Yamashita Tomohisa: 0409 Vol. 75
0409
Vol. 75 "Idol"
Whether passionately playing a boxer or singing and dancing on a glittering stage, Yamapi's idol status gives him the power to make everyone smile. He explains what being an idol means, in his own words.
When asked my profession, I have never once said, "I'm an idol." Whenever someone asks, I say I'm a "singer/actor". Anyway, I'm not even sure "idol" is a real profession. In documents that have a space to write your profession, you can't just write "idol". That's ridiculous! I would never let myself write something like that. To me, wearing sparkly costumes and flying around the stage in concerts is a natural thing. I never feel like I'm an idol. Even so, I don't have any objections to being called one.
I spent some time thinking about what being an idol means to me. The first thing that came to mind was a baby's face. One of the staff members happened to bring their baby to work today, and it was really adorable. A baby puts a smile on everyone's face, just by being there. Professional athletes like baseball and soccer players too, they make everyone smile. Michael Jackson was an amazing person, but he's a bit different from an idol, in my opinion. He was more of an entertainer. Oh, then there's my dogs. They're cute and they always put a smile on my face. If we're talking about idols in the sense of something to worship and adore, they might be idols to me. (Laughs.)
I'm really happy to be known by so many people. I'm responsible for the things I say, so I try to always be careful with my words, but in general I don't think I've ever said anything bad. I'm also happy when people call out to me when they see me in public, but to be honest, there are also times when I want to be left alone. Back in March, a teenager approached me in an elevator and said, "Are you Yamashita-san?"
I thought to myself, "Damn, I've been found out!"
He said, "I saw you in Kurosagi! Do the 'bang!' The 'bang!'", pestering me to do the pose from the drama.
"No, it's too embarrassing," I said.
"Sorry, man," he laughed, and then asked, "Do you like kaki no tane?" He was referring to the bag of kaki no tane [Japanese snack] I was holding, that I had randomly gotten as a gift.
"Um, this was a gift....How old are you?"
"18. What about you, Yamashita-san?" When I said I was 25 he was completely shocked.
What part of that is shocking?! I'm a human being. I have good days and bad days. And when you come up asking me to do the 'bang' from Kurosagi, that puts me in a difficult situation. Even worse, when I was in Code Blue people would come up to me and ask how cute Gakki [Aragaki Yui] is. Asking me more questions about my co-stars than myself. I think it's funny that guys seem to ask me a lot more questions, though sometimes it can be annoying. (Laughs.)
Right now I am able to do a multitude of things, whether it be concerts, dramas, movies, you name it. I have so many opportunities because I'm an idol. Lately I've been able to participate in Johnny's Jimusho's current project called Marching J, which supports those affected by the earthquake and tsunami. When the staff told me about Marching J, I thought, In a time like this, we really should be doing something to help. It's pretty amazing that every Johnny's talent, even SMAP and Macchy-san [Kondo Masahiko], is participating.
Ever since the earthquake hit, I've been thinking about what I can personally do to help. When I heard that Tokyo was collecting items to send to the affected areas, I donated baby diapers and also some diapers made for pets. I have pets as well, and when I saw news coverage of all the families worrying about their pets after the earthquake, my heart went out to them. After the disaster, every news program centered on the damage, and I could tell that all of Japan, not just the damaged areas, was dealing with the stress. I feel like now I better understand how precious things like water, food, and electricity are. In olden times, people knew several ways of survival, but I realized I can't do anything without modern conveniences.
I had to postpone some of my concerts because of the disaster, but I got letters from the damaged areas saying, "Please don't cancel your concerts!" To know that these people were still thinking of me and looking forward to my concerts in such a hard time made me extremely happy. The power-supply vehicles for my concerts were all sent to Iwate Prefecture. I hope they were able to help some of the earthquake victims there.
The thing I need most in this line of work is motivation. I think the drive to make others happy is present in everyone, not just idols but also students, adults in society, anyone who is striving for something. Of course I want to serve others, but I always try to do things that people won't get tired of. It's the best when we can put people in a good mood and then share the feeling with them.
An idol is someone who gives people joy. I don't know if I give others energy or hope, or if I can make everyone happy, but I would like to be a person that gives off that kind of positive energy. That's why I want to continue making more and more movies, dramas, and music to send out to the fans.
[Seventeen, June 2011 / translation by amapi - Please credit if using/quoting]
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Okay, so an idol is...what? I think the answer was in there somewhere, but it was all over the place. Still, I'd listen to Yamapi's ramblings any day. ^^ I'm glad that he is honest about his fans, that he is usually happy to see them but sometimes needs a break. That's completely normal! In fact, I think he is more open with his fans than most idols. Note to self: If you ever meet Yamapi, don't ask him to do "Nobuta power chuunyuu!"
-Amanda