Jun's interview, TV Guide Person Vol 11, August 2013 (part 1)
What is he going to create next?
The strong will expressed in his eyes make my heart skips a beat, and I can't help but have expectation in him.
Where is the top runner of this era heading to?
He doesn't fear change. He keeps moving forward and forward.
What kind of world that Matsumoto Jun and Arashi, pursue?
To the next stage....that awareness is shared among all members
Two days before Arashi waku waku gakkou 2013, the heavy rain that had lasted until the previous day was suddenly cleared. Matsumoto Jun appeared at the studio in downtown Tokyo wearing a loose blue t-shirt and a pair of seemingly comfortable pants, and a geta! [T/N: Japanese wooden clogs]. He laughed and said, “It’s getting hotter, besides, these kinds of outfit resemble my current mood,” with a wonderful relaxed expression and mood.
Today’s photoshoot features “Switching from Off to On…” The staff who’d imagined the beginning of “a new era” were all smiles because of his contagious laughter.
As expected from the legendary "sunny day bringer"
You mentioned I always brought sunny days, but we hadn’t seen each other for quite a while. When was the last time?
I participated in the press conference for Lucky 7 (Fuji TV), but I think the last exclusive interview was at the time of “Kakushitoride no Sanakunin (The Last Princess)” (2008).
It’s been 5 years…So, what’s the topic for today?
Yes. Exactly since around 5 years ago, Arashi has gained popularity that warranted the title of national (idol). I believe currently Arashi is going through a transition period, and I would like to dig into the change and the evolution (or the deepening) in this issue (of TV Person).
Right, in these 5 years, the environment surrounding Arashi has largely changed, hasn’t it? But I think Arashi itself hasn’t changed, no?
I’m relieved that in a good sense, you guys are still the same, but you’ve also grown up. As someone who’d seen you came straight from school still wearing your uniform at the time of that column for TV Guide magazine, I’m touched…(laugh).
Yeah, the little boy who carried around his textbooks will be having his 30th birthday in 2 months (August 30) (laugh)
Jun-kun….excuse me, I unconsciously called you that way (laugh), anyway, as you build your career from time to time, now there must be more and more people who are younger than you on set?
I became Jun-san or Matsumoto-san, right? (laugh). That’s why today is a rare occasion.
So looking back to the past 5 years, what’s your impression?
Well, since around our 10th anniversary, a lot of people came to know about Arashi and its five members’ characters, and people also began to recognize our music. And lately, I believe there is a sense of moving on to the next stage, both as a group and as individuals. I’m certain all members share the same awareness on the matter.
In fact, starting from Aiba-chan to Nino to Sho-kun that were featured in the previous issues of our magazine, they all mentioned the same thing with their own words.
Each of us has more chances to work on different sets, and there are things that can only come into our perspectives thanks to that. When we come back to Arashi as the homebase and discuss of what to do next, I have the impression that we’d have more discussions than before. Our horizon widens, and along with that, communication deepens. Take Japanese soccer athletes who are active around the world as example. When they gather to represent Japan, they reconfirm their goals, right? The feeling is kind of similar, I think.
By the way, Nino described it using baseball as analogy. He said, “An ideal pitcher is someone who could calculate (It would help a lot if he’s there, he will stabilize the match)”. And also as an adjuster.
(laugh) Complicated words, as expected from Nino. Including Nino with such character, the five of us have our own roles and position, and people have come to understand that. I think that is also one of the results of our continuous activity for 14 years.
What is your position in the group?
Well, I’m not a balancer. I express and communicate what I want to do or what I think we should aim for. I’m presenting something that others will respond and ponder on how to realize. All of us can have a say of course but it naturally goes that way.
And a program that breaks all of that to try and see new sides of Arashi is the soon-to-be-aired Atarashi Arashi (Fuji TV). We will probably find something we don’t know before about ourselves, and it will be great if in the end it contributes back to Arashi in concerts or variety shows.
By far, our job is a passive job, and there is an underlying premise that we would do our best within the place and plan arranged by people around us.
Before, Sho-kun also said that "regardless of the condition, we may not do it only to get by", Aiba chan also said "It's how you can concentrate and do your best. That's my goal." I'm surprised by the high rate of synchrony in Arashi.
When you stay together for such a long time, good or bad, you'd be alike. The five of us is a kind of community. Ideas about work, or skills, etc, that each of us brings back from different sets stimulate the others. In a weird way, for instance, funny words someone got from somewhere else become a trend among us, something like that (laugh). I also feel the influence of Arashi as a community, publicly and personally.
In commercials as well, there are many CMs from which we can see glimpses of daily lives or relationship between the five of you. Borrowing Nino's words, there are more means and occasions to transmit "Arashi's closeness".
We are not in particular being conscious about it, but we're grateful that people around us are saying that. We feel like we're childhood friends, we were born from different families and grew up in different environments, but somehow we got along very well. We shared the same experiences in the same era, and even when we don't say it aloud, I think it's very important that we recognize and trust each other. While I, as the youngest, am being watched over (laugh)
As the interview progresses, when we told him about the analogy Nino said, "a pitcher who can calculate", he seriously pondered and asked, "should I make an analogy with baseball too?". I smiled involuntarily. Indeed, he always tries his best to answer the wish of people who read and watch. I felt anew Matsumoto Jun's professional awareness in the 5-year reunion.
PART 2
T/N: A belated birthday gift for Jun, happy birthday my love <3
The strong will expressed in his eyes make my heart skips a beat, and I can't help but have expectation in him.
Where is the top runner of this era heading to?
He doesn't fear change. He keeps moving forward and forward.
What kind of world that Matsumoto Jun and Arashi, pursue?
To the next stage....that awareness is shared among all members
Two days before Arashi waku waku gakkou 2013, the heavy rain that had lasted until the previous day was suddenly cleared. Matsumoto Jun appeared at the studio in downtown Tokyo wearing a loose blue t-shirt and a pair of seemingly comfortable pants, and a geta! [T/N: Japanese wooden clogs]. He laughed and said, “It’s getting hotter, besides, these kinds of outfit resemble my current mood,” with a wonderful relaxed expression and mood.
Today’s photoshoot features “Switching from Off to On…” The staff who’d imagined the beginning of “a new era” were all smiles because of his contagious laughter.
As expected from the legendary "sunny day bringer"
You mentioned I always brought sunny days, but we hadn’t seen each other for quite a while. When was the last time?
I participated in the press conference for Lucky 7 (Fuji TV), but I think the last exclusive interview was at the time of “Kakushitoride no Sanakunin (The Last Princess)” (2008).
It’s been 5 years…So, what’s the topic for today?
Yes. Exactly since around 5 years ago, Arashi has gained popularity that warranted the title of national (idol). I believe currently Arashi is going through a transition period, and I would like to dig into the change and the evolution (or the deepening) in this issue (of TV Person).
Right, in these 5 years, the environment surrounding Arashi has largely changed, hasn’t it? But I think Arashi itself hasn’t changed, no?
I’m relieved that in a good sense, you guys are still the same, but you’ve also grown up. As someone who’d seen you came straight from school still wearing your uniform at the time of that column for TV Guide magazine, I’m touched…(laugh).
Yeah, the little boy who carried around his textbooks will be having his 30th birthday in 2 months (August 30) (laugh)
Jun-kun….excuse me, I unconsciously called you that way (laugh), anyway, as you build your career from time to time, now there must be more and more people who are younger than you on set?
I became Jun-san or Matsumoto-san, right? (laugh). That’s why today is a rare occasion.
So looking back to the past 5 years, what’s your impression?
Well, since around our 10th anniversary, a lot of people came to know about Arashi and its five members’ characters, and people also began to recognize our music. And lately, I believe there is a sense of moving on to the next stage, both as a group and as individuals. I’m certain all members share the same awareness on the matter.
In fact, starting from Aiba-chan to Nino to Sho-kun that were featured in the previous issues of our magazine, they all mentioned the same thing with their own words.
Each of us has more chances to work on different sets, and there are things that can only come into our perspectives thanks to that. When we come back to Arashi as the homebase and discuss of what to do next, I have the impression that we’d have more discussions than before. Our horizon widens, and along with that, communication deepens. Take Japanese soccer athletes who are active around the world as example. When they gather to represent Japan, they reconfirm their goals, right? The feeling is kind of similar, I think.
By the way, Nino described it using baseball as analogy. He said, “An ideal pitcher is someone who could calculate (It would help a lot if he’s there, he will stabilize the match)”. And also as an adjuster.
(laugh) Complicated words, as expected from Nino. Including Nino with such character, the five of us have our own roles and position, and people have come to understand that. I think that is also one of the results of our continuous activity for 14 years.
What is your position in the group?
Well, I’m not a balancer. I express and communicate what I want to do or what I think we should aim for. I’m presenting something that others will respond and ponder on how to realize. All of us can have a say of course but it naturally goes that way.
And a program that breaks all of that to try and see new sides of Arashi is the soon-to-be-aired Atarashi Arashi (Fuji TV). We will probably find something we don’t know before about ourselves, and it will be great if in the end it contributes back to Arashi in concerts or variety shows.
By far, our job is a passive job, and there is an underlying premise that we would do our best within the place and plan arranged by people around us.
Before, Sho-kun also said that "regardless of the condition, we may not do it only to get by", Aiba chan also said "It's how you can concentrate and do your best. That's my goal." I'm surprised by the high rate of synchrony in Arashi.
When you stay together for such a long time, good or bad, you'd be alike. The five of us is a kind of community. Ideas about work, or skills, etc, that each of us brings back from different sets stimulate the others. In a weird way, for instance, funny words someone got from somewhere else become a trend among us, something like that (laugh). I also feel the influence of Arashi as a community, publicly and personally.
In commercials as well, there are many CMs from which we can see glimpses of daily lives or relationship between the five of you. Borrowing Nino's words, there are more means and occasions to transmit "Arashi's closeness".
We are not in particular being conscious about it, but we're grateful that people around us are saying that. We feel like we're childhood friends, we were born from different families and grew up in different environments, but somehow we got along very well. We shared the same experiences in the same era, and even when we don't say it aloud, I think it's very important that we recognize and trust each other. While I, as the youngest, am being watched over (laugh)
As the interview progresses, when we told him about the analogy Nino said, "a pitcher who can calculate", he seriously pondered and asked, "should I make an analogy with baseball too?". I smiled involuntarily. Indeed, he always tries his best to answer the wish of people who read and watch. I felt anew Matsumoto Jun's professional awareness in the 5-year reunion.
PART 2
T/N: A belated birthday gift for Jun, happy birthday my love <3