Translation Arashi Newsletter Volume 87
Translation Newsletter Volume 87
Arashi’s writing
This is the fourth series of Newsletter Special Edition for Arashi’s 20th Anniversary. This volume was produced by Ninomiya, he wanted the members to write a paragraph with the theme “about myself”.
Ohno
When I became Arashi for the first time, I had no experience nor confidence, and I often compared myself with others. When I was 20, I got my first job at a stage play. I remembered the things Inohara-kun said to me “You are shy, if you still feel shy, you can’t act”. It was because of these words, that I started to act seriously. I’m so grateful to Inohara-kun for helping me finding myself. Thus, I can work hard up until now. To be honest, I don’t know what’s right or wrong, there are a lot of good and bad things. I only understand one thing, everything has a meaning and I’m grateful for that. I don’t regret anything. I want to convey my gratitude from the bottom of my heart, please take care of me from now on.
Ohno Satoshi
Sho
“I cried on the first song ‘Arashi’” I was so surprised when I read this message on my phone.
I remember when I was a junior high school student, I was 13-year-old, it was on 21st of October, I just came back from soccer club practice. A letter from Jhonny’s agency was on the kitchen’s table. My mother was laughing at the kitchen, my father, meanwhile told me to go for the audition without shifting his gaze from the television. The next day, all of us, my mother, father, and my little sister drove together to Roponggi by car, because they also needed to buy some things there. Then, I jumped out of the car all by myself, in front of the audition hall. I joined the audition and went home by myself. The next day, I had club practice again. That was on October 22nd, Sunday.
Years after that, my mother kept on supporting me, meanwhile my father was like “agree on what I’m doing, but he was reluctant to give any comments”.
When I was in senior high school, one of my classmates’ mother asked my mother “When will your son quit that choir group?” My mother replied that she would leave the decision to me. When I was junior high school, I made a promise to my father, “I will quit Jhonny’s if my school doesn’t go well”. I made another promise to my father when I entered university, “I will pay the school fee by myself if I can’t graduate within four years”. When we finished one of our 5x20 concerts in 2019, I saw a message on my phone. “The first song ‘Arashi’, made me cry”, it was from my father. “Oyaji (Dad), it wasn’t the first song, though (laugh)”. The decision I made when I was 13 and 17, my family’s supports and understanding, and my parents’ determination. We can’t only go forward, but also aim the top as well. I am grateful for everything.
Let’s go
Sho
Aiba
My 20 years
After our CD debut on 3rd November 1999, I felt everything surrounds me had changed. We were very busy, but it didn’t last forever, we could go with our own pace shortly after that. We did our job in a mess, later, we found out that everyone called that time as unsold period (laugh). We were working very hard, though (laugh). Our record label also changed that time, I tried not to believe that the change was because we had no prospect (laugh). But, above all, we were grateful that we still got a record label without downgrading us. After that, I got a hard time. My lung torn, it was pneumothorax, I was told that even it could be healed, the possibility of relapse was very high. I thought that my life was over, I wouldn’t be able to sing and dance anymore. It felt like there was a hole in my heart instead of my lung. I felt so bad towards the members and everyone who had supported me, I hit the rock bottom back then.
I got help by my innocent thought. I didn’t think too much and just wanted to get better and come back to my work with Arashi. I didn’t want to regret anything, even if I had to quit. After that, I could continue without problem. We got more supports on our next concerts and performed three times a day. We were given chances to do Asia tours, Dome tours, and National Stadium tours, it was a scary change. I started to feel that Arashi was a big part of my life, we kept on moving forward. I didn’t want to be left behind so I ran with all my might. The same days continued until our 10th Anniversary. Since then, I finally found my own pace, I didn’t want to be hurry and just want to be myself. Arashi then became something very important for me, it’s a save haven. It was all depend on myself, but there was a time when I became too absorbed towards Arashi’s pace, I had to be strong! Me is me, Arashi is Arashi (laugh). Ever since we celebrated our 15th anniversary, I have been doing my work with fun while conveying my gratitude to everyone. There are a lot of things happen in life, sometimes, I want to walk slowly, sometimes, I want to run and don’t want to stop.
Aiba Masaki
Nino
I was born on 17th June 1983, 3,9 kilograms. Thirteen years later, in 1996, my life changed. I worked on something I’ve never seen or heard before and it was so much fun (laugh). There were hard times, but I could face them together with my friends I met there. I had been working very hard for three years, and my new life began on 3rd November 1999., perhaps (laugh). That was how I felt, though. There was only hard work since then. I didn’t know what I could or couldn’t do and was so stressed about it. That’s why I couldn’t really remember what happened that time (laugh). We talked about Arashi with the other members, and it wasn’t about could or couldn’t, but it was about doing it or not.
Long story short, we have worked on many things and there was no choice of not doing it. I didn’t regret it even though some of them didn’t work out the way we wanted; because we were together in this. Twenty years passed in a blink of an eye, twenty years of bond, twenty years of fun, twenty years of hard work. There were a lot of things happened, but I could only say one thing about these twenty years. It’s the best twenty years with the other four. The things we’ve done until now, the scene we’ve seen, the memories, all of them were important. What I’ve learned from the other four members, however, is “not what you do”, but “who you’re doing it with.” I’m so lucky to have the four of you for teaching me that kind of feeling. I can only thank them. I think I have spent all my luck for meeting these four people, it was such an incredible encounter. Please take care of me from now on, let’s walk together.
Ninomiya Kazunari
Jun
I knew Jhonny’s agency in summer 1995. I watched the video tape which my sister borrowed from her friend. It left a deep impression on me who was still on 6th grade of primary school. I was amazed by the existence of this world. Six months later, I got a phone call which changed my life. The caller was Jhonny Kitagawa himself. “We have a lesson today, ‘you’, can come over”. I didn’t know what to do, but I was so glad and went right away to the rehearsal room at TV Asahi. When the lesson ended, the president told me “you can go home now, we’ll start the rehearsal from now on”. I told him “I came all the way here; can I dance in the back?” and Jhonny answered “Of course.” I still remember that we had this kind of conversation, it was just a little talk, but I am here now because of that conversation. The days of singing and dancing practice continued until 15 September 1999, that was when I became Arashi. We walked gradually for twenty years already. There were hard times as well beside the good ones, but we were given many chances to see the world which nearly feels like a dream. And, this dream still has a continuation. I still have many things that I want to achieve. I’ll be happy if everyone can see those dreams with me. Please take care of me from now on…
Matsumoto Jun
t.n. I had a hard time reading Sho's and Aiba's hand writing LOL
credit to me and my husband for helping me read Sho's messy kanji characters.