UTAHIROBA JUN IN QUICK JAPAN VOLUME #107 (PART 4)
There is at least one more part to go but I may split it into two because our Junjun gets wordy. After this, I really want to visit Autumn Leaf!! Has anybody had a chance to go?
Part 1 is here and part 2 is here and part 3 is here.
Please keep in mind that I'm not a professional translator and still learning Japanese. I did my best but if you have any comments, please feel free to give them.
To remind everybody, this part picks up when Jun is talking about his dedication to his fans and that he really feels an empathy with and a special devotion to fangirls. "Being lonely by yourself and wanting to die, somebody who feels like they have no place to belong to, in the world, there are many who feel like this."
QJ: I can empathize with your feelings. However, if you think that way, it’s difficult to express selfish-seeming desires. And even normally, those words are difficult to get out.
Jun: That’s true. That is to say, the people who are a part of my life are those who I can express my true feelings to. If you ask me, you must protect the people you can speak your mind to, under any circumstances. Because they’ll hit you with the truth for your own good. And truth, truth is the part we most want to keep hidden, right? It’s a feeling we can’t afford and, if possible, we never want to feel it.
QJ: And there are times when you can’t easily find a place where you can display your true feelings.
Jun: Yes, to glimpse past the boundary of everybody’s restraints. If I were to display my true self, would people run away? Or would they accept me for who I am? It’s a question of trusting other people. For me, the person to hit me with the truth was Golden Bomber’s Kiryuin Sho. Because of that, for his sake, I came to feel that I could do something.
QJ: In regards to Autumn Leaf, aren’t many of the staff also in touch with their own true selves?
Jun: If that’s so, I’d be happy! But, actually, all of society should be like this, you know. No matter where you go, no matter what you do, you should be able to show your true self to society. But, as for that, unaware, we unfortunately become unable to do it. Maybe it’s this generation, huh? From the beginning, we stopped hoping for anything.
QJ: For that kind of young person, I think they have a lot of expectations from Golden Bomber and Mr. Utahiroba. For example, if we can return to talking about the opening of Autumn Leaf, for Jun to greet guests at the entrance and see them off when they leave is not a normal expectation. In fact, I think it’s unbelievable!
Jun: For Golden Bomber, I always see with “something was done for me” eyes. But, on the other hand, you also take a step back and observe. “I wonder if it’s really okay to hope for things from these guys.” “I wonder if it’s okay not to make a run for it.” As much as possible, I must fight against seeing with those kinds of eyes.
QJ: In the previous interview, you said that you “wanted to return to your roots in Visual Kei.”
Jun: I didn’t have a special reason to say so. It’s like... maybe this is a bad way of putting things but it’s a life support measure. If I can retain the energy of the scene I lived in, wouldn’t it naturally extend my life span? To need is to be human, right? It’s ego. Therefore, being aware of this, as much as possible I want to keep my feelings on the side of light. But to what extent are those light feelings the truth? The disgusting nature of reality is always lurking.
QJ: Nonetheless, there is a risk in opening a store. Generally, earning money is a normal aim in opening a store but it looks like Autumn Leaf isn’t economizing in anything. One by one, each customer is given individual service and the prices are quite cheap!
Jun: You think it looks suspicious?
QJ: It’s just that the aim doesn’t appear to be doing business.
Jun: If we use your definition of business, it’s the antithesis. But in the world, there aren’t too many businesses like mine. I wanted to do something different. That’s the spirit of Golden Bomber.
Part 1 is here and part 2 is here and part 3 is here.
Please keep in mind that I'm not a professional translator and still learning Japanese. I did my best but if you have any comments, please feel free to give them.
To remind everybody, this part picks up when Jun is talking about his dedication to his fans and that he really feels an empathy with and a special devotion to fangirls. "Being lonely by yourself and wanting to die, somebody who feels like they have no place to belong to, in the world, there are many who feel like this."
QJ: I can empathize with your feelings. However, if you think that way, it’s difficult to express selfish-seeming desires. And even normally, those words are difficult to get out.
Jun: That’s true. That is to say, the people who are a part of my life are those who I can express my true feelings to. If you ask me, you must protect the people you can speak your mind to, under any circumstances. Because they’ll hit you with the truth for your own good. And truth, truth is the part we most want to keep hidden, right? It’s a feeling we can’t afford and, if possible, we never want to feel it.
QJ: And there are times when you can’t easily find a place where you can display your true feelings.
Jun: Yes, to glimpse past the boundary of everybody’s restraints. If I were to display my true self, would people run away? Or would they accept me for who I am? It’s a question of trusting other people. For me, the person to hit me with the truth was Golden Bomber’s Kiryuin Sho. Because of that, for his sake, I came to feel that I could do something.
QJ: In regards to Autumn Leaf, aren’t many of the staff also in touch with their own true selves?
Jun: If that’s so, I’d be happy! But, actually, all of society should be like this, you know. No matter where you go, no matter what you do, you should be able to show your true self to society. But, as for that, unaware, we unfortunately become unable to do it. Maybe it’s this generation, huh? From the beginning, we stopped hoping for anything.
QJ: For that kind of young person, I think they have a lot of expectations from Golden Bomber and Mr. Utahiroba. For example, if we can return to talking about the opening of Autumn Leaf, for Jun to greet guests at the entrance and see them off when they leave is not a normal expectation. In fact, I think it’s unbelievable!
Jun: For Golden Bomber, I always see with “something was done for me” eyes. But, on the other hand, you also take a step back and observe. “I wonder if it’s really okay to hope for things from these guys.” “I wonder if it’s okay not to make a run for it.” As much as possible, I must fight against seeing with those kinds of eyes.
QJ: In the previous interview, you said that you “wanted to return to your roots in Visual Kei.”
Jun: I didn’t have a special reason to say so. It’s like... maybe this is a bad way of putting things but it’s a life support measure. If I can retain the energy of the scene I lived in, wouldn’t it naturally extend my life span? To need is to be human, right? It’s ego. Therefore, being aware of this, as much as possible I want to keep my feelings on the side of light. But to what extent are those light feelings the truth? The disgusting nature of reality is always lurking.
QJ: Nonetheless, there is a risk in opening a store. Generally, earning money is a normal aim in opening a store but it looks like Autumn Leaf isn’t economizing in anything. One by one, each customer is given individual service and the prices are quite cheap!
Jun: You think it looks suspicious?
QJ: It’s just that the aim doesn’t appear to be doing business.
Jun: If we use your definition of business, it’s the antithesis. But in the world, there aren’t too many businesses like mine. I wanted to do something different. That’s the spirit of Golden Bomber.