TAKUYA BOOK INTERVIEW (ENGLISH) PART 1/3
――Your birth place is?
「That is Osaka, since my parents recently moved house, the place my parents currently live in is somewhere else. My family is a family of 4 with a younger sister 2 years younger than me.」
――Have you heard anything about when you were born?
“There is none but one in my episode [i.e. to his recollection]. I was 3300g when I was born. My younger sister was 4000g. In the newborn baby room where the newborn babies are lined up, even without seeing the name, I was told that I immediately knew where my sister was placed because of how big she was (lol).」
――Then do you remember the first memory or yourself?
「Is it from kindergarten? I remember a lot from entering kindergarten at the beginning. I don’t remember that much beforehand. But, since my parents fortunately took a lot of videos, I now know the kind of feelings I had during childhood. Dancing while watching TV during those times, being somewhat of a dance boy~ Well, I think all children have feelings quite like those, from me playing with toys, since there was a lot of body-moving, I was more active during the old days (lol).」
――From the worth of taking a full video, the feeling of being brought-up comes across very importantly.
「I was able to become the very first grandchild in the Uehara family. Therefore not only my parents but my grandparents also loved me very much… I had a very happy childhood~ The feeling of that I loved my little sister very much remains in the videos. Well, can I call it a chaotic sort of love? Shoving my younger sister dancing happily in front of the TV, you could now think of what seemed like minor bullying as love if you want (lol). I think I want to see the rest of the video, there are some scenes of my younger sister imitating me. When I pretended to be a squadron kid dressed head to toe in red pyjamas for example, my sister mimicked me top-to-bottom in pink pyjamas if she noticed me (lol).」
――Have you ever asked about the beginning of your parent’s love for you?
「Nope~ Aren’t there homes where any topic can be discussed in the open? We talk if we say that there is anything we want to talk about, but in regards to love, had not been talked about so much with my parents. Even if love came into consideration during junior high school or high school, I did not consult my parents. With my nearby friends during your school days, “You think? Was how things were always discussed though, not only about love, stories of sexual natures were useless. You may say particularly in regards to my father, there was no such thing.」
――Such talk is embarrassing in front of the family?
「Yup~ All the family members, though I’m a shy person since I’m from Osaka (lol). My mother too is honestly not exactly part of Kansai. I think it is something I have always seen in my mother, isn’t it peculiar compared to my aunt in Osaka? Aren’t there certainly such feelings, where the feelings are said quietly and with more restraint? “Father is really one person from Kansai, eh?” is said since he is the quiet type. Therefore with those people in Osaka, it doesn’t have a strange meaning, the feeling is a little bit different. I have noticed it in myself while becoming an adult though, it’s like, “Huh? It’s a difference”. That’s how it is generally me who becomes a source of laughter in the Uehara house. I am a person who is easily influenced by praise or flattery, and there is a big image of my family bursting out laughing.」
――Since your childhood days?
「From the old days~ Even though I was a cool character outside the house, and I don’t mind doing stupid things when I am surrounded by my family, I was thus a kid who has changed quite a lot (lol). There is me acting like a hero a lot in the old videos I see, and I still remember the feelings from the times when my mother and father were terribly happy.」
――Is your mother a full-time housewife?
「Indeed~ Both parents were originally bandsmen. Even if you were to say bandsmen, they never had a major debut, mother played the base while father seems to have played the guitar, though mother doesn’t know the full ‘arm’s-length’ of it in detail, while father can also play the piano with unexpected musical composition. Whether or not loving music is from parental blood, isn’t my own sense of dance rhythm important? Since even myself thinks that there is a certain aspect to my sense of rhythm, perhaps it is an inheritance from my parents.」
――Did music have an impact at home?
「In terms of saying that it had an impact, the image of my father playing [the instrument] is big. Since kindergarten, the Beetles music that my father plays and talks about, for example, since they have always naturally come into my [sense of] hearing, “Let It Be” for example without even understanding the name of the song, he said he knew about the existence of that music before anyone else in the surrounding area. However, even with a guitar or piano, you should be properly taught by your father, otherwise it will soon be regretted.」
――Were you not interested during those days?
「My father used to say “Are you even trying?” to me though, and why is it said that you will not be interested in something like that unless you naturally become interested in it as a child? In comparison, I woke up to [the world of] dancing at a relatively early time, but since I was in 3rd grade, there wasn’t an opportunity to begin dormitory life in Tokyo.」
――Didn’t you have a rebellious stage?
「Until I was in 2nd grade while living with my family, there was a rebellious stage. They say you are rebellious without motivation from your parents? Though I may have gained independence naturally, “advisers” are helpful when situations become awkward, like when conversations decline. You don’t need to be particularly annoyed with your parents, and it was a rather gentle place, going shopping together for example, not coming to open-days being fine, is that how you say the pattern goes? Doesn’t it seem that being seen with your parents was not embarrassing during those times? It was that type of feeling. All too soon, my rebellious nature had settled down for no reason, for me, I thought “What the heck was I doing…”. When I came to understand, my little sister seemed to be feeling the same way I was. At that time “Ahhhh, this is my fault” is what I thought. For a man, I think it’s more or less a rebellious stage, but for a woman, is there any time where they appear to not have a rebellious stage? I had a friend-like relationship with my mother, shopping peacefully when I was an adolescent. My younger sister is still such a person who seems to be the opposite to our parents, perhaps it is because I am the older brother. We’re certainly similar siblings, I thought. My sister is that kind of woman who doesn’t lose her temper even during a rebellious stage. She became rude to a degree, still, seeing that state is enough to cause a parent’s heart to break.」
――For how long did Takuya-kun’s rebellious stage continue?
「1-2 years. Eventually my father emerged. After all, since the times that we are usually together are long, the force to resist is the mother. My father always falls silent, and it is definitely serious when he emerges after all. I have never been beaten though. As in being thrown (lol). When my father’s body was stocky, he had great muscles. It was impressive to me. Therefore it definitely makes sense for me to exercise my body structure. However, my sister is similar to my father though, while I am similar to my mother. Since my mother is regarded as being thin, I think that is exactly why I can’t gain weight.」
――Was your job working for a company?
「That’s right. Therefore, I had no special training in exercising for a good physique, it’s in original quality. Sports were universal though during childhood like baseball in which I had serious consideration for. Though I had played baseball under the influence of my father during grade-school, leisure like that though, it did not last long (lol).」
――Your father was scary?
「Though he is usually gentle, he can become angry during arguments, “Yes” is what I’m saying yet cannot say? [i.e. he is both scary and not scary, depending on the situation] Definitely, I somehow have an over-reliance on my mother. Have I finally understood what was said by my father? I was a child there, I suppose.」
――Did anything other than your rebellious stage seriously affect your parents?
「No~ For example, aren’t you given advice by your parents when you have a problem even if you don’t seem to listen to their opinion? Especially for me, I work on things from the very beginning, even if I want to do peculiar things, I think. But it wasn’t so in the case of the household. Normally, when I went to Tokyo to work with elementary school students, I think it troubled my parents a little, and the household was something I found to have 100% respect for. “Is this something you’re devoting yourself to?” or “Is that alright?” being said hasn’t confirmed [that it seriously affected them] either. It has never been seriously discussed until now, so as to think whether it may be the opposite, it was not a problem I consulted with my parents. However, partly because I left home as a child, I don’t know some things that may have been common sense, when something like this was often consulted, I listened. Like “This kind of mail arrived from a government department, what should I do?” for example. The rest is like a written script [i.e. happens without thinking otherwise], with the words I don’t understand even after inspecting them with a dictionary, I still rely on my parents.」
――Beginning to work with elementary school children, do you think that’s why you were easily allowed to leave Osaka for Tokyo all by yourself in 3rd grade?
「Wasn’t I going to be allowed do something I wanted to do? For the reason that I awoke to dancing during kindergarten and practise alone earnestly for three years, it was in the beginning when “That child, what is he doing?” is what I thought was being thought. But, my parents did notice something special in my dancing somewhere. So, “Stop dancing” had never been said at the time, and I had been watched in silence for an even longer time. In the first place “Looking to go to a dance school?” is what my parents had said. Nothing was made by yourself if parents didn’t say things like that during those days, so when you think that entering this world today was the result of a meeting in the department of a dance school, it’s something amazing. When I was to enter this world during the time of being a 6th-grader, when the parents of elementary school students which were called out for discussions, that was the day were intentions seemed to have been confirmed. The department people said “You will be going to Tokyo from now on, is that really alright?” when it was confirmed, the other parents were meekly lost in thought, to the children “Is it alright?” is what I heard. Even now, I still feel at home, my father confirmed it to me at the time “If the department is fine, I’m fine” is what was said (lol). But, is it amusing to often think, hearing something such as an department having a homely feeling, on the contrary, “Since the household is a motivation, I want to hear Uehara-san’s feelings.” has seemed to have been said (lol). Like this, it was something that happened to come out because the department was trusted, but they were words concealed in parental love.」
――Takuya-kun doesn’t need to be certain of something as long as he wants to do it?
「Yes. I wasn’t asked about my feelings at all. But, it was probably my attitude that had been seen by my parents that made sense of it, so I was very happy to be an elementary student.」
――You give sincerity with those kinds of things.
「I really like to dance, and since I over-did it in practice there each day, you would know if I was there. However, I took various lessons as well as dancing when I was small, from my parents, excluding the dancing, “Brilliant, did you see that?” was suggested at the beginning. I also started baseball in 1st grade, with the reason being that my father played baseball, and it was already pointed out that I swam carefully when around water, I was surely made to do that by my parents. I had drawing classes too, but since I’m more of a southpaw [i.e. preferring to play sports etc. with his left hand as his main/strong hand], after being made to go to penmanship classes, by now (text only) I happen to write on the right-hand side. Since it was dancing that made me become noticed when I was alone on the inside, the only thing that remains now is dancing.」
――Takuya-kun, you had that kind of talent whether or not your parents sought for it.
「Maybe, I think so. Though it may be slightly exaggerated, the educational objective of me and the children were already decided (lol). Once a child can do it in future, parents absolutely try to make decisions in the same way [i.e making decisions based on what the child can now do]. A child’s hidden potential is not understood, various opportunities for a child are believed to be absorbed and want to become bigger. If the parents believe that the child will blossom like a flower, isn’t it terribly cool? When I do backflips on stage for example, I remember that my father had assisted me first with futon [i.e. a mattress], and mother recorded it on video while remaining in the rehearsal background. I showed-off a backflip in a dance contest afterwards, I think my parents were considerably happy about it.」
――They came to watch the contests after all.
「Though it was impossible for my father due to work-related reasons, my mother came from work to the elementary school to watch us all.」
――You don’t regret hearing the stories about it, when Takuya-kun did the work properly.
「It was proper. “Working out” isn’t a suitable feeling for it though, we’re not sloppy, the Ueharas (lol).」
――Is there anything serious to be said about those people in contact?
「Because I began work at an early stage, I was often taught by the manager, it is similar to my parents having taught me how to eat. During those days I even helped with the dirty plates. But “It is something shameful to do in public” was really something that was said.」
-Part 2/3-
「That is Osaka, since my parents recently moved house, the place my parents currently live in is somewhere else. My family is a family of 4 with a younger sister 2 years younger than me.」
――Have you heard anything about when you were born?
“There is none but one in my episode [i.e. to his recollection]. I was 3300g when I was born. My younger sister was 4000g. In the newborn baby room where the newborn babies are lined up, even without seeing the name, I was told that I immediately knew where my sister was placed because of how big she was (lol).」
――Then do you remember the first memory or yourself?
「Is it from kindergarten? I remember a lot from entering kindergarten at the beginning. I don’t remember that much beforehand. But, since my parents fortunately took a lot of videos, I now know the kind of feelings I had during childhood. Dancing while watching TV during those times, being somewhat of a dance boy~ Well, I think all children have feelings quite like those, from me playing with toys, since there was a lot of body-moving, I was more active during the old days (lol).」
――From the worth of taking a full video, the feeling of being brought-up comes across very importantly.
「I was able to become the very first grandchild in the Uehara family. Therefore not only my parents but my grandparents also loved me very much… I had a very happy childhood~ The feeling of that I loved my little sister very much remains in the videos. Well, can I call it a chaotic sort of love? Shoving my younger sister dancing happily in front of the TV, you could now think of what seemed like minor bullying as love if you want (lol). I think I want to see the rest of the video, there are some scenes of my younger sister imitating me. When I pretended to be a squadron kid dressed head to toe in red pyjamas for example, my sister mimicked me top-to-bottom in pink pyjamas if she noticed me (lol).」
――Have you ever asked about the beginning of your parent’s love for you?
「Nope~ Aren’t there homes where any topic can be discussed in the open? We talk if we say that there is anything we want to talk about, but in regards to love, had not been talked about so much with my parents. Even if love came into consideration during junior high school or high school, I did not consult my parents. With my nearby friends during your school days, “You think? Was how things were always discussed though, not only about love, stories of sexual natures were useless. You may say particularly in regards to my father, there was no such thing.」
――Such talk is embarrassing in front of the family?
「Yup~ All the family members, though I’m a shy person since I’m from Osaka (lol). My mother too is honestly not exactly part of Kansai. I think it is something I have always seen in my mother, isn’t it peculiar compared to my aunt in Osaka? Aren’t there certainly such feelings, where the feelings are said quietly and with more restraint? “Father is really one person from Kansai, eh?” is said since he is the quiet type. Therefore with those people in Osaka, it doesn’t have a strange meaning, the feeling is a little bit different. I have noticed it in myself while becoming an adult though, it’s like, “Huh? It’s a difference”. That’s how it is generally me who becomes a source of laughter in the Uehara house. I am a person who is easily influenced by praise or flattery, and there is a big image of my family bursting out laughing.」
――Since your childhood days?
「From the old days~ Even though I was a cool character outside the house, and I don’t mind doing stupid things when I am surrounded by my family, I was thus a kid who has changed quite a lot (lol). There is me acting like a hero a lot in the old videos I see, and I still remember the feelings from the times when my mother and father were terribly happy.」
――Is your mother a full-time housewife?
「Indeed~ Both parents were originally bandsmen. Even if you were to say bandsmen, they never had a major debut, mother played the base while father seems to have played the guitar, though mother doesn’t know the full ‘arm’s-length’ of it in detail, while father can also play the piano with unexpected musical composition. Whether or not loving music is from parental blood, isn’t my own sense of dance rhythm important? Since even myself thinks that there is a certain aspect to my sense of rhythm, perhaps it is an inheritance from my parents.」
――Did music have an impact at home?
「In terms of saying that it had an impact, the image of my father playing [the instrument] is big. Since kindergarten, the Beetles music that my father plays and talks about, for example, since they have always naturally come into my [sense of] hearing, “Let It Be” for example without even understanding the name of the song, he said he knew about the existence of that music before anyone else in the surrounding area. However, even with a guitar or piano, you should be properly taught by your father, otherwise it will soon be regretted.」
――Were you not interested during those days?
「My father used to say “Are you even trying?” to me though, and why is it said that you will not be interested in something like that unless you naturally become interested in it as a child? In comparison, I woke up to [the world of] dancing at a relatively early time, but since I was in 3rd grade, there wasn’t an opportunity to begin dormitory life in Tokyo.」
――Didn’t you have a rebellious stage?
「Until I was in 2nd grade while living with my family, there was a rebellious stage. They say you are rebellious without motivation from your parents? Though I may have gained independence naturally, “advisers” are helpful when situations become awkward, like when conversations decline. You don’t need to be particularly annoyed with your parents, and it was a rather gentle place, going shopping together for example, not coming to open-days being fine, is that how you say the pattern goes? Doesn’t it seem that being seen with your parents was not embarrassing during those times? It was that type of feeling. All too soon, my rebellious nature had settled down for no reason, for me, I thought “What the heck was I doing…”. When I came to understand, my little sister seemed to be feeling the same way I was. At that time “Ahhhh, this is my fault” is what I thought. For a man, I think it’s more or less a rebellious stage, but for a woman, is there any time where they appear to not have a rebellious stage? I had a friend-like relationship with my mother, shopping peacefully when I was an adolescent. My younger sister is still such a person who seems to be the opposite to our parents, perhaps it is because I am the older brother. We’re certainly similar siblings, I thought. My sister is that kind of woman who doesn’t lose her temper even during a rebellious stage. She became rude to a degree, still, seeing that state is enough to cause a parent’s heart to break.」
――For how long did Takuya-kun’s rebellious stage continue?
「1-2 years. Eventually my father emerged. After all, since the times that we are usually together are long, the force to resist is the mother. My father always falls silent, and it is definitely serious when he emerges after all. I have never been beaten though. As in being thrown (lol). When my father’s body was stocky, he had great muscles. It was impressive to me. Therefore it definitely makes sense for me to exercise my body structure. However, my sister is similar to my father though, while I am similar to my mother. Since my mother is regarded as being thin, I think that is exactly why I can’t gain weight.」
――Was your job working for a company?
「That’s right. Therefore, I had no special training in exercising for a good physique, it’s in original quality. Sports were universal though during childhood like baseball in which I had serious consideration for. Though I had played baseball under the influence of my father during grade-school, leisure like that though, it did not last long (lol).」
――Your father was scary?
「Though he is usually gentle, he can become angry during arguments, “Yes” is what I’m saying yet cannot say? [i.e. he is both scary and not scary, depending on the situation] Definitely, I somehow have an over-reliance on my mother. Have I finally understood what was said by my father? I was a child there, I suppose.」
――Did anything other than your rebellious stage seriously affect your parents?
「No~ For example, aren’t you given advice by your parents when you have a problem even if you don’t seem to listen to their opinion? Especially for me, I work on things from the very beginning, even if I want to do peculiar things, I think. But it wasn’t so in the case of the household. Normally, when I went to Tokyo to work with elementary school students, I think it troubled my parents a little, and the household was something I found to have 100% respect for. “Is this something you’re devoting yourself to?” or “Is that alright?” being said hasn’t confirmed [that it seriously affected them] either. It has never been seriously discussed until now, so as to think whether it may be the opposite, it was not a problem I consulted with my parents. However, partly because I left home as a child, I don’t know some things that may have been common sense, when something like this was often consulted, I listened. Like “This kind of mail arrived from a government department, what should I do?” for example. The rest is like a written script [i.e. happens without thinking otherwise], with the words I don’t understand even after inspecting them with a dictionary, I still rely on my parents.」
――Beginning to work with elementary school children, do you think that’s why you were easily allowed to leave Osaka for Tokyo all by yourself in 3rd grade?
「Wasn’t I going to be allowed do something I wanted to do? For the reason that I awoke to dancing during kindergarten and practise alone earnestly for three years, it was in the beginning when “That child, what is he doing?” is what I thought was being thought. But, my parents did notice something special in my dancing somewhere. So, “Stop dancing” had never been said at the time, and I had been watched in silence for an even longer time. In the first place “Looking to go to a dance school?” is what my parents had said. Nothing was made by yourself if parents didn’t say things like that during those days, so when you think that entering this world today was the result of a meeting in the department of a dance school, it’s something amazing. When I was to enter this world during the time of being a 6th-grader, when the parents of elementary school students which were called out for discussions, that was the day were intentions seemed to have been confirmed. The department people said “You will be going to Tokyo from now on, is that really alright?” when it was confirmed, the other parents were meekly lost in thought, to the children “Is it alright?” is what I heard. Even now, I still feel at home, my father confirmed it to me at the time “If the department is fine, I’m fine” is what was said (lol). But, is it amusing to often think, hearing something such as an department having a homely feeling, on the contrary, “Since the household is a motivation, I want to hear Uehara-san’s feelings.” has seemed to have been said (lol). Like this, it was something that happened to come out because the department was trusted, but they were words concealed in parental love.」
――Takuya-kun doesn’t need to be certain of something as long as he wants to do it?
「Yes. I wasn’t asked about my feelings at all. But, it was probably my attitude that had been seen by my parents that made sense of it, so I was very happy to be an elementary student.」
――You give sincerity with those kinds of things.
「I really like to dance, and since I over-did it in practice there each day, you would know if I was there. However, I took various lessons as well as dancing when I was small, from my parents, excluding the dancing, “Brilliant, did you see that?” was suggested at the beginning. I also started baseball in 1st grade, with the reason being that my father played baseball, and it was already pointed out that I swam carefully when around water, I was surely made to do that by my parents. I had drawing classes too, but since I’m more of a southpaw [i.e. preferring to play sports etc. with his left hand as his main/strong hand], after being made to go to penmanship classes, by now (text only) I happen to write on the right-hand side. Since it was dancing that made me become noticed when I was alone on the inside, the only thing that remains now is dancing.」
――Takuya-kun, you had that kind of talent whether or not your parents sought for it.
「Maybe, I think so. Though it may be slightly exaggerated, the educational objective of me and the children were already decided (lol). Once a child can do it in future, parents absolutely try to make decisions in the same way [i.e making decisions based on what the child can now do]. A child’s hidden potential is not understood, various opportunities for a child are believed to be absorbed and want to become bigger. If the parents believe that the child will blossom like a flower, isn’t it terribly cool? When I do backflips on stage for example, I remember that my father had assisted me first with futon [i.e. a mattress], and mother recorded it on video while remaining in the rehearsal background. I showed-off a backflip in a dance contest afterwards, I think my parents were considerably happy about it.」
――They came to watch the contests after all.
「Though it was impossible for my father due to work-related reasons, my mother came from work to the elementary school to watch us all.」
――You don’t regret hearing the stories about it, when Takuya-kun did the work properly.
「It was proper. “Working out” isn’t a suitable feeling for it though, we’re not sloppy, the Ueharas (lol).」
――Is there anything serious to be said about those people in contact?
「Because I began work at an early stage, I was often taught by the manager, it is similar to my parents having taught me how to eat. During those days I even helped with the dirty plates. But “It is something shameful to do in public” was really something that was said.」
-Part 2/3-