Sho Beat 061014

Letter from a fan to Sho-kun:

"Sho-kun, good evening, I have always enjoyed your radio show. Recently, I thought I might have heard something in one of arashi songs.  In the song Runaway Train in Arashic, I thought I could hear Sho-kun going “Chesto” in one of the parts in the rap right at the beginning of the song  But it really depends on  each person, some people might not have heard it. Shokun, when you listen to the various Arashi songs again, can you please try to find it."

“I didn’t say anything like Chesuto!.. (laughs) why would i say Chesuto in the rap…(laughs) I was thinking about this when we went to Taiwan and Korea:- everyone had been watching Japanese variety shows. Therefore, whilst we were getting around in in the car in Korea, the fans outside were cheering on Chesuto!! Chesuto!! Chesuto!! Chesuto!! (laughs) I was wondering what was going on…. I also said before, I had seen uchiwas with "chesuto!" written on them. There were many interesting uchiwas which had been based on our variety show. Ninomiya-kun, he had worn a Chikubi t-shirt where his nipples were exposed in the variety show and so there was this uchiwa that said “NINO’S NIPPLES ARE THE BEST!” (laughs) They were praising his nipples. It was interesting, seeing what the people over there:- In the Taiwan concerts, in a row along the side of the arena, the fans were holding many pictures of the drawings I had done on G no Arashi all in a row…. I didn’t know whether I should be happy or embarrassed….Whatever.. I didn’t say CHESUTO at the beginning of Arashic… XD XD XD

Well, I will start first with talking about “Finally”.  News Zero has started and finally I have started on my job as a newscaster. At the end of August, this message came from the jimusho “ There is an opening for a news programme, Sakurai-san, what do you think?” And I replied twice “ Yes I want to do it!!”, as was expected, I had a pretty urgent discussion with them over this matter.  Talking about that, I have been just watching documentaries and news reporting programs and reading only that type of book and watching only that kind of movies. (laughs). I told myself that I want to do it someday, and for that “someday”, I had been preparing myself for it by reading all those books and watching all those films. Never did I think that that day would come so soon. But honestly, I have thought about it before. I would not be able to take a holiday for more than one week from now on. But I had already come to a realisation of this fact beforehand.  “If such a job did arise and I took it, I would be ok with just taking shorter breaks; so please allow me to do it.” I thought to myself.  The time where I started getting an interest, it wasn’t during the time when I wrote “Where is the Love?”, the song that I sang during the solo con. It was from the time when 9-11 happened. I wrote it in the lyrics of that song too, there are various disputes between countries, what is the reason for that? – I didn’t really launch into studying it in detail, but I just developed an interest in it.  So when I met the staff for a meeting, and I always had a plan of wanting to try out something to do with news reporting and I was thinking if I should write a plan and submit it to the jimusho too.  Therefore, at the first meeting I tried saying that there was something that I wanted to do. For example, getting a segment in a show for myself, just 2-3 mins, will it be ok? I discussed this kind of topic with them. And when that did indeed move into becoming a reality, it was the “finally” for me.

As expected, news or live telecasts was something that the jimusho hesitate at, I thought, but at last, they said to me “ You want to do it, right?” I was very happy, but honestly, I was wondering if it was too early, but such a chance does not come by often, so I thought I should just seize it and move forward. So finally, I will start in October as a newscaster, and I will do my best. Yoroshiku. (laughs).

And also, regarding the topic of “Thoroughness”  What is it, I wonder? Um… it must be that fact that Arashi is interesting. Totally and thoroughly, I think. (laughs). This year, we started with “Kitto Daijyoubu” , then “Kiiroi Namida”and concert rehearsals, followed by the actual  concerts right? Then Taiwan, Korea, Thailand, and also the concerts in Korea in November.. we are always together. Those guys, they are interesting. (laughs). Recently, I have been thinking that thought. And also, how interesting the fans have been. I totally thought so, throughout the 2 whole months whilst we were on tour. How shall I put it? In the concert, I felt the unity of the audience. The audience’s unity – its hard to put into words, there are parts where they  are boisterous, but what was really interesting was in Cool and Soul, during the interlude of the song, those things that I said, I only changed it on the last day. When that happened, the audience was quiet. But perhaps they got nervous, hearing something different from what they had heard for the past two months. Because I said something rather astounding (laughs). But then, how shall I put it? At that time, I was definitely not poking fun at them. They are interesting, ne. Arashi fans.