Yamashita Tomohisa: 0409 Vol. 72
0409
Vol. 72 "Feet and Legs"During filming for Ashita no Joe, Yamapi would develop painful blisters on his feet from the constant physical activity. We asked the idol to tell us some foot- and leg-related stories from his past, which include everything from favorite modes of transportation to his unusual personal habits.
In many of the dramas I've been in, like Proposal Daisakusen or Buzzer Beat, I always seem to be running. I was a fast runner when I was younger. I even ran in the prefectural track meet when I was in 6th grade. My time was something like 12.8 or 12.9 seconds. I was really fast! But when I started junior high, there were a lot more fast runners, and I didn't stand out anymore. In grade school, probably because I could run fast, I once got 6 chocolates on Valentine's Day. They were stuffed in my locker at school. Not that I bragged to my friends or anything. I was too embarrassed.
I remember walking to an udon factory with my class in grade school. I wonder if that was a social studies field trip? Our teacher told us we could buy something as long as it was under 300 yen. I thought hard about what I could buy within that amount. Honestly, I could have gone over by 10 or 20 yen and gotten away with it, but I made sure to stay under 300 yen. What a good kid I was! (Laughs.)
Some places I used to "haunt" include Asahi TV's old rehearsal room 1, which isn't there anymore, and NHK's rehearsal room. These two places were my starting point, where I took dance lessons and had rehearsals during my Junior days. They're memorable places for me because I went so often, ever since I became a Junior in 5th grade. Since then our concert rehearsals have been moved to other places, so I've stopped going. I still remember the taste of the juice I often drank during lessons. [T/N - The word "haunt" has the word "foot" in it: ashi-shigeku tooru.]
My shoe size: 27 cm. I wear sandals in summer, boots in winter, and sneakers when I dance. I've gotten to the point where I won't get blisters no matter how much I dance, but when I filmed Ashita no Joe, I got some on the bottom of my feet. The skin under my big toe completely rubbed off, and I had to tape it because it hurt to walk. I guess I was using different muscles and parts of the body than I do when I dance.
I like to be barefoot at home, and put socks on just before I have to leave. In winter I wear boots, so I keep my socks on when I get home. I have gotten a foot massage before, but it kind of hurt... It's supposed to be good for you, so I try to make myself go sometimes, but I hardly ever do.
I do notice girls' shoes. I'm not a huge fan of sneakers on girls. If they're dancing or something, sure, but on a date, I want a girl to wear some nice high heels. But if she stands taller than me when we're walking down the street, that would definitely bother me. I want to have at least 3 cm on her.
My eyes tend to wander to a girl's legs. I don't like overly skinny legs, though. I think slightly plump legs are more attractive. Some girls look good with tights or stockings and some look good with bare legs. I like miniskirts, but pants are fine too. By the way, during my Junior days when I had to dress up like a girl, I didn't have any hair on my legs yet and they looked so smooth! (Laughs.)
The foot is also a means of transportation, as in "going on foot". I have two bikes, a cheap one that I bought myself, and the one I used for the drama Buzzer Beat that the staff let me keep. Of course I don't use them when it's cold, but I like to ride from spring all the way into fall, because it feels nice. Biking to the gym is the perfect warm-up to a work-out. I also like trains. Occasionally I ride the Yamanote line! I also like riding the bullet train on nice days. If I'm going to travel a long distance on a day off, the bullet train is best. You can watch the scenery go by and everything. I like cars too, and I don't mind driving. I'm pretty good at it too, if I do say so myself. It's a little scary when I drive my friends' cars, though. And driving long distances is a little tiring. When I'm working, one of my managers will drive me around in a company car, which I'm grateful for. It's nice to be able to sit back and enjoy the scenery. Oh, but if the girl I like is sitting in the passenger's seat, of course I want to drive. I don't think I would like to ride in a girl's car during a date. ...I'm very complicated, as you can see. (Laughs.)
Another name for a weakness is an "Achilles' heel". I wonder what my Achilles' heel is...? Nothing's coming to mind, but even if it did I probably wouldn't admit it. That's the kind of person I am. There are tons of amazing people that I feel inferior to. [T/N: Literally, in Japanese, "I don't even reach their feet".] People who are older than me have had that many more experiences, and I know I'll never catch up to them. There are people younger than me as well, like musicians and athletes, who are working extremely hard in their fields. I really admire them as well. I respect those who are putting all their energy into one thing, whether it be acting or music, because people in my industry do so many different things.
Here's a fun fact to end up this column. The soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo supposedly had both of his feet insured for 14.5 billion yen (~$189 million)! His footwork is really something, though. Honestly, if I had a foot injury, I wouldn't be able to dance anymore, so maybe I should insure my feet too! (Laughs.) With my concert tour underway, these feet will soon be taking me across Asia to meet all of my fans!
[Seventeen, March 2011 / translation by amapi - Please credit if using/quoting]
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