[Transcript] AbemaTV 72 Hour TV Paripia with Mori Part 4
The guys getting a feel of what it is like to be on a race track. We learn of Tsuyoshi's love for Harleys, Mori picking fights with punks who stole his bike, and that kicking a wooden bat barefoot hurts more than crashing onto the fence in your bike XD
Master list:
(1) Reunion
(2) Cafeteria
(3) Dorm
(4) Walking the track
(5) Garage
PART 4: WALKING THE TRACK
[S=Shingo, G=Goro, T=Tsuyoshi, M=Mori]
(The guys standing outside of the dorm)
M: Let's go onto the track.
S: I want to go!
(The guys started walking)
T: They are still practicing out there.
M: The practice is ending soon.
T: Mori-kun...don't you have to practice for tomorrow's race?
M: It's fine. Tomorrow I will practice.
T: You have the morning practice.
M: Yes I will practice very hard at the morning practice.
T: (points to a gas tank as they passed by) you refuel here?
M: There's gasoline here, but instead of refueling we fill up a big tank of gasoline here to bring over there.
T: What kind of gasoline do you use?
M: Regular
(Heading towards the race track)
M: The racers over there wearing the red hoods are rookies.
S: Rookies?
M: Rookies. Three of them are women.
T: Is that so.
(Camera pans to several rookie racers on their bikes waiting to go onto the track.)
(They stopped walking and looked at the rookies.)
M: There is an increase of women racers in autorace. Three women passed the test to become racers.
M: Let's walk closer and watch from there.
(Walking towards the track)
(Very loud motorcycle noise)
(Shingo covered his ears; Mori looked at him.)
M: It's pretty loud huh?
(They stopped several feet behind the four rookie racers waiting to go onto the track.)
M:...after this is finished...
(The rookies went onto the track to practice while the guys watched, you can hear the bikes racing away.)
T: Wow.
S: What a noise!!
T: They are women!!
G: EH?! Really?
S: The three in the blue jacket are women.
M: Right.
(They started walking, then stopped.)
T: Wait? Oh we have to wait until they are done.
M: Right now it's the rookie's turn to practice.
(The guys kept looking back to the TV crew or staff from the circuit for instructions.)
T: These racers are not officially racing yet?
M: No they already debuted.
T: Oh they already debuted.
M: Correct.
T: Then are they racing tomorrow?
M: No, well...
S: Can we walk over there? (gestures to the fence)
M: Maybe? Let's try walking there. Tomorrow's race is still too advanced for the rookies.
T: I see.
(They walked towards the fence.)
(The bikes are racing around the track.)
S: Wow~ (bows to a staff at the fence). Hello! How are you doing!
(Mori and Tsuyoshi chatting enthusiastically while the bikes sped around the track; Shingo and Mori watched silently.)
T: Do you always go counter-clockwise?
M: Yes, in autoracing you always drive counter-clockwise. A long time ago people raced on dirt tracks. I have never tried it but people used to drift around on sand.
T: They had to skid around on the sand?
M: Right, they had to drift. But that's history now.
T: Then it's from the American culture!
M: Yes it's influenced by American and British cultures.
T: I really like the Harleys from the old days, so I read the American Harley-Davidson magazines and they would show pictures of that kind of biking.
M: Yes.
T: This is amazing!
(The bikes continued to go around the track. The guys kept watching)
M: Oh there are two women. Two women.
T: Just two?
M: The two racers in the front are guys...(the rest unintelligible because of the noise on the track)
(They kept watching.)
M: Oh oh oh oh!
T: He skidded.
M: He did.
(Mori looked to his right)
M: (Points to his right) You guys were there earlier today right?
T: Yes yes.
M: You guys were over there right?
S: Yes we watched from there.
(The bikes continued to go around the track. The guys kept watching)
T: They look like they are finishing up.
M: Yes they are finishing up. It has gotten dark out here.
(The bikes were still speeding around)
M: (to Tsuyoshi) Everyone grips their bike's handle differently, their riding positions all vary.
(Bikes speeding around)
M: Oh, the blue jacket skidded.
S: They are waving a flag.
T: What's that?
M: He's waving the red flag.
(A man waving a red flag to the racers on the track.)
(You can hear the bikes slowing down.)
T: Wow, it's intimidating.
S: Wow! Tsuyopon rides motorcycles too so he was able to chat with Mori about the practice, Goro-chan and I don't ride motorcycles,
G: We don't.
S: The closer we get to the track it gets more scary,
G: Scary!
S: It looks like the racers would topple over any second!
G: Yes!
M: By the way, autoracers can race even if they don't have a motorcycle license as long as they have a license for motorized bicycles (ex. scooters).
S: Really?
M: There are a lot of good racers who are like that.
S: OH~
(The guys looked out at the track as bikes slowed)
M: They will practice the start.
T: It's the start practice.
(Four bikes lined up at the starting line.)
S: Practicing the start of the race?
M: Yes.
(Bikes lined up at the starting line, reving up their engines.)
G: Mori-kun can you tell what each racer's characteristics are just from watching on the sideline?
M: I can tell.
G: Really?
(The bikes reved up their engines and dashed pass the start line.)
(Smoke came out of the bike from the far right as it accelerated.)
T: So cool!
M: Smoke came out from that one bike because the rear wheel was spinning out.
T: Oh, it did not touch the track correctly?
M: It did not, she released the clutch too quickly.
T: So it spinned too much. (points to his right) That's amazing, they start over there!
M: Right.
T: It counts down! (refers to a big clock at the start line)
M: Right it counts down until zero.
T: I see!
S: Hm~~~~
M: (asks staff) Can we go out there? Let's go. Counter-clockwise.
S: They are gone.
(At the entrance Mori bowed.)
M: Excuse me!
T: Excuse me! (bows)
S: We need to bow?
M: Yep. Bascially yes.
G: Wow! Like at Horikoshi (his old high school)!
S/G: Excuse us for our intrusion!
(Bows)
(They started walking onto the track)
S: I can't believe we are walking out here.
T: I really want to take a picture here! We can take pictures here right? Please hand me my phone! (hyper)
M: You can't use your phone here.
T: Oh right. (Takes out digital camera from his pocket)
M: You can use your digital camera.
G: It's quite a nice view out here.
M: Yes, surprisingly (walks out onto the track, Goro follows, Shingo and Tsuyoshi still on the red sideline.)
T: Oh they said we have to stay on this red part.
(Mori and Goro returned to the sidelines.)
Staff: We have gotten permission to walk out to the track.
M: It's fine right? (walks back out)
T: Let's take a picture!
(Shingo looks around)
T: Let's take a picture! Have them take one for us.
(The guys walked onto the track.)
M: The circuit looks big at first glance but it's only 500 meters long. The inner line is only 500 meters long.
(They walked down the sloped track towards the center.)
S: Oh~~~ The ground slopes.
M: Yes it slopes down.
T: Let's take a picture.
M: Let's find a good place for a picture. Why don't we climb up to the referee's booth? HAHA!
M: The referee sits up there, watches the race, and decides whether the bikes touched each other or not.
S: Should we take a picture here?
M: Right.
(The guys looked around for the best angle.)
M: Which way should we face?
(Shingo turns his back to the camera)
S: This way is the best I think. Better than this way (turns around to face the fence; Mori steps in front of Shingo to check.)
S: This way might be fine too.
T: If we have the center of the track as our background it will look nice.
S: Right.
(The guys started walking towards the spectator's bench.)
S: (points) What about over there?
M: At the spectator's benches!
S: We can have the benches in our background.
(Walks toward the spectator's area)
T: This is amazing!
S: This is a good place for a picture!
M: It's good!
S: This is good.
(Posed for picture)
S: Nice.
M: (points to a spot on the track) I lined up there today, at the "0" position.
(Fans on the other side of the fence were yelling for them, Tsuyoshi waved, the fans cheered.)
M: The 8 racers lined up here at the start of the race.
T: The start line.
M: For a usual race, the higher graded racers start from the back grids.
S: Each racer starts at one of these white lines?
M: Yes, the racer with the lowest rank starts at the "0" position, the faster racer starts behind it, and so forth.
(Fans yelling loudly.)
M: It's the opposite of Formula One.
G: Right, it's the exact opposite.
M: That makes an interesting race.
(Shingo waves at the fans gathered at the fence.)
(Fans screamed)
M: Oh wow!!
(Tsuyoshi kneels down to touch the ground)
T: This is asphalt!
M: Yes, asphalt.
T: If you fall down you hit the ground hard! Racers do slip and fall after all.
M: It hurts alot!
T: It must be awful!
M: It hurts! You hit the ground while going 150km/h. But we wear protective gears.
T: Like elbow protectors.
M: Yes.
S: Have you ever gotten badly injured in your career?
M: Yes during my rookie training at the racing school. At the racing school, at that time I wasn't going that fast yet, when I started raising my speed, I crashed head-on to the fence.
(Translator's note: He was not able to round the corner and crashed into a fence.)
M: Right after the crash, my leg was twisted the other way because it was broken. I wasn't able to walk for 3 months...6 months.
T: That's terrible!
M: But since then I haven't really crashed much.
T: At that time did you recognize your mistake?
M: I did. I was not skilled enough yet I wanted to go faster and I lost control of the bike.
T: But it's such a dilemma! You have to be quick as a racer and at the same time if you go too fast you crash.
M: But I think it hurts more when I broke the bat in Kakushi-ge.
(Translator's Note: In the 1993 Kakushi-ge show, SMAP performed karate. Mori was supposed to break a wooden bat with his barefoot. On his first try he failed and people could almost hear his foot fractured. He tried a second time, broke the bat, and was taken to the hospital immediately. For those interested, here's the link to SMAP's karate + behind the scenes, ouch!)
All: Hahaha!!!
M: Seriously!
T: That time...
S: This is what it looks like from here!
M: It's incredible right? You guys were up there earlier right? (points to the spectator's bench)
S: We watched from there!
M: I saw you!
S: We were there.
(Fans were still yelling from the fence.)
(Mori looked at the spectator's area.)
M: This is what it looks like here in Hamamatsu. At my home base it's more amazing! They have these fancy rooms!
S: What do you mean by fancy rooms?
M: There's a nice section with tall glass walls that sits people from the front row up to the very back row.
G: Are the tracks all the same at all the circuits?
M: Um...
G: Are they a little different?
M: Yes! Each circuit probably used a different contractor to build their race track, so the the surface roughness is totally different at each circuit.
G: Oh and because the surface is different you have to tune up your bike differently?
M: Yes for example here in Hamamatsu it's easy to get the speed up on this surface.
S: (skids his feet a little on the surface) It's slippery!
G: It is!
T: Earlier you also said that the conditions of your bike is different according to the weather.
M: It's different when the surface temperature changes.
M: I don't race well at all in the summer because it's so slippery. I race horribly. I like the winter better, I ride way better in the winter.
G: Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses.
M: Some people do better in the rain, some not.
S: Walking on it I realize how wide the track really is.
M: It's wide right? They build it so that when you slip and fall you won't get thrown to the fence.
S: They designed it with falling and crashing in mind?
M: Yes, they assume people will fall down. If the track is narrow it will be dangerous, so they build it at a width where if you slip out you would stop right at the sideline.
S: How often do falls and crashes happen? When you have multiple races on the same day, there are days when no one crashes?
M: There are days like that. There are also days where as many as 10 bikes crash on the same day.
S: In one day?
M: In one day sometimes up to 10 bikes crash.
S: You guys race so close to each other so if one bike falls all the other bikes pile up?
M: That happens sometimes too. Usually 3 or 4 bikes get tangled together.
S: Do they stop the race then?
M: After a crash, when the rest of the bikes come back to that spot after a lap and there is someone still lying there unable to move, then the race is stopped.
M: Or if a bike is left in the middle of the track.
S: Then if the bike crashes and flies to the sideline,
M: If both bike and person gets thrown to the sideline, then it's fine. Just not when it's lying in the middle of the track.
S: The race goes on?
M: The race goes on. If the track is obstructed then the red flag starts waving to stop the race and clean up.
(The whole time they were talking, they were walking counter-clockwise on the race track.)
S: Do other countries have autorace?
M: No. They have something similar, right? Tsuyopon? In America.
T: In America they have something similar. I like the old Harleys so I would look at photobooks where they show something called "drag racing."
M: Yes, drag racing.
T: People rode on motorcycles that looked like bicycles and they raced in gravel.
M: As I mentioned earlier, early autoracing was done on gravel, on sand.
S: Then it's really slippery then.
M: Yes so everyone steered the handle the opposite of where they were going and drifted around.
T: That was the start of autoracing.
M: Yes, and because that was too dangerous they changed to roads.
(Still walking)
M: It feels good out here. (to the staff) Bike? Right! Right! We can go to my locker.
T: Will you show us your bike?
M: Of course.
T: I want to see it!
S: We get to see your bike?
T: What was its name again?
M: Medjai 23
T: MEDJAI 23 HAHA!
M: I think it's time to change it though.
T: Your bike's name?
M: Buy a new bike. I think my current bike has hit its limit. The engine is at its limit.
T: Really?
S: Oh~~
M: I tune it up to the best condition, but it won't go any faster than that.
G: It doesn't get any better?
T: So it is at it's best configuration now?
M: Probably, for this time periord it had put out its best performance.
G: It's like it's a living thing.
S: What? What do you mean? I totally don't understand! What's that?
M: My bike is a living thing, really. There are so many different things to configure! There are too many to count.
T: For example picking out the right parts to make your bike weigh less.
M: Yep.
T: But if the bike is too light it falls over easily. You are trying to make it light but heavy enough to stick to the track. I don't know too much about it though.
M: The configuration is really challenging.
(Shingo waved at the fans as they walked farther away.)
T: The handle has to be right too.
M: That's right.
T: Do you also change the position of the exhaust pipe?
M: We do! We also adjust the postion of the exhaust pipe mount too from day to day.
T: You put pressure on it to increase the power...
M: You know a lot about motorcycles! Yes we adjust it by the milimeters.
T: I love motorcycles. Mori-kun you had always liked that stuff! Like remote control toy cars.
M: Right, I love mechanical things! To build something mechanically using small parts.
S: One time I went to Mori-kun's place, at night we heard this noise made from a motorcycle, he realized it was his bike. We went outside to check and Mori-kun yelled, "F***!!"
M: (giggles)
S: "Shingo! This way!!" he yelled, and then called his cousins and brother, "GATHER!!" They came in a car and Mori-kun yelled, "GET ON!! SHINGO YOU TOO!! GET ON!! THEY STOLE MY BIKE!!!!!"
M: (giggles)...well...
S: Everyone got into the car,
M: Right.
S: I had no idea what was happening. I knew it was a huge deal, but I had no idea where they were taking me in the car. They drove us to this area nearby where a bunch of scary guys hung out. He went, "YO!! WHO THE HELL STOLE MY BIKE???" It was like a scene from a manga, I couldn't believe he was going against those scary guys! "WHO THE F*** STOLE IT?!?" And then all the scary guys said politely, "Sorry! We don't know! Sorry!"
M: But my exhaust pipe was lying on the ground, after being taken apart.
S: You mean later, you found it on the road.
M: Yes later.
S: That night his bike was gone and he was really angry about it, "THEY STOLE IT!! DAMN IT!!" After some time I went over to his place again, and we were in a car soon arriving at his place. He suddenly yelled, "STOP THE CAR!!" Mori-kun ran out, and ran on the street. He came back with a super worn out exhaust pipe in his arms. "My exhaust pipe was dropped on the street!" I had no idea what happened, but he got back on the car with the exhaust pipe, "...this is my exhaust pipe!" Later he was talking to his brother and their friends outside, "They must have taken my bike apart and sold all the parts!!!"
M: (laughs)
(They approched a wall on the race track where banners were hung, each banner has a racer's name on it.)
T: These are names of the racers!
M: Yes.
(They walked to the sideline towards Mori's banner on the wall.)
S: (quietly to Mori) That really happened to your bike.
M: It happened so quickly! You came over to hang out and we were eating.
S: Yes! And then your bike fired up, "RUM!!!"
M: I thought to myself, "That sounds like my bike!" When I looked over the bike was gone!
S: You were so anxious about it!
M: I was!
T: This is Mori-kun's banner!
S: Here it is! Mori Katsuyuki! Mae-ni! (Go Forward!)
(They arrived at his banner. "Mae-ni" is SMAP song title.)
G: Did you make the banner yourself?
M: The fans made it.
G: The people on the top.
M: Yes.
S: There are names printed on the top of the banner.
M: These are names of the fans who had the banner made.
(Names of fans, including Taiwanese fans, printed on the border of the banner.)
S: That must have made you happy!!
T: You must be happy.
M: I was really happy.
S: Let's take a picture here! Can we sit down?
M: Sure! Let's sit.
(They sat in front of the banner.)
G: OK! Will this all fit?
(Staff took pictures of them.)
(While taking pictures, Paripia looked around and exclaimed their amazement again. "EH~~~~")
S: It started yesterday?
T: Before yesterday I think.
S: Two days ago? We started this show two days ago so we are used to it by now. But it amazes you right?
M: It's amazing.
S: This is all being broadcasted live right now.
G: Oh!
M: You know, about that, I can't really tell. What's worse, since I'm locked in here I have no idea what's happening in the outside world! When I first appeared on this show, I wondered what the reaction was outside? I won't find out until tomorrow you know!
S: Oh that's right!
M: I won't find out until I leave the circuit tomorrow.
G: Even if we tell you you trended at world No.1.
M: Right!
(The guys stood up.)
S: You know the pauses we had just now while we took the picture, it feels like a recording of a show right?
M: Yep.
G: Like a recording, or a magazine photoshoot.
S: I am sure on the screen there are all these texts added to say like, "Mori Katsuyuki blah blah blah"
(The guys started walking again.)
(Tsuyoshi yawned loudly.)
M: (giggles) I also don't know what to do, is this alright?
S: You ask that NOW?!
M: I know! It's already been 2 hours.
S: There's no going back now.
S: (Reads the sign) "Finish Gate."
M: This is where we exit. When we exit we have to bow again.
G: Oh here too! That's just like Horikoshi high school.
(The guys bowed at the track before exiting.)
S: We went to film at Horikoshi.
M: You went to Horikoshi?
S: Yesterday morning.
G: At the beginning of the show.
M: Oh~~
S: Because the two of them went to school at Horikoshi, we filmed there. We used a bunch of their classrooms and listened to lectures.
M: Wow...that's right! Tsuyopon went to Horikoshi too!
T/G: Yes!
M: I think my high school closed down. It's not there anymore.
G: (looks ahead) You are right! Some people are riding bicycles here,
M: And playing baseball, or practicing their golf swing with a golf club. In here we can do whatever activities we want.
(The guys walk towards the garage.)
(Some guys are outside playing baseball and doing other activities.)
M: Before a race, we tune up our engines in this area, on these tracks.
S: You don't ride fast in here right?
M: We just kind of warm up the bikes here, listening to the engines. The garage is right ahead, the bikes are in there.
T: Medjai. Medjai 23. Medjai.
(The guys walk towards the garage.)
M: The tires too, we have to grind it on our own using a tire sander.
T: Really?
M: We have to do everything on our own.
T: Really?
G: WOW!!!
(Noise of machines, people working on the bikes)
G/T: There are these many bikes?!
M: This time I asked my peers around my lockers to clean up their spaces for this show.
T: Excuse us for intruding.
M: Excuse us!
(The guys entered the garage.)
TO BE CONTINUED.
Master list:
(1) Reunion
(2) Cafeteria
(3) Dorm
(4) Walking the track
(5) Garage
PART 4: WALKING THE TRACK
[S=Shingo, G=Goro, T=Tsuyoshi, M=Mori]
(The guys standing outside of the dorm)
M: Let's go onto the track.
S: I want to go!
(The guys started walking)
T: They are still practicing out there.
M: The practice is ending soon.
T: Mori-kun...don't you have to practice for tomorrow's race?
M: It's fine. Tomorrow I will practice.
T: You have the morning practice.
M: Yes I will practice very hard at the morning practice.
T: (points to a gas tank as they passed by) you refuel here?
M: There's gasoline here, but instead of refueling we fill up a big tank of gasoline here to bring over there.
T: What kind of gasoline do you use?
M: Regular
(Heading towards the race track)
M: The racers over there wearing the red hoods are rookies.
S: Rookies?
M: Rookies. Three of them are women.
T: Is that so.
(Camera pans to several rookie racers on their bikes waiting to go onto the track.)
(They stopped walking and looked at the rookies.)
M: There is an increase of women racers in autorace. Three women passed the test to become racers.
M: Let's walk closer and watch from there.
(Walking towards the track)
(Very loud motorcycle noise)
(Shingo covered his ears; Mori looked at him.)
M: It's pretty loud huh?
(They stopped several feet behind the four rookie racers waiting to go onto the track.)
M:...after this is finished...
(The rookies went onto the track to practice while the guys watched, you can hear the bikes racing away.)
T: Wow.
S: What a noise!!
T: They are women!!
G: EH?! Really?
S: The three in the blue jacket are women.
M: Right.
(They started walking, then stopped.)
T: Wait? Oh we have to wait until they are done.
M: Right now it's the rookie's turn to practice.
(The guys kept looking back to the TV crew or staff from the circuit for instructions.)
T: These racers are not officially racing yet?
M: No they already debuted.
T: Oh they already debuted.
M: Correct.
T: Then are they racing tomorrow?
M: No, well...
S: Can we walk over there? (gestures to the fence)
M: Maybe? Let's try walking there. Tomorrow's race is still too advanced for the rookies.
T: I see.
(They walked towards the fence.)
(The bikes are racing around the track.)
S: Wow~ (bows to a staff at the fence). Hello! How are you doing!
(Mori and Tsuyoshi chatting enthusiastically while the bikes sped around the track; Shingo and Mori watched silently.)
T: Do you always go counter-clockwise?
M: Yes, in autoracing you always drive counter-clockwise. A long time ago people raced on dirt tracks. I have never tried it but people used to drift around on sand.
T: They had to skid around on the sand?
M: Right, they had to drift. But that's history now.
T: Then it's from the American culture!
M: Yes it's influenced by American and British cultures.
T: I really like the Harleys from the old days, so I read the American Harley-Davidson magazines and they would show pictures of that kind of biking.
M: Yes.
T: This is amazing!
(The bikes continued to go around the track. The guys kept watching)
M: Oh there are two women. Two women.
T: Just two?
M: The two racers in the front are guys...(the rest unintelligible because of the noise on the track)
(They kept watching.)
M: Oh oh oh oh!
T: He skidded.
M: He did.
(Mori looked to his right)
M: (Points to his right) You guys were there earlier today right?
T: Yes yes.
M: You guys were over there right?
S: Yes we watched from there.
(The bikes continued to go around the track. The guys kept watching)
T: They look like they are finishing up.
M: Yes they are finishing up. It has gotten dark out here.
(The bikes were still speeding around)
M: (to Tsuyoshi) Everyone grips their bike's handle differently, their riding positions all vary.
(Bikes speeding around)
M: Oh, the blue jacket skidded.
S: They are waving a flag.
T: What's that?
M: He's waving the red flag.
(A man waving a red flag to the racers on the track.)
(You can hear the bikes slowing down.)
T: Wow, it's intimidating.
S: Wow! Tsuyopon rides motorcycles too so he was able to chat with Mori about the practice, Goro-chan and I don't ride motorcycles,
G: We don't.
S: The closer we get to the track it gets more scary,
G: Scary!
S: It looks like the racers would topple over any second!
G: Yes!
M: By the way, autoracers can race even if they don't have a motorcycle license as long as they have a license for motorized bicycles (ex. scooters).
S: Really?
M: There are a lot of good racers who are like that.
S: OH~
(The guys looked out at the track as bikes slowed)
M: They will practice the start.
T: It's the start practice.
(Four bikes lined up at the starting line.)
S: Practicing the start of the race?
M: Yes.
(Bikes lined up at the starting line, reving up their engines.)
G: Mori-kun can you tell what each racer's characteristics are just from watching on the sideline?
M: I can tell.
G: Really?
(The bikes reved up their engines and dashed pass the start line.)
(Smoke came out of the bike from the far right as it accelerated.)
T: So cool!
M: Smoke came out from that one bike because the rear wheel was spinning out.
T: Oh, it did not touch the track correctly?
M: It did not, she released the clutch too quickly.
T: So it spinned too much. (points to his right) That's amazing, they start over there!
M: Right.
T: It counts down! (refers to a big clock at the start line)
M: Right it counts down until zero.
T: I see!
S: Hm~~~~
M: (asks staff) Can we go out there? Let's go. Counter-clockwise.
S: They are gone.
(At the entrance Mori bowed.)
M: Excuse me!
T: Excuse me! (bows)
S: We need to bow?
M: Yep. Bascially yes.
G: Wow! Like at Horikoshi (his old high school)!
S/G: Excuse us for our intrusion!
(Bows)
(They started walking onto the track)
S: I can't believe we are walking out here.
T: I really want to take a picture here! We can take pictures here right? Please hand me my phone! (hyper)
M: You can't use your phone here.
T: Oh right. (Takes out digital camera from his pocket)
M: You can use your digital camera.
G: It's quite a nice view out here.
M: Yes, surprisingly (walks out onto the track, Goro follows, Shingo and Tsuyoshi still on the red sideline.)
T: Oh they said we have to stay on this red part.
(Mori and Goro returned to the sidelines.)
Staff: We have gotten permission to walk out to the track.
M: It's fine right? (walks back out)
T: Let's take a picture!
(Shingo looks around)
T: Let's take a picture! Have them take one for us.
(The guys walked onto the track.)
M: The circuit looks big at first glance but it's only 500 meters long. The inner line is only 500 meters long.
(They walked down the sloped track towards the center.)
S: Oh~~~ The ground slopes.
M: Yes it slopes down.
T: Let's take a picture.
M: Let's find a good place for a picture. Why don't we climb up to the referee's booth? HAHA!
M: The referee sits up there, watches the race, and decides whether the bikes touched each other or not.
S: Should we take a picture here?
M: Right.
(The guys looked around for the best angle.)
M: Which way should we face?
(Shingo turns his back to the camera)
S: This way is the best I think. Better than this way (turns around to face the fence; Mori steps in front of Shingo to check.)
S: This way might be fine too.
T: If we have the center of the track as our background it will look nice.
S: Right.
(The guys started walking towards the spectator's bench.)
S: (points) What about over there?
M: At the spectator's benches!
S: We can have the benches in our background.
(Walks toward the spectator's area)
T: This is amazing!
S: This is a good place for a picture!
M: It's good!
S: This is good.
(Posed for picture)
S: Nice.
M: (points to a spot on the track) I lined up there today, at the "0" position.
(Fans on the other side of the fence were yelling for them, Tsuyoshi waved, the fans cheered.)
M: The 8 racers lined up here at the start of the race.
T: The start line.
M: For a usual race, the higher graded racers start from the back grids.
S: Each racer starts at one of these white lines?
M: Yes, the racer with the lowest rank starts at the "0" position, the faster racer starts behind it, and so forth.
(Fans yelling loudly.)
M: It's the opposite of Formula One.
G: Right, it's the exact opposite.
M: That makes an interesting race.
(Shingo waves at the fans gathered at the fence.)
(Fans screamed)
M: Oh wow!!
(Tsuyoshi kneels down to touch the ground)
T: This is asphalt!
M: Yes, asphalt.
T: If you fall down you hit the ground hard! Racers do slip and fall after all.
M: It hurts alot!
T: It must be awful!
M: It hurts! You hit the ground while going 150km/h. But we wear protective gears.
T: Like elbow protectors.
M: Yes.
S: Have you ever gotten badly injured in your career?
M: Yes during my rookie training at the racing school. At the racing school, at that time I wasn't going that fast yet, when I started raising my speed, I crashed head-on to the fence.
(Translator's note: He was not able to round the corner and crashed into a fence.)
M: Right after the crash, my leg was twisted the other way because it was broken. I wasn't able to walk for 3 months...6 months.
T: That's terrible!
M: But since then I haven't really crashed much.
T: At that time did you recognize your mistake?
M: I did. I was not skilled enough yet I wanted to go faster and I lost control of the bike.
T: But it's such a dilemma! You have to be quick as a racer and at the same time if you go too fast you crash.
M: But I think it hurts more when I broke the bat in Kakushi-ge.
(Translator's Note: In the 1993 Kakushi-ge show, SMAP performed karate. Mori was supposed to break a wooden bat with his barefoot. On his first try he failed and people could almost hear his foot fractured. He tried a second time, broke the bat, and was taken to the hospital immediately. For those interested, here's the link to SMAP's karate + behind the scenes, ouch!)
All: Hahaha!!!
M: Seriously!
T: That time...
S: This is what it looks like from here!
M: It's incredible right? You guys were up there earlier right? (points to the spectator's bench)
S: We watched from there!
M: I saw you!
S: We were there.
(Fans were still yelling from the fence.)
(Mori looked at the spectator's area.)
M: This is what it looks like here in Hamamatsu. At my home base it's more amazing! They have these fancy rooms!
S: What do you mean by fancy rooms?
M: There's a nice section with tall glass walls that sits people from the front row up to the very back row.
G: Are the tracks all the same at all the circuits?
M: Um...
G: Are they a little different?
M: Yes! Each circuit probably used a different contractor to build their race track, so the the surface roughness is totally different at each circuit.
G: Oh and because the surface is different you have to tune up your bike differently?
M: Yes for example here in Hamamatsu it's easy to get the speed up on this surface.
S: (skids his feet a little on the surface) It's slippery!
G: It is!
T: Earlier you also said that the conditions of your bike is different according to the weather.
M: It's different when the surface temperature changes.
M: I don't race well at all in the summer because it's so slippery. I race horribly. I like the winter better, I ride way better in the winter.
G: Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses.
M: Some people do better in the rain, some not.
S: Walking on it I realize how wide the track really is.
M: It's wide right? They build it so that when you slip and fall you won't get thrown to the fence.
S: They designed it with falling and crashing in mind?
M: Yes, they assume people will fall down. If the track is narrow it will be dangerous, so they build it at a width where if you slip out you would stop right at the sideline.
S: How often do falls and crashes happen? When you have multiple races on the same day, there are days when no one crashes?
M: There are days like that. There are also days where as many as 10 bikes crash on the same day.
S: In one day?
M: In one day sometimes up to 10 bikes crash.
S: You guys race so close to each other so if one bike falls all the other bikes pile up?
M: That happens sometimes too. Usually 3 or 4 bikes get tangled together.
S: Do they stop the race then?
M: After a crash, when the rest of the bikes come back to that spot after a lap and there is someone still lying there unable to move, then the race is stopped.
M: Or if a bike is left in the middle of the track.
S: Then if the bike crashes and flies to the sideline,
M: If both bike and person gets thrown to the sideline, then it's fine. Just not when it's lying in the middle of the track.
S: The race goes on?
M: The race goes on. If the track is obstructed then the red flag starts waving to stop the race and clean up.
(The whole time they were talking, they were walking counter-clockwise on the race track.)
S: Do other countries have autorace?
M: No. They have something similar, right? Tsuyopon? In America.
T: In America they have something similar. I like the old Harleys so I would look at photobooks where they show something called "drag racing."
M: Yes, drag racing.
T: People rode on motorcycles that looked like bicycles and they raced in gravel.
M: As I mentioned earlier, early autoracing was done on gravel, on sand.
S: Then it's really slippery then.
M: Yes so everyone steered the handle the opposite of where they were going and drifted around.
T: That was the start of autoracing.
M: Yes, and because that was too dangerous they changed to roads.
(Still walking)
M: It feels good out here. (to the staff) Bike? Right! Right! We can go to my locker.
T: Will you show us your bike?
M: Of course.
T: I want to see it!
S: We get to see your bike?
T: What was its name again?
M: Medjai 23
T: MEDJAI 23 HAHA!
M: I think it's time to change it though.
T: Your bike's name?
M: Buy a new bike. I think my current bike has hit its limit. The engine is at its limit.
T: Really?
S: Oh~~
M: I tune it up to the best condition, but it won't go any faster than that.
G: It doesn't get any better?
T: So it is at it's best configuration now?
M: Probably, for this time periord it had put out its best performance.
G: It's like it's a living thing.
S: What? What do you mean? I totally don't understand! What's that?
M: My bike is a living thing, really. There are so many different things to configure! There are too many to count.
T: For example picking out the right parts to make your bike weigh less.
M: Yep.
T: But if the bike is too light it falls over easily. You are trying to make it light but heavy enough to stick to the track. I don't know too much about it though.
M: The configuration is really challenging.
(Shingo waved at the fans as they walked farther away.)
T: The handle has to be right too.
M: That's right.
T: Do you also change the position of the exhaust pipe?
M: We do! We also adjust the postion of the exhaust pipe mount too from day to day.
T: You put pressure on it to increase the power...
M: You know a lot about motorcycles! Yes we adjust it by the milimeters.
T: I love motorcycles. Mori-kun you had always liked that stuff! Like remote control toy cars.
M: Right, I love mechanical things! To build something mechanically using small parts.
S: One time I went to Mori-kun's place, at night we heard this noise made from a motorcycle, he realized it was his bike. We went outside to check and Mori-kun yelled, "F***!!"
M: (giggles)
S: "Shingo! This way!!" he yelled, and then called his cousins and brother, "GATHER!!" They came in a car and Mori-kun yelled, "GET ON!! SHINGO YOU TOO!! GET ON!! THEY STOLE MY BIKE!!!!!"
M: (giggles)...well...
S: Everyone got into the car,
M: Right.
S: I had no idea what was happening. I knew it was a huge deal, but I had no idea where they were taking me in the car. They drove us to this area nearby where a bunch of scary guys hung out. He went, "YO!! WHO THE HELL STOLE MY BIKE???" It was like a scene from a manga, I couldn't believe he was going against those scary guys! "WHO THE F*** STOLE IT?!?" And then all the scary guys said politely, "Sorry! We don't know! Sorry!"
M: But my exhaust pipe was lying on the ground, after being taken apart.
S: You mean later, you found it on the road.
M: Yes later.
S: That night his bike was gone and he was really angry about it, "THEY STOLE IT!! DAMN IT!!" After some time I went over to his place again, and we were in a car soon arriving at his place. He suddenly yelled, "STOP THE CAR!!" Mori-kun ran out, and ran on the street. He came back with a super worn out exhaust pipe in his arms. "My exhaust pipe was dropped on the street!" I had no idea what happened, but he got back on the car with the exhaust pipe, "...this is my exhaust pipe!" Later he was talking to his brother and their friends outside, "They must have taken my bike apart and sold all the parts!!!"
M: (laughs)
(They approched a wall on the race track where banners were hung, each banner has a racer's name on it.)
T: These are names of the racers!
M: Yes.
(They walked to the sideline towards Mori's banner on the wall.)
S: (quietly to Mori) That really happened to your bike.
M: It happened so quickly! You came over to hang out and we were eating.
S: Yes! And then your bike fired up, "RUM!!!"
M: I thought to myself, "That sounds like my bike!" When I looked over the bike was gone!
S: You were so anxious about it!
M: I was!
T: This is Mori-kun's banner!
S: Here it is! Mori Katsuyuki! Mae-ni! (Go Forward!)
(They arrived at his banner. "Mae-ni" is SMAP song title.)
G: Did you make the banner yourself?
M: The fans made it.
G: The people on the top.
M: Yes.
S: There are names printed on the top of the banner.
M: These are names of the fans who had the banner made.
(Names of fans, including Taiwanese fans, printed on the border of the banner.)
S: That must have made you happy!!
T: You must be happy.
M: I was really happy.
S: Let's take a picture here! Can we sit down?
M: Sure! Let's sit.
(They sat in front of the banner.)
G: OK! Will this all fit?
(Staff took pictures of them.)
(While taking pictures, Paripia looked around and exclaimed their amazement again. "EH~~~~")
S: It started yesterday?
T: Before yesterday I think.
S: Two days ago? We started this show two days ago so we are used to it by now. But it amazes you right?
M: It's amazing.
S: This is all being broadcasted live right now.
G: Oh!
M: You know, about that, I can't really tell. What's worse, since I'm locked in here I have no idea what's happening in the outside world! When I first appeared on this show, I wondered what the reaction was outside? I won't find out until tomorrow you know!
S: Oh that's right!
M: I won't find out until I leave the circuit tomorrow.
G: Even if we tell you you trended at world No.1.
M: Right!
(The guys stood up.)
S: You know the pauses we had just now while we took the picture, it feels like a recording of a show right?
M: Yep.
G: Like a recording, or a magazine photoshoot.
S: I am sure on the screen there are all these texts added to say like, "Mori Katsuyuki blah blah blah"
(The guys started walking again.)
(Tsuyoshi yawned loudly.)
M: (giggles) I also don't know what to do, is this alright?
S: You ask that NOW?!
M: I know! It's already been 2 hours.
S: There's no going back now.
S: (Reads the sign) "Finish Gate."
M: This is where we exit. When we exit we have to bow again.
G: Oh here too! That's just like Horikoshi high school.
(The guys bowed at the track before exiting.)
S: We went to film at Horikoshi.
M: You went to Horikoshi?
S: Yesterday morning.
G: At the beginning of the show.
M: Oh~~
S: Because the two of them went to school at Horikoshi, we filmed there. We used a bunch of their classrooms and listened to lectures.
M: Wow...that's right! Tsuyopon went to Horikoshi too!
T/G: Yes!
M: I think my high school closed down. It's not there anymore.
G: (looks ahead) You are right! Some people are riding bicycles here,
M: And playing baseball, or practicing their golf swing with a golf club. In here we can do whatever activities we want.
(The guys walk towards the garage.)
(Some guys are outside playing baseball and doing other activities.)
M: Before a race, we tune up our engines in this area, on these tracks.
S: You don't ride fast in here right?
M: We just kind of warm up the bikes here, listening to the engines. The garage is right ahead, the bikes are in there.
T: Medjai. Medjai 23. Medjai.
(The guys walk towards the garage.)
M: The tires too, we have to grind it on our own using a tire sander.
T: Really?
M: We have to do everything on our own.
T: Really?
G: WOW!!!
(Noise of machines, people working on the bikes)
G/T: There are these many bikes?!
M: This time I asked my peers around my lockers to clean up their spaces for this show.
T: Excuse us for intruding.
M: Excuse us!
(The guys entered the garage.)
TO BE CONTINUED.