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CAROL

Before our debut, I never really worried or over analyzed things. But when I debuted, I started thinking about things a lot. I think it was because I had never had any confidence before. But gradually, that calmed down… If that’s a sign of growth, then maybe I’ve become a little more mature (laughs). Recently, the five members of Arashi have become more united, and I’ve started to think, “We’re a real group.” Every day we’re going around, the 5 of us together, and it really feels like “Arashi” (laughs). Even today, when we were at the POTATO photo shoot and our debut song came on the radio, all of us were excited and said “Oh~!!” Also, the other day when I went to visit my grandpa’s house, he got sushi and said happily, “You’re appearing on TV a lot now”… I guess that’s how it is these days. There was a time limit for the handshake event, and I just wanted to say “thank you” to everyone. Even though I thought I was saying it, maybe some people didn’t hear it. But in my heart I was saying “thank you” to everyone. What made the biggest impression on me were the baby hands. I had never touched a small child’s hands before, so I was really moved by the feel of how soft and small a baby’s hands are (laughs). It was fun going to Hokkaido. But I underestimated Hokkaido. I went there wearing shorts but it was so cold that I kept on the pants from my costume. That was crazy. As for Christmas… I’m looking forward to it this year (lol). When I was little, my birthday and Christmas were on the same day, so if I asked for two presents, they’d say, “Baka” (lol). But now, I guess being born on December 24th is kind of cool. For Christmas at my house, I love fish, so we have a lot of fish dishes lined up next to cake (laughs).

There were a lot of happy and chaotic moments since our debut. But I think that being chaotic is a good thing, there haven’t been any painful moments or anything. Everyone I meet says, ‘Congratulations on your debut,’ and the juniors say, ‘I bought your CD. Keep it up,’ and all of that encourages me. We’ve appeared on TV a lot, and it’s hard to tell just by the numbers how many people know about Arashi but…the volleyball program was broadcast all over the world, so I’d be happy if a lot of people got to know us. I think the five members of Arashi are coming together, but I don’t know exactly what it is (laughs). But when we went to Hokkaido for an overnight stay, I talked with Ohno-kun in his room until late into the night. We talked about interesting experiences. It was really exciting and fun. It was the first time we had had a proper conversation during an overnight stay and I think I’ll remember it later. The next morning, all 5 of us ate together, and it just seemed natural for us to be together. I was nervous when we appeared on the show “Shounentai Yume.” I’d met Higashiyama-san a few times, but I’d only met Nishikori-san and Uekusa-san when I went to see PLAYZONE and greeted them in the dressing room. Shounentai are really experienced sempai after all, so I was a little intimidated (laughs). When I was little, I looked forward to watching the “Doraemon Special” TV show at Christmas (laughs). My dream for Christmas is not to have a Japanese-style party, but to experience an American home party at least once. Christmas in Japan feels like an event for couples, but I like to do it with my family. The Christmas lights in Omotesando are ending this year, right? That’s a bummer because I really wanted to see them.

The first month after my debut was intense (laughs). When I appeared on “Mezamashi TV,” we had to meet at 5:30AM…the day was so long. What I realized after working with so many different people is that people who are good at talking know their role, and they have everything in their head, from the timing to the content of what they’re going to say. That’s when I realized how veteran entertainers are always able to have fun conversations. Whether it’s Shonentai-san or Downtown-san, amazing! We didn’t know when to enter the conversation. We were nervous about what would happen if we overlapped with other people talking on the show. As for Arashi… Ohno-kun is good enough (laughs), but the other four haven’t shown their individuality yet, so they need to show it more. I kind of just keep them in check (laughs). I have to stop someone from talking too much, and I have to cover for MatsuJun if he overlaps, so my mind is really racing during the broadcast (laughs). But, maybe it’s ok if everyone talks a lot. I’ve had tough schedules before, so I didn’t think much of it. Right now, I’m focusing on my health. When I was doing “Abunai Hokago,” I lost six and a half kilos in a month, and the scenes didn’t flow together, and even when I looked in the mirror, my face looked different every day (laughs). Because of that, I was really conscientious about what I was eating in relation to my weight. The fact that 80,000 people came to the handshake event is such an honor. If it had been possible, I would have continued the event for even longer. I want to have another handshake event somewhere and meet everyone. As for Christmas… I also had a cute time when I believed in Santa, but I don’t have any particular memories. So this year, I want to do a prank with Arashi coinciding with Aiba-chan’s birthday! He’s the only person who doesn’t know about it… Ah! I wonder if he’ll find out if he reads this (lol).

Yesterday… I came back from the countryside and was able to relax at home for the first time in a while. In my household, no matter how late I work, my parents are always awake and waiting for me, and we talk about what happened that day. Yesterday, they made my favorite shrimp chili and waited for me. I’ve been on TV a lot, and everyone has laughed at what I say, and it’s been such a hit, I don’t really know what’s going on (laughs). We all take turns talking and I’m always the last one. I was aiming for it a little, and the staff also told me things like “Ohno-kun, don’t act normal.” But I’ve been busy and haven’t checked the on-air version, so I’m worried! Do people think I’m weird!? I’m at a crossroads now, whether to go with this character or a cool character (lol). But I feel like this character is going to stick. It seems like I can’t be cool anymore, so I guess it’s time to say bye-bye to coolness (lol). The handshake event was amazing. For some reason, my fans had really strong grips (laughs). Sho-kun even said to me, “Ohno-kun’s fans have really strong grips.” Also, I felt like a lot of older people were saying to me, “Do your best!” Speaking of things that have changed, I’ve gained 4 kilos (lol). My face looks rounder and it’s scary. I think because I was trying not to eat I ended up eating a bunch! I turned 19 on November 26th… Wow. And in the year 2000 I’ll be 20? I see~ cool! I want to do a hotpot for Christmas, which will also be Aiba-chan’s birthday. Speaking of Christmas, when I was little, I have memories of sneaking a peek at my mom making big stockings on the sewing machine in the middle of the night. “Don’t look!” she would say, and panic and hide it (laughs).

The five of us are solidifying our awareness and we feel at ease when we’re together. Or rather, we want to be together as five. Our roles are also gradually becoming clearer. I’m not at the point where I can bring everyone together, but I’m aware that I have to be strong. It’s not that I want to take on leadership roles, but I think I’m in that position now. Ohno-kun is that kind of Ohno-kun (glancing at Ohno-kun, who smiles) I’m not the type to lead everyone. So I guess it’s like that. Even so, we’ve been on TV a lot (laughs). My friends look forward to me appearing on TV, and that makes me happy. Also, my perspective has changed in many ways, and the way I watch video clips and listen to CDs has completely changed. I’m thinking about the production side of things for when we do our own concerts. I thought about it. I’d be frustrated if I couldn’t give a proper opinion when we all got together to discuss it someday, so I thought I’d save up a lot of ideas for that time~ The handshake event was also amazing. I’m thankful for all the people that lined up from early morning. I was thankful in a different way for all the male fans that came. I feel like the guys are longing to be like us and that makes me happy. Of course, when I was little, I believed in Santa. When Christmas was approaching, my parents would ask me, “What present do you want?” and when I told them what I wanted, they would call Santa in front of me. Childishly I would say “My family knows Santa!” (laughs) My parents were really into it (lol) This year we’re going to celebrate Aiba-chan’s birthday in a big way! I love planning events for my friends.