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Won't go too into details but I've got Aiba and Nino's parts of the interview here for your reading pleasure

Will do Ohno's lata!




“It’s good to make a lot of pit stops”
Aiba was a basketball boy around the time he was 17. Remembering back, he received his favorite pair of basketball shoes from his sempai in the club.
‘My feet are not wide. They’re thin and long, and even now I can’t find a pair that fit just right. So when I greeted my club sempai, he said to me “I’m buying a new pair, so try these on” and the ones he gave me fit me perfectly! It really fit well with my foot, and the leather was soft, and they were really well worn in. I really treasured those shoes. I’m not really a materialistic person, so I didn’t really have any collections or anything but I really did treasure those basketball shoes.’
So in your home town where you’ve got some great memories, you still have olf friends who are waiting for Aiba-chan.
‘When I go to eat with my home town friends, we still split the bill even now. Sometimes I’ll say, “I’ll pay today”, and they just refuse. They just say “You have no reason to treat us, right?” I guess that’s just their pride, and also that I will always just be their classmate Aiba Masaki.’
What is the friendship in Arashi that has been as always together with all of you through 2010?
‘For Arashi, our friendship is not like a work relationship. Especially the fact that the train that Nino uses to get to and from places is still the same, and he still likes most of the stuff he liked back in the day. We play baseball together, and games together. Even within my good friends, I think the friends that have the same interests as me are the ones that I’ve had an especially long relationship with. Even when I graduated, the time that we spent just naturally being together got longer.’
Do you remember what kind of things you thought about when you were 17?
‘I wonder what I thought about? I feel like I wasn’t really thinking seriously about my future. It’s just, I entered Johnny’s, and I somehow understood that the world that I am in is a harsh one. Among all the Johnny Jrs, there were some where they would steadily get more and more work, and some that wouldn’t, and some that quit in the middle of it. Among the ones that I did stuff with, even though we all started at the same time, we weren’t always together. I have really felt that harshness.’
What did you think during that harshness?
‘Of course I would think that I have to do my best, but I’m the kind of person that wants to just have fun first you know. Cuz you don’t know what’s gonna happen later, right? Maybe in three days I won’t have a job anymore. And if that happened, it’d be better to have as much fun as possible in those three days rather than moping around. I was that kind of person. Even now I haven’t really changed. You know, the core of how I am probably hasn’t changed since elementary school (laugh)’
When it’s time to work, you work. But when it’s time to play, you really want to play! This is Aiba style.
‘If I don’t I’ll be worn down. If I just let out all the energy inside of me I’ll get dried up. You have to be able to take the harsh and the fun well. I’m still looking for that balance even now. I’ve probably been going around in circles all this time.’
Becoming too serious, getting nervous and messing up at a baseball match…. these childhood experiences are the foundation of the Aiba-chan now.
‘I think it’s good to make a lot of pit stops. I think it’s great to really shoot straight for what you want, but there are things that you will find only if you make pit stops, I really feel that way. That’s why you should try challenging lots of different things. I really think that seeing is believing.’
In order to make good pit stops, is there something that you should keep in mind?
‘Well you don’t really need to do things that seem like they will get you noticed, but… that’s it, be flexible!
I like golf, but the first time when Shimura Ken-san invited me, I was really nervous. When I tried it, I had lots of fun and got really into it. I’m really thankful for things that I’m invited to do. For everyone else, be flexible and don’t brush off things just because you don’t like it. It’s good to just try it first.’
Lately, it seems that you aren’t just having fun playing around, but that there is a kind of natural feeling from the golf course that you get that really refreshes you.
‘I’ve had times where I’ve found a tiny flower that was blooming in the hole, and I take a long time to look at it. If I fall over, I stand back up (laugh). While I think to the ball, “Don’t fly over there”. This kind of thought process is not something I would have noticed at age 17. I feel that I’ve also become an adult.’
“I liked being alone. I still do (laugh)”
1 year before Nino’s 17 year old days, the only thing on his mind was thoughts of how to quit his job.
‘During my Junior days, there were times when I had a lot of opportunities to be a part of plays, and I eventually ended up wanting to study stage direction. Originally I didn’t plan to always do this job, so when I thought of quitting I felt like it’s great because I entered Johnny’s Jimusho and found what I wanted to do. Having said that it’s rude to suddenly quit like that, so right at the beginning of the year that I would become 16, I said to my boss “I am going to work until the end of the year and then quit”. If I did the work that was put in front of me until the end of the year, I thought I would start studying to be a director.’
However, in September it was decided that you would debut as Arashi!
‘Even now, I strangely wonder how someone as pessimistic as I was, was able to continue to do this job. But, it’s probably not just one really important thing that I can reminisce about, wouldn’t it be the various reasons piled up one by one?’
Would one of those reasons be, for example, the existence of supportive friends around you?
‘No, I didn’t really have many friends (laugh). Rather, I liked being by myself. When I was alone, I felt much more at ease because I didn’t have to outdo myself and it was okay if I didn’t talk (laugh). On holidays, it was like “Should I sit around and do nothing? Or play some games? Or play guitar?” Well, even now it’s the same’
Games and guitar… the things that you are interested in haven’t changed a bit since you were 17 years old.
‘At first, I played bass, but because Takizawa-kun (Hideaki) requested that I play the guitar at a Junior concert, I started playing it. Man, I frantically practiced SMAP’s song “Hito Eki Arukou”. From then on I worked towards creating my own songs and more and more I started wanting to be in a band. But see, I didn’t have any friends (laugh). I had no choice but to play the keyboard chords myself, and then made drum sounds with my computer…… and I did that and by the time I was 20 years old I was able to be a band all by myself (laugh). Leader listened to the songs that I made. Leader always told me they were good, so by hearing him say that it’s good I savored that feeling of achievement. I had that kind of lifestyle, basically before I was 21 or 22 and started to drink alcohol, I didn’t really hang around outside. Even going out to karaoke was after I turned 20 years old.’
It’s already been 7 years since you created (?) (this question mark is actually in the text lol) your one man band. Your solo that was recorded for your new album coming out August 4th “Boku no Miteiru Fuukei”, it was all arranged by Nino yourself.
‘For the solo this time, it’s a song that features a piano. For that part of the song, I decided to ask a musician that was young but played piano interestingly and that had caught my attention. Actually tomorrow is the day we are going to record the piano parts, and I have to give directions like I really know what I’m doing, so I’m at the point where right now I’m listening to that musician’s songs and preparing what I’m going to do (laugh). Like that, I’m acting as the director that I wanted to be back in the day, and I thoroughly feel that I really do like working behind the scenes after all. Lately, I look forward to when I get home to listen to a song that I’m in the middle of finishing up and praise myself by saying, “I’m such a genius~♪” while I drink sake (laugh).
As of now you are 27 years old. You’ve come to a point where you are enjoying your job and your hobbies at your own pace while solidly walking along these 10 years. Your advice to Seventeen’s readers is also very laid back as expected!
‘When you don’t find the things you like, or what you want to do, you don’t have to do anything special. I mean, even if you do the things that you don’t want to exert yourself on, that’s no fun is it? But isn’t that time period important too? Starting and stopping something is easy, so it’s good to just look back on those things. That way, you will definitely come across something that you can feel you want to continue, for sure.’

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Date: 2010-10-19 04:38 am (UTC)Haha, thank you egg-chan !! x)
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Date: 2010-10-19 04:47 am (UTC)thanks for translating this ^____^
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Date: 2010-10-19 04:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-19 04:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-19 05:10 am (UTC)I love the question mark in Nino's article, for some reason. LOL
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Date: 2010-10-19 05:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-19 05:39 am (UTC)Aiba and Nino are such interesting people :)
especially Nino...keke
i always love to read what he has to say about life...it's always so insightful!
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Date: 2010-10-19 05:55 am (UTC)aiba and nino's word of wisdom...
now i got more positive quotes to live my life from now on :>
this interview really does give an insight of what they think.. lovely..
thank you very much :]
oh.. and get well soon :>
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Date: 2010-10-19 06:07 am (UTC)but it just keeps growing. And it hurts from all the admiration haha :P Arashi is too awesome. xP
Thanks for translating and sharing this!! =)
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Date: 2010-10-19 06:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-19 06:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-19 06:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-19 07:00 am (UTC)could I use part of Aiba's for my sidebar?!!? I'll credit ^-^
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Date: 2010-10-19 07:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-19 07:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-19 07:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-19 07:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-19 07:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-19 07:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-19 07:42 am (UTC)Your translation related to Arashi always brighten up my day. Love to read them so much!
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Date: 2010-10-19 08:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-19 08:12 am (UTC)I love his interviews!!! and I hope one day they make one cd of nino's all songs!!
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Date: 2010-10-19 09:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-19 09:13 am (UTC)Nino's reflections on his past always seem so melancholy. Makes me think it's kind of sweet that someone lonely like him was given Arashi. However much he likes being alone, it must have been nice to be surrounded by 4 people he gets along with so well.
Thanks so much for sharing ♥
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Date: 2010-10-19 03:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-19 10:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-19 09:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-19 09:46 am (UTC)Thanks a lot for sharing ne =)
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Date: 2010-10-19 09:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-19 11:40 am (UTC)Gotta love Nino's “I’m such a genius~♪” comment lol!
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Date: 2010-10-19 12:24 pm (UTC)AAAAh, interesting. Interesting. Aiba-chan says of him at last that he has become an adult. The way he savors life impresses me. Aiba passes as a baka in Arashi, but he does have a wise side to him, in addition to being more of an action-oriented person, an experiencer, than thought-oriented person. *enlarges the pic* Mmm... *clicks on full size*... *stares* He's SO pretty. x)
As for Nino... Hahahaha!! I wonder how come he felt like being so self-sufficient in this interview. xD Nino's personality puzzles me. I can never seem to draw the concept of "Ninomiya Kazunari" accurately, and with only a few strokes. He's a complex, throughly fascinating character to me.
The fact that he could feel gratified with sharing his compositions with and receiving praise from Ohno makes me somehow warmer in the pit of my stomach. These two boys... I am glad they met. Ohno, won't you just meet with Nino and have dinner already!! *laughs*
Thank you, Eggchan, for another flowing, enjoyable translation. :D
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Date: 2010-10-19 03:21 pm (UTC)Aiba finally admitted that he is an adult but I think he probably still thinks that he acts like a child xD
And as for Nino! ...I can never seem to wrap my head around that guy but I really enjoy translating his interviews because he either throws something out from left field or says something like, "I'm such a genius~♪" haha and the whole thing where he was able to let Ohno listen to his songs.. that really touched me. Ohno is such a sweet guy and I think it may have been some sort of destiny that they were put together, to keep Nino from floating away. Ohno is such a strong rock that all of the other members can hold on to, and yet he's also a very good safety blanket/pillow for them to feel comfort in.
It's hard to be both of those sometimes in my opinion but Ohno does it without even thinking.
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Date: 2010-10-19 01:20 pm (UTC)Thank you very much :D
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Date: 2010-10-19 01:41 pm (UTC)hope you feel better soon.
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Date: 2010-10-19 02:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-19 02:27 pm (UTC)Ah, Aiba, so friendly and energetic
Nino, so full of himself but he's so honest about it that you can not hate him
In fact, I really like him, weird ne?
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Date: 2010-10-19 02:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-19 03:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-19 04:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-19 04:58 pm (UTC)'...but I’m the kind of person that wants to just have fun first you know...'-this reminds me about the rowing club match in mma-aiba being enthusiastic at first because he wants to try rowing as it seems fun but almost gave up because he felt that he's not enjoying while doing it..and yeah, it's good to take pit stops...if you just go straight to the point, you might left behind some important points...
'...Starting and stopping something is easy, so it’s good to just look back on those things. That way, you will definitely come across something that you can feel you want to continue, for sure....’-yes,i'm soooo agree with you nino...i love the fact that nino's answer seems to fit well with aiba's...
thanks a lot for translating!!!
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Date: 2010-10-19 05:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-19 11:57 pm (UTC)and hope you feel well
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Date: 2010-10-20 02:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-20 05:30 pm (UTC)the loner
a+
omg i like how he refers to himself as pessimistic and how he's like "i wonder how i could even continue to do this job" because i mean arashi is like...so bubble/happy/optimistic but it's like nooo neener we need your dose of pessimistic awesomeness.
wow i rambled a lil.
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Date: 2010-10-21 12:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-10-21 11:34 pm (UTC)Thanks for another translation Egg-chan!! ^_^
I'll be waiting for Ohno's!! **no pressure**
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Date: 2018-05-27 06:55 pm (UTC)