16.12.30 Josei Jisin 30 Q&A to understand the present ARASHI – Aiba Masaki

ARASHI five members who have been active as well in 2016. These five members answered the 30 questions about what 2016 was like and what they have thought about recently. Reading this will make you understand the present ARASHI! This is the episode of Aiba Masaki for this “ARASHI’s 30 Q&A”.

【1】Looking back 2016.
“The greatest change was that I started a new TV program ‘Gutto-Sports’ (グッと！スポーツ, NHK). I was happy about this”

【2】What would 2017 be?
“I hope it would be a fruitful year. And then to act if possible!”

【3】A Kanji to illustrate the target of 2017.
“‘Natural’ (素). With such mind, not to try too hard, but try my best”

【4】What did you eat a lot in 2016?
“Meat”

【5】What did you drink a lot in 2016?
“Water”

【6】What will you buy in convenience store or supermarket?
“Potato chips and chocolate”

【7】Your own change recently?
“I don’t eat food with strong flavour. I put a lot of water into cup noodles, I make miso soup with just half portion of miso, I also take half of the natto sauce. And I eat coriander and perilla”

【8】What do you do for health?
“I train my abdominal muscle at gym and at home until I get tired, and I drink protein drink”

【9】What do you want now?
“I don’t have any desire now”

【10】How do you manage your schedule?
“I listen to the work schedule on the first day of week, and then decide what to do in other timeslots like going dining with Kazama (Shunsuke)-kun at this timeslot (giggle). And go to salon at this timeslot, go to massage at this timeslot, things like that”

【11】Who gives you inspiration?
“Radio. Though I listen to it when I drive, there is a lot of information about new music and TV programme”

【12】Person you want to meet?
“The teacher of my secondary school”

【13】What thing are you interested in recently?
“Sports. And then dining. Unjash’s Watabe-san frequently takes me out for dining”

【14】Dream that you remembered?
“I dream of crisis. To fall from high, or involve in fighting. I wonder if I am nervous somehow (giggle)”

【15】What is your relaxing moments?
“When I take sauna and cold bath. I take turn to do them, and muscle fatigue will be straight taken away”

【16】Who senpai have you met frequently recently?
“I spent leisure time with Matsunaga (Masahiro)-kun this year. And I had spent leisure time with Morita (Go)-kun”

【17】Who kouhai have you met frequently recently?
“Fujii Ryusei (Johnny’s West). I recently went dining with Inoo (Kei)”

【18】When you encounter people what do you care about?
“I don’t do things which others dislike. Though I am not conscious about this”

【19】What habit do you have?
“I am not aware of it”

【20】What thing others say that will make you happy?
“‘Ah, I saw that!’”

【21】What did you work hard in 2016?
“GACKT-san’s abdominal muscle [training] during ARASHI Ni Shiyagare”

【22】What did you feel touched in 2016?
“Olympics. When I saw the athletes whom I met fought at Olympics, I had a lot of emotions”

【23】What was the unfinished business in 2016?
“I haven’t climbed Mount Fuji”

【24】Do you give New Year Pocket Money to others?
“Yes I do. To my niece, to the child of my friend, to kouhai”

【25】What was Matsumoto-san in 2016.
“He had lives and TV drama, he was busy wasn’t he”

【26】What was Ninomiya-san in 2016.
“I met him in street coincidently. At supermarket ‘Ah, I come to buy meat’”

【27】What was Ohno-san in 2016.
“He didn’t go fishing did he. I hope he can go fishing in 2017”

【28】What was Sakurai-san in 2016.
“When live ended and I went home and turned on TV I saw him work as caster, I thought that it was tough. I respect him!”

【29】You enthusiasm towards hosting Koukaku!
“My parents are very happy about this. I shall work to my best to make Koukaku enjoyable”

【30】Looking back ARASHI of 2016.
“When we went to other places we naturally dined together. There was not much conversation but it was fun. Feeling the same as before, if one ate sweets every member would say like ‘It seems it’s delicious, we’ll have it too!’ (giggle)”

Source: http://jisin.jp/serial/johnnys/johnnysinfo/27068

16.12.29 Koukaku Rehearsal - ARASHI commented SMAP “Very Magnificent”

　ARASHI who will appear on Kouhaku for the eighth time and perform the last finale for the first time has talked about thoughts towards SMAP who will split up at year’s end. Below is the dialogue related to SMAP.

――SMAP will split up at this year’s end.
Ohno Satoshi: To us they are very magnificent people, I feel sad. There were a lot of valuable moments that we worked together, these moments are the life-long treasure to ARASHI. We want to inherit the many things that we have learned from senpai, and continue our work with what we have learned from them.

――What was your memory of performing Kouhaku with them?
Sakurai Sho: When we first appeared on Kouhaku (60th = Year 2009), (White Team Host) Nakai-kun was watching our performance at stage wing. I really felt reassured. I was nervous to perform on such big stage and he supported us a lot, this is the scene I remember right now.

――What did you learn from SMAP?
Sakurai: A great deal of things. Because it was senpais who very first opened up the route to what no one had experienced before, there was a great deal of things to learn from their back.

Matsumoto Jun: The first Johnny’s members’ live I watched at Tokyo Dome was SMAP’s live, When I watched their live at Kokuritsu Stadium I thought “someday we ARASHI wanted to perform there as well”, they are really magnificent senpai to us.

http://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2083888/full/?ref_cd=tw

16.12.29 Koukaku Rehearsal – ARASHI Sakurai “expects Aiba-san’s Kouhaku panic” / Dialogue

　An interview was done to ARASHI members before the Kouhaku Uta Gassen to be held on the year’s eve. They talked about ARASHI member Aiba Masaki (34) working at host alone, and performing the last finale for the first time. The dialogue is as below.

　－You have been on stage for seven times and this year you will perform the last finale.
　Matsumoto Jun: We were surprised by playing such a big role as performer of the last finale, though Aiba-san being the host was also a surprise to us.
　Ohno Satoshi: We really didn’t know this until the very last minute, it’s like… the feeling was like a cheating program.
　Sakurai Sho: Though we were nervous when we first appeared on the 60th Kouhaku, it is unimaginable that we would perform (the last finale) after several years, we’re just very surprised.
　Ninomiya Kazunari: Well… It’s like a matter of other person. Well… I thought it’s great. When we do this now, we can’t help but trembling. It’s like ‘Is it OK [for us to do this]?’. I am relieved that we perform under the preparation of NHK-san.
　Aiba Masaki: I have sense of tension (towards the hosting duty), though [the event will] proceed [as planned], I think it may be bit at ease if I complete our singing, I thought deep in heart that I wanted to sing our songs a bit earlier. When I heard that we would perform the last finale, I was shocked… really kept on feeling shocked. I have to keep the singing in my mind, and have to keep the hosting duties in my mind, the sense of tension was huge… multiple times.

　－It seemed that you had practiced introducing the last song [of Kouhaku] at ARASHI’s Tokyo Dome live tour?
　Aiba: We assumed how the event would go and did (the introduction of the song during Dome live tour). But I didn’t think it would be done or said on Kouhaku…

　－Will you introduce your own song as the host during the last finale?
　Aiba　No no no no no no… if I do it I would not be able to perform.

　－When ARASHI was the host, did others introduce ARASHI’s song?
　Sakurai: We were introduced.
　Aiba: Though I think that the song may be introduced by someone else… By the way one hour ago, I did the host interview (with Arimura Kasumi and Takeda Shinichi)… it was the first time I did the interview [related to Koukahu] two times a day.
　Ninomiya: That’s great.

　－What do you expect from Aiba-san’s hosting work?
　Sakurai: Well… though perhaps I should not say so, indeed I expect some extent of panic. Strictly, exactly… in fact, I don’t ask for that. I hope to see Aiba-san hosting joyfully in his style without fearing making mistakes.
　Aiba: That’s right, straight to the work.
　Matsumoto: If this is something you have to do, then just go for it. We five have been the host and had such experience. Perhaps we can pull Arimura-san a bit… How about that?
　Aiba: No, I rely on Arimura-san (giggle).

　－On the contrary, what do you worry about [Aiba-san]?
　Ohno: What do we worry about him? We five have been performing several times so I think he will perform [as usual].
　Aiba: Is it not the choreography of the last finale?
　Ohno: There are some new choreography somehow. As you are always out to work, you don’t have time to check the choreography.
　Aiba: There is Kouhaku version’s choreography… Today I’ll stay behind to practice it (giggle).
　Ninomiya: I think you can do it, normally. That’s why you are chosen, indeed just as others said, I want to see a happy concert.

　－What is the high point?
　Matsumoto: We are about to start our rehearsal… I talk to the NHK staff, this time, as we play the big role of performing the last finale for the first time, our songs will be simple, we’ll make the medley with the songs which we’ve been singing all along.

Source: http://www.nikkansports.com/entertainment/news/1758545.html