[Repost] The Arashi Encyclopedia, TV Pia Nov 2009

[barbosa2007.livejournal.com]

This is one of my favorite articles which I translated 3 years ago, when the boys were celebrating their 10th year anniversary. Do the words "Fierljeppen", "Sammi" and "Koukishin" ring a bell? The members recollect their history with the help of the English alphabet.



Arashi's A to Z

We’ve put together an Arashi encyclopedia using materials from the past ten years!!

Ohno: Something that starts with “A” or “あ” right?

Sho: A-FRIENDS also starts with A right. Since we didn’t manage to get into the group, J-FRIENDS, which was started by our senpai, we decided to come up with a brand new unit ourselves. 

Nino: And when someone in the group turns 20, I’ll come up with a song and everyone would sing along to it. 

Jun: That really brings back memories. You guys sang for me when we had a concert at Ehime. But in terms of the timing it was really horrible for Nino since at that time, no one else but Nino could write songs… 

Aiba: That’s true…

Jun: We thought that at the very least we should do a video letter as well, so we recorded our messages (Jun, Aiba and Ohno) when we were in our rehearsal rooms. But the content was horrendous! We couldn’t publish something like that in a magazine. (laughs) 

Aiba: That’s the indiscretion of youth. (laughs)

Nino: In the end, we could only hear the sounds of laughter of the stage director! That was novel, yes?

A-FRIENDS

The five members and their manager formed the aforementioned unit. It was for the sake of celebrating the members’ birthdays when they turned 20, and was disbanded once the youngest member Matsumoto turned into an adult (at 20). The group’s main activities were to make an original CD was a gift. Ninomiya was responsible for crafting the melody and lyrics of the song. You can check it out in the “How’s It Going?” DVD on how they celebrated Matsumoto’s birthday. 

Nino: Backflips. (lit: Bakuten)

Jun: It seems like everyone who’s a Johnny is expected to be able to do back flips.

Aiba: That’s normal. When we were in Johnny’s Junior, there was days set aside for practising back flips. 

Ohno: Didn’t we have a grading system for this, split into grades A, B and C? I was in grade B. 

Nino: I was initially given grade C. 

Sho: So once you’ve reached grade A, that you probably mean you were something like a gymnast. (laughs)

Nino: But I’m sure in your life, you’ve done a back flip on your own before, right?

Jun: Well, I sure did it. Totally. 

Sho: I did so once. While looking like a frog that was bashed up. 

Jun: (laughs) I’m not gonna show people how I do it! Although if I did take it seriously I could do a back flip. 

Nino: But you wouldn’t want to see it, right? A 26 year old who’s in serious mode. 

Jun: Our faces would show that we’re stretched to the limit. (laughs)

Sho: After all, the issue is whether we want to do it. Our songs don’t require us to do back flips anyway. 

Jun: If we had to do so in our work, we’d do our best at it, but there isn’t anyone breathing down our necks to do back flips, I guess… (laughs)

Backflips [Jap: Bakuten]

A backward somersault. During Arashi concerts, the members may display backflips from time to time. 

Jun: Ever since our 1st concert in 2000, we were blessed to be able to hold a tour every year. 

Aiba: We had no songs to our name initially, so during our 1st concert we had to perform A.RA.SHI three times. Like a Para Para version and a ballad version.

Jun: [singing in a ballad style] They say that on the TV today~ [Translator’s note: A line from their single A.RA.SHI]

Sho: (laughs) We played stuff like Kick the Can and Trumps with the audience. 

Jun: The horrendous part was during the MC, where we brought out a kotatsu* onto the centre stage. (laughs)

[Translator’s note: A kotatsu is a low, wooden table frame covered by a futon, or heavy blanket, upon which a table top sits.]

Ohno: Around the kotatsu, we took out humongous trump cards and played Old Maid (lit: “Pick the grannie). However, the audience couldn’t see it from where they were sitting. 

Nino: That seriously was the pinnacle of surrealism. Following that, we thought we should move about so we played Kick the Can. (laughs)

Jun: And [the thing which starts with C is] … COLOR. We thought we would decide each member’s colour.

Sho: During our first live performance, we hoped to determine our microphone colours. Mine was orange. 

Jun: Mine was light blue. Nino’s was blue so it was really difficult to distinguish the two of us. 

Aiba: Mine was always green. 

Sho: And Ohno’s was pink? Well, in the end I thought the color separation was a good thing. It is certainly true that in our live performances, it was easier to distinguish between each member. 

COLOR

Ohno = Blue, Sho = Red, Aiba = Green, Nino = Yellow, Jun = Purple. The colors were set to complement each member’s image, and it was known as the Member Color. 

CONCERT

This was the opportunity for the group to establish their credibility in their creative ability. Starting with detailed descriptions for the Moving Stage, it led on to other developments like the Johnny’s Super Moving Crane. There were many other stage props which Arashi first proposed and implemented. 

Sho: We had quite a fair bit of documenting to do in “D no Arashi!”

Nino: That was in the very beginning, right? Stuff like, “Document the moment when a person is first released from a prison.”

Sho: And it gradually progressed towards investigating “A person’s first fart”… (laughs)

Aiba: There was a broad range of issues which we dealt with, so I really looked forward to the filming every fortnight. I would say to myself, “I wonder what we’ll be doing today?”

D no Arashi!

A late night programme broadcast by Nihon TV from July 2003 till September 2005. D stood for “D” in documentary, and the members of Arashi closed in on matters which they were interested in. With an emphasis on the colors of subculture and a comedic flair, it has brought forth many experimental projects such as the current “Odoroki no Arashi Experiment Special”. 

Jun: The thing which comes to mind is “eco”, I guess. We have conceptualised live performances with an Eco theme, and also composed tunes for Sho’s program. To have been involved in that as Arashi was also memorable. I thought that was something that was impossible for an idol group that was still in their teens to suddenly accomplish.

Sho: Ah, certainly.

Jun: I hope we can continue to do this from our own perspective from here forth as well. 

ECO

In the 2008 Dream-A-Live tour, environmental issues were highlighted through the sale of concert goods such as eco-bags and portable chopsticks. The group sang the song, “Green”, which was broadcast on Sakurai’s Eco Program. 

Ohno: Fierljeppen really worsened my body condition. I thought I was going to die… 

Nino: You mean the thing where Sho-chan was clinging onto a pole as he fell?

Jun: But after that, Ayase Haruka did it for a Pokari Sweat CM. In a refreshing manner. 

Sho: She’s our underclassman in that aspect.

Ohno: We were early in that respect, no doubt. 

Fierljeppen
Fierljeppen was a minor sport which Sakurai and Ohno supported in an episode of G no Arashi. It was a sport from Holland which Sakurai tried out. Using a long pole, a person tries to vault himself over a canal or waterway.

Sho: The Gekoukujou* skits on Utaban were really popular. 

[Translator’s note: Gekoukujou is a situation where someone of a lower status offends or dominates someone from a higher status. In Utaban, Ohno, who is an underclassman of Nakai, frequently offends him as part of the show’s routine.]

Ohno: I wonder when it started? 

Jun: Relatively early on in the show, I had this feeling that Taka-san kept saying that he found you interesting. 

Aiba: It was painful to have to stop Nakai-kun. He’s super strong!

Jun: Somehow, when the whole thing was over, I glanced at my watch, only to find that the strap was broken. (laughs)

Gekoukujou skits

A scuffle that is bound to unfold each time Arashi appears on Utaban, a program broadcast by TBS. Ohno makes reckless remarks towards their major upperclassman cum MC, Nakai Masahiro. The person who makes Ohno say them is actually Ishibashi Takaaki. The angered Nakai is stopped by the other four members. 

Aiba: Oh, to mention Hatori in “Arashi’s A to Z”! (laughs)

Nino: He’ll get carried away again, is that alright?

Jun: He sends us text messages at the most unexpected times, you know. That guy. Recently, he sent a message the day after Nino’s drama aired, saying, “Nino’s drama was interesting! By the way, what sort of things do you dislike?” (laughs)

Aiba: That’s true. He surreptitiously adds in comments to try to dig stuff out of you. 

Sho: And then he would include it in his interview content and then say it on “Zoom In!! SUPER” and stuff. (laughs)

Pia magazine: We would definitely like to hear your views on being HIP. Whilst to be HIP could mean to be on the forefront of something, it seems that when the five of you act on the same project, there is this image of you guys protruding your butts. 

Jun: Oh, you mean that one? (laughs)

Sho: Ah~ That was Pika’nchi! We wore a T-back during the spanking scene! (laughs)

Nino: Whoa, that really raised your spirits, didn't it~ T-backs! We saw it!!

Everyone: [bursts into laughter]

Aiba: It’s amazing that you can feel more embarrassed wearing the underwear than not wearing it! (laughs)

Jun: But you know, it was Tsutsumi-san (the director), and when you’re acting out a scene like that at that time you don’t feel any qualms at all. 

Hatori Shinichi

An announcer from Nihon TV. 38 years old. Collaborated with Arashi in Mayonaka no Arashi from 2001 to 2002. A self-professed and recognised Arashi fan. 

HIP

To be at the forefront. Butts and bottoms. Sakurai calls Arashi a HIP POP star in his rap lyrics.

Sho: Satoshi-kun made such a great face during the cover jacket shoot of the “Iza Now!” tour! (laughs)

Ohno: Um hmm, that was perfect! Moreover, the location of the photo shoot was near my house.

Nino: He gets excited over things like that. This person.

IZA, NOW

The forth studio album from Arashi that was released in July 2004. It contains tracks like Kotoba Yori Mo Taisetsuna Mono and Hadashi no Mirai.

Jun: In our beginning years we used to wear jerseys with the word “Arashi” written on the back in red. There was a member of the staff who saw the crumpled up jackets and exclaimed, “Poor things…” and bought new jackets for us. 

Sho: That famous navy blue and yellow one, right?

Aiba: And recently, we met that staff member again and reported to that person, “We’re using it lovingly!” That staff member exclaimed in reply, “You’re still using it?! You poor things, I’ll buy you new ones!” (laughs)

Nino: History repeats itself, yes? 

Aiba: Thus, everyone changed into white jerseys! The third generation.

Nino: We even had our names on the jersey sleeves. That’s no doubt about it, it was great stuff. 

Sho: Even now, I still have my name written in marker ink on the clothing tag.

JERSEYS

It’s Arashi style for the members to be in matching jerseys when they’re hanging out in the waiting room during the tour. The initial red jersey is still being worn by Sakurai during rehearsals. 

Jun: Ahh… “Curiosity”, right? [lit: koukishin] Rumor has it that such a unit exists. (laughs) Although I have yet to meet it.

Nino: I haven’t met them too, but guys, you seemed to enjoy yourselves the night before our tour.

Ohno: My deepest apologies, although Nino was working [while we were out enjoying ourselves]… 

Nino: You definitely were NOT thinking about that! (laughs)

Sho: Our first activity was in Nagoya during the filming of Kiiroi Namida. Although we said, “Let’s go drinking,” we couldn’t reach the shop even though we tried.

Aiba: Recently we went drinking in Fukuoka too~

Sho: Well if I had to sum it up, the three of us are pretty hopeless, I guess. (laughs)

Koukishin

A private unit formed by Sakurai, Ohno and Aiba. Driven by their curiosity, they stroll the streets when they’re at different locales.

Nino: We’ve had a surprisingly small number of filming locations where the five of us went together. 

Jun: But we did do the Arashi-chan SP karaoke location together.

Sho: This guy (Aiba) looooves filming on locations! When the two of us go for location filming together, as I was still in the midst of preparing myself sleepily, he would have finished his make-up doubly early and be standing outside the location bus sipping his coffee. (laughs) His face says, “Alright, shall we do it?”

Aiba: We get to go to places that we don’t normally get to see, right? Most of all, I like gazing at scenery. 

Locations

Filming which takes place outside the studio. Aiba visits many locales and countries when filming his variety show.

Aiba: I still remember the look on the audience’s faces when we first revealed the Moving Stage!

Nino: We couldn’t get enough of the crowd’s reaction.

Jun: It makes us happy to see such an uproar. The original intention was to bring us closer to the audience. Moreover, it was a concept which was birthed from the Arashi way of thinking – as we dance, we hope to move through the crowd. That’s why, for example, if I see someone just riding on the moving stage [without moving], I’ll think, “Move it!”

Everyone: That's so harsh! (laughs)

Moving Stage

A mobile stage which was conceptualized by Matsumoto and first implemented in their 2005 tour, “One”. Not long after, it came to be known as the Moving Stage. Other groups have come to adopt it as part of their performance. 

Nino: I guess it’s the New Year Fun Run? Not surprisingly, I thought it was rather groundbreaking to be able to welcome the New Year twice by crossing the International Date Line. Didn’t you feel very uncertain when you saw so little people around you when you were running in Australia?

Aiba: I had absolutely no idea how they were going to film this. I’m sure that they didn’t. (laughs)

Nino: That’s why there were only lights at the starting and ending point. The rest of the route was immersed in complete darkness. I was scared so I ran with Riida all the way. 

Ohno: That’s right. 

Nino: And when we ran another 5km in Hawaii after that, my heart almost burst. (bitter laugh)

New Year Fun Run

A live transmission of the transition from 1999 to 2000 at various places in the world. This is done as part of the SP by Fuji TV’s LOVE LOVE, Aishiteru. Arashi ran 5km to welcome the New Year in Australia, then immediately boarded a plane to Hawaii and ran another 5km to welcome the New Year a second time. 

Jun: When we held our concert in Kokuritsu (Tokyo National Stadium) last year, we saw the images of the Tokyo Olympics in the vicinity. We were in awe of the sacredness of the National Stadium, which was a testament to the rapid economic growth experienced in Japan. In many ways, the Olympics was a great event.

Sho: For me, when the timing of the Gorin (translator’s note: Go-rin, literally Five Rings, is a term that the Japanese frequently use to refer to the Olympics) coincided with our live performance at the National Stadium with the five of us (note: Sho uses the word Go-nin), it felt like a fortuitous meeting. 

The Olympics

Sakurai was the main news caster for the Peking Olympics for Nihon TV in 2008. Following the 2004 theme song for the Athens Olympics, Hero, was Arashi’s Kaze no Mukou e.

Jun: (looking at Nino’s small bag) Is that a Poche (French for “pocket”)?

Nino: Of course it’s a shoulder bag! It’s not a waist pouch. Totally a shoulder bag. (Slings the bag over his shoulder to demonstrate the fact) Eh, are we going to verify this?

Ohno: This is a nice Poche. 

Sho: Thus sayeth the Poche Master.

Aiba: We want to see the Poche after missing it for so long, yes? 

Ohno: Should I bring it? I still have it. 

Sho: Seriously, this guy (Ohno) came to Australia (for the filming of Ultrastrong Game) with just a Poche! When I looked inside there were tiny underwear stacked on top of each other!

Everyone: HAHAHAHA.

Nino: It was like expandable wakame, right? (laughs) Although he’s taken to using humongous bags lately. 

Poche 

The correct description is actually a shoulder bag with a long strap, used for carrying small items. This is totally different from Ohno’s favorite nylon waist pouch which he was using in 2004. The members have taken to calling it a Poche. 

Sho: We did an air band of QUEEN, together with Nino who had just returned from LA, didn’t we? 

Nino: We did. Jun and I did the air guitars, Sho-kun did the drums… Hahaha!

Aiba: Our teacher was (Miyashiro) Mario-san. 

Jun: Riida initially had on a Freddy Mercury get-up. Although it was meant to be an air vocal performance, it totally became a comedy act, haha. (note: Jun uses the word KAOGEI, which is a type of comedy technique employed by comedians who make silly faces). 

Nino: It was a mimicry pub. (laughs) What was up with Aiba-kun’s keyboard…

Sho: I wonder why is it when Aiba-san does an air performance, he sticks out his teeth? (laughs)

QUEEN

In 2006, the five members embarked on their plan to create an air band on G no Arashi, and performed live in front of an audience. The song which they played was Queen’s Seven Seas of Rhye.

Jun: Shouldn’t R stand for rehearsals? Well… I think we’re a group that has lots of rehearsals. 

Nino: That’s because we’ve had the privilege of doing concerts year after year…

Aiba: You could say that we virtually had curry everyday for the past year. (laughs)

Sho: Recently, whenever I enter a rehearsal studio, I get this craving for curry. (laughs) Just a while ago, Ohno-san just came in, ate only curry and went back home. (laughs)

Rehearsals

The rehearsals which are mentioned here refer mainly to concert rehearsals. The takeouts are mainly hearty foods like curry.

Jun: When we were eating with people from the company, the topic of middle names came up. Someone said to Riida, “You look like a Sammi, don’t you?” (laughs)

Sho: As a derivation of that incident, [Riida] did it during his solo concert too. The okama* Sammi. [Translator's note: transvestite]

Jun: The characters that Riida comes up with are all okama! (laughs)

Ohno: It’s easy to do.

Nino: You know, we end up talking about stupid stuff even with the big shots… 

Sammi

Ohno’s alias for a point in time. In 2006, Ohno portrayed an amorous yatai owner, Sammi, who encourages a depressed Ohno. (He acted in both roles.)

Jun: What was the timing for the Bird Man? (Tori Ningen, hence the T association)

Aiba: About two seconds. After shouting, “Let’s fly!” I plunged drastically. 

Ohno: That was dangerous.

Aiba: That was freaking scary. I really believed that I would fly! 

Sho: You’re quite the optimist! (laughs)

Aiba: I had no thoughts of falling at all! Even in the worst case, I thought I would glide for a few meters. 

Nino: That’s Japan for you!

Sho: And as you think along those lines you took on the challenge to fly in a kite or as a bird… You’re a survivor!

Bird Man (Tori-ningen)

A manual flying machine which can carry a single person. Aiba, with help from a few students, tried to fly like a bird using a hand made glider. This was broadcast on the Fuji TV show, Mago Mago Arashi. 

Sho: It would have to be Ultra Strong Game. Even now, whenever I see Take-chan (Takeda Nobuhiro), I talk to him about it. We say stuff like, “Hey, let’s go to Australia again.” (laughs)

Nino: But we had such a great time there!

Aiba: The atmosphere was like that of a graduation trip. 

Jun: I remember when we were competing in games that had a punishment, Sho-kun’s running speed was no joke. (laughs)

Nino: You mean the Beach Flag race, right?

Ohno: He was even faster than Aiba-chan!

Sho: I guess I detested the punishment game, which was skydiving… 

Ultra Strong Game

A special program broadcast by Nihon TV, with Arashi as the main personalities. The members of Arashi pit their strengths and wits against various athletes and celebrities in Australia. 

Aiba: The impetus for our debut was volleyball, and each time there was a competition we have the chance to sing in the Yoyogi Stadium… 

Nino: When we held our concert there several years later, the rest room felt really nostalgic…

Sho: Although it was really tough back then. We hadn’t gotten used to moving from location to location back then. Now that Hey, Say, Jump! is in the same position we were back then, we feel like we have to support them. 

Volleyball

The impetus for Arashi’s debut was the 1999 World Volleyball Cup series. Arashi was the image character for the games.

Sho: Just before this, we had this talk within the members on what we put in that time capsule. The five of us came together and cycled at Wakkanai, which was the only place featured in the last Mayonaka no Arashi. 

Ohno: But we cycled 35km!

Sho: Your memory's really good! (laughs)

Nino: We were all scrambling for the electric bicycles since there were only two of them. 

Jun: Yeah, we exchanged our bicycles along the way. 

Aiba: I wonder why they didn’t prepare 5 of them in the first place! (laughs)

Jun: We cycled all the way through the night until dawn. Haha. It’s our good point that we just grit our teeth and do it. 

Sho: And, without fail, Hatori-san was there as well. (laughs)

Wakkanai

The train station which the five members arrived at for the last episode of Mayonaka no Arashi in 2002. The boys started their journey in Kagojima and travelled to the northern tip of Japan, Souya Misaki. In that vast piece of land, the boys buried a time capsule which they intended to open ten years later. 

Jun: X has got to stand for Xiao Long Bao! (Translator’s note: Soupy dumplings, my favorite!) 

Nino: We certainly ate them!

Ohno: We were eating them from the morning in Taiwan! I wonder how many the five of us ate?

Aiba: Although I have no idea, we certainly piled up those bamboo baskets! (Soup dumplings are traditionally served in bamboo baskets. I highly recommend that you go try some in they’re available in your vicinity.) You can’t tell when you have to stop when it comes to Xiao Long Bao, I guess. 

Sho: Wanko Xiao Long Bao. (Translator’s note: Wanko here refers to Japan’s wanko soba, which is an Iwate speciality. The soba is served in tiny bowls which are refilled repeatedly. Refer to the Harisenbon episode of AnS for a live demonstration.)

Xiao Long Bao

Arashi’s favorite Chinese dim sum, and a must-have. You can view their delighted faces as they enjoy these dumplings in the Arashi Around Asia DVD. 

Jun: My first performance as a backup dancer for our sempai took place in Yokohama Arena. 

Ohno: We travelled there by train… 

Nino: That was the only place in Yokohama that I knew how to travel to without using a map. 

Sho: I had this impression that Nino’s mum always gives us amazing pickled plums as refreshments. Although we stopped getting them when we started to perform in the Domes, does it mean that it was a famous product of Yokohama?! (laughs)

Aiba: When we were in Yokohama, all our mothers came to our dressing room. 

Sho: Recently, the only person who came to our dressing room is your dad. (laughs)

Yokohama Arena

A 20-year multipurpose hall with a capacity of 17000 people. Up till now, it has hosted 56 of Arashi’s concerts.

Ohno: Isn’t Arashi about the only group who does round table talks whenever they have an interview? [Translator’s note: Fans, is that true?]

Jun: It’s true that we have a lot of round table discussions. 

Sho: You know, when I read our discussions, I think to myself, “That’s really interesting!”

Jun: (laughs) There are times when we gather together just so that we can have round table talks, right? We said stuff like, “We would like to record our comments together so could you please photograph all 5 members at the same time?” (laughs)

Nino: It’s the opposite, isn’t it? That we weren’t considering the visuals. Somewhat like a radio show. 

Jun: And the one thing which is memorable about round table talks is that Ohno DOESN’T TALK! (laughs)

Sho: But Ohno-san is pretty much the person who rounds up our round table talks, yes?

Nino: How do you feel, Riida, now that we’ve reached the letter Z?

Ohno: Well, today’s round table talk was fun~ We reminisced about many things. 

Nino: Which memory did you recall the most today?

Ohno: Sammi, which had begun to slip my mind, and other stuff…

Aiba: You recalled your own stuff?! (laughs)

Ohno: Let’s return to our starting point in our 11th year and go at it with a new and refreshing feeling. 

Jun: So you mean to start from Zero? (referring to the current letter being discussed)

Ohno: Wow, you’re good! (implying that he never thought about it that way)

Everyone: (bursts out laughing)

Ohno: Yes, it’s a start from square one (zero). Let’s give it our best shot!

Zadankai, Round-table discussions

The epitome of Arashi interviews.