"Looking back this year, from past year I have been practicing drum playing and it ended with the arena tour, it would be great if I can practice it again in the coming year. And this is a year with many live broadcast. Music program, election, Olympics… and there will be music program at the year-end."
―― So you will be the Main MC of "Best Artist".
"When I start the preparation work of this program, there is a feeling that year-end finally comes. To me, this is a program which ‘kick off' the year-end. It would be great if the audience also feel the same way."
―― It is the consecutively eighth time you be the Main MC. Looking back all these years, please tell us the episode which impressed you, or thing you missed.
"Indeed in 2009 when I first performed the Main MC, when Kuwata Keisuke-san appeared… I thought if I managed to introduce Kuwata-san's songs, on stage Kuwata-san talked about ‘NEWS ZERO' and Murao (Nobutaka)-san, I was very happy about that and had a deep impression about that."
―― Among the large-scale music programs which are broadcast one by one during year-end, the charm of "Best Artist" is the gathering of lots of Johnny's groups. This year there are 57 people from 10 groups including TOKIO, V6, Kinki Kids, and Arashi to perform. Johnny's Medley is a big high point.
"There is no other occasion than ‘Johnny's Countdown' that can gather so many Johnny's people together, as a Johnny's person I have to say this Medley is a high point (giggle). Indeed during the rehearsal everyone is clamouring. People keep saying things like ‘Oh~ Long time no see', this is interesting. Well, senpais and kouhais are here, I thought that we are about in the very middle of the generations… but there are increasing kouhais (giggle), apart from official filming we also look forward to this chance that senpais and kouhais can meet."
―― In recent years, Arashi's performance have been done with an elaborated theme, what would that be this year?
"With such thing too in tour, this year we would like to sing songs that have not been performed on NTV, it would be great if we can deliver a feeling that we have fun about this."
―― Whether it is Arashi's performance or the unique corner prepared for the program every year, Sakurai[-san] also said firmly "The biggest strength of TV is that it would be great to make a program with the ‘live' feeling, I think it so even now".
"Not only me, staff also think so (giggle). Anyway on that day really many artists will appear and end 2016 with music, it would be great if we would make a gorgeous program."
Q: What is the gorgeous night you have spent recently?
S: Around once in half year, I have a plan with two to three male friends "this time let's something different, let's go to visit a good shop". Including exchange of information, the time spent on such plan is joyful. The feeling like affectedly going to a restaurant where we usually don't go. So it seems a reward to ourselves, and we had such plan around one month ago. Saying so, though we did not do things like going there in special clothes, we had a feeling like we were bit grown-ups.
Sakurai Sho ⇒ Ohno Satoshi
Special Message:
This year you have filmed TV drama and movie, what's more there was a long period of filming for the movie. I think flying around to many places [for filming] was very tough and want to say that you have done a very good job.
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