ARASHI
FROM ME TO YOU

Each member of Arashi candidly reveals their everyday feelings towards the other members. Messages ranging from admirable qualities they want to emulate to mild complaints like, “Please fix this!”
You might get a glimpse of the five members’ unexpected true personalities…

TO AIBA MASAKI FROM NINOMIYA KAZUNARI
Aiba-chan’s good point is that he has his own pace. He’s a laid-back type. He lives at his own pace and isn’t easily influenced by others. He probably won’t ever use a computer. He’s not swayed by trends. But having your own policies is a good thing, isn’t it? I think it’s something people need these days. What I’d like him to change is that he’s a little loose with time. He’s sometimes 20 minutes late. He’s even been late for private meetings. I once waited for him with Kazama for about 30 minutes. But when he finally arrives, he honestly apologizes, saying “Sorry, sorry,” and doesn’t make excuses.

TO AIBA MASAKI FROM SAKURAI SHO
Aiba-chan went to Hawaii with us right after joining the Juniors. My first impression was, “Who are you?” (lol). We became close after joining Arashi. It’s not that we didn’t get along before, we just didn’t have a chance to talk. When you get to know Aiba-chan well, you realize he’s incredibly naturally funny. He seems to have his own unique sense of time, and the speed at which we talk and the speed at which information reaches Aiba-chan are different. There’s a time difference within Arashi (lol). But that’s what’s good about him. There’s nothing I want him to change. He’s a fresh presence for me, so I’m very interested in him as an interesting character.

TO AIBA MASAKI FROM OHNO SATOSHI
He has a gentle personality. A good pace (lol). He’s easy to get along with, and I’ve never been annoyed by him. I don’t remember the first time we met, but we’ve been talking quite a lot lately. We always have really silly conversations. And he’s got a good sense of humor. If you invite him, he’ll pretty much go along with anything. Like, “Let’s go to the bathroom,” “Yeah, sure,” (lol). Actually, we usually need to go to the bathroom at roughly the same time. That’s why he’ll come along if you invite him. Our bathroom timing is the most in sync among the members (lol). That’s a huge point in common. Something I think is different about him from me is that he’s quite action-oriented.

TO AIBA MASAKI FROM MATSUMOTO JUN
Our first meeting was the year I joined the Juniors, right? It feels like we’ve been together forever. His personality hasn’t changed much since then. He’s always been laid-back (lol). He’s calm, and I’ve hardly ever seen him angry. I’m not calm, so that’s something I’d like to learn from him. I think he has a unique atmosphere that puts those around him at ease. That’s one of Aiba-kun’s good points. There’s nothing I’d like him to change. He has a great personality. For example, even if the atmosphere gets tense, if Aiba-kun is there, the mood somehow becomes relaxed. Everyone calms down and there’s a good vibe.

TO NINOMIYA KAZUNARI FROM SAKURAI SHO
I think I became close with Nino last summer when we went to LA and Las Vegas. A little before that, Yuki-kun, Nino and starting talking often. I realized while we were together the whole time in LA that this guy is such an idiot (lol). He’s incredibly friendly and does things at his own pace. Even when I was trying to sleep on the plane, he was chattering away. Even when I said, “Shut up,” he’d say, “Just listen, ok?” (lol). He’s not shy around people, and he always gets along with the staff and people on the show incredibly quickly. But, his comments for magazines are long. When I’m waiting up next to interview he cuts into my time. He’s such a troublesome kid (lol).

TO NINOMIYA KAZUNARI FROM OHNO SATOSHI
Nino’s good point is that he’s never late. He’s very punctual. I think he’s quite meticulous. Nino and I have some similarities. The thing we’re most similar in is that we both like to do things alone (lol). And we’re not outdoorsy. Basically, we play alone, we shop alone, and we eat alone. (Nino: “That’s right. I even go to karaoke alone!”) Among the Arashi members, many of whom are active, neither of us are very active. On our days off, we like to relax, so we just laze around and sleep, that kind of thing. That’s why I think he’s the one I’m most similar to among the members.

TO NINOMIYA KAZUNARI FROM MATSUMOTO JUN
Nino is the same age as Koba Ken, from the group FIVE. When we first joined the Juniors, we were tricked into thinking that Koba and Nino were brothers (lol). That was our first meeting. I think Nino’s personality has changed compared to before. Back then, he and Aiba-kun were always spacing out (lol). He’s not spacing out that much now. Nino’s good point is that he’s friendly and easy to talk to. Also, I think it’s amazing how he can concentrate on one thing for a long time and get hooked on it. Like guitar. I get bored easily, so I want to learn from him. What I want him to change is his incomprehensible behavior (lol). Sometimes he does something completely unexpected that my brain can’t comprehend.

TO NINOMIYA KAZUNARI FROM AIBA MASAKI
We’ve been together since we first joined the Juniors. We lived in the same direction, and we used to go home together. I think his hair was quite long back then. I don’t think his personality has changed that much. His good point is that he’s very friendly. Also, he doesn’t get bored of one thing. I have so many memories with Nino that I can’t even begin to describe them all. Recently, we still go home together and hang out. It’s always low-key fun, though (lol). Like bowling or billiards, the kind of fun that doesn’t involve much physical activity. We’re just do it lightly and restlessly (lol). Nino often arrives earlier than the meeting time. I worry that he might get tired.

TO OHNO SATOSHI FROM MATSUMOTO JUN
Ohno-kun’s personality is basically kind. I feel like he has a kind core at the center, and various other personalities surround it. What I think is amazing about him is how hard he works. I think he puts in a lot of effort behind the scenes. What worries me a little lately is that I feel like Ohno-kun’s battery is running low. He used to be someone who slept a lot, so I wonder if it’s tough for him not to be able to sleep much because he’s so busy. I haven’t been able to go out with Ohno-kun privately yet. So, I’d like to go somewhere with him next time. I’d like to go to a hot spring or something and help Ohno-kun relax.

TO OHNO SATOSHI FROM AIBA MASAKI
My first impression of Ohno-kun was that he was quiet. But actually, he’s quite talkative and funny. I’ve got this image of him being funny. What I think is amazing about him is his long career in theater and things like that. I’ve gone to see him perform a few times. Like “MASK” and “Playzone,” there are a lot of things I want to learn from him in terms of his work. What I want him to change is that when he’s sleepy, he doesn’t say anything. No matter how much you talk to him, it’s no use. He only replies with a little bit. “Hmm,” “Mm,” or something like that. So, Ohno-kun is no good early in the morning, or at times like that. It might be better not to talk to him at all (lol).

TO OHNO SATOSHI FROM NINOMIYA KAZUNARI
I used to talk to Ohno-kun a lot long before Arashi was formed. He’s generally said to have a laid-back personality, but actually, he’s quite sensitive. He pays attention to the little details. That’s typical of a Type A personality. I’m sure his parents are Type A too. (Ohno’s note: “My mom’s Type B”) No, I’m sure your mom has Type A blood too. Ohno-kun has been here for a long time, and he’s the most level-headed. I want Ohno-kun to stay just the way he is. As Ohno-kun said, we’re similar, aren’t we? Neither of us are the action-oriented type. And neither of us gets lonely even when we’re alone. There’s nothing I want him to change, so I’ll keep looking for something (lol).

TO OHNO SATOSHI FROM SAKURAI SHO
The first time I went on tour, Ohno-kun and Ma-chan (松本淳一) came into my and Yonehana‘s (米花剛史 room wearing a yukata and yelling, “Old man! Old woman!” I thought, “What’s wrong with these guys? They’re crazy!” (lol). I’ve worked with Ohno-kun for a while and he’s not that calm of a person. He may seem that way at first glance, but he doesn’t reveal his true self. What’s good about him is that he’s completely unfazed. And he’s never late either. What I wish he’d stop is when he punches me. He puts quite a bit of force into it and it hurts. I think it’s probably his way of showing affection, but could he change his way of expressing it a little? (lol)

TO SAKURAI SHO FROM OHNO SATOSHI
Sho-kun used to be so small. Now he’s taller than me (lol). His personality is that he gets depressed easily. When he’s depressed, he says it out loud. I guess it just comes out, doesn’t it? Maybe talking makes him feel better. I’m the opposite. Even when I’m depressed, I don’t think other people can tell. He’s great all around. He’s an action-oriented person and has aspects that I don’t have. He’s the type to put his thoughts into action every day. That’s something I can’t do. What Sho-kun and I have in common is laughter. We have similar senses of humor, and he understands my jokes. Usually I joke around with Nino, but Sho-kun and me, we’re both comedians (lol). That’s why it’s fun to talk to him.

TO SAKURAI SHO FROM MATSUMOTO JUN
My first impression of him when we met was, I shouldn’t say this myself, but he was cute. His hair was much shorter than it is now. I think we became close around the time we were doing “Ai LOVE Junior.” We were working on projects together and stuff. In terms of personality, he’s a hedonist (lol). No, he’s a responsible person. What I want to learn from him is how smart he is. Also, he has a pretty tough personality (lol). He’s scary when he’s angry. He stops talking altogether. So it’s kind of scary (lol). He’s really scary. Super scary (lol). Also, he hasn’t been paying attention to me lately. I wonder why. Has he gotten bored? (Sakurai: “I’ve been paying attention to you a lot more lately than before!”)

TO SAKURAI SHO FROM AIBA MASAKI
I think I started talking to Sho-kun a lot around the time of Las Vegas. Usually, I wasn’t on tour with Sho-kun, but that time we were overseas and staying in the same hotel, so we spent a lot of time together. Sho-kun has a quick mind. He’s quick to make things happen. When he speaks seriously, he speaks seriously, and when he’s joking around, he says funny things. I want to learn from that balance. What I want him to fix is ​​that once he starts making jokes, he can’t stop (lol). He makes a joke and everyone starts laughing, and then he just can’t stop. From that point on, his brain works at super speed, so the jokes just keep coming. He’s too much of a joker. He should stop at a good point (lol).

TO SAKURAI SHO FROM NINOMIYA KAZUNARI
Sho-kun and I are completely opposite people, aren’t we? Even the music we listen to, Sho-kun is into hip hop and Black music, right? I only play guitar. Sho-kun is like a modern person, but I’m not (lol). But because we’re opposites, there are interesting things about us. Sho-kun should show more of himself. It’s okay to make jokes when you want to. For now, it’s like MatsuJun and Aiba are making jokes, and me, Ohno-chan, and Sho-kun are doing the talking. Sho-kun actually wants to be on the comedy team, right? But he’s holding back because of his sense of responsibility to keep things together. But, leave the keeping to me, it’s okay for you to be the comedian now.

TO MATSUMOTO JUN FROM AIBA MASAKI
When I first met him, MatsuJun was really small. He was short, but his shoes were huge (lol). He was definitely wearing stylish Air Max sneakers. (MatsuJun: “The shoe size was bigger than my feet.”) So my first impression was, “He’s small, but wow, his shoes are huge!” (lol). Compared to back then, his personality has changed quite a bit. He’s become quite calm. He’s surprisingly serious and hardworking. If there’s one thing I’d like him to change, it’s opening the car window. Matsumoto sits in the front and I sit in the back, but when he opens the window in the front, all the wind comes to the back. It’s so cold (lol). I’d like him to be careful about that.

TO MATSUMOTO JUN FROM NINOMIYA KAZUNARI
I think the reason MatsuJun and I became friends was the stage production of “Stand By Me.” The only thing we did together before Arashi was on stage. As for his personality, I think he’s very emotional, isn’t he? It shows on his face. When he’s in a good mood, he’s super cheerful, and when he’s sleepy, he looks really sleepy. It all comes out honestly. But I think that cheerfulness is one of MatsuJun’s best qualities. MatsuJun and I live in different directions, so we don’t have many opportunities to hang out or meet up. The fact that our houses are far apart is quite a big hurdle (lol). If our houses were closer, we could hang out more often.

TO MATSUMOTO JUN FROM SAKURAI SHO
When I first met MatsuJun, he was really skinny, with bulging eyes, and he looked like an insect (lol). But I commented in a magazine at the time, ‘Matsumoto Jun-kun is cute.’ Yes, I used to dote on him, but before I knew it, he’d become like this… I raised him wrong (lol). MatsuJun has an older sister, so he’s good at being spoiled. He’s good at being doted on. And I totally fell for it (lol). His emotional expression is straightforward but sometimes, he gets too nervous, or rather, too anxious. There are times when he thinks too seriously about various things. MatsuJun, sometimes you should relax a little more.

TO MATSUMOTO JUN FROM OHNO SATOSHI
A long time ago, when we were juniors, I rode the train home with MatsuJun once. Even though it was just the two of us, he doesn’t seem to remember it (lol). MatsuJun’s personality is action-oriented, which is the complete opposite of mine. His good point is that he’s cheerful. And recently, he’s gotten better at getting angry at people. Before, he would get angry all the time if he wasn’t satisfied with himself. He was angry at himself. I think it’s funny, so I want him to get angry more and make me laugh (lol). What I want him to fix is ​​that he’s slow. Everyone else has finished getting dressed, but he’s the only one who’s late. Since I’m going in the same direction, I’m always left to carry his clothes. So, I want him to fix that.