→ Joy To The World
Arashi discusses Christmas, 1999, 2000 and their group

“Christmas”
I don’t have any sweet memories of Christmas. If I were to go on a date, I’d like to go somewhere not too crowded. I really don’t like crowded places. So why not just spend the day at home? Maybe we could go out for dinner at least. Like I said before, I’ll invite you to my favorite coffee shop that serves delicious curry. I think a set with salad and coffee costs about 1,200 yen, so I’ll treat you big time on Christmas (lol). If I had a driver’s license, the range of my dating activities would expand dramatically. Lately, I’ve been really wanting to get one. It’s not that I particularly like cars, but I think it’s better to be able to drive a car. So I think I’ll probably only get an automatic license. Since I joined Arashi, I’ve suddenly become very busy, and it seems like it would be difficult to go to driving school. I’m really regretting not getting one when I had more free time. I guess that means you shouldn’t waste a single day in life (laughs).

“1999”
It was a year I don’t really understand (lol). Anyway, it went by so quickly. I appeared in “Mask” in January, and then I had a ton of free time for the next two months. The only work I had was magazine interviews. I went shopping with my mom, painted the walls of our house, and had a lot of fun during that time of year. After that, I worked out for the first time in a while at the junior concert, and my muscles were so sore I could die (lol). Then there was “PLAYZONE”. It was a really tough performance, but the sense of fulfillment after it was over was so great, and I’m really glad I did it. Once that was over, they suddenly said, “We’re going to make a group called Arashi.” I thought, “Huh?” and before I knew it, I was here (laughs). When Arashi first started, we were filming for “V no Arashi” and it was super busy, but once the World Cup started, things calmed down. After all, I’ve gained 4kg since joining Arashi (laughs).

“2000”
I’ll be turning 20 in the year 2000. Isn’t that amazing? (lol) I was born in 1980, so calculating the year is easy for me. When I watch old TV and see footage from 1986, I immediately know, “Ah, that was when I was in the first grade of elementary school.” The other members are weirded out and ask, “How did you know so quickly?” (lol). I’ve always wanted to turn 20 quickly, so I’m looking forward to next year. As for specific goals, I want to exercise more. I’m thinking about going to the gym. I went to the gym when I was in Kyoto, too. But I only went once (lol). I think I’ll go regularly next year (lol).

“Arashi”
When I look at the comments on TV and such, my character in Arashi seems like “just a weird guy”? (lol) I’m always in the punchline position, and the staff look at me with expectation, so I can’t say normal things. From now on, I’d like people to understand that I’m just a “normal person” (lol). But the other members tell me that even when I think I’m talking normally, that’s enough to make me the punchline (lol). I like Arashi. We’re a bit disorganized (lol), but there’s something good about us. I really feel happy to be a member of Arashi.

“Christmas“
That’s right, speaking of Christmas, for the past 3-4 years it’s always been a concert. And it’s always in Osaka. I used to perform as a back-up dancer, but this year if I do it, it will be as Arashi. It might be in Tokyo, I’m not sure yet. The year I joined the Juniors, my family and I went to Hawaii for Christmas. Of course, it didn’t snow, but we did have a tree. I remember it being fun, realizing that there are so many different ways to celebrate Christmas. If I ever get time off for Christmas in the future, I’d love to have a party. It could be with the other members of Arashi, or just friends from school. We’d get together at someone’s house and prepare a tree, cake, turkey, and all that. I’d love to do something super Christmas-y (laughs). Even if that’s not possible, I’d love to see people gathering around the city’s illuminations. I want to see people having fun. Of course, I’d love to be a part of that if possible. To be honest, when I see people having fun, I feel a bit jealous. But up until now, I’ve stayed in a hotel every year, so I guess I’d like to be able to experience the real Christmas atmosphere.

“1999”
The year started off with by going to the first shrine visit of the year with Yuki-kun. We went to Meiji Shrine, and there were so many people there… Hmm, nothing special happened in the days that followed. I was living my life normally, just like every other year. Then, towards the end of the year, about a week before my debut, that suddenly changed. It was a real drastic change!! Everything around me changed. It was like spinning a globe as fast as I could (laughs). I was on the axis of the earth. Then, things started moving at an incredible pace. The number of staff members increased dramatically, and things kept changing. It feels like that’s still going on today.

“2000”
What can I say now… it’s moving so fast. It’s like putting a boat made of leaves into a raging river (laughs). It’s completely out of control. So, to be honest, I can’t really think too far ahead right now. But I want to get through this, regain my composure, and once we start rowing on our own, make Arashi a solid group. Hopefully next year we’ll be able to show more of ourselves. So we don’t have time to rest until then. Even if we hurt ourselves, we won’t have time to heal (laughs). We have to work hard, assuming we don’t injure ourselves. But the only thing that’s a bit disappointing right now is that I can’t take my time to go to the CD store. When I buy a CD, I always listen to it carefully. If I find something I like, I buy it. That’s why I spend about 2-3 hours in the store. But right now I don’t have much time, so I just have to pick something random from the hit charts. But this just makes me more and more frustrated. If my work calms down a bit and I have some time off, the first thing I want to do is go to a CD store. So in the end, I don’t have time to rest (laughs).

“Arashi”
This is the same as what I said earlier, but right now it feels like we’re being swept away by an incredible amount of momentum. But from now on, I think we need to start rowing on our own. For example, to be more specific, I want to release two or three CDs and quickly establish our own image and character. And then after that, I want to keep my feet on the ground.

“Christmas”
If I were to give my girlfriend a Christmas present, I’d say just one word: “I love you” (lol). The gifts you give to the one you love aren’t material; it’s the intangible things that are important. If you don’t make her think, “I don’t really get this person, but they’re amazing,” then you’re not a real man. Plus there are things that can be conveyed without words. Take the World Cup, for example. As we were talking, I’d only seen the women’s matches, but I was deeply moved. They weren’t wearing makeup and were drenched in sweat, but I thought, “Everyone looks so beautiful!” Personally, I thought Italy’s No. 7, Maurizia Cacciatori was the cutest (lol). Everyone was exuding a sense of pride and responsibility for representing their country, and it was quite powerful. When you’re in the entertainment industry, you have to inspire the people watching. Watching the volleyball matches really brought that home for me. That’s why I want to give the woman I love something intangible as a gift.

“1999”
This year I was able to do “Abunai Hokago” and it was a year that made me realize once again that “I love dramas.” Yeah, I really love them. If I hadn’t entered this world, I would have wanted to go to a film school in America. There’s a producer in America called Roger Corman that I like, and he has a really cool line. “I could make 1,000 movies and never let a single cent slip through my fingers.” He’s incredibly confident, isn’t he? And he has a track record that supports that. That guy…An aura of confidence emanates from his whole body, and I don’t think being confident is a bad thing. Some people might say that education is the most important thing, but if you’re confident in yourself, then it doesn’t matter what other people think of you. But to achieve that, you have to build up a track record. Everything is just beginning.

“2000”
I don’t want to set goals for the year. Because once you have a goal, people tend to look for the shortest route to get there, right? I think that’s a waste. I want to go down a shaky path. It might take me farther from my goal, but maybe there’s something better waiting on the side road. It’s more fun when you can’t see what’s ahead. In my mind, I think that until I turn 20, I can do anything except break the law, and it’s okay to make any kind of mistake. That’s why I’ll be keeping an eye on Ninomiya Kazunari.

“Arashi”
I was really happy that Arashi’s debut song, “A・RA・SHI,” debuted at number one on the Oricon charts. The 80,000 people who attended handshake event was a huge number, but 1 million is more than 10 times that. Thinking about it again, it’s really, really amazing. I just want to tell everyone, “I love you!” Isn’t this something you can only do once in a lifetime? Lately, I’ve been able to experience so many of these once-in-a-lifetime experiences, and I feel so happy. What’s the highlight of Arashi? It has to be Sho-kun’s cowboy hats (lol). Also, the fact that he’s wearing a vest against his bare skin even though it’s winter, and Matsujun’s pants. You’re saying I’m wearing shorts too? No, mine are half-pants (lol)! Anyway, Arashi will still be a hot topic in 2000, so everyone look forward to it!

“Christmas”
Christmas is my birthday, so if I were to buy a new one, I could say I’m the reincarnation of Jesus Christ (lol). But for some reason, our family has a Buddhist altar. I’m a Christian who grew up in a Buddhist home (lol). I don’t want to do anything cheesy just because it’s Christmas. Oh yeah, I want to go jet skiing-is it a tough season to do that? Well, let’s go on a date in Hawaii! When we went to Hawaii to announce our debut, we went jet skiing, and it was crazy! We went about 80km/h, and the speed was incredible! I put Nino on the back. I woke him up from his sleep, and he was still muttering, “What’s this?” (lol). Then we took a sharp turn, and he flipped over spectacularly. I’m sure Nino’s face, having just woken up, instantly perked up (lol). So, for Christmas, I’ll let him ride on the back of my jet ski. I’ll keep the speed moderate (lol).

“1999”
This year, I had quite a few opportunities to travel abroad. The most memorable ones were probably Las Vegas and LA. I had fun filming in so many different places, and in my free time, Takizawa-kun even filmed a video starring us. As soon as I returned to Japan, I thought, “Japan is definitely the best place,” but after a month, I started wanting to go somewhere else. October was really busy, and at times I barely remembered what happened that morning. Things have calmed down recently, so I’d like to go on a relaxed location shoot again. Speaking of myself, the year made me a lot stronger mentally. I had no idea, and I thought that my personality would probably never change, but for the first time I hit a wall. It was tough. At night before I went to sleep, I would think about all sorts of things and it was hard to fall asleep. I don’t really talk to people about my problems. When I talked to someone, I felt like I was running away from the problem. But that time, I talked to Takizawa-kun. We didn’t come up with a concrete solution, but it made me feel brighter and more positive, like, “Well, let’s just take it easy!” Takizawa-kun, thank you for all your help back then!

“2000”
Next year will finally be the year 2000. It may be true that a millennium happens once every 1000 years, but to me it’s just the beginning of an ordinary year. I’m sure when I’m an old man I’ll be able to say with a nostalgic feeling that I lived in the 1900s. Even though I say such cool things, I probably make a bigger fuss than most people about nostalgic things (lol). But Oh-chan will be turning 20 in the year 2000. I think that’s seriously amazing (lol). I wonder what will happen in the 2000s, but I hope nothing major happens. I’m a pacifist, after all (lol).

“Arashi”
I wonder what’s next for Arashi~. I want to create a whirlwind. This is unrelated, but when the conversation turns to “Arashi, what time are you coming tomorrow?”, the words “I have settle everything well” come to mind (lol). Every day is so much fun~. It’s so fulfilling. Oh, and by the way, I’m late, but thank you to everyone who came to the handshake event! I didn’t expect so many people to come, and I was really moved. Please continue to support Arashi!

“Christmas”
Matsumoto’s secret dream was to “If I ever get a girlfriend, we’ll hold hands and walk down Omotesando decorated with Christmas lights,” but that was cancelled. I’m a bit shocked (laughs). But from now on, I want to think about more than just superficial things like that, but the true meaning of Christmas, the feeling of celebrating the birth of Christ, “family love,” and other spiritual aspects. I love America, after all (laughs).

“1999”
A lot happened this year. It’s surprising, considering I’m still a high school student. Nowadays, going to high school and then going to work is a normal part of my life. But I think it’s lonely just going back and forth between work and school, so I try not to go to sleep until I’m sleepy, and make time for myself. No matter how tired I am, I want to enrich my time by listening to music or reading a book. Lately, I’ve been trying to broaden the scope of my hobbies, whether it’s music or anything else. Before, I only knew what was popular, but now I’m thinking about trying new things. To be honest, when I’m busy, mornings are tough. But I’ll have some interesting friends at school, so I think I can keep going somehow (laughs). At school, I fall asleep quickly and only talk to boys, so people say I’m scary. I can’t believe that (lol). I want everyone to tease me more. Matsumoto Jun really shows his true colors when he’s teased (lol).

“2000”
A lot happened in 1999. For me, it was a very fulfilling year. I took my entrance exams, had a proper summer vacation, debuted as Arashi, and shook hands with 80,000 people. The handshake event was truly moving. Moving beyond ’99, I’m thinking about 2000. Personally, I feel like I’ve only done things half-heartedly, whether it be schoolwork or hobbies, and just gone with the flow. I want to properly master each new skill.

“Arashi”
Arashi will continue as this lineup from now on, so I hope we can continue to get along well in the future (laughs). If something happens, I hope you’ll tell me, don’t keep it to yourself. I think all of our members are the type to not say things out loud. (“But it’ll probably take two hours,” says Sho). I like that kind of thing, so I’ll do it for hours (laughs). (“Let’s get along!” Sho says as he disappears, leaving a smile behind)…Saying things like that, you say (laughs)? You might not like to say it, and of course you might feel a little down if someone says that to you, but I want to continue growing in my own way, so please support me. Also, I think I can listen to anything our members have to say to me honestly. Finally, to all our fans. I really felt it at the handshake event, but thank you so much for supporting us with all your might. We are here today as Arashi thanks to the help of many people, and I feel so grateful. When I think about being a new member, I feel a sense of responsibility. But as I’ve always said, nothing has really changed since becoming a member of Arashi, other than that I have developed a sense of responsibility towards my work. What I strongly feel is that I want to continue to be close to you. I’m very happy about this, and I plan to put my gratitude into action from now on, so please look forward to it!