[translation] Non-no 2013.06: Volume 67, タイイクカンノアラシ
Gymnasium no Arashi x Matsumiya
"For Arashi's Action Star Combi I shall give a plan that makes you move (grin)", accepting such an instruction from Sakurai-kun, Ninomiya-kun x Matsumoto-kun gather in a gymnasium. "Come at me! ♪" (Ninomiya) and "I'm gonna win!" (Matsumoto), a fun game of basketball and futsal. After a while of fully enjoying their time, we asked them, what are the memories they have in connection to a gymnasium?
If you're talking about a gymnasium, it's a place for playing and for club activities...
And also... a place where you set off (on a journey)!
M: Are we action stars?! Seems like the hurdle has been raised. (laugh)
N: Well, haven't we shown them the movements that they have been anticipating? ♪ .... Just joking. Today was quite tough~
M: The basketball didn't enter the hoop much as well! Because of the influence from Michael Jordan and Slam Dunk during my school days, I would play basketball a lot, so I had a feeling that I would have a better grasp of the distance and strength needed, but...
N: Basketball was really popular when we were in our teens, yea. J, haven't you been playing futsal recently?
M: For that, I couldn't find time so I haven't been doing it for a while. That's why even though I've only been playing lightly, I've already lost my breath (laugh).
N: I don't do sports at all.
M: Take this chance and start futsal! (grin) Sho-kun seems to like it too, you can do it together right?
N: (dodge) Nooooo~, I'll pass (laugh). J too, you miss basketball, right. By all means, I would like you to have fun together with our experienced player, Aiba-san (grin).
M: (does the same dodge) Nooooo~, I'll pass as well (laugh). Since this is a rare chance, shall we think of a indoor sports that all of us in Arashi can play.
N: How about badminton, where even few players have can a match. Let's be taught by the one that is rumored to have done this in the past, Ohno-san! --- For me, if you are talking about a gymnasium, I have a strong impression that it's a place which the badminton and volleyball clubs use.
M: Apart from that, there's the impression as well where we would use it for lessons to do the vaulting horse and other mat exercises, and where we would play badminton and basketball after class. And then, it's also the venue for the entrance and graduation ceremonies, isn't it. There are also rehearsals before the real thing.
N: I've forgotten what went on during my primary and secondary school days... What did we do for the ceremonies?
M: If I don't remember wrongly, we did things like singing the school song or giving speeches. (Suddenly remembers) That being said, I remember chairs being arranged in a row with a plastic cylinder-like thing on it, and each of us putting the recorder(1) in it or something...
N: Eh, the recorder was played too? What song?
M: Wasn't it...... Aogeba Toutoshi(2)?
N: It's been more than 15 years since then, memories are bound to become fuzzy (laugh). Although, I could remember my high school graduation. In my case, I felt like I was freed, and had more happy than painful feelings.
M: For me, I was probably quite emotional. At that time I was already doing work, so somewhere in my heart I thought that I wouldn't have been able to graduate. In that situation, to be able to accomplish it to the very end, how should I say it, there were really strong feelings there.
N: If you think about it, the gymnasium is a place that is packed with so many different memories.
M: From a place where you meet your friends to where you set off on your journey, it's a space which oversees everything.
~
(1) The Japanese word used here could refer to either flute or recorder. I used recorder because I didn't think everyone would have a flute? lol
(2) 『仰げば尊し』, is a song that is commonly sung at graduation ceremonies in Japan. here is a link if you're interested in hearing it.