[translation] Seventeen Sept 2010 - Aiba & Nino
“It’s good to make a lot of pit stops”
Aiba was a basketball boy around the time he was 17. Remembering back, he received his favorite pair of basketball shoes from his sempai in the club.
‘My feet are not wide. They’re thin and long, and even now I can’t find a pair that fit just right. So when I greeted my club sempai, he said to me “I’m buying a new pair, so try these on” and the ones he gave me fit me perfectly! It really fit well with my foot, and the leather was soft, and they were really well worn in. I really treasured those shoes. I’m not really a materialistic person, so I didn’t really have any collections or anything but I really did treasure those basketball shoes.’
So in your home town where you’ve got some great memories, you still have olf friends who are waiting for Aiba-chan.
‘When I go to eat with my home town friends, we still split the bill even now. Sometimes I’ll say, “I’ll pay today”, and they just refuse. They just say “You have no reason to treat us, right?” I guess that’s just their pride, and also that I will always just be their classmate Aiba Masaki.’
What is the friendship in Arashi that has been as always together with all of you through 2010?
‘For Arashi, our friendship is not like a work relationship. Especially the fact that the train that Nino uses to get to and from places is still the same, and he still likes most of the stuff he liked back in the day. We play baseball together, and games together. Even within my good friends, I think the friends that have the same interests as me are the ones that I’ve had an especially long relationship with. Even when I graduated, the time that we spent just naturally being together got longer.’
Do you remember what kind of things you thought about when you were 17?
‘I wonder what I thought about? I feel like I wasn’t really thinking seriously about my future. It’s just, I entered Johnny’s, and I somehow understood that the world that I am in is a harsh one. Among all the Johnny Jrs, there were some where they would steadily get more and more work, and some that wouldn’t, and some that quit in the middle of it. Among the ones that I did stuff with, even though we all started at the same time, we weren’t always together. I have really felt that harshness.’
What did you think during that harshness?
‘Of course I would think that I have to do my best, but I’m the kind of person that wants to just have fun first you know. Cuz you don’t know what’s gonna happen later, right? Maybe in three days I won’t have a job anymore. And if that happened, it’d be better to have as much fun as possible in those three days rather than moping around. I was that kind of person. Even now I haven’t really changed. You know, the core of how I am probably hasn’t changed since elementary school (laugh)’
When it’s time to work, you work. But when it’s time to play, you really want to play! This is Aiba style.
‘If I don’t I’ll be worn down. If I just let out all the energy inside of me I’ll get dried up. You have to be able to take the harsh and the fun well. I’m still looking for that balance even now. I’ve probably been going around in circles all this time.’
Becoming too serious, getting nervous and messing up at a baseball match…. these childhood experiences are the foundation of the Aiba-chan now.
‘I think it’s good to make a lot of pit stops. I think it’s great to really shoot straight for what you want, but there are things that you will find only if you make pit stops, I really feel that way. That’s why you should try challenging lots of different things. I really think that seeing is believing.’
In order to make good pit stops, is there something that you should keep in mind?
‘Well you don’t really need to do things that seem like they will get you noticed, but… that’s it, be flexible!
I like golf, but the first time when Shimura Ken-san invited me, I was really nervous. When I tried it, I had lots of fun and got really into it. I’m really thankful for things that I’m invited to do. For everyone else, be flexible and don’t brush off things just because you don’t like it. It’s good to just try it first.’
Lately, it seems that you aren’t just having fun playing around, but that there is a kind of natural feeling from the golf course that you get that really refreshes you.
‘I’ve had times where I’ve found a tiny flower that was blooming in the hole, and I take a long time to look at it. If I fall over, I stand back up (laugh). While I think to the ball, “Don’t fly over there”. This kind of thought process is not something I would have noticed at age 17. I feel that I’ve also become an adult.’
“I liked being alone. I still do (laugh)”
1 year before Nino’s 17 year old days, the only thing on his mind was thoughts of how to quit his job.
‘During my Junior days, there were times when I had a lot of opportunities to be a part of plays, and I eventually ended up wanting to study stage direction. Originally I didn’t plan to always do this job, so when I thought of quitting I felt like it’s great because I entered Johnny’s Jimusho and found what I wanted to do. Having said that it’s rude to suddenly quit like that, so right at the beginning of the year that I would become 16, I said to my boss “I am going to work until the end of the year and then quit”. If I did the work that was put in front of me until the end of the year, I thought I would start studying to be a director.’
However, in September it was decided that you would debut as Arashi!
‘Even now, I strangely wonder how someone as pessimistic as I was, was able to continue to do this job. But, it’s probably not just one really important thing that I can reminisce about, wouldn’t it be the various reasons piled up one by one?’
Would one of those reasons be, for example, the existence of supportive friends around you?
‘No, I didn’t really have many friends (laugh). Rather, I liked being by myself. When I was alone, I felt much more at ease because I didn’t have to outdo myself and it was okay if I didn’t talk (laugh). On holidays, it was like “Should I sit around and do nothing? Or play some games? Or play guitar?” Well, even now it’s the same’
Games and guitar… the things that you are interested in haven’t changed a bit since you were 17 years old.
‘At first, I played bass, but because Takizawa-kun (Hideaki) requested that I play the guitar at a Junior concert, I started playing it. Man, I frantically practiced SMAP’s song “Hito Eki Arukou”. From then on I worked towards creating my own songs and more and more I started wanting to be in a band. But see, I didn’t have any friends (laugh). I had no choice but to play the keyboard chords myself, and then made drum sounds with my computer…… and I did that and by the time I was 20 years old I was able to be a band all by myself (laugh). Leader listened to the songs that I made. Leader always told me they were good, so by hearing him say that it’s good I savored that feeling of achievement. I had that kind of lifestyle, basically before I was 21 or 22 and started to drink alcohol, I didn’t really hang around outside. Even going out to karaoke was after I turned 20 years old.’
It’s already been 7 years since you created (?) (this question mark is actually in the text lol) your one man band. Your solo that was recorded for your new album coming out August 4th “Boku no Miteiru Fuukei”, it was all arranged by Nino yourself.
‘For the solo this time, it’s a song that features a piano. For that part of the song, I decided to ask a musician that was young but played piano interestingly and that had caught my attention. Actually tomorrow is the day we are going to record the piano parts, and I have to give directions like I really know what I’m doing, so I’m at the point where right now I’m listening to that musician’s songs and preparing what I’m going to do (laugh). Like that, I’m acting as the director that I wanted to be back in the day, and I thoroughly feel that I really do like working behind the scenes after all. Lately, I look forward to when I get home to listen to a song that I’m in the middle of finishing up and praise myself by saying, “I’m such a genius~♪” while I drink sake (laugh).
As of now you are 27 years old. You’ve come to a point where you are enjoying your job and your hobbies at your own pace while solidly walking along these 10 years. Your advice to Seventeen’s readers is also very laid back as expected!
‘When you don’t find the things you like, or what you want to do, you don’t have to do anything special. I mean, even if you do the things that you don’t want to exert yourself on, that’s no fun is it? But isn’t that time period important too? Starting and stopping something is easy, so it’s good to just look back on those things. That way, you will definitely come across something that you can feel you want to continue, for sure.’
Jun & Sho's Part
Ohno's Part
Aiba was a basketball boy around the time he was 17. Remembering back, he received his favorite pair of basketball shoes from his sempai in the club.
‘My feet are not wide. They’re thin and long, and even now I can’t find a pair that fit just right. So when I greeted my club sempai, he said to me “I’m buying a new pair, so try these on” and the ones he gave me fit me perfectly! It really fit well with my foot, and the leather was soft, and they were really well worn in. I really treasured those shoes. I’m not really a materialistic person, so I didn’t really have any collections or anything but I really did treasure those basketball shoes.’
So in your home town where you’ve got some great memories, you still have olf friends who are waiting for Aiba-chan.
‘When I go to eat with my home town friends, we still split the bill even now. Sometimes I’ll say, “I’ll pay today”, and they just refuse. They just say “You have no reason to treat us, right?” I guess that’s just their pride, and also that I will always just be their classmate Aiba Masaki.’
What is the friendship in Arashi that has been as always together with all of you through 2010?
‘For Arashi, our friendship is not like a work relationship. Especially the fact that the train that Nino uses to get to and from places is still the same, and he still likes most of the stuff he liked back in the day. We play baseball together, and games together. Even within my good friends, I think the friends that have the same interests as me are the ones that I’ve had an especially long relationship with. Even when I graduated, the time that we spent just naturally being together got longer.’
Do you remember what kind of things you thought about when you were 17?
‘I wonder what I thought about? I feel like I wasn’t really thinking seriously about my future. It’s just, I entered Johnny’s, and I somehow understood that the world that I am in is a harsh one. Among all the Johnny Jrs, there were some where they would steadily get more and more work, and some that wouldn’t, and some that quit in the middle of it. Among the ones that I did stuff with, even though we all started at the same time, we weren’t always together. I have really felt that harshness.’
What did you think during that harshness?
‘Of course I would think that I have to do my best, but I’m the kind of person that wants to just have fun first you know. Cuz you don’t know what’s gonna happen later, right? Maybe in three days I won’t have a job anymore. And if that happened, it’d be better to have as much fun as possible in those three days rather than moping around. I was that kind of person. Even now I haven’t really changed. You know, the core of how I am probably hasn’t changed since elementary school (laugh)’
When it’s time to work, you work. But when it’s time to play, you really want to play! This is Aiba style.
‘If I don’t I’ll be worn down. If I just let out all the energy inside of me I’ll get dried up. You have to be able to take the harsh and the fun well. I’m still looking for that balance even now. I’ve probably been going around in circles all this time.’
Becoming too serious, getting nervous and messing up at a baseball match…. these childhood experiences are the foundation of the Aiba-chan now.
‘I think it’s good to make a lot of pit stops. I think it’s great to really shoot straight for what you want, but there are things that you will find only if you make pit stops, I really feel that way. That’s why you should try challenging lots of different things. I really think that seeing is believing.’
In order to make good pit stops, is there something that you should keep in mind?
‘Well you don’t really need to do things that seem like they will get you noticed, but… that’s it, be flexible!
I like golf, but the first time when Shimura Ken-san invited me, I was really nervous. When I tried it, I had lots of fun and got really into it. I’m really thankful for things that I’m invited to do. For everyone else, be flexible and don’t brush off things just because you don’t like it. It’s good to just try it first.’
Lately, it seems that you aren’t just having fun playing around, but that there is a kind of natural feeling from the golf course that you get that really refreshes you.
‘I’ve had times where I’ve found a tiny flower that was blooming in the hole, and I take a long time to look at it. If I fall over, I stand back up (laugh). While I think to the ball, “Don’t fly over there”. This kind of thought process is not something I would have noticed at age 17. I feel that I’ve also become an adult.’
“I liked being alone. I still do (laugh)”
1 year before Nino’s 17 year old days, the only thing on his mind was thoughts of how to quit his job.
‘During my Junior days, there were times when I had a lot of opportunities to be a part of plays, and I eventually ended up wanting to study stage direction. Originally I didn’t plan to always do this job, so when I thought of quitting I felt like it’s great because I entered Johnny’s Jimusho and found what I wanted to do. Having said that it’s rude to suddenly quit like that, so right at the beginning of the year that I would become 16, I said to my boss “I am going to work until the end of the year and then quit”. If I did the work that was put in front of me until the end of the year, I thought I would start studying to be a director.’
However, in September it was decided that you would debut as Arashi!
‘Even now, I strangely wonder how someone as pessimistic as I was, was able to continue to do this job. But, it’s probably not just one really important thing that I can reminisce about, wouldn’t it be the various reasons piled up one by one?’
Would one of those reasons be, for example, the existence of supportive friends around you?
‘No, I didn’t really have many friends (laugh). Rather, I liked being by myself. When I was alone, I felt much more at ease because I didn’t have to outdo myself and it was okay if I didn’t talk (laugh). On holidays, it was like “Should I sit around and do nothing? Or play some games? Or play guitar?” Well, even now it’s the same’
Games and guitar… the things that you are interested in haven’t changed a bit since you were 17 years old.
‘At first, I played bass, but because Takizawa-kun (Hideaki) requested that I play the guitar at a Junior concert, I started playing it. Man, I frantically practiced SMAP’s song “Hito Eki Arukou”. From then on I worked towards creating my own songs and more and more I started wanting to be in a band. But see, I didn’t have any friends (laugh). I had no choice but to play the keyboard chords myself, and then made drum sounds with my computer…… and I did that and by the time I was 20 years old I was able to be a band all by myself (laugh). Leader listened to the songs that I made. Leader always told me they were good, so by hearing him say that it’s good I savored that feeling of achievement. I had that kind of lifestyle, basically before I was 21 or 22 and started to drink alcohol, I didn’t really hang around outside. Even going out to karaoke was after I turned 20 years old.’
It’s already been 7 years since you created (?) (this question mark is actually in the text lol) your one man band. Your solo that was recorded for your new album coming out August 4th “Boku no Miteiru Fuukei”, it was all arranged by Nino yourself.
‘For the solo this time, it’s a song that features a piano. For that part of the song, I decided to ask a musician that was young but played piano interestingly and that had caught my attention. Actually tomorrow is the day we are going to record the piano parts, and I have to give directions like I really know what I’m doing, so I’m at the point where right now I’m listening to that musician’s songs and preparing what I’m going to do (laugh). Like that, I’m acting as the director that I wanted to be back in the day, and I thoroughly feel that I really do like working behind the scenes after all. Lately, I look forward to when I get home to listen to a song that I’m in the middle of finishing up and praise myself by saying, “I’m such a genius~♪” while I drink sake (laugh).
As of now you are 27 years old. You’ve come to a point where you are enjoying your job and your hobbies at your own pace while solidly walking along these 10 years. Your advice to Seventeen’s readers is also very laid back as expected!
‘When you don’t find the things you like, or what you want to do, you don’t have to do anything special. I mean, even if you do the things that you don’t want to exert yourself on, that’s no fun is it? But isn’t that time period important too? Starting and stopping something is easy, so it’s good to just look back on those things. That way, you will definitely come across something that you can feel you want to continue, for sure.’
Jun & Sho's Part
Ohno's Part