5 x 20 Pamphlet Translation (Part 3 of 3)
And here's the last part of the pamphlet! The boys each talk a bit about the process of creating this tour and their thoughts about their 20th anniversary.
About Tour
Aiba
We enter our 20th year this November 3rd. We wanted to have as many of our supporters come to see us… so we thought it would be great to have a longer than usual tour this time, and that’s why we’ve started our anniversary tour when we have. We’ve started having meetings and are in the midst of putting it together right now. Since we have 20 years’ worth of songs, it is not surprisingly difficult to pick which ones to do. We can’t do them all, after all. Plus each one of our songs brings back lots of memories… but we have to narrow it down, and that’s what we’re doing right now, picking out songs in a trial and error way. I think the songs are ones everyone knows, but we’re trying to show them in a new way at the key moments. Also, just like we made the song “5 x 10” for our 10th anniversary, this time we are also making a song. With the very straight forward title of “5 x 20” (lol). It’s like the answering song to “5 x 10.” We’re making it pretty much the same way we did with “5 x 10.” We each wrote down our thoughts and Nino will probably be taking that and putting it all together.
It’s been 20 years since we debuted… the first 10 years went by really fast. We were desperately just trying to keep up. But the 10 years since our 10th anniversary…we’ve had our busy times of course, taking on new challenges and continuing our work, but it feels like I was able to take each step at my own pace. It felt like I wasn’t in such a hurry to live (lol). Of course, the tough times were tough. But those tough times, the tears I cried, in a way those add to the weight of the thought, “It’s been 20 years.” And at the same time, each year I come to realize more how difficult it is to continue doing something. For a while now Riida often says things like “keeping things the way they are” or “health is most important.” Those are the most difficult things to do. But that’s what needs to be at our core…I’ve started thinking about this more over the years.
I really… am grateful for everything. First of course for the people that come to see us. Because they are there, we get more excited like “Next time let’s do it more like this” or “Next time let’s try that out.” Being able to even do concerts every year is something I’m also thankful for, and I’m thankful to the members too. So that’s why with this tour I’d like to be able to say “thank you” to everyone.
Matsumoto
To pick out the songs we were going to do for this tour, we used Johnny’s net to have the fans participate in the “meeting.” The results from that have given us lots of ideas. It did… but on the other hand, it made us see that it would be difficult to satisfy everyone. Everyone has different tastes, and with the singles and albums, there are about 300 songs. The songs are all equal, but we also can’t do them all… So we at least chose songs that we ourselves wanted to do, and want to do as many of the ones that were chosen in the “meeting.”
Normally we would have something like a concept/theme each year. And we follow that when we make the albums, right? So the things that form the core of the concerts are already there, but this time, we don’t have that… it makes it difficult. We did have some ideas to start with though, like “This song itself is good, so isn’t it ok to do it normally?” or “Doing some original/new choreography or having some nostalgic old things would be good.” And we’ve done those things at times in the past too. Of course, since we are calling it our “20th Anniversary,” we’re planning on doing those things, but I’d also like to “dress it up” a little bit too.
With this 20th anniversary tour, we’d like to showcase the way our entertainment style, concerts, and production have been. And since it’s our anniversary tour, we want to add a little something special to it, Arashi-style. But, what’s most important is the bond between the songs, the members, and the fans that have listened to our songs. So right now we’re trying to add a little color without getting in the way of that. Also, just like how we made “5 x 10” for our 10th anniversary, we are making a song just for the fans this time too, “5 x 20.”
Above all, I think we want to enjoy ourselves, this 20th year. And if we’re going to do it, I’d like to reduce as much as possible the things we unfortunately hear about, like “I can’t get Arashi concert tickets” and “Lots of people can’t go.” We want to enjoy it with everyone, and that’s why we decided to do our biggest tour ever, to include as many people as possible. We can do it because of how Arashi is now, and I’d like to have as many people as possible be able to come see our concert.
Ninomiya
Arashi has its 20th anniversary in 2019. So we thought, “In that case, rather than make a new album for a tour, it’d be nice if we could do a bigger, longer tour over the whole year instead” and that’s how we decided to start the tour with this timing. Right now we’re having our planning meetings… when they ask me what kind of tour I want it to be, all I can say is “I want it to be memorable!” That’s true every year though, not just this one. In terms of the actual concert, right now Matsu-san (Matsumoto) is taking the lead on that! That’s right!! The 5 of us are working hard right now!!!
This goes without saying, but it’s difficult to decide which songs to do out of the 20 years’ worth of songs we have. However… that’s basically true of every tour. Even for the album tours, it’s not like we can do every song. It’s not about just picking the songs that are associated with some strong memories of ours. I mean, would you be able to perform a song well that you didn’t have any strong memories for? In the end… we are selecting those songs in the first place because they fit the scene at that moment, or what we are trying to express. On top of that, we have to consider what songs will make the fans happy too, in order to create a successful concert. And… of course we have to choose songs that we are able to perform properly. Also, I think it then relies on the way it’s performed to tell a story or show a dream. And that’s where I think… that Matsu-san’s 20 years of hard work doing this comes in. It’s a lot…I think he’s really an amazing person, Matsu-san.
So I think for us, we aren’t putting together this tour any differently than the usual ones. 20 years is only a result. It’s not lke we’ve been working towards it as a goal, you know?
I don’t know the exact feelings of the fans, but at least for us, we are not stopping here. So it’s kind of… embarrassing when people call it our “anniversary” (lol). In that sense, maybe I’m just being realistic. Of course, I think our “result” of having been able to make it these 20 years is awesome. I do, but… asking me to look back on these past years while I’m still in the middle of doing it, I find it hard (lol). That’s why I’ve always said, “I won’t look back.” I’ll do it once I’ve completed my work as Arashi. So even if you ask me now, I won’t answer! (lol)
Ohno
Every year for the last few years, we’ve been doing tours from mid November until past the New Year. Then… considering the current situation that lots of people don’t get the opportunity to see us, we wondered this time, “How can we make it so that more people can come?” That and this November we’ll be entering our 20th year. So we thought, “Rather than a new album (tour), wouldn’t it be better to do something more anniversary-like?” and we decided to start the “5 x 20” tour now. The list of songs is starting to get set in place now. I think… it will probably have a bit of a “festival” feel to it. At our 10th anniversary, there was that 10th anniversary atmosphere to it. 10 years have passed since… I think our 20th anniversary will naturally have a different feel to it. Even if we sang the same songs as at our 10th anniversary, I think it’d feel different, wouldn’t it? I think some things about it will be different. And right now, MatsuJun is working his hardest on it (lol).
It’s amazing Arashi is celebrating its 20th year. For me personally… I’m surprised I hung in there! (lol) Honestly, I never imagined we would be able to do this for 20 years. The first 10 years felt really long. But the 10 years after that went by really quickly. At our 10th anniversary, everyone made it a big celebration. And since then Arashi has received a lot of attention. The 2-3 years after that felt a little dream-like and went by in no time at all. And that feeling still hasn’t gone away, even now. Of course I’m thankful, but honestly… I don’t get it. I never have (wry laugh). Like, “Why is that?” (lol) That feeling of slight disbelief hasn’t changed at all (wry laugh).
20 years is a big milestone… it feels important. There are people who have been our fans since we debuted or before that. And there are newer fans too. They’ve continued to support us even with the possibility they might not be able to go to our concerts. That is really… something I appreciate. That’s why for this tour, I’d like to have as many people as possible be able to come.
I want most for this to be a concert to express my thanks. I don’t want to get too worked up about it, but just want to have fun like we always do. Also, I seriously need to build up my physical stamina! Since it’s going to be a long tour. So that my feelings and my stamina don’t run out part way through, I should probably start getting into shape (lol).
Sakurai
Of course, in the beginning we thought, “This year we’ll also do a tour with an original album.” But, our 20th anniversary is on November 3, 2019. Also, and this is something we are thankful for… the concert tickets are given out by lottery each year. If we were to do the 20th anniversary tour only in 2019, we saw that it would be difficult to have everyone be able to come. Another way of thinking about it was, “So then how many concerts would we need to do to get as many people as possible the chance to come?” and we came up with a realistic number from that. So we’re now aiming for a tour that is longer and with more concerts than ever before, all the while adjusting the schedules with the venues. Those are the feelings behind the “and more” that we put on the tour schedule.
Thinking about it again… it’s amazing that it’s been 20 years. This “5 x __” series has been going on since our 5th anniversary, “5 x 5.” The weight/importance of those numbers… I feel it more each year. The fact that the “5” in “5 x __” has always stayed as 5, and the fact that we made it long enough to see something like the number “20” next to it… Behind that “5 x 20,” we really have walked together more like it’s “5 x 25.” That “5” means that I have those “4 that never change” right next to me, and that means quite a lot. Our ordinary everyday routines are actually not ordinary for most. And also, the fans… they really do know us better than we do ourselves in many ways. If we do a concert, they watch the DVD of it multiple times. Even our variety tv or dramas, they record and might watch 3 or 4 times over a week. I’m really thankful to them for that. Right now, I’m in the middle of writing the rap part for “5 x 20.” I’m trying to put my thoughts and feelings towards Arashi and the fans into this rap.
Right now we are also in the midst of our planning meetings, and the “what do we pick from 20 years’ worth of songs” problem has been a big one (lol). Regarding the songs, our feelings towards the songs don’t always match up with all of the fans’ feelings towards them. But, we want to make something where the same view/landscape appears for all of us. That’s what is difficult. But that’s why I think it will wind up being a much stronger “This is our message” feeling than in years past, and a lot of that is because of how MatsuJun is putting it together… what I think is “Arashi-like” is, rather than having it end in a quiet (moving) kind of way, to end with a “See you! Bye bye!” way. To leave smiling, and even after getting home, to keep laughing over something you remember…that is the kind of concert I’d like it to be.
----------------------------
And that's all there is! I hope you enjoyed it!
Again, comments are very much appreciated! :) Thanks so much for taking the time to come and read!
Part 1 - 5 Questions and 10 Thank yous here
Part 2 - Crosstalk here
(And I also put this as an aside on my last translation project back in.... 2015, omg. But it has been a longstanding goal of mine to translate the entire Nippon no Arashi book that was released in 2011. I am going to get it done someday, and I hope someday soon! I am finished with Riida's section and am about half-way through Aiba-chan's. I wish I could have gotten to it sooner, so far it has been such an interesting read for a lot of reasons. Haha, though at the rate I am going, by the time I actually finish and post it, there might not be anyone who even remembers the book... ah well. My translations are mostly just for me to continue improving my Japanese in a not boring way XD But I thought I'd put in another little plug here, in case anyone was interested. And to help keep me motivated to finish this goal I set for myself.)
.
About Tour
Aiba
We enter our 20th year this November 3rd. We wanted to have as many of our supporters come to see us… so we thought it would be great to have a longer than usual tour this time, and that’s why we’ve started our anniversary tour when we have. We’ve started having meetings and are in the midst of putting it together right now. Since we have 20 years’ worth of songs, it is not surprisingly difficult to pick which ones to do. We can’t do them all, after all. Plus each one of our songs brings back lots of memories… but we have to narrow it down, and that’s what we’re doing right now, picking out songs in a trial and error way. I think the songs are ones everyone knows, but we’re trying to show them in a new way at the key moments. Also, just like we made the song “5 x 10” for our 10th anniversary, this time we are also making a song. With the very straight forward title of “5 x 20” (lol). It’s like the answering song to “5 x 10.” We’re making it pretty much the same way we did with “5 x 10.” We each wrote down our thoughts and Nino will probably be taking that and putting it all together.
It’s been 20 years since we debuted… the first 10 years went by really fast. We were desperately just trying to keep up. But the 10 years since our 10th anniversary…we’ve had our busy times of course, taking on new challenges and continuing our work, but it feels like I was able to take each step at my own pace. It felt like I wasn’t in such a hurry to live (lol). Of course, the tough times were tough. But those tough times, the tears I cried, in a way those add to the weight of the thought, “It’s been 20 years.” And at the same time, each year I come to realize more how difficult it is to continue doing something. For a while now Riida often says things like “keeping things the way they are” or “health is most important.” Those are the most difficult things to do. But that’s what needs to be at our core…I’ve started thinking about this more over the years.
I really… am grateful for everything. First of course for the people that come to see us. Because they are there, we get more excited like “Next time let’s do it more like this” or “Next time let’s try that out.” Being able to even do concerts every year is something I’m also thankful for, and I’m thankful to the members too. So that’s why with this tour I’d like to be able to say “thank you” to everyone.
Matsumoto
To pick out the songs we were going to do for this tour, we used Johnny’s net to have the fans participate in the “meeting.” The results from that have given us lots of ideas. It did… but on the other hand, it made us see that it would be difficult to satisfy everyone. Everyone has different tastes, and with the singles and albums, there are about 300 songs. The songs are all equal, but we also can’t do them all… So we at least chose songs that we ourselves wanted to do, and want to do as many of the ones that were chosen in the “meeting.”
Normally we would have something like a concept/theme each year. And we follow that when we make the albums, right? So the things that form the core of the concerts are already there, but this time, we don’t have that… it makes it difficult. We did have some ideas to start with though, like “This song itself is good, so isn’t it ok to do it normally?” or “Doing some original/new choreography or having some nostalgic old things would be good.” And we’ve done those things at times in the past too. Of course, since we are calling it our “20th Anniversary,” we’re planning on doing those things, but I’d also like to “dress it up” a little bit too.
With this 20th anniversary tour, we’d like to showcase the way our entertainment style, concerts, and production have been. And since it’s our anniversary tour, we want to add a little something special to it, Arashi-style. But, what’s most important is the bond between the songs, the members, and the fans that have listened to our songs. So right now we’re trying to add a little color without getting in the way of that. Also, just like how we made “5 x 10” for our 10th anniversary, we are making a song just for the fans this time too, “5 x 20.”
Above all, I think we want to enjoy ourselves, this 20th year. And if we’re going to do it, I’d like to reduce as much as possible the things we unfortunately hear about, like “I can’t get Arashi concert tickets” and “Lots of people can’t go.” We want to enjoy it with everyone, and that’s why we decided to do our biggest tour ever, to include as many people as possible. We can do it because of how Arashi is now, and I’d like to have as many people as possible be able to come see our concert.
Ninomiya
Arashi has its 20th anniversary in 2019. So we thought, “In that case, rather than make a new album for a tour, it’d be nice if we could do a bigger, longer tour over the whole year instead” and that’s how we decided to start the tour with this timing. Right now we’re having our planning meetings… when they ask me what kind of tour I want it to be, all I can say is “I want it to be memorable!” That’s true every year though, not just this one. In terms of the actual concert, right now Matsu-san (Matsumoto) is taking the lead on that! That’s right!! The 5 of us are working hard right now!!!
This goes without saying, but it’s difficult to decide which songs to do out of the 20 years’ worth of songs we have. However… that’s basically true of every tour. Even for the album tours, it’s not like we can do every song. It’s not about just picking the songs that are associated with some strong memories of ours. I mean, would you be able to perform a song well that you didn’t have any strong memories for? In the end… we are selecting those songs in the first place because they fit the scene at that moment, or what we are trying to express. On top of that, we have to consider what songs will make the fans happy too, in order to create a successful concert. And… of course we have to choose songs that we are able to perform properly. Also, I think it then relies on the way it’s performed to tell a story or show a dream. And that’s where I think… that Matsu-san’s 20 years of hard work doing this comes in. It’s a lot…I think he’s really an amazing person, Matsu-san.
So I think for us, we aren’t putting together this tour any differently than the usual ones. 20 years is only a result. It’s not lke we’ve been working towards it as a goal, you know?
I don’t know the exact feelings of the fans, but at least for us, we are not stopping here. So it’s kind of… embarrassing when people call it our “anniversary” (lol). In that sense, maybe I’m just being realistic. Of course, I think our “result” of having been able to make it these 20 years is awesome. I do, but… asking me to look back on these past years while I’m still in the middle of doing it, I find it hard (lol). That’s why I’ve always said, “I won’t look back.” I’ll do it once I’ve completed my work as Arashi. So even if you ask me now, I won’t answer! (lol)
Ohno
Every year for the last few years, we’ve been doing tours from mid November until past the New Year. Then… considering the current situation that lots of people don’t get the opportunity to see us, we wondered this time, “How can we make it so that more people can come?” That and this November we’ll be entering our 20th year. So we thought, “Rather than a new album (tour), wouldn’t it be better to do something more anniversary-like?” and we decided to start the “5 x 20” tour now. The list of songs is starting to get set in place now. I think… it will probably have a bit of a “festival” feel to it. At our 10th anniversary, there was that 10th anniversary atmosphere to it. 10 years have passed since… I think our 20th anniversary will naturally have a different feel to it. Even if we sang the same songs as at our 10th anniversary, I think it’d feel different, wouldn’t it? I think some things about it will be different. And right now, MatsuJun is working his hardest on it (lol).
It’s amazing Arashi is celebrating its 20th year. For me personally… I’m surprised I hung in there! (lol) Honestly, I never imagined we would be able to do this for 20 years. The first 10 years felt really long. But the 10 years after that went by really quickly. At our 10th anniversary, everyone made it a big celebration. And since then Arashi has received a lot of attention. The 2-3 years after that felt a little dream-like and went by in no time at all. And that feeling still hasn’t gone away, even now. Of course I’m thankful, but honestly… I don’t get it. I never have (wry laugh). Like, “Why is that?” (lol) That feeling of slight disbelief hasn’t changed at all (wry laugh).
20 years is a big milestone… it feels important. There are people who have been our fans since we debuted or before that. And there are newer fans too. They’ve continued to support us even with the possibility they might not be able to go to our concerts. That is really… something I appreciate. That’s why for this tour, I’d like to have as many people as possible be able to come.
I want most for this to be a concert to express my thanks. I don’t want to get too worked up about it, but just want to have fun like we always do. Also, I seriously need to build up my physical stamina! Since it’s going to be a long tour. So that my feelings and my stamina don’t run out part way through, I should probably start getting into shape (lol).
Sakurai
Of course, in the beginning we thought, “This year we’ll also do a tour with an original album.” But, our 20th anniversary is on November 3, 2019. Also, and this is something we are thankful for… the concert tickets are given out by lottery each year. If we were to do the 20th anniversary tour only in 2019, we saw that it would be difficult to have everyone be able to come. Another way of thinking about it was, “So then how many concerts would we need to do to get as many people as possible the chance to come?” and we came up with a realistic number from that. So we’re now aiming for a tour that is longer and with more concerts than ever before, all the while adjusting the schedules with the venues. Those are the feelings behind the “and more” that we put on the tour schedule.
Thinking about it again… it’s amazing that it’s been 20 years. This “5 x __” series has been going on since our 5th anniversary, “5 x 5.” The weight/importance of those numbers… I feel it more each year. The fact that the “5” in “5 x __” has always stayed as 5, and the fact that we made it long enough to see something like the number “20” next to it… Behind that “5 x 20,” we really have walked together more like it’s “5 x 25.” That “5” means that I have those “4 that never change” right next to me, and that means quite a lot. Our ordinary everyday routines are actually not ordinary for most. And also, the fans… they really do know us better than we do ourselves in many ways. If we do a concert, they watch the DVD of it multiple times. Even our variety tv or dramas, they record and might watch 3 or 4 times over a week. I’m really thankful to them for that. Right now, I’m in the middle of writing the rap part for “5 x 20.” I’m trying to put my thoughts and feelings towards Arashi and the fans into this rap.
Right now we are also in the midst of our planning meetings, and the “what do we pick from 20 years’ worth of songs” problem has been a big one (lol). Regarding the songs, our feelings towards the songs don’t always match up with all of the fans’ feelings towards them. But, we want to make something where the same view/landscape appears for all of us. That’s what is difficult. But that’s why I think it will wind up being a much stronger “This is our message” feeling than in years past, and a lot of that is because of how MatsuJun is putting it together… what I think is “Arashi-like” is, rather than having it end in a quiet (moving) kind of way, to end with a “See you! Bye bye!” way. To leave smiling, and even after getting home, to keep laughing over something you remember…that is the kind of concert I’d like it to be.
----------------------------
And that's all there is! I hope you enjoyed it!
Again, comments are very much appreciated! :) Thanks so much for taking the time to come and read!
Part 1 - 5 Questions and 10 Thank yous here
Part 2 - Crosstalk here
(And I also put this as an aside on my last translation project back in.... 2015, omg. But it has been a longstanding goal of mine to translate the entire Nippon no Arashi book that was released in 2011. I am going to get it done someday, and I hope someday soon! I am finished with Riida's section and am about half-way through Aiba-chan's. I wish I could have gotten to it sooner, so far it has been such an interesting read for a lot of reasons. Haha, though at the rate I am going, by the time I actually finish and post it, there might not be anyone who even remembers the book... ah well. My translations are mostly just for me to continue improving my Japanese in a not boring way XD But I thought I'd put in another little plug here, in case anyone was interested. And to help keep me motivated to finish this goal I set for myself.)
.