Continuing on with the crosstalk from the Arashi at National Stadium Photobook...
The boys talk about 5 x 10!
<2009 ARASHI Anniversary Tour 5x10/ 8/28 (Fri), 29 (Sat), 30 (Sun)>
Sakurai: Being able to do a concert at Kokuritsu for our 10th anniversary was really memorable.
Ninomiya: It’s really amazing. Above all, I was happy we were able to be at Kokuritsu for 2 years in a row.
Aiba: This year we did “5x10” was an amazing year. Not only in terms of the concert. Right? I remember this year really well.
--What kinds of memories do you have of Kokuritsu from this year?
Sakurai: Well~, for me…it has to be the opening. We did the flying with the wires up to the Olympic torch. That was… an unforgettable view that was different from the first year. Ah~, that was… just… (seems unable to put into words).
Ninomiya: It was super scary!
Sakurai: Even if you don’t have a fear of heights. I mean…it was scary, right?
Aiba, Ninomiya: Yes!
--Such dynamic wire flying like that… you guys really came up with an unbelievable idea.
Sakurai: I…was probably the most quiet I’ve ever been at a planning meeting.
(All laugh)
Ninomiya: That’s true. At the meeting, Sho-chan was sitting there the whole time like this (showing his palms to Ninomiya without saying a word)…showing me how sweaty his palms were getting.
(All laugh)
--Like, “Look at how much I’m sweating!”
Ninomiya: Yeah (lol). Like, “I’m sweating this much just from imagining it!”
Matsumoto: We did this opening for the Dome Tour too.
Ohno: The rehearsals were scarier than at the actual concerts though.
Ninomiya: Rehearsal! Yes! It was scarier.
Ohno: Since there’s no one in the seats…
Ninomiya: Yeah. It’s different when the fans are there.
Sakurai: Well, to forget about the scary factor, I do think it was an amazing opening. First, we appear at the top of the set. And then, we fly.
Ohno: It’s that first step off the set.
Ninomiya: “Taking the first step” from up there!
Aiba: Scary…not only that, but we went a pretty long distance. It was much longer than I had ever imagined, so it was really scary.
Sakurai:: Eh! Aiba-san, you were scared too?
Aiba: Yeah, I was.
Sakurai: Oh, you were? It was scary for you.
--And you too, Matsumoto-san?
Matsumoto: Not at all. The amount of trust I have in the wires is very high (lol).
[Here the 5 of them watch the opening on the DVD]
Matsumoto: (Appearing amongst all the cheers) Wow, that’s amazing, huh (lol)!
Ninomiya: (When they appear) Here! I was feeling really uneasy here.
Sakurai: Oh no… my hands are already sweating like crazy!
(All laugh)
--Even just watching it is bad for you (lol)?
Sakurai: … (nods with a sad expression)
Ninomiya: This is where it starts. (When they finally step off the platform) This was… really scary.
--You were scared too, Ninomiya-san?
Ninomiya: Yes. I’m totally hiding behind Sho-chan (and his famous fear of heights), but I’m scared (of high places) too! I am!
Sakurai: That’s why Nino is amazing. You can’t tell he’s scared at all.
Matsumoto: (Watching the flying) Wow…! This is… really something. I can’t believe we were able to do something like this.
--No one’s ever done flying like this before.
Ninomiya: Who would want to!
Matsumoto: Hahaha (lol). I mean… while we were flying, the wire would sag/get loose because it was too long.
Sakurai: …this is something (watching the video with a very mixed expression)
Aiba: I can’t believe we were able to go so far.
Ninomiya: And, it’s not like we went smoothly the whole way. Actually, it was more like this (moving forward and backward) on the wire.
Ohno: Yeah it was.
Matsumoto: (Absorbed in the flying video) Wow!
Sakurai: This is incredible… Re-watching it makes me realize just how much!
Ohno: From here (in the air above the torch), we could see the fans who were outside the stadium.
Ninomiya: When we got there (the torch), right?
Matsumoto: Yeah.
Sakurai: (Safely landed on the platform by the torch) Ah…seriously, you wouldn’t believe how relieved I felt there!
(All laugh)
Sakurai: Really something. We were able to do something like this for our 10th anniversary concert. Aren’t we so blessed!
Ohno, Aiba, Ninomiya: Yeah… (deeply/earnestly)
Matsumoto: It’s worth watching the DVD just for this, I think. Also, another great thing about the “5x10” concert was that we made a sort of original single for our solo songs.
Ninomiya: Yeah. We each did a song that had to do with a drama (we starred in) as our “solo.”
Matsumoto: The coupling songs were also ones we hadn’t really done before either. From album songs, ones like “Allergy,” “DANGAN-LINER,” “Kokoro Chirari,” and also “CARNIVAL NIGHT part 2” and stuff too.
--You really did all kinds of stuff for this concert.
Sakurai: Like “Allergy,” right (lol)?
Aiba: We had vegetables!
Matsumoto: That was kinda embarrassing though (lol).
--Was that something you’d talked about in the planning meetings, like “Let’s do ‘Allergy’!”
Sakurai: Yeah, it was (lol)
Ninomiya: Hahaha! That’s true… I remember us getting excited about it, like “Let’s do it!” (lol)
Sakurai: Yeah. We were wondering how many people would remember such old songs like that, and all. But we got super excited about “Allergy” didn’t we? (lol)
Matsumoto: It kept coming up in conversations a lot too. Almost like a joke, like, “Well, in ‘Allergy’…”
Ninomiya: Like, “We did stuff like that in the past.”
Aiba: Like, “We used to hold vegetables and dance” (lol)
Sakurai: Yeah (lol). And we didn’t have a video of it anymore, right? Do I remember that right?
Matsumoto: We didn’t have one. Not only that, but…this isn’t a song about vegetable allergies either.
(All laugh)
--The old videos of it aren’t around anymore?
Matsumoto: During the concert we did show the old video though.
Sakurai: But it was never sold.
Ninomiya: We had the video that was kept in storage, but not anything that was shared with everyone.
Sakurai: But, we were surprised at how incredibly little of a reaction we got (from the fans)! Like, “Oh…it’s only us?”
Matsumoto: I’ve never felt a song to be so long…
(All laugh)
Ninomiya: I mean…we were really excited about that song. During the rehearsals too.
Sakurai: Yeah! We did have fun with that one.
Aiba: Doing it was really fun. It was fun! But, it didn’t resonate with the fans…
Sakurai: Didn’t resonate, or reach them…
(All laugh)
Ninomiya: Well, that’s why, right? That in the end, we never did that song much (up until then).
Aiba: It might have been better if we hadn’t done it (lol).
Ohno: Sho-chan’s vegetable was the only one missing, right?
Sakurai: Eh! Was that… how it went?
--Yes, that’s right. On the first day Sakurai-san’s vegetable didn’t reach the stage.
Ohno: Yeah… so that’s why you didn’t have one.
Sakurai: Huh? Was that at Kokuritsu?
Ohno: Yeah. So you were the only one, who had an “air” vegetable (lol).
Aiba: Hahaha! Did something like that happen?
Ninomiya: I think, (the staff would) throw the vegetable, and we would catch it, or something.
Sakurai: Ah! And mine didn’t show up. I think…
--Yes. You talked about it during the MC, even.
Sakurai: Oh, I see. Then…(this concert) I was able to have even more shame than in the past (dancing with the vegetable for “Allergy”).
(All laugh)
Sakurai: 7 years had passed since back then. And now, I finally danced it even without a vegetable.
Aiba: You have to have a vegetable though… right?
Ninomiya: More like, what kind of allergy is it supposed to be in the first place?
Ohno: Hahaha! Hahahahaha! (Can’t stop laughing)
Matsumoto: Doing it without a vegetable… talk about emotional strength!
Sakurai: Even with… 70,000 fans here to see us. Hahaha!
--Embarrassment that surpasses the embarrassment of the past (lol).
Sakurai: From the fans’ perspective, bringing out vegetables in a place the size of Kokuritsu…they had no idea what to make of it!
Ninomiya: They didn’t get it even when we had them in the arenas (in the past), so bringing them to Kokuritsu…they really wouldn’t get it then (lol).
(All laugh)
Sakurai: But you know, we perfectly copied the choreography from back then.
Ninomiya: Yeah we did. That’s why we got all excited. While we were doing it.
Sakurai: WE did, anyway!
Ohno: (Still laughing) Surprisingly we were able to dance it.
(All laugh)
--The 10 years of “Arashi’s memories” that you showed during “Ashita no Kioku” was very moving.
Sakurai: Ohh, that!
Matsumoto: We put up pictures from when we were little. Looking back on them. And after that, we came out in those see-through outfits. (*They performed “A.RA.SHI” in see-through outfits just like when they debuted)
Matsumoto: One of my friends watched that (“A.RA.SHI” while in the see-through outfits). I thought they would laugh at it, but they were so moved they cried…
--Eh, at the see-through outfit part?
Matsumoto: Yeah, one of my former classmates saw it and cried.
Sakurai: (Gradually) Haha, hahaha!
Aiba: They got emotional… there?
Sakurai: (Amused) Too funny…hahahaha!
--Like, “You came such a long way” kind of thing?
Matsumoto: Yeah. “You came such a long way” is what they thought when they saw the see-through outfits, so they cried.
(All laugh)
Sakurai: Hahaha…oh man. That’s too funny (lol)!
Ninomiya: But there might actually be a few other people who were like that.
Aiba: Especially those people who knew how we were “back then.”
Sakurai: That’s true. The staff of “Music Station” were that way.
Ohno: Yeah. They were really excited over it.
Sakurai: During the “Music Station” special, right? We wore those see-through outfits…when we finished (performing) at the EX Theater and went back to the studio…the sound staff who knew us back then said, “Wow, I was really moved.”
Matsumoto: Even though we’re doing it to make everyone laugh…
Sakurai: Yeah (lol). It’s rare that we make people emotional like that.
(All laugh)
Ninomiya: So…we’ve not once gotten a reaction that we expected (with “A.RA.SHI”). Back then, we did it because we thought it was cool!
Sakurai: When we debuted, we thought it was cool, right?
Ninomiya: Yeah. And now, we thought everyone would laugh, but…instead they get emotional.
Ohno: Ahaha!
Ninomiya: I wonder why that is…
Sakurai: We just can’t keep up at all!
(All laugh)
--You said, “We’ve returned powered up!”
Ninomiya: Yeah. We did come back all powered up though…really.
Sakurai: Hahaha! We came out in those see-through outfits for “A.RA.SHI,” right?
Matsumoto: Yeah. The footage for our 10th anniversary finished… and then we did the medley.
--You were out there for a long time in the see-through outfits.
Ninomiya: If I remember, some of us left in between songs, and others stayed on the stage…
Matsumoto: There was “SUNRISE Nippon” and “Kimi no Tame ni Boku ga Iru” and…
Ninomiya: That was like a 10-year medley sort of thing.
Matsumoto: Yes, there was a 10th anniversary medley. Me, Sho-kun, and Riida stayed for “SUNRISE Nippon,” and I think you two (Aiba, Ninomiya) got changed for “Kimi no Tame ni Boku ga Iru,” right?
Ninomiya: Yeah.
Aiba: That’s right, we left first and got changed.
Sakurai: Ah~, oh yeah. That’s right.
Matsumoto: And we were like, “Don’t look~!” and “It’s embarrassing so don’t look~!” (lol)
Ninomiya: We left right away.
Aiba: Yup. I thought, “Yay, I get to leave!” (lol)
Ninomiya: It was scary, so we left right away (lol).
Sakurai: Fuha, hahaha!
Ohno: Also, around this time (the tour), Aiba-chan…you were super busy.
Aiba: Yes… I was!
Matsumoto: You were filming for “My Girl.”
Aiba: Yeah. So I wasn’t able to come to rehearsals very much.
Ohno: Yeah, that’s true. At the rehearsals, you…were kinda panicking.
Aiba: I went to the rehearsals at the stadium…and had no idea what was going on.
Ninomiya: Your dance for “Boku Boku” was… super funny (lol).
Matsumoto: Yeah, for “Boku ga Boku no Subete.”
Ohno: Aiba-chan’s dance for that…was amazing (lol).
Matsumoto: Huh? It’s not on the DVD? Oh…we only did it on the first day.
Ninomiya: Yeah. That dance…was just hilarious.
(All laugh)
Ohno: Yeah, even though we really shouldn’t be laughing at it.
Ninomiya: Yeah (lol)
Ohno: But it was so funny I couldn’t help myself… (lol)
Aiba: I couldn’t dance it, and didn’t know where to stand… (wry smile)
Matsumoto: It was like…you were just standing there watching us (lol).
Aiba: Yeah, so…I hung in there! Watching the DVD now, I think I did pretty good (lol).
Ninomiya: That’s true, you look like you’re having a blast.
Ohno: It’s amazing.
Aiba: (My) emotional strength is really something!
Sakurai: Yeah (lol). Watching it (on DVD) now, you really can’t tell at all.
Matsumoto: Also…this was the year the “SS Walk” was born.
Sakurai: Oh, the SS Walk? That’s right!
Ninomiya: Ah, wait! Let’s watch that part, the SS Walk.
Matsumoto: That was this one, right?
[Checking it out on the DVD]
--Um…what is the SS Walk?
Sakurai: Eh! You don’t know it?
Ninomiya: You don’t know it?
Sakurai: Do you know the MJ Walk? Where he walks on the ceiling.
--Yes, I know that one.
Sakurai: You don’t know the SS Walk? In Japanese…it’s called “walking on foot.”
Ninomiya: You don’t know it, the one where he walks on the ground?
(All laugh)
Aiba: But, his facial expression is really cool. He was really showing off!
Ninomiya: Yeah (lol). Eh…You guys don’t know it?
Sakurai: I thought it was pretty basic Arashi knowledge.
Ninomiya: It’s not as well-known as I thought, the SS Walk.
Aiba: You don’t know about the trouble (that gave birth to the SS walk) that happened?
--Trouble…you say?
Matsumoto: This day (of the recording of the concert), we had a few problems. The moving stage didn’t move, and stuff…
[Takes a look at the video. “truth” starts playing…]
Ninomiya: Here it is, at last! A legend is born here.
Aiba: It’s about to be born.
[They all stare at the middle part of “truth,” where the wire flying starts]
Everyone: (All together) We’re going up, we’re going up!
Matsumoto: We go up, but… (Sho) goes up and comes down. Oh, then he doesn’t move. (*Is the trouble that happened).
Ninomiya: This is where a legend was born.
Sakurai: No, it wasn’t this time. I thought I was on the right side of the stage…
Ninomiya: Here! ...huh? He’s moving.
Aiba: He’s moving!
[They discover that the DVD only has the day that went well, and not the SS Walk]
Sakurai: I see, it’s not on the DVD.
[They continue watching]
Ohno: (The speed of their flying) so fast!
Sakurai: This…was seriously scary.
Matsumoto: This was incredible… hahahaha!
Ninomiya: Yeah, it was amazing.
Sakurai: While up there, you sway a lot (because of the wind). See, here…isn’t it bad? Right there, I was starting to feel a little sick.
Aiba: Huh? Sho-chan, did you quit singing there?
Ninomiya: He’s probably not singing anymore.
(All laugh)
[*Sakurai gave up holding the mike and stopped singing, desperately holding onto the wires during the intense flying]
Aiba: See, he’s totally stopped singing all together (lol).
Sakurai: Hahaha! As a side note, that day I just couldn’t handle it anymore so I gave up trying to sing. That’s why, for the footage right here… there are absolutely no close-up shots of me.
(All laugh)
Matsumoto: I remember Sho-kun saying something like that. At the meeting with the staff, with regards to this footage, he said, “I don’t need any close-ups during ‘truth’”
(All laugh)
Ninomiya: But it’s true, it’s really true. It would just be a close-up of him grabbing onto the wires for dear life (lol). But worse-case scenario, there’s really no point in holding those wires (if they broke)…
Sakurai: Kuhaha! That’s true. However! I was really anxious!!
[Here the DVD shows Sakurai-san finally winding up facing away from the audience, having spun around while holding the wire]
Aiba: He’s turned around backwards… hyahahaha!
Ohno: He’s…he’s facing the wrong way… (stomach hurting from laughing so much)
Sakurai: What’s up with that, facing the wrong way! The band…! The band is the only thing I can see!
Aiba: Why…why are you facing in the band’s direction? (Stomach hurting from laughing so much)
Ninomiya: You can see the (main stage’s) monitor while you’re coming down…that’s the best!
(All laugh)
Sakurai: Yeah… and it was on the second day. That my wire stopped. Everyone else went back to the main stage (by flying), but I ended in the middle (center stage). So during the ending of the song, I had to just walk (*this is the “SS Walk”).
Matsumoto: (Still laughing) Not only that, but your timing was just right. You made it back right on time (lol).
Sakurai: Yup, that’s the “SS Walk”!
Ninomiya: And we’re laughing. Us 4 are just there, laughing.
Sakurai: ….you know, here. This is supposed to be the coolest part. What’s going on with me?
(All laugh)
Ohno: Ah~ that was so funny… (tired from laughing so much).
Ninomiya: Yeah. But we’d talked about it in the MC right before that, so it wound up looking like we planned (the SS Walk) to happen. Talking about how that part was scary and all. And then, Sho-chan actually wound up not moving.
Ohno: And then, everyone started laughing…
Ninomiya: Yeah, yeah.
Aiba: Ah…it’s hot (sweating from laughing so much). I didn’t know that Sho-chan was facing backwards there.
(All laugh)
Aiba: What was going through your head, at the time?
Sakurai: I was…wondering how everyone else was facing forwards.
Ninomiya: Kuhahaha! Because those wires move. It can freely move around to some extent.
Matsumoto: Yeah, the wires are able to move right here (at the connection between the wires hanging down and the part on top). If you shift your weight to try to spin around, you can…but you didn’t have enough emotional strength to do that (lol).
Ninomiya: Yeah, Sho-chan wasn’t able to come back.
(All laugh)
[The next part is “Ashita no Kioku,” and the members’ childhood pictures come up on the monitor. All laugh at Ohno’s toddler picture with his shaved head! Apparently at the time the members were obsessed** with this picture. They watch Nino not being able to hold back his laughter while singing, and they all burst into laughter yet again.]
(**TN: The word they used was “tsubo,” which is lit. a “bull’s-eye.” In terms of sense of humor, it means something that makes you laugh really hard no matter what, everytime. For some reason you find it really funny.)
Ninomiya: Still…it makes me laugh. I can’t help it.
Ohno: Don’t look (at the monitor) behind you!
Sakurai: (Still laughing) This shows…that after all, we just can’t stay cool all the way to the end.
Matsumoto: At the parts we want to be cool, we just can’t quite do it all the way.
(All laugh)
Ninomiya: I mean, this part (the “Ashita no Kioku” performance) was supposed to be really moving. There’s no way you could not be moved watching this part…and this picture is at the beginning.
Sakurai: (Still laughing) Ah~ too funny…
Ninomiya: (Watching the video) Sigh…look at how funny it turned out. It has to be because of this (shaved head) picture of Riida’s.
Matsumoto: That’s why we used it when we did “Satoshi no Kioku” (*Ohno’s birthday surprise the next year).
(All laugh)
Matsumoto: That came about when I saw this picture of Riida’s and knew I had to use it for his 30th birthday.
Ohno: But I…was really touched.
Sakurai: You mean about “Satoshi no Kioku,” right?
Ohno: Yeah.
Ninomiya: Of course you would, Riida. It’s your journey you were looking back at. It’s no wonder you were moved. For us, we just wanted to use that picture because it was funny (lol). The whole thing came about because we were trying to figure out how we could use that picture.
(All laugh)
--We’ve come to the 3rd day of your 3 days for this concert. The rain on Matsumoto-san’s birthday…
Matsumoto: It was just pouring, wasn’t it? (lol) This was probably the hardest it’s ever rained, of all the concerts we’ve done.
Other 4: (All together) Yeah, that’s true.
Sakurai: We are Arashi (storm) after all!
Other 4: …. (Slightly awkward atmosphere)
Sakurai: (Guesses at their reaction)…Thank you!
(All laugh)
--In the middle of the pouring rain, the fans sang Happy Birthday for you.
Matsumoto: Yes. I also got a present from the members. It was a gold sequined…
Ninomiya: Oh yeah! We did buy something like that. That was really hard to pull off.
Matsumoto: I was really happy. They did it even with it raining so hard like that. I mean… we were even saying how we wish we had some (windshield) wipers (lol).
Ninomiya: The MC (in that rain) was really short that time.
Aiba: Yeah. It was hard to even keep our eyes open.
Sakurai: The soaking wet “a Day in Our Life” was from this time, right?
Matsumoto: Yeah, it was this one. You can see it in the Aug 30 Digest (video).
[Here, after “Ashita no Kioku,” they look at the first song of the 10-year medley, “A.RA.SHI”]
Aiba: Here it is!
Sakurai: (Looks at the see-through outfits) This? This is what (MatsuJun’s friend) cried at?
Matsumoto: Yeah. They cried at this (lol).
(All laugh)
Other 4: (All together) Here? At this part?!
Matsumoto: Because…that friend watched us in those see-through outfits the first time we went on “Music Station,” since I sent them a text saying, “We’ll be on today, so be sure to watch.” I remember them saying, “Wow, idols have it tough” (lol).
[Watching themselves sing in the see-through outfits]
Sakurai: Wow. But…I really am happy that we debuted with this song.
Ninomiya: Yeah (deeply/seriously).
Aiba: Yeah, a song with an impact like this. Right?
Ninomiya: A group showing their nipples (and bare skin) like this…is a rare thing.
Ohno: Seriously…those outfits are something else.
--Are these outfits actually the same ones you used from back then?
Sakurai: Didn’t they re-make them for this concert?
Matsumoto: Yeah, they were re-made. The ones we’re wearing at this concert were the ones we used for the recent “MSte” as well.
Sakurai: Uhahahaha! We’re wearing re-creations, what’s with that…?
(All laugh)
Ninomiya: How was such a thing made possible (lol).
Aiba: But…apparently those outfits were the idea of our manager at the time. Yesterday the stylist told me that.
Other 4: Eh…that’s how it was!
Aiba: Pretty amazing, this idea.
Sakurai: …there’s something wrong about it.
(All laugh)
--But…you all look like you were having a really great time at this concert.
Matsumoto: We look like we’re having fun? It’s just acting (lol).
Sakurai: (Watching them on the video) We’re so ridiculous… (lol).
Ohno: Not only that…we’re actually wearing those outfits for a pretty long time.
(All laugh)
Sakurai: This part when I’m going around the outside. Near the outer lines…well, that’s true with the staff now too, but a lot of the staff that used to be with us were scattered around there. That was just…touching, in a way. I think our manager from when we debuted was there too.
Matsumoto: Yes…they came.
Ninomiya: Everyone was there for our 10th anniversary.
Sakurai: At this concert, the managers and staff that we’ve had over the years came to see us. That was a bit…while I was singing I was getting a little choked up.
Aiba: Yeah. That made me happy (that they came).
Ohno: I was really moved too.
Matsumoto: Me too. It’s really a blessing that we were able to celebrate our 10th anniversary in a big way with everyone, and not just at Kokuritsu. In terms of the Kokuritsu concerts, the style and concepts from this 2nd year continued on (to the following ones). Like the position of the fountains, and the shape of the stage… of course, parts of it have been changed, but I think the foundation came from here.
Sakurai: That’s true. It’s like the “cornerstone,” right?
Ninomiya: This concert is, you mean.
--Well then, shall we continue on to 2010 and 2011?
Sakurai: From here, (reflecting back) will be difficult.
--That may be. The 2010 and 2011 concerts at Kokuritsu were each a part of original album tours.
Sakurai: Yes, but…if you think of it this way, these 2 years are amazing. To do concerts at Kokuritsu as part of an original album tour…
Aiba: Is really amazing.
Ninomiya: (The previous 2 years) had something else (a theme or memories) riding on top of it, after all.
Sakurai: Yes. 2008 was “Our first Kokuritsu.”
Ninomiya: And 2009 was “10th Anniversary.” And separate from those were our album tours, but now we had to change our way of thinking to “we’re starting (our album tour) from here,” right? It was…a bit hard to wrap our head around that concept.
--So indeed…along those lines, were there difficulties in making those concerts?
Matsumoto: Yeah there were. I feel like it was difficult because in the end, for those tours we wound up having to make a “Kokuritsu version” and a “Dome version.”
-------------------
XD Yeah... all I have to say about that is the SS Walk! I actually went back to watch truth during 5 x 10, and I can't believe I never noticed that Sho really IS facing backwards at the end of the song! Rofl, too funny~~ XD Oh Sho, you are too much sometimes, hahaha.
Anyways, if you read Part 1, you know my spiel. Translation stays public, but please ask for permission to use ^_^ And comment if you can!
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