Nino's Quotes Page

[onlythepresent]

It's Nino's Birthday! Like anyone that likes Arashi didn't already know that...

I've been putting together some of Nino's more serious interview quotes. Some of which will have no meaning to you but they were for a fic I was working on so they might seem a bit strange.

There are links back to the translation of the full article for anyone who feels the need to read the entire thing.

So onto the quotes.


10,000 Word interview

• I don't like being noticed by someone because of something happening. When I think about it, wouldn't that be really troublesome?


• To say I hadn't given up despite training (baseball) being tough, it was because if I was asked "Why are you giving up?" and caused a bit of a disturbance, it would probably be very troublesome.


• So she suddenly wanted to take pictures of me. Not really understanding what was going on, I just randomly made a face and let her take my picture, I remember that incident even now. And it was that picture that completely changed my life.


• These questions, to ask a child that they had met for the first time, what on earth were these people thinking? For a very long time after that, I always found magazine interviews to be headache-inducing.


• The first time I got fan mail was about half a year after I started working. I remember clearly, because at the time I was so happy about it. I was the last one out of those who joined in the same period to get fan mail.


• It wasn't so much as me wanting to be cast in a stageplay; I just wanted to be chosen. Because my record was full of failures. Anyhow, it's just too pathetic.


• To perform a stageplay, you need to completely understand the inner workings of the character in order to accomplish it, and I failed by far; all I did was go on the stage and yell.


• That was probably the first time in my life I felt I had to follow through and complete my job well. In that instant, a sense of responsibility to actively strive upwards finally budded in my heart.


• In December of 1999, I would end all the work that I had here, and then go to America. I had everything decided, and even saved up the money to do it.


• When we got back to Japan, I'll have to face the reality of everything. People constantly asked me during interview, "Having become a member of Arashi how do you feel?" My response is always "Very Happy!".


• To be able to debut is not an easy thing to do, and since I've already come this far, then I should do it well enough to have our sempai's think highly of us, and have no qualms about attracting the attention of our kouhai either.


• After shaking hands with 80,000 fans, words like "I should quit" were not things that I could say out loud.


• If the group consisted of different members back then, perhaps I really wouldn't have made it to this day.


• And in my own heart, I cried sincere encouragements to Arashi as well, "Arashi is really awesome! So great!" With regards to the point of how to make ourselves be more like "Arashi", even though everyone was at a loss a lot, and put a lot of consideration into it in my opinion, when the five of us gather to talk like this, that itself is already the embodiment of "Arashi". Compared to a definite answer to "What on Earth is Arashi like?" something like this makes me a million times happier. At that time I thought, from here on out Arashi will no longer be a wrong direction I had taken.


• When we released our third single, I gradually began to understand: the music I want to make was completely different from the direction that Arashi's music was heading.


• Although I was singing my own songs like that, I didn't reveal who I am at all.


• The filming of Ao no Hono-o took place in summer 2002.


• Although the me at this point basically hasn't changed my "bad at interacting with others" nature, I've never felt that I'm living in this world on my own.


• Because, if it wasn't for the Volleyball World Cup, it's possible that there wouldn't be a group called Arashi. Even now I still feel a keen gratitude for it. I also feel happy to be able to think like this, this is probably the embodiment of Arashi's qualities too.

More 03.10

• I've never had a complex about being an idol. I think it's more the people on the outside watching that have the impression that "this is what an idol is" and to what degree.


• At the very least, I'm aware of the fact that I'm offered parts because of being in Arashi, so to have that ignored and be coined an acting performer is missing the point.


• I'll do things to the most of my ability, and leave it up to everyone else how that's to be judged and interpreted.


• Realistically, I can't think that we'll keep on like this. I mean right now is the season of Arashi. And seasons are something that come to an end.


• Since the beginning when we saw a chance we wouldn't think "There will be another." we strongly believed "There might not be a second chance." And so I want to treat everything that comes my way as something important.

More 04.10

• Well, but it's true that a person's personality comes through naturally in concordance to what clothes they chose. I really loved Sho's double parka.


• So sometimes I go to work in my pajamas.


• I like to listen to music while analyzing it, thinking "What is it about this that captured the fans hearts?"


• Everyone listens to the same song but I think the ways we listen may be different.
  I think both music written for self-expression and music steeped in the entertainment world is valid.

More 05.10

• Image; it’s a strange thing, isn’t it? I think it’s interesting how different some people are from their image. Recently, a stranger surprised me by saying ‘You’re a really talkative/eloquent person, aren’t you?’ I have that kind of image?


• The waiting time during the filming was completely spent talking (laughs). The waiting time for the movie was really long. There would be a few hours spent preparing, then finally they’d call a one-cut shot. In the longer periods of time, the best thing would be to talk animatedly in the waiting room to keep the energy high. It was thanks to the time we were first introduced to the staff and our co-stars that we just naturally eventually got to know each other.


• When it comes to actually meeting someone, there are many people who differ from their image, aren’t there? Like Nishikido (Ryo) seems somewhat shy but actually he’s reputed to be quite blunt [once you get to know him] - as for me, that’s not the case at all; the relationship just naturally progresses as you see me now. For that guy, somehow the face he shows to others and his image are good; for me, just being a good guy regardless is important. So look closely at yourself first.


• An image is just an image after all. That is, generally the true nature of a person is by no means the so-called role they fall into, though that’s just my own opinion.


• In a word… ‘an idiot’, maybe? I think that the ones that get stuck with ‘that guy’s such an idiot’ are the strongest, in a sense. It’s because they’re not burdened by worrying about their circumstances. That kind of guy really has a one-track mind and seems like a total idiot; nobody would be able to find his inner thoughts.


• Though for me, whether I’m contradictory or clear comes from wanting to say something and speaking freely. For example in acting theory, it’s great if there’s someone reciting lines; but at the same time if it doesn’t make sense then it’s just an empty theory. If it’s structured with the actors entering the stage for the first time in the middle of the performance, would such a theory work?... and so on. I’ll think it, then I’ll absolutely say it (laughs).


• For me, even while acting a role, when things feel out of place and the usual lines aren’t changed, I’ll ‘break’ (laughs). Everyone has their pet peeves after all. Though recently, I’m seriously trying to live with it; I’m even saying the lines according to the script. Well, I’ve grown up a little, haven’t I? (laughs)

More 06.10

• Well it's more that I want children than I want to be married. (Smiling) I started feeling that way when Inohara-kun had his child. The moment I heard I wanted to send a present, so I sent a text. "Is it a Princess? Or is it a Lord?" And he sent me back a picture of him holding the baby, and it was so cute! The child was obviously cute, but so was Inohara's smile. (Smiling) Ah, he's really a father, I thought. A smile like that can only be brought about by really living the experience.


• When something big happens, it's the people whose memories and experiences come back to them who are able to tough it out.


• Rather than running recklessly overseas, there's value in remaining in Japan.


• For me, marriage will probably be difficult. I mean, when there's someone I love, I won't be contacting them, and I can't give them my attention. The order of importance of things in my heart changes, but as for my work, it will always stand at the top. If I get married my partner will be the greatest victim of that.

More 07.10

• That deep emotion was inside me. I just thought it wasn't necessary to show it


• When I would get home from school, the people who worked at the factory would play with me. But I really don't have any memory of being spoiled.


• Your parents are your parents your entire life.


• As for me, I'll only spend time with people that I get along with, or even if we don't understand each other, people I care about.


• A deep person gets lost deep inside their own thoughts, and then ends up forgetting what the hell they were talking about.

More 11.09

• People put forth the effort to come, and there's nothing that makes me happier. Concerts are like the vegetables we've grown in our one-and-only family garden, you see. And for that to be recognized, and to spread, makes me happier than anything.


• I only gathered together the words that the other members sent me. But I thought of some things myself, too. I wanted to make it something that the more you listen, the more you discover, that when you sing and when you look at it, it hits you. One thing I definitely wanted to put in was "We'll be five, forever here." With the five of us standing onstage and singing that line, I thought that people would be moved beyond reason. Because we've always been five, right? Not six. (smiling)


• We've talked together about work since long ago. We've had serious meetings about things like, "Where does Arashi go from here? What's the color of the group?" but I would say, "Isn't this unimportant?" If you specially decide such things, then you can lose out on other opportunities, and also, how such things are interpreted is up to the person experiencing it. I think that we all gradually began to realize that there wasn't a need to talk about those things.


• The five of us don't change. We've been influenced a lot from the outside, and so certainly we've grown, but that doesn't mean our essence has changed. Sho-kun becoming a news caster is really just something he's always wanted to do turning to reality. And with Leader's exhibition and Aiba's variety shows, it's something they've been doing from the start, so I don't think that's a change from the inside. And it's because we really don't change that we've been able to build that sort of a relationship, I think. I haven't changed at all, either. And it's not that I can't, it's that I don't want to. If I couldn't change, I'd be much older right now than I am (smiling).


• I believe in "progress without change". For the sake of their work and for love, people want to advance and so they'll struggle to change, but I don't think that's something you can say is necessarily correct.


• Since we've had the intention of never changing, nowadays, when people tell us, "We can't get a hold of Arashi tickets," we don't know what to feel. It's like, but there used to be so many left over. (smiling) The years keep passing, but we've been serious from the start. We didn't change through the bad times nor the clumsy, nor when we were on small stages or large ones, we just did what we could do at the time to the best of our ability... I think that's what Arashi is. For so many kinds of people to discover us, and watch over us even as they think we're idiots makes me really happy. And that can be experienced the best during concerts.

More 10.09

• It's really no different than normal, he says nonchalantly. Whether or not I'm busy, that's not something the people who are watching care about. From the beginning, it seems like my feelings and my expressions haven't been in agreement. (smiling) Though in reality I'll be happy, people will tell me I don't look it.


• My hips have started to hurt. They say, "You move too much." (smiling) But even if I'm told that, it can't be helped, because I have to keep going. My hips have always been weak. Maybe it's because I've been doing back flips since I was little, but since my teens I've had nerve pain in my hip bone. Stress may also be a reason for the pain. But there's no point in dwelling. You just get more stressed if you're pondering on whether or not it's stress. (smiling) If you're in pain, you just have to fix it.


• When I had lymphangitis it was so bad that even having the air conditioner directed at my arm was painful. I went directly from the hospital where I'd been admitted to Yokohama Arena. If I think about it now, it's quite the story. (smiling) Such things as pain, uncertainty, and hate, even if I have negative emotions I don't brood, or express it. Even if I hate the person next to me I can talk to them naturally, and I generally don't get nervous, or depressed. Whether that's my original personality or one I've absorbed, I'm not sure...


• Things like goals, results, and evaluations, I don't want to be living life searching for those answers. Like with Arashi, we did think in the past that we would like to give a concert in Tokyo Dome, but we didn't aim for that and work every day for that single purpose. There were things like small places and local television shows at that time, and we just enjoyed what was there in front of us, and I think it all linked up to our present.

More 08.09

• When I don't care about something I forget it. (smiles) Lately my memory has been suspect. I was confident before, though. During my Junior days, I remembered all my seniors' songs and dances and the structure of their concerts, and I could remember my scripts right off the bat, but lately I can't. That's not a matter of getting rusty though, I think it's motivation. Like with scripts, it's not that I can't remember them, it's probably that I'm doing things so as not to remember them...


• Before that drama began I expected it to be a turning point, and it turned out I was right. Up until then I would be very precise with my preparations so that the filming would be dealt with swiftly, but I've stopped with those preparations for the most part. At the time I'd been away from dramas for over a year, only focusing on magic. I did wonder if it would be okay after so long, but when I read the script I was overcome with ideas all at once. I realized I was better than before at quickly and deeply understanding that world. When I'm doing dramas back to back, I have more of an intuition about the set, but I think I was still the best at reading into the script. (smiling)


• When I was a child I was good at making paper into three-dimensional forms. Since around the age of 13, they started giving me the opportunities to do stage plays and movies and dramas... And you know, I really think that if you do it just like the way it's written, you can't personify things well. It's the same as if you take a cutout of an actress to the hairdresser, and you just do the precise same cut, how it won't even come close to the image. Everyone has their own face and their own personality after all. (smiling) Even if you memorize the explanation of folding paper by rote, it won't help. What's important is how you interpret it, and how your image of it grows.


• Even if there's explicit instruction in the script like "Become enraged here," it's still something where the timing changes depending on the atmosphere of the set and the flow, and if I act just as is decided when they say "Because of X, cry," as I'm doing it the world we're creating becomes shallower. Things become the most interesting if the actor chooses for themselves the way things will be acted, and it depends on who's doing the acting.


• I mean, don't you think that what you choose depends on that person's personality and life? Not just with a performer. Whether or not you eat breakfast this morning, or you don't. Whether you take a shower, or get in the bath. Whether you say something, or you don't. From the small things to the large, every day, that person is shaped in the middle of countless choices they make. That's why if you perform just the way the script tells you to, it's boring for the person acting and for the viewer. If you're acting while thinking, "I definitely want this to be a hit," or "I want the director to like me," and treat it like an equation, that's fine, but I think I'm a little different. That's why, like with "Door to Door," I've worked together that team with for so many years that they know me well, and they let me do things freely.

More 07.09

• What I really wanted to say was that I don't go through my relationships imagining my partner cheating on me.


• Even if it's slightly off, as long as the essence of myself is there, I think it's probably okay.


• People's impressions aren't something you make for yourself are they. I was probably labeled "eternally 17" because I did a lot of student roles, but it's not something I was personally attempting to present to people.


• There days I don't dislike dancing or singing. Though it's not as if I'm like them, or am good at them.

More 06.09

• Right now, work that's not on a stage is interesting to me. Varieties are fun because the instantaneous back and forth is interesting, I think. Even though you have a vague idea of how things will go, you're not sure what will happen and you feel like you're more able to listen to the person talking and to have more fun.


• Whether at work, or my personal life, at some point or other that (tsukkomi) became my role.
  "Nino don't be prideful and do many different jobs. There will be a time to come soon when everyone will cross the boundaries of genre and do all kinds of work." (Ikariya Chousuke (Namida wo Fuite co-star)) said. Those words will probably be with me forever.