t think of anything when someone asks me what I would like for a present.”
This idol who was born on Christmas Eve, apparently has more memory of giving rather than receiving. What he really wants for a present, does not come in material form, but is instead a touching scene that is engraved in the heart. “If I have time, I’ve always thought of going on a trip. Though I don’t go for trips just to get something out of some people… I am more interested in the feelings I get in the end, the energy I received. When I went to Yakushima, I was overwhelmed by the depth and width of the green, I felt that I could never get sick of this place no matter how long I stood.”
While his eyes sparkled talking about travelling, Aiba-kun suddenly exclaimed “ah, I found what I want!” “A travelling friend (laugh). I can’t imagine myself travelling alone. Because with this chance to travel, I would want to share this amazing experience with someone.”
Ninomiya Kazunari
Girls may like materialistic things, but guys don’t go for such things
It’s Nino’s 3rd year collaborating with our magazine’s serial publication. When MORE asked what present he would like for this anniversary, he replied immediately “there’s no need for that”. “Because I can’t really be happy even if I receive it (laugh). Guys basically don’t sought for materialistic things. Girls somehow always end up wanting things, but guys get the satisfaction through the process. Even when I give someone a present, I only think about what I want to give. I don’t really care if the person receiving it will be happy, so for me the presents I give are always good (laugh).”
He is aware that presents may also be a form of ego. “I don’t give presents just because I feel obliged to, therefore I don’t need such presents either” he said. Is it that hard to please Nino!? “I was really happy when Sou-chan (screenwriter Kuramoto Sou) treated me for a meal. When I was doing ‘Yasashii Jikan’, all the main casts besides me won awards. ‘You should have been able to win too’ he told me, and treated me for Japanese cuisine at Kagurazaka. I thought that was a really wonderful present.”
Sakurai Sho
A present is the time thinking about the other person, it makes me happy when people think of me too
“Last night at 12.03am, a doctor guy friend sent me a mail. He was the person I sought advice from when I was doing ‘Kamisama no Karute’… ‘I watched the movie. The doctor is the movie was amazing I was mortified (probably because he does not regard himself as good as that doctor)’. Guys use ‘mortified’ to each other as a compliment, I was really happy.”
When asked about the presents that made him happy, “I guess this will no longer be new when you start selling this magazine right?” he said after giving it some thought. “Presents, it’s about enjoying the time when you’re picking gifts while thinking about the person, and your happiness when the person receives it. During Arashi’s 10th year anniversary my friends planned a surprise party on the ship for me. I actually knew about it halfway through, but I pretended not to know about it! I have to consider everyone’s feelings too (laugh).”
There’s also an unforgettable present failure incident for someone like Sakurai-kun. “When I was in Elementary 5, during White Day I returned a present to the girl I liked, I didn’t like the handkerchief my mother prepared for me, so I gave her a mug which has my favourite soccer team printed on it. I guess it’s just something I wanted for myself. The girl was so perplexed! (laugh)”
Ohno Satoshi
Rather than being praised, I become happy when I’m told ‘oh how stupid of you’
“Recently I didn’t give any presents”, while saying that, he made it clear that he rarely gives people his artworks as presents. “Some time ago, I drew a portrait of KAT-TUN’s Kame-chan (Kamenashi Kazuya) and gave to his as a present. Because ever since he asked the favour 10 years ago, he’d ask me ‘how’s that promise going?’ from time to time (laugh). So I painted a watercolour portrait for him. And it’s super-sized. When I was done with it, I kept it a secret from Kame-chan and asked him out for a meal, and when I suddenly showed him his big portrait, he was ultra happy! He actually called one of his relatives on the spot to talk about it (laugh).”
The portrait “was drawn by staring at his photo, I felt like I was falling in love (laugh)”. If that is so, will he give it to his girlfriend? “No I won’t. Once is enough, it’s too much work (laugh)” While he speaks in such a simple tone, he portrayed a mysterious sense of closeness.
“I’m really bad with polite speech. I also hope that people won’t use that with me. Rather than calling me ‘Ohno-san’ carefully, I want to be called ‘Oh-chan’. Rather than being praised, I feel closer to the person if I’m told ‘oh that’s stupid’. I’m weird right? (laugh)”