POPOLO - MAY 2011
PART ONE : SPECIAL COLUMN : THEM NOW AND FIVE YEARS AGO
In KAT-TUN, what are you No. 1 at?
Even though I think I maybe also said 'my height' five years ago... I wanna say 'my tallness' again now (laughs).
His answer five years ago → My height (laughs)
What's a side of Nakamaru-kun one wouldn't expect?
He doesn't listen to what I'm saying (laughs). Even though I warned him that Kame has a wine cellar, he bought him one for his birthday!
His answer five years ago → He might look like he can't cook, but he can. His speciality seems to be omuraisu.
Your impression when looking at this pic from 5 years ago
I thought this was a pic from last month (laughs). But I grew up a bit... I was young after all. I mean, I have a healthy complexion (laughs).
Your impression when looking at this pic from 5 years ago
Uugh. I'm having my ears pierced... I attempted to wear this ear ring I've been wanting for a long while, but at this time I noticed that it doesn't suit me and I stopped it (laughs).
In KAT-TUN, what are you No. 1 at?
It's Beatboxing after all. From now on I still want to make it my weapon and I want to reach a level that even surpasses what is humanly possible.
His answer five years ago → Beat box. My next aim is to become a living national treasure!
How do you see yourself in ten years?
I'd like to get married in my thirties. Korean? Ah, unfortunately I lost interest in that (sweats).
His answer five years ago → I will learn Korean and everyone will refer to me as 'the walking library'!
Your impression when looking at this pic from 5 years ago
I have close-cropped hair (laughs). Because people still call me 'the kid with the shaved head'. And as expected, I look young~ especially around the eyes!
What's a side of Ueda-kun one wouldn't expect?
Ueda is... adorable! Everybody says he's mysterious, but he gets lonely easily, he's like a spoiled child and the most like the youngest child.
His answer five years ago → Actually, when Ueda joined Johnny's Jr., he had a crew cut (laughs).
In KAT-TUN, what are you No. 1 at?
The number of my hobbies. Bikes, shamisen, cars, fishing, survival games. One of my hobbies is also to look for a fiancé for my pet dog Sakura (laughs).
His answer five years ago → Rap! It's the one strongest weapon I have.
How do you see yourself in 10 years?
I'd still like to continue boxing all the while. If I carry it on for another 10 years, how strong could I get? I'd really like to know that.
His answer five years ago → Becoming stronger!
An unexpected side of yourself?
It's not unexpected, but I'm more selfish than people think!? Recently the others often get all, “Who do you think you are!” on me (laughs).
His answer five years ago → I quickly lose my temper (laughs). Then I kick the waste basket in my rage and lie about it.
Your impression when looking at this pic from 5 years ago
I look young (laughs)! It must be during the time when I went from blond to black. But since it somehow gave a visual kei-impression, I quickly gave it up again (laughs).
Your impression when looking at this pic from 5 years ago
So young! I really was young... Plus, my face was more slender than it is now. Maybe because I still had the body of a child, right.
A person you look up to?
I still like Nobunaga. People who use their head to deal with things are great. He's the one I'd like to play in a historical drama.
His answer five years ago → Oda Nobunaga. His way of living was really cool.
How do you see yourself in ten years?
I'd like to play with my kids (laughs). I'd like to marry... As for work, I feel the same as five years ago. Because I still think the same.
His answer five years ago → I'll give my best as an actor. I'd like to appear in movies.
PLAY- BY-PLAY OF THEIR SPRING PICNIC
ACT 1
Going out in the nice and warm sun!
Departure to this month's shooting location, a picnic spot along the Tamagawa. Everyone's tension is high from the start! Shortly after arriving the members discover a patch of clovers on the shore of the river. On Koki-kun's shout of “Look for happiness!” he and Nakamaru-kun start an intense search for four-leaved clovers. Next to that, Kamenashi-kun worries, “Because the wind is strong today, let's take the pictures at the bushes over there. My hair gets all messed up (laughs)”, acting on his own.
Nakamaru = Pochi*? Taguchi dashes off
(*typical Japanese dog name)
Meanwhile, Koki-kun, having gotten sick of the clover-search, gets on the bike and starts racing off & Taguchi-kun runs fervently after a plastic bag that flew off. Then there's Kamenashi-kun, putting the frisbee on the ground, going “Pochi, Pochi! Catch this!” in a silly make-believe game, while Nakamaru hits him, “Who's Pochi!”. Ueda-kun tries to make the bamboo propeller fly, but gives up after they get carried off by the strong wind. (tear)
As expected (!?), they couldn't be gathered together before the shooting, making the staff impatient.
ACT 2
Why Koki is on top...?
Lying down on the picnic sheet for the shoot, they all fret that, “No matter how you look at this, the sheet was made for four people (laugh)”. Koki-kun, who lost the fight for the spots, panics the moment he lies down on top of the bushes, “Those are pricking my stomach!”, and he falls with a thud on the backs of the other members. ♪ Needless to say, Ueda-kun calls out, “Ah, you're heavy (sweat)”. After this, everybody's smiling widely over Kamenashi-kun's and Nakamaru-kun's imitation of Doraemon: “Shizuka-chaa~n!” “Takekoputa!” (laugh).
Playing too much... getting exhausted.
Finally, frisbee time! Ueda-kun announces his skills, “I can catch it in a cool way!” Watching this, Nakamaru-kun goes, “You guys, if you overdo this, you'll get all tired~” (laugh) On the way back in the strong wind, Kamenashi mutters, “We didn't fly a kite... [tako in Japanese]”, prompting a “Takoyaki~” from Ueda → “Not that kind of tako! (laughs)” (Kamenashi), causing all of them to laugh till the end.
PART TWO : PICTURE PARTY : SHOTS TAKEN BY THE MEMBERS OF THEIR REAL FACES ONLY VISIBLE TO THE OTHERS
PART THREE : EMERGENCY CONFERENCE : FOR EACH MEMBER! BIG INSPECTION OF THEIR FIVE YEARS HISTORY!
Nakamaru Yuichi's five years are?
Kamenashi: With what timing again did Nakamaru become the character he's now? (laughs)
Nakamaru: Slowly, quite slowly (laughs).
Tanaka: Previously, his character also seemed more flashy, right? (laughs)
Nakamaru: Certainly (laughs).
Kamenashi: Your hair was long, too, right?
Nakamaru: But for that, there was a reason.
Ueda: Eh! Really?
Nakamaru: It was fashionable at that time, and I was easily influenced, I grew the hair in my neck out, pierced my ears, dyed my hair brown... At that time, I tried too hard, thinking “Since I am a Johnny's I have to be like this”.
The other four: Yes, yes.
Nakamaru: Then, I stopped pushing myself like that and did everything naturally.
Kamenashi: I see~
Taguchi: He really was Flashy-Maru (laughs).
Nakamaru: That makes me somehow nostalgic~
Taguchi: Ah, but you were really a guy acting your age, right?
Kamenashi: Right. In a way, you did what any healthy high school student does. After turning twenty, you steadily became like... a member of society (laughs).
Tanaka: True, in a way Nakamaru is someone who conforms to society!
Tanaka Koki's five years are?
Ueda: Koki changed his hairstyle extremely often~
Nakamaru: Does he plan to shave it again?
Tanaka: I dunno.
Nakamaru: Koki became unexpectedly an adult (looks down at him)
Tanaka: Hey! (gets angry) You, do you think you've got me all figured out? (laughs)
Nakamaru: Yes (laughs).
Taguchi: He finally works well with others (laughs). During the time of our debut, when we got a couple bowls of ramen as a present, Koki just ate them all (laughs).
Kamenashi: He directed his power into a good direction now, right?
Ueda: Like a jack knife that turned into a butter knife!
The other four: That's a good one!
Nakamaru: A butter knife is really gentle. It doesn't hurt people.
Tanaka: If you want to, I spread your butter (laughs).
Kamenashi: Plus, his style of clothes changed too, right?
Tanaka: When you watch old DVDs, I was really going all the way out there (laughs). I was surprised I really dressed like that.
Kamenashi: With your taste now, if you maybe came to my place, I could give you some clothes I don't wear anymore.
Tanaka: Really!? I'll come soon.
Ueda Tatsuya's five years are?
Tanaka: Ueda's air pretty much changed too, right?
Ueda: KAT-TUN rubbed off on me (laughs).
Nakamaru: Your looks back then were all “search for myself”...
Tanaka: And depressing (laughs).
Kamenashi: By the way, Ueda was totally not Johnny's-like at that time. Because he had blue eyes! (laughs)
Tanaka: He was even more Visual than me then (laughs).
Ueda: Yes. It was an expression of how we wanted to stand out.
Tanaka: The painful past?
Ueda: Yes. But only because of this past, we can now joke about it~
Taguchi: That's good!
Tanaka: We became the way we're now about two years after our debut, right?
Ueda: Yes. At that time, I sprayed my hair brown and showed it to Kame, asking, “How is it?” Kame said, “Brown is not bad, but somehow normal.” And I thought, “On the contrary, that's it!” Because I was always terribly flashy, I wanted to be “normal” this time.
Tanaka: So, you're saying it's thanks to Kame's words that you probably went into a strange direction?
Ueda: Maybe (laughs).
Taguchi Junnosuke's five years are?
Nakamaru: So, Taguchi is the next topic. Speaking about him, he has a lot of hobbies, right?
Tanaka: They change every year. Like billiards, darts...
Ueda: Previously, I did billiards together with Taguchi. He's very good.
Nakamaru: He goes very far with everything.
Ueda: No, just a bit better than anyone else (laughs).
Tanaka: After reaching a point above mediocrity, he wants to move on to the next (laughs).
Ueda: Apart from that, he's the King of Selfishness!! (laughs)
Taguchi: Eh! Really?! (sweat)
Ueda: I'm selfish too, but Taguchi succeeds that (laughs).
Kamenashi: I didn't plan to say that Taguchi is selfish, but when somebody tells a story...
Tanaka: He interrupts them (laughs).
Taguchi: Ahaha!
Nakamaru: But that's good. It's also his strong point!
Kamenashi: Yesyes.
Nakamaru: During shows, when he suddenly says strange stuff, the audience seems to laugh about it.
Taguchi: Doesn't that get less?
Nakamaru: You just needed to follow up with something now (laughs).
Kamenashi Kazuya's five years are?
Tanaka: It seems like Kame has built up his age in a lot of different senses.
Nakamaru: Saying that, wasn't he super skinny back then?
Kamenashi: Eh, talking about my figure?
Nakamaru: I happened to see some old pictures, and I was surprised!
Kamenashi: At that time, eating food didn't have any meaning. When I was concentrating on a show or something, I didn't feel hungry.
Nakamaru: You gave off the impression of slurping maybe about two noodles (laughs).
Taguchi: Recently, you became an adult in a good way.
Kamenashi: I'm also reading the newspaper~ (laughs) But I think I consciously put on this front.
Tanaka: I get that. I also keep thinking “you have to be sharp, you have to be sharp” (laughs).
Kamenashi: Back then, I refused having black hair. But now, I refuse being blond. That really changed. Thinking about it like that, we did kinda grow up.
Nakamaru: But somehow, it feels comfortable. Because of this, we'll enjoy KAT-TUN from now on too.
Ueda: It's been ten years since our formation, ten years.
Kamenashi: It's a state of change in a good way.
Taguchi: I want to look forward to the five of us in the future too!
translations credit to parasol-odori
That's a fantastic quote! Thanks so much for translating and posting!
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