H magazine - Arashi, Now and Forever - Ninomiya Kazunari

[barbosa2007.livejournal.com]

H magazine sits down with the members of Arashi to discuss their thoughts about their 10th year anniversary. Nino shares his views on being an idol, the greatest thing he's gained in the past 10 years, and what Arashi means to him.

Armed with a keen sensitivity and spontaneity, he’s able to make accurately a witty comeback on each member’s words. The variety chief who ascertains who to hand the conversation over to in order to achieve the best effect – Ninomiya Kazunari. Although he became a world class actor after filming “Letters from Iwojima”, he firmly maintains his stance that he is an idol. Immense potential, flat objectivity, humour and even wickedness are weaved together to form his manner of speech. We think that when this became known to the public, it had a role in demolishing preconceived notions of people who were prejudiced towards idols. Ninomiya speaks of broadening the definition of what an idol is. To Ninomiya, who constantly does things for the sake of Arashi and keeps the other members in his thoughts, we asked for his opinion on Arashi’s status quo.

Personally, what do you think has been your greatest achievement in the past ten years?

It was our debut, wasn’t it? It changed all our lives! (laughs)

That’s also because although you wanted to study stage plays, you were suddenly thrown into Arashi.

It was shocking. (laughs) However, even as I was complaining, I did my job properly. That’s because I’m serious when it comes to work.

So in your opinion, what does an idol do?

I’m not tellin’ ya! If I did, everyone would want to be one, right? They’d go, “Oh, since I know something about being an idol I’ll give it a shot.” (laughs)

Hahaha. It is an attractive career right, being an idol.

I think it differs from person to person. But for me, I’m rather capricious. I get to do a lot of things, so I think it’s fun.

So are you glad that you became an idol?

There are times when I’m glad, and there are times when I’m not. And that is probably because it’s the same with any job. But the good times are more than the bad, so overall I’m able to say that I am glad to be an idol.

When did you feel happy that you became an idol?

I had no friends. There’s four [other members] who are always near me, right? We were always together. I thought that was great. Though it was a unique situation, it’s precisely because of the circumstances that we’re able to have a closeness that is greater than that of normal friends.

So… if Arashi hadn’t comprised of the current members, things might not have worked out like it did today, right?

That’s right. However, there’s no need to think about what would happen if the members of Arashi weren’t us five.

Ninomiya-san, even though you’re a member of Arashi, when you speak of Arashi you refer to them as “the members of Arashi”.

[Translator’s note: Nino seems to be taking an outsider’s point of view when looking at the group’s members.]

I mean, these are the only people that I’ve been seeing. (laughs) The only person that I haven’t been seeing is me, right? If I plan to see myself, that’s just plain nonsense. And I don’t plan to change anything. It’s special to be a part of it.

Although Arashi has left various footprints [in the entertainment industry] in the past 10 years, what kind of impact do you think it was?

I’ve never thought about it. I didn’t think that we’d be given the privilege to cover so many events, such as our live performances in the Kokuritsu Stadium and the five Domes. We didn’t have a choice back then. It wasn’t as if we had no ambitions, but we didn’t really think deeply about it because we just wanted to have a good time.

You once mentioned in an interview that the best thing which came out of filming “Letters from Iwojima” was that if people came to know about Arashi through “Iwojima”. Wasn’t that particular project aimed at widening the circle of people who know Arashi?

Hmm… I wasn’t aiming for anything in particular, I guess. To put it simply, I was taking on a project by myself, so that was all there was to it.

It seems that every member of Arashi seems to put the interest of the group before their own personal interests.

I wonder why? That’s because we’re a bunch of good guys, right? (laughs) Well, it’s not necessarily a bad thing when someone says that they are fine on their own. I don’t deny that. But if that’s the case, we wouldn’t have grown close to each other. (laughs)

Why do you constantly work with the burden or Arashi on your shoulders?

I mean, the five of us were chosen as the members of Arashi. When we were told, “From tomorrow onwards you’re Arashi!” we went, “Aah, so it’s Arashi from tomorrow onwards, I guess…” That’s why we [work with the burden of Arashi on our shoulders.] Moreover, I think it’s amazing to be able to think about what you want to do on your own. We tend to do what we hope to do as a group.

Otherwise you wouldn’t be satisfied with what the group is doing, right?

But you know, if you aren’t satisfied with something two people came up with, there’s no way you’d be satisfied if only one person did it. I mean, it’s much faster if the five of us did it together. (laughs)

Hahahaha.

I’m telling you, it’s five times faster. We still have tonnes of stuff we’ve got to do as a group. There’s loads of things which we wanna do, and then some.

Armed with a keen sensitivity and spontaneity, he’s able to make accurately a witty comeback on each member’s words. The variety chief who ascertains who to hand the conversation over to in order to achieve the best effect – Ninomiya Kazunari. To Ninomiya, who constantly does things for the sake of Arashi and keeps the other members in his thoughts, we asked for his opinion on Arashi’s status quo.

Moving on, we thought that it was interesting when you mentioned that you feel more fired up when there are idol-haters out there.

I mean, rather than to say that I was fired up, I think it’s just easier for things to be that way. The things we do, these [haters] can’t stand them and find them a nuisance. But that doesn’t mean that we’re necessarily doing the right thing. The answer is already there.

However, during the time when you were filming “Letters from Iwojima”, you said, “I’m not an actor, I’m an idol.” You planned to change the preconceived notion of what an idol was, right?

Nah, that’s because everyone around me started going, “You’re an actor, an actor!” I hated it when they did that. I mean, I’m not an actor! I’m just doing an acting job. I think it was an epoch in the making. Even during the Berlin Film Festival, the overseas media was going wild in reporting the movie. “I’m telling ya, I’m not an actor!” And as I kept saying that it came to be interpreted as such.

However, when we revisited your comments, you said, “Idols are extremely professional entertainers!” I mean, we feel that that comment probably caused the public to consciously change their prejudices against idols.

Well, I guess… I didn’t want to change what being an idol meant, but I just wanted to tell others that, “Look, an idol is capable of accomplishing this too.” I also thought it would be good if people could say, “It’s interesting to have an idol do all these things.” I mean, it’s no good if the meaning of being an idol has changed, right? If I were to tear down the idol framework and completely reinvent a new one, that no longer becomes an idol. The amazing thing is for someone to breathe new life into the existing framework. That’s the reason I do stuff like this and that… We kept want to do stuff which involved striking at a gray zone of sorts. Well, we did think about doing stuff that no one else had done before. (laughs)

Does that form the basis of your motivation to work as an idol?

Well, I think the motivation lies in the projects I’m working on right now, right? That’s because I understand how great it is to have job offers. There were times when we didn’t have any work or singles which we could release. I guess that’s the main reason. In addition, our supporters have been there for us. It’s because of them that Arashi exists. We’re not hankering after status nor fame, so if people who watch our shows tell us that we’ve done a great job, that’s enough for us.

So what’s the greatest thing you’ve gained in the past ten years?

I guess it’s the mere fact that I’ve made it this far? And the fact that I was allowed to do my thing all this while. It may be easy to embark on something or to quit, but the hardest thing was to keep something going. It was really subdued. We’re not regular white-collared workers, so there are no promotions to look forward to. It’s not like we could go from an assistant director to become a director, or to become a producer from a director. We did not have any such motivation. Because there’s also this recognition that the growth process is a title that was conferred unto us, everyone thinks that they really have to give it their all. In our case, we didn’t have any such feelings. We’re really subdued; in a sense it’s because we’ve had the privilege to do all these things. I think we’re inclined to behave in that manner.

Whilst accounting for your capricious nature?

Yup. Although it’s a good thing to be rapidly engrossed in what you’re doing, I’m not the type to be sucked into what I’m doing. Let’s say, I wanna be the president of the company I just entered, and happened to become the president. I’d think to myself, oh no, what now? Say for example, even if my motivation were to be a top idol, there are countless idols produced every year and monstrous senpai. You can’t possibly determine who’s No. 1 then, right?

That is true.

You come to understand it when you’re in the job. You would inevitably think, “Even if I were appointed, I’ve got no choice.” And the thing is, there isn’t an upper echelon. What makes it even scarier is that there isn’t a lower echelon. And for Arashi to maintain status quo in that situation makes me think that Arashi is really amazing.

True.

Without having to keep leveling up, the fact that we have the privilege of trying out new things year after year is because we were able to maintain the status quo.

That’s because you guys have gathered together a bunch of level headed people, isn’t it?

That’s right. And the other fact is something which I’ve said over and over again, but it’s really how we do our job seriously. When it comes to building a house or arranging a holiday, you would choose to do it earnestly, wouldn’t you. That’s what I’m referring to here.

Even if your surroundings were to change rapidly, I feel that the charm of Arashi would not change. However, I was wondering, when Ninomiya-san mentioned at Kokuritsu, “I am looking forward to an unchanging evolution,” what exactly were you referring to?

Although Arashi wouldn’t change, but as individuals we probably will, right? For example, being a newscaster, although I wouldn’t go that far. However, when these people are Arashi members, they return to the same position in the group. Isn’t that amazing? I mean, Leader had his own art exhibition, but when he came back to Arashi, we kept speaking badly about him. (laughs)

Hahahaha.

I mean, for Sho-chan, he does an amazing job as a newscaster, but when he comes back to Arashi he acts the fool and all. But it doesn’t mean that the position always remains the same. This applies to Jun-kun and Aiba-chan too. Stuff like getting older, marriage, kids… It doesn’t mean that all that will happen. In spite of all that, there’s an unchanging quality in Arashi, and isn’t that amazing?

Why do you think that this possibility [of being unchanging] lies in Arashi?

That’s because we’re normal people, right? Yesterday when I went for a meal, I was told by the waiter, “Just the other day, I met Matsumoto Jun-kun.” According to him, when he went for someone’s birthday party, Jun-kun and Nishikido (Ryo) were both there. And they were in really high spirits. And then, “they were spinning in circles, and when they stopped, Matsumoto-san said, ‘Please favor Nishikido!’ And he kept on saying that.” (laughs)

Hahahaha!

When I heard that I laughed till my stomach hurt. It’s almost as if he’s like a general manager. (laughs) The waiter had said, “I never had such an image of Matsumoto-san, so I was really shocked.” As I listened to his story, I thought that [Jun] was really just a regular person.

Ninomiya-san often used to say, “I wished that Arashi would become a group where a regular observer would say, ‘Wow, they’re pretty amazing!’” That image is actually spreading around. I think you would call it a desired outcome, right?

“Erm… I think it’s a good thing. I think it’s better that we create a stir than if we didn’t. I mean, we’re idols! Idols which don’t create a stir would be pretty surreal, right? I think things are getting pretty interesting. But I always think of the present moment as being the best.”

So, how does Ninomiya Kazunari envision Arashi’s future?

Doesn’t that lie ahead of us?

I mean, did you ever think, “It would be nice if Arashi were like this and that”?

Nope! It’s not fun at all if I were to aim for something like that. I mean, say if a hundred meters ahead, there lay a fork in the road. Take the path on the right, and there would be a 100 yen waiting for you. 10,000 yen lies on the path to the left. Surely everyone would go for 10,000 yen, right? (laughs) But it’s a happy thing if you took the 100 yen without knowing a thing. That’s fine, I’m telling you. Furthermore, I don’t think men particularly look at the future while working. They simply accomplish the task set in front of them.

So, Ninomiya-san, what is Arashi to you?

That would be these 4 persons here. Like I said, the Arashi which I see comprises of these 4 persons. Wherever. Whenever.

And what kind of existence would these 4 persons be?

They’re interesting! They’d do anything for me. They’re fun. And they think quickly on their feet. They’re thoughtful. Seriously, if I were to get married, I’d better find someone like this. (laughs) And they’re serious workers too.

(laughs) Once again, does it make you go, “I’m glad I’m in Arashi”?

Of course! And it’s not something I’d consider once again, I think about it all the time. If it weren’t for Arashi, I wouldn’t be having this interview. I’m glad to be here. Seriously, I wouldn’t know what I’d be doing if it weren’t for Arashi.


Please read the rules regarding translations posted here!

Translator's comments: This was an article which I left hanging 5 years back, but I finally got down to finishing it. *sighs* I hope you guys enjoyed this. It's really hard getting back into the groove of making a translation when I've been out of it for so long.

Comments

[falconbaby.livejournal.com]

*sobs*

What a great interview. :')
nowadays people always said that Arashi has changed. I guess they refer to the 'crazy' Arashi back then in CxDxGxShukudai. But I think, it's not that Arashi changed, they still give their best in whatever jobs they take, just, they have a big responsibility now. They endorse a big company like JAL, Nissan, Kirin, Hitachi, and they're national idol now. They should be responsible in whatever they did. ^^

Btw, thanks for translating this nice article. ^^

[orsa2012.livejournal.com]

Thanks for translating and sharing this! otsukare!

[hellmiri.livejournal.com]

This is such a nice interview :)
Thank you for translating and sharing ^^

[clara-maria.livejournal.com]

When did you feel happy that you became an idol?

I had no friends. There’s four [other members] who are always near me, right? We were always together. I thought that was great. Though it was a unique situation, it’s precisely because of the circumstances that we’re able to have a closeness that is greater than that of normal friends.
[...]
I didn’t want to change what being an idol meant, but I just wanted to tell others that, “Look, an idol is capable of accomplishing this too.”



oh Neen ♥

I feel like quoting half of this interview XD

it's good to get reminded of Arashi's way~ not being the biggest stars, not being No.1... it's not something "normal", but hard, serious work of a group of five great people ♥

[abeechan.livejournal.com]

Great interview. I love this part of Nino's answer: "...the Arashi which I see comprises of these 4 persons. Wherever. Whenever."
Thanks for translating^^

[imconan.livejournal.com]

thanks a lot for this..somehow, I can imagine how nino talked ^_^

[leisypeisy.livejournal.com]

Thank u so much for translating

[koe-wo-kikasete.livejournal.com]

thank you so much for all your work translating this article and for making the effort to finish it after so long! it was a great interview and i really enjoyed reading it. thank you! :D

[amivie.livejournal.com]

thank u. This is nice. I enjoy reading this.

[meeka09.livejournal.com]

Thank u so much for translating~

this article just made fall for him more...
and yes i love them because they are NORMAL people..

[js89999.livejournal.com]

Thanks a lot for working on this article and sharing it. I really love the fact that Arashi loves Arashi the most. When I read about them talking about each other, its like they are Arashi's number 1 fan. Truly amasing and loveable.

THanks for sharing, otsukare sama desu

[tippyrose.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful interview.

[arasukishi.livejournal.com]

Amazing interview! I don't read a lot of Nino's interviews, so I was really surprised at how cheerful he seemed to be here. My standard impression of his interviews go something like, he tries to confuse his audience as much as he can. But in this interview, even with the difficult concepts (unchanging evolution) that he used to explain himself, I could sense how sincerely grateful he was. I love it when he lets his walls down :)

Thank you very much for this translation! It must have been very tedious to work on this - knowing Nino, and looking at the sheer length of this interview. Thanks very much for your hard work!

[chibi-yui15.livejournal.com]

Thanks for translating~

[vnmuyen.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for working on this interview and sharing it with us!
I really enjoyed reading it. It was very heart-warming to hear Nino's thoughts about their jobs, with the accompanying ups and downs.

[flubbz.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the translations, I enjoyed reading it :)
Isn't it amazing that although this was an interview 5 years ago, everything Nino says still holds true?
I especially liked the part about Arashi being an "unchanging evolution"; that each of them can grow in their own ways but at the end of the day when they're together as Arashi they're still somehow the same group that we all love <3

[memole18.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much

[coolohoh]

hahaha, thank you for this!

Seriously, if I were to get married, I’d better find someone like this. (laughs) And they’re serious workers too.

Aw, my yaoi feels!

[astrangerenters.livejournal.com]

He always has a really different perspective on Arashi and on fame in general that's so interesting to read. Thanks for translating this.

[evakithy.livejournal.com]

thank you!

[inachan89.livejournal.com]

Loved this interview,you really see how much he cares for Arashi,and i liked the part of the unchanging evolution!

Thanks for sharing=)

[helenmaldon.livejournal.com]

Such an amazing and classic interview!!! So much Nino and Arashi goodness!!! The best <3 <3 <3 And I feel like you capture Nino's tone well in your translations ^^

[thepanicinghush.livejournal.com]

Thank you for translating!! :):)

[simply-junsu.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the translation.
One thing: you wrote
"T/N: Gray zone: generation gap"
What do you mean? I think gray zone is not the same as generation gap.

[barbosa2007.livejournal.com]

Thanks for pointing out my mistake. Actually "gray zone" in this context simply meant that Arashi was doing stuff that wouldn't be considered an idol-like activity or a non-idol type activity.

I simply copied that portion which I translated from 5 years ago, so thanks for proofreading. :)

[justfever.livejournal.com]

this interview... somehow it feels so... Nino, really!

thank you for your hard work for this! ;)))

[sha197.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for this :')
It was such a nice interview :')
In spite of all that, there’s an unchanging quality in Arashi, and isn’t that amazing?
<33333

[leiva21]

Thanks so much for translating this! It's not easy to get honest answer out of Nino in an interview because most of the time (although not always) he'll troll the answers. But I like this one the most >>> They’re interesting! They’d do anything for me. They’re fun. And they think quickly on their feet. They’re thoughtful. Seriously, if I were to get married, I’d better find someone like this. (laughs) And they’re serious workers too<<<
Seriously I love that Nino is so in love with Arashi and vice versa, it's hard to find such a group like that, and this is the reason why I've fallen in love with Arashi a few years ago and not just because I was Jun-baited into them (although it plays a big part too :D)

[beegone07.livejournal.com]

Very interesting interview n the answers are so sweet..;-)
Thanks for translating this..

[arashic5.livejournal.com]

thank you for translating <3
but its true..nino is such a loner I'm glad he has the rest of arashi members

[aam5g11.livejournal.com]

thank you for translating and sharing this!

[j-sei.livejournal.com]

It's really nice to read Nino's interview ^^ He sometimes gave an interesting answers :3

Thanks for the translation!

[crishi.livejournal.com]

Great interview! *-*
Thank you so much for your hard work in translating and sharing! ^^

[dhilalicia]

Thank you for translating it :) a great interview, great words from nino's mouth. His mind changed when it comes to interview ^^

[gemplee.livejournal.com]

thank you for translating. <3

[sir-j81.livejournal.com]

great interview

thank you so much for translate

i love him so much especiealy when he talk to the other member

[yunyeon.livejournal.com]

What a great interview, I enjoyed reading Nino's answers :)
They are such a good team <3
Thanks for translating!

[netika70.livejournal.com]

thank u for translating this ^^

[kanu-x.livejournal.com]

T__T Nino is so awesome! I don't usually read interviews. Only some here and there. I'll probably run through a bunch though. I'm so touched by this. And he's so witty.

THANKS

[ky09.livejournal.com]

thank you so much for translating! :D

completely unrelated, but wow, i had to google some of the words you used. XD thanks! i learned some new words today. :3

[ninonosaur]

This has been an absolute pleasure to read. Thank you so much for posting these translations!

:)

[splendid-season.livejournal.com]

sweet Nino <3

[kyosen.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the translation, thouh I still don't really understand this idol business. I'm not sure there's an equivalent in my country to compare it to.

[mingvase.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for translating this to completion! Well done!!! I noticed that the translation was very smooth and there was a good flow to it. Thank you for all your hard work :)
Love Arashi for being themselves and nino's brain! :) <3

[mingvase.livejournal.com]

You would be a great journalist/gifted writer :) Thumbs up!