[translation] Jun Matsumoto: Secret of ARASHI
An interview translation of Matsujun from ori-suta :
オリ☆スタ (Ori-suta)
06/12/2010, Vol 46-1567
Secret of ARASHI: Jun Matsumoto
Fan Q&A
Q: Here are some questions from our readers. “Congratulations on your 11th anniversary! Did you celebrate November 3 with the group in some way?” (Girl, 16, Hyogo prefecture)
Matsumoto: Thank you. On the 3rd, we had a TV magazine interview to go to after the NHK press conference so everyone was saying, “congratulations on your 11 years” to us. But when the date changed from the 2nd to the 3rd I was baking a cake in a TV shoot and thought about how it had been 11 years now. I kept that in mind while I was decorating the cake. When I finished the cake, I took a photo of it with my mobile and sent it to the other members.
Q: That’s a nice story. Next: “Are you doing anything special to prepare yourself for hosting NHK’s Kohaku Uta Gassen?” (Girl, 17, Chiba prefecture)
Matsumoto: We don’t know who’s going to be on the show yet so I wouldn’t really call it preparation, but I’m watching through a few of the past Kohaku shows. We’d been busy with the countdown concert up to now so I’ve never seen the whole show from start to finish properly. I had been watching bits and pieces though. But I thought it would be a good idea to watch it all so I’m going through the last few years.
Q: “Looking back on the year, what was it like for you to sing in Kohaku?” (Girl, 15, Niigata prefecture)
Matsumoto: I was incredibly nervous to have been invited to perform on such a significant stage. At our concerts all of the guests are our fans, but that didn’t mean that everyone in the NHK Hall was interested in us as well. Plus everyone who was there was representing Japan. But the good thing was that afterwards, I felt like I had accomplished something so amazing. While we were moving from the show to the countdown concert hall, all of us, including the staff, were saying ‘that was awesome’ in really loud voices (laughs). We managed to keep that energy going as we got to Tokyo Dome so it all went smoothly.
Q: “When you fought against Kanjani8 in Mannequin 5, what did you think of everyone’s clothes?” (Girl, 12, Hokkaido prefecture)
Matsumoto: I’ve met members individually, but never as a whole group so the way they dressed was something new to me.
Q: The Kanjani8 members seemed to take it hard when they were criticized.
Matsumoto: Well it was their first time (laughs). I guess we’re used to it now because we’ve been doing it for a while (laughs)
Q: “Out of all of the people you’ve competed against in Mannequin 5, who is the person you respect the most in terms of fashion?” (Girl, 16, Akita prefecture)
Matsumoto: (Panzetta) Girolamo-san has a great sense of fashion. He wears clothes that wouldn’t suit me now, but I like that mature Italian style look.
Q: “From the dramas the other members have been in, is there any role you would’ve liked to have tried yourself?” (Girl, 16, Hokkaido prefecture). In the past, we asked Ninomiya-san the same question and he said he wanted to try Domyoji (laughs).
Matsumoto: Really (laughs).
Q: How about “Kaibutsu-kun”? (laughs)
Matsumoto: No, Kaibutsu-kun would be hard. I wouldn’t be able to do it (laughs). Ummm… (looks around at other members who are doing interviews around him) Oh, Bambi!
Sakurai: (who seems to have heard) Eh!?
Matsumoto: I want to get in a circle with those guys in Kisarazu Cat’s, yell out, and make a pose like this (moves around).
Sakurai: It’s really fun!
Q: “Your KFC commercial is so cool! Could you tell me about something that happened on set, please!” (Girl, 14, Yamanashi prefecture)
Matsumoto: The shoot for that was in September and the weather was really hot. All of the extras looked really hot in their winter clothes. I couldn’t take off my scarf because my microphone was inside it too. It became a battle with the heat (laughs).
credits to momoedgewood