NEWS news (week of 30 July) - Part 2
Tackey no Takizawa Denpajo (29 July)
Massu was mentioned in Takizawa’s radio programme when he shared an episode of how he went for a movie with Arioka. When they decided to go grab some food, Arioka suggested asking Massu along, and Massu came. Massu probably already had dinner elsewhere before that, but he still ordered a large pasta. While Takizawa has previously heard from Arioka of Massu’s appetite, he still found Massu amazing, and that he’s really like a man. (Source 1 2 3 4 5)
Sorashige Book (30 July)
The first message was from a listener working as a preschool teacher. They said that at one of the school events last year the boys in the middle grade performed ‘Yonjuushi’, and have since started to love NEWS. In order to motivate them during practice she got them NEWS' countdown uchiwa and they were really excited. One of the boys who is a Shige fan held the uchiwa to his chest and said 'Look! I’m NEWS! Kato-san is handsome, and I'm going to become handsome too!' That boy doesn't like soymilk, and asked her if Shige likes soymilk. She said that since she wanted him to drink his milk she answered that she had seen Shige recently and that he was pretty and good at dancing and singing, so she's sure that he drinks his soymilk whether he likes it or not, but that she thinks that he really likes soymilk. Hearing that her student drank all his soymilk. From that incident she became curious if Shige actually likes soymilk or not.
Shige said not to worry, he likes soymilk, though he doesn’t have many opportunities to drink it. He said that he does use it instead of milk to cook pretty frequently. He added that it’s ok to use him in this kind of situation even for foods he doesn’t like, like red bean paste.
This episode for the music club section he talked about the group ‘Akai Kouen’ and how their vocalist, Sato Chiaki, recently announced that she would be leaving the group saying that he was surprised when he heard the announcement and thought that it was a joke. He praised her voice and said he was curious to see what will happen with ‘Akai Kouen’ without her. He also talked about and played their new single ‘Journey’ that came out in June, saying that thinking about it as referring to Sato Chiaki’s continuing journey and possibly as a message from one of the remaining members, Tsuno Maisa, who wrote the song made him teary. He said it was a really great song, and that he’s looking forward to their album and will continuing supporting both the group and Sato Chiaki.
The next message was from a listener who asked about the anklet Shige wore on his left ankle during the Neverland tour. They wanted to know if there was a meaning behind it or if he just wore it because it’s fashionable.
Shige said he got a lot of messages about it, but that there was no meaning to it was just for fashion. Massu did the costumes but for the most part each member picked out their own accessories and things like shoes, sometimes using their own personal items too. Shige said that usually he doesn’t wear many accessories, but in summer if you don’t have any it looks too simple. He wore the anklet because he found a nice one and decided to buy it, and there was no reason for wearing it on his left ankle, he just randomly chose it over the right, maybe because he’s left handed.
The next message was about ‘nuresembei’ [wet rice cracker] which Shige wrote about liking in a recent NEWS Ring entry. He spent some time rehashing what he had written before continuing with the message. Talking about the merits of nuresembei and how it’s underappreciated, about asking his kohai to go buy it at the convenience store, but that they no longer sell them, and that the name isn’t so appealing so maybe a different name would be better. Continuing with the message, the listener said that they ate nuresembei after reading Shige’s entry, and speculated that the sales of nuresembei probably increased because of his entry.
The next message was also about nuresembei. They said that they don’t usually like sembei, but after reading Shige’s passionate entry about nuresembei, regretted that they had lived up until now not having heard of them. They bought some and thought that they were really good, better than regular sembei, and asked Shige to forgive them for not having heard of them before now. They suggested renaming them to ‘Moisture sembei’ but Shige shot it down, saying that he felt like the name shouldn’t be in English. He’s used to the name nuresembei, and that it’s an interesting feature of nuresembei to go from, ‘That sounds gross!’ to ‘Oh actually, it tastes good!’ He repeated that he wants more people to like nuresembei and that it’s good in summer, and good to eat as a measure against heat stroke. He said that he talked about nuresembei so much that that’s all he received for his birthday.
Kchan NEWS (August 1)
The guest this week was Shige.
They started out talking about how Shige will be appearing in the 24hr TV drama. Koyama said he was surprised when he found out and was really happy about it. They said they’re happy though they’re not sure how much they’ll actually be able to interact during 24hr TV but Shige said that he hopes that he can go to Budokan. Shige talked about acting with Kame, saying it was a new experience and that they’re both professionals now and each have their own places. Rather than feeling like he was acting with a sempai, it felt like working with an actor. Koyama said he was looking forward to seeing how it turns out.
The first message was about the ‘U R not alone’ performance on Ongaku no Hi. The listener said that as a fan they were really proud and asked them to keep delivering wonderful performances. They asked them to share any behind the scene stories.
Shige said that before the performance was when he told Koyama that he would be appearing in the drama. Koyama added that recently Massu has been hooked on decluttering and gave their manager and Tegoshi old bags of his that he didn’t need anymore. They also added that they ate a lot of food, but that’s no different from usual, they eat a stupid amount of food. They also talked about ‘U R not alone’ a bit, Shige said that it's unusual to get the chance to perform an album song on TV and that they were grateful for the opportunity.
The next message was about the Johnny’s shuffle medley, they asked if Shige talked to the other two Shiges, [Shigeoka Daiki (Johnny’s West) and Joshima Shigeru (Tokio)] during the medley like, “We’re both Shige.” They also asked to hear any behind the scenes stories.
Shige said he probably didn’t even exchange greetings with Shigeoka, and that he didn’t talk at all with Joshima. He said that they don’t go up to each other saying ‘You’re Shige!’ Koyama brought up that they had asked about behind the scenes stories too, and Shige said he didn’t have any. He just stood there looking down the whole time. K: You sang ‘Musekinin Hero’ didn’t you? S: I just thought ‘Ah, it’s Musekinin Hero…’ while singing. K: He sang while not thinking about anything. (laughing) S: I don’t even really remember it, it was so long ago.
Shige tried to remember what Koyama sang, saying that he went home before him. Koyama said that he performed with Sho and Kame, and that Sho was really busy and didn’t have time to rehearse, so he didn’t know when to go on and things like that.
The next message was about the Shonen Club Premium performance with Domoto Koichi, saying the performance was really great and gave them goosebumps and asking them to share any behind the scene stories.
S: Everyone’s asking for behind the scene stories! I don’t know!
Koyama said that before the performance filming Koichi told them to have fun, and not to feel like they have to be careful and hold back around him. So they didn’t and Massu grabbed onto his arm and Tegoshi looked at him during Chankapaana. Koyama said that they used to be in the group that back danced for Kinki Kids. Shige brought up how KAT-TUN was too, but when KAT-TUN got busy they were called in as pinch-hitters. They talked about how it was nostalgic and Koyama talked about seeing old footage that TBS had broadcast somewhere and they reminisced about being able to stand in the front for a bit on camera as juniors and being grateful for that. Shige said that he didn’t really remember anymore.
Koyama read a bit more of the message, which asked if Shige wanted to be loved more than love, or love more than be loved [referring to the Kinki Kids song they performed on SCP].
S: I want to love and I want to be loved. K: That’s all.
The next message was from a 14 year old listener who hates watermelon. They said that they used to be able to eat it when they were younger, but now they can’t even stand the smell of it. However, their younger sister really likes watermelon so in summer their fridge is filled with the smell of watermelon. They said that they’re afraid that in summer they’ll be seeing a lot more watermelon, and asked Shige to help them.
Shige commented that once you become an adult you don’t eat much watermelon anymore, which surprised Koyama who said he does eat it. Shige said that out of all the summer fruits, watermelon is pretty far down the list for him, he prefers pears. Then they puzzled over whether pears were a summer or fall fruit, so Shige said he likes grapes and peaches too. He said that he doesn’t eat that much fruit, and Koyama said that he likes Shine Muscats. They talked about how they’re expensive and Koyama said he received them from someone from one of the TV stations when they went out to eat. Shige said he’s never received those before, but he’s gotten a really expensive mango, a special kind that costs more than ¥10,000. Koyama asked Shige if that was his favorite fruit then, and Shige said that he’d say his favorite was mango for now, and Koyama commented that in the past Shige had said pineapple. Shige denied saying that since he doesn’t particularly like pineapples.
At the end they returned to the listener’s problem and Shige joked that she should buy her own fridge.
Last was the “Solving your problems, Summertime!” corner. The message was from someone who’s friend recently got a perm, but the beautician messed up and when their friend lamented that it looked like a grandma perm, they just replied that it was totally fine. They wanted some advice on what they should’ve said.
Shige said that he wouldn’t really know if it suited them or not, and Koyama said that they’re asking about what to say about a really bad perm. S: But you can’t fix it… Just say ‘What were you going for?’ K: That’s the worst!
Shige said that it can’t be helped, it’ll grow out and you can be careful next time. Shige said that lately he’s been getting messages from fans asking if he’s growing his hair out for his drama and that it’s simply because it’s troublesome to get it cut, and that he’s always felt that he just wants to get a buzzcut. Koyama commented on how Tegoshi always gets his dyed blonde and how that requires devotion. They talked about how he goes to beauty salons and gets hair removal done too. Shige said that it’s bad but he just can’t be bothered to care about his hair and beauty treatments.
Tegomass no Radio (2 Aug)
They started by saying it’s now August which means it’s summer break. Massu said Tegoshi’s voice is really loud, to which Tegoshi replied that it’s because he did sports before coming. M: You came from sports, not ItteQ? T: Like, summer break, yay! M: Sorry, but the listeners probably don’t feel the same way. I mean, look at the time, people are probably going to sleep soon. But they said that since it’s summer break, people might be staying up later. Sakura: So maybe people who don’t usually listen are listening too. M: Why aren’t they usually listening! Sakura: Because it’s late… T: Shouldn’t it be “Tegomass no Radio” over sleep! Sakura: Sorry, you’re right. They then talked about how some people may be going on trips. M: So maybe some who always listen, can’t, because they’re away. T: Shouldn’t it be “Tegomass no Radio” over travelling! Sakura: You’re right!
The first mail was a request, for “Shikisai”. They talked about how this is one song they’ve never sang since the recording, as it’s hard to recreate the same sound with the band. But they do hope they can sing it someday.
Moving on to the phone calls, the first call was to a girl who started by recapping a story Massu shared previously, on how he drools in his sleep (T: Yeah he drools a lot) but she drools even when she’s awake. Like how she can just be listening to the teacher in class and start drooling. At first, she thought since Massu drools too, it’s okay, but if her friends catch her drooling, it’ll probably be awkward so she wants advice on how to get out of such situations. Tegoshi then started making fun of how Massu drools so much he thought a puddle would form. (M: That’s why I wear masks) Massu told her, as she’s probably most worried about what her friends will think of her if they saw her drooling, she can just take reference from how Tegoshi is making much of Massu so much now, and just think, so how about thinking of it as part of the set of “Well, since it’s the same for Massu, it’s okay!”? They told her it’s really fine, or just wear masks like Massu. They continued making fun of Massu a little after the call ended (T: It’s like a waterfall!).
The next call went to someone who was talking to her boyfriend when they called. M: Hey, boyfriend~ Boyfriend: Eh? Eh? (Listener: Massu.) M: Hello~ Boyfriend: Oh, wow! Good evening! M: You’re the boyfriend? Boyfriend: Yes I am! Sakura asked if both of them are TM’s fans and they were, the listener Massu’s fan and the boyfriend “Brother” Tegoshi’s fan. (M: Oh man, this must be a terrible dude. People who are male, younger than Tegoshi, and aim to become like him basically spell trouble. [Studio bursts into laughter] We probably won’t be able to get along. T: Then there’re a few terrible ones amongst the Juniors. Sakura: Gather all of them and give them a talking down.) The listener’s problem is that the boyfriend’s mother is very strict and won’t accept her, so she’s now scared of talking to the mother. They’re both 24 this year and are considering getting married, maybe in another 2 years. M: Well, you see, the boyfriend looks up to Tegoshi, doesn’t he? So maybe something went wrong with the parenting… T: No way! So you’re saying all the boys who look up to me have parents who went wrong? (studio bursts into laughter) M: Nah I was just kidding. It also turns out that the listener’s parents are cool with the boyfriend, so it’s just the boyfriend’s mother who has issues with the listener. Massu said that the boyfriend probably needs to put in more effort in convincing his mother that this person is really very important to him and a great person. Tegoshi added that mothers will probably always feel that the girlfriend/ wife is taking their son away. (M: Like you’ll always be the cutest boy around in her heart) Even for Tegoshi, who’s turning 30 this year, he finds the house full of his posters each time he returns to his mum’s. But that’s what parents are all about. As Massu mentioned, it’d probably be best to properly talk to his mother about why he fell for this girl, and look for a good timing for them to meet. Even if the mother might be jealous, the son’s happiness is her happiness too, so she’s probably not really, really against it, since that’s what makes him happy. Massu also suggested that he makes it clear to his mother that while the girlfriend is important, his mother is important too. This is where the boyfriend should show what he’s made of, by doing what he can to make it a harmonious relationship between the 3 of them. They then asked what Tegoshi’s mum is like, whether or not she’ll be upset or not. Tegoshi said while she’ll feel lonely, she’s mostly supportive, and will probably tell him to treat his wife well in the future. M: My mother will probably go like, NO! T: She’s that type? M: I’m not sure, it’s just my guess that she’ll react that way if I told her I’m getting married. T: In that case, it is best to have them meet. Massu then said if their aim is to get married 2 years later, then use these 2 years to slowly improve relationships. The boyfriend asked if there’s anything all 3 parties should do to make things better. Sakura suggested it’s best to remember all the important dates like Mother’s Day etc. and celebrate for her together. They said it’ll probably work out since mother and son shares a good relationship, and to please mail them again to let them know how things go. After the call ended, they were saying how the 3 of them have absolutely never had to deal with such problems were so seriously trying to help while the only one in the recording booth who could answer (Taro, the writer) was just listening. (M: We should have asked him!) Taro said their advice was actually extremely good and they were glad to have been praised by someone who’s married. T: I wish a day would come when I need to worry about this~~! 3 out of 4 have no experience...this is sad! Sakura: It is!
For Tegomass no Battle this week, they did 2 battles this week related to summer - the first asked them to write down all the kanji they can think of with the water radical (on the left) in 30 seconds. Tegoshi won this with 6. Massu tried to make up the numbers by writing a same kanji 3 times. The second battle was a memory game, where each of them adds on a word with the same theme. The theme was “When you think of summer…” T: Sunflower. M: Sunflower, sea. T: Sunflower, sea, shaved ice. M: Sunflower, sea, shaved ice, Tegoshi. (Sakura: Hmm?) T: Sunflower, sea, shaved ice, Tegoshi, food stalls. M: Sunflower, sea, shaved ice, Tegoshi, food stalls, ice cream. T: Sunflower, shaved ice- (BOO!) M, Sakura: I won! You won! T: I lost!!! Because I feel so upset, I’m going to go to the sea now!
For the ending this week, during the part where they always try to disrupt Sakura when she’s reading the address, they sang a short but beautiful part from Takeuchi Mariya’s “Genki wo Dashite”. Tegoshi started and Massu joined in, then when Massu started singing the next line, he realised Tegoshi stopped, so it was kind of amusing. Sakura commented that it was a pretty nice background music today, and the two of them started saying how it was probably boring for the listeners and how all the male listeners were waiting to hear how they disturb her.
They will continue with the phone calls next week too.
Masuda Takahisa no Master Hits
Songs played: “SUMMER TIME”, “Tanabata Matsuri”, “Hanabi”
Massu started off by talking about corn, how he’s been seeing “deep fried corn” on the menus these days as that is what’s in season now and how eating that is something he looks forward to. He’s also had corn in raw and steamed forms etc., but deep fried is still best. He’s also been having things like watermelons and hot pots. In order not to end up with summer fatigue, it’s important to get all the vitamins!
The first mail asked if Massu prefers watermelon or rock melon. He chose watermelon, as rock melon has the image of being expensive and mild, but watermelon is like just there, with a wild image waiting for him. He also dreams of chilling watermelons by placing them in the backyard, beside one of those inflatable pools. (M: Though I don’t have a backyard) So yup, watermelon.
The second mail talked about how it’s been getting hot and she’s already getting summer heat fatigue. She asked what Massu does to prevent himself from getting summer heat fatigue. He replied that getting summer heat fatigue is unavoidable, so it’s about just accepting it as part of summer. Then properly getting hydrated, having body salts replenished through drinking sports drinks, getting enough sleep, avoiding getting under direct sunlight too much by applying sunblock lotion or using umbrellas. Then it’s really just to stay still (like what he mentioned 2 weeks ago). To not move unnecessarily, as even moving from venue to venue is really hot. M: So do take plenty of water, salts, and let’s overcome this hot summer together!
The third listener said she’s started high school this year, so she doesn’t have club activities anymore, and cooks dinner every day. She recently received a lot of summer vegetables from her grandmother and has been having problems incorporating them into dinner every day. She asked what dishes with summer vegetables Massu likes. (M: Does corn count? Let’s deep fry them! Corn~ let’s fry them!) He continued saying he can’t think of anything very much, other then fried asparagus with bacon. Then maybe fried eggplants with bonito flakes and soy sauce. He hoped these were of reference for her and to please write in again to let him know what she cooked.
The fourth listener said that she eats her tonkatsu with salt, and asked what Massu puts on his tonkatsu. He replied that he doesn’t really put anything condiments on them, as he feels they already have a taste of their own. While of course, there are times when he eats them with condiments, he usually eats them on their own, as they are already yummy enough on their own. But for example, if there were 6 slices, he might eat 3 on their own, and 3 with condiments. He agrees that salt is good. So maybe he’d go in the order, on their own > salt > tonkatsu sauce. He continued to say that even for salads, it’d be too much to use all the dressing that comes with the salad. So he prefers them best with slightly less dressing.
The fifth listener said they like eating innards very much, but have no idea how much to chew them before swallowing. (M: This is like the eternal question) For things like innards and monjayaki, there’s always the question of when they are cooked “enough”, as in it’s hard to tell when they are ready. He brought up the story he mentioned before, of how he can never remember which innard he likes best, and always ended up ordering the mixed platter. But he finally remembers what he likes best now. (The first part of the cow’s stomach. See here) He shared that he likes the taste of innards hotpot, and thinks it is fine even without innards inside. It might be even better if chicken was added instead of innards. He concluded that they probably won’t be able to reach a conclusion and that it may really be just about personal preference and to just swallow when she feels she’s chewed enough.
The sixth listener said she has a boyfriend whom she’s been dating for 4.5 years. Every now and then, the boyfriend would ask her how she’d react if Massu asked her to be his girlfriend. She’d always reply immediately that she’d date Massu, and he’d always start sulking. So she’d like to know Massu’s suggestions on good ways to reply such questions. He feels it’s great to have been in a relationship for 4.5 years and that the boyfriend would get jealous for her like that. Massu thought that maybe to improve things, it’d be nice to add on, after the usual reply that “Nah just kidding! Of course you’re the best”. He finished off saying that it’s great to have such a long relationship, and to please continue fostering their love.
After playing “Tanabata Matsuri”, Massu talked a little on how areas like Sendai are celebrating the Tanabata Matsuri around now. He hasn’t been able to go for any matsuris (festivals) for many years, and he’d like to go for one if he could. On a day that isn’t so hot.
Just before he was about to start Brain Master this week, the staff presented him with a present. He said it’s exactly a month since his birthday, and he was actually a little worried at the beginning about how he should react, in case he misinterpreted their intentions. Turns out the staff bought him a knife and fork set, and he sounded really happy while opening the present up. (M: I’m going to bring these to restaurants! Will they hate me?) So this week’s Brain Master is to figure out why the staff bought him that this year. Hint: It’s got to do with his age this year. They then opened up the quiz to all the listeners, and people who get it right get a chance to win Master Hits’ original pen. Massu decided to make the deadline 12:59pm the following day, because if he set it on the same day, everybody will probably be like, “Massu, what?”. The answer will be announced in next week’s episode of Master Hits. (Translator note: this or this is probably the set they got him, from the description Massu read out during the show)
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