[TRANS] "Arashi” has passed by～ And it appeared, a rainbow named “Sincerity”
Also on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/arashickarened/status/1346764332311302146?s=20
Translation of this non-fan, non-industry person post here, under the cut.
Disclaimer: I am only translating the original post and have no personal views/agenda towards other artistes mentioned below. I am just translating the original post.
Arashi” has passed by～ And it appeared, a rainbow named “Sincerity”
I’ve been struck by “Arashi” twice in my life, and I realised one thing, right at the end, during Kouhaku.
Actually, I don’t know “Arashi” as much as I know their fellow Johnny’s group “SMAP”. However, I have been struck by “Arashi” twice up in my life, and I can still vividly remember both instances.
The first was when I was on a business trip to Asahikawa in Hokkaido. My hotel in Asahikawa, which was usually not that crowded, was fully booked so I asked the locals, “Is there anything (T/N: taking place) in Asahikawa?” They told me, “Arashi’s concert ‘is in Sapporo’ so their fans have come all the way here!”
Asahikawa is about 140km away from Sapporo and even if you took the limited express train, it takes an hour and half to travel that distance. There were so many fans who “just want to get to the same Hokkaido island so anything works!” That was the first time I got to know of Arashi’s remarkableness.
The other instance was when I was preparing to attend an academic conference. September is the golden season where many academic bodies held conferences. In that year, the particular conference which had been held annually in September was scheduled to be held at “Sendai City”. I usually start making reservations for accommodation around spring, but during May or June that year, when there were still several months till the conference, I was contacted by the travel agency which said, “We can’t get any hotel booking in Sendai City. Only rooms at hotels in Yamagata City can be arranged.” Although they said, “Please note that we will arrange for buses between Yamagata City and Sendai City,” the two cities are 70km apart and it takes an hour to travel that huge distance by rapid train.
“Eh? What exactly happened?” As I tried to find out, the word “Arashi” emerged. I was affected by Arashi’s concert schedule. To be more precise, the moment it was announced that Arashi’s concert would be held in Sendai City, the hotels became fully booked.
“Arashi again?” I was immediately surprised. That year, as far as I know, and to the extent of my memories, one academic conference changed their venue and another changed their schedule due to overlaps with Arashi, their concert schedule, and the venue, Similarly, I, who had to make several business trips to various places in the country, couldn’t get hotel rooms.
“Arashi, remarkable. (T/N: “Sugoi” was the word used) ” That was imprinted in my mind.
By the way, personally speaking, I have not been struck by such situations arising from the concerts of other artistes.
Fans’ voice: “I like seeing them get along well with each other.”
I apologise to their fans but I don’t really know much about their songs. “What’s good about them?” I’m simply wondering about that.
I met some girlfriends from my student days, with whom I have not met for a long time. One of them is settled down with children and has been attending Arashi concerts.
I tried to ask, “What’s their charm?”
I had expected to get replies such as “Because they are good at singing” or “Because they are good at dancing”. But my friend, who would chase after Arashi be it in Shanghai or anywhere else even if she couldn’t get tickets, replied, “I like seeing the 5 of them get along so well with each other on the stage.”
To be honest, when I heard that answer, I didn’t understand at that time “What that means”. I think I probably had an “I sort of get it….or maybe not” look on my face as I responded, “Hmmm, I see…”
The shocking hiatus news～ I recalled SMAP’s trajectory～
After that, although I paid some attention to them and watched Arashi’s members on TV, I didn’t go to the extent of becoming a fan or attending their concerts. I only saw them as just another very ordinary group from Johnny’s.
One day in January 2019, all news outlets suddenly reported at the same time that Arashi is “suspending activities (T/N: translated as “hiatus” in the rest of the article) from 31 December 2020”. “Eh? That Arashi?” Even I who wasn’t a fan was astonished. And I couldn’t help but recall the series of uproar surrounding SMAP’s disbandment.
SMAP had disbanded on New Year’s Eve about two years before the announcement of Arashi’s hiatus. I think everyone knows about the series of uproar that continued until their disbandment. TV programs broadcasted up to their disbandment announcement had regularly shown how they got along well with each other. During the one year period from the point when news such as “SMAP’s split-up crisis!” were suddenly reported, to their actual disbandment, I would occasionally see them on TV. Even to a non-fan like me, it was painful to watch.
In particular, early in the new year in January 2016, the 5 of them gathered for a press conference in black, solemn clothes. That press conference exposed the division in their hearts and I almost cried at that. I think it was reported that they were firm on declining to perform at the NHK Kouhaku on New Year’s Eve in that same year - it was the day they were scheduled to disband.
At the very end of their TV program “SMAPxSMAP last episode”, their singing of “Sekai Ni Hitosu Dake No Hana” (T/N: “The one and only flower in the world”) echoed sadly. They just bowed deeply and disappeared silently from the screen. Actually, the footage from that time is still stored in my hard disk drive even now. The blog post I wrote back then is still here (but that was my last update till now).
Showing care to the process until the end comes, for the sake of fans
What immediately came to mind when I heard news about Arashi’s hiatus was probably “I don’t want them to become like SMAP” who had disbanded 2 years earlier. It was only at that time that I watched Arashi’s hiatus press conference on TV, taking in every word carefully. Every single word uttered by the members showed consideration for each other and for fans. But it was clear that their firm determination to go on hiatus was a conviction that cannot be bent.
“I want to finish my activities as Arashi, and live a free life.” It started with Ohno-kun’s proposal, and until everyone arrived at the final decision together, “It was a decision made after much discussions”. This was conveyed through the screen even to general viewers like me.
However, without fail, one reporter asked sarcastically, “It’s that being irresponsible?”
Even when responding to that, it was done sincerely. “We will spend about 2 years showing our sincerity. Please judge based on that,” Sakurai Sho-kun’s response was heart-wrenching.
And then, what my friend said years back came back to me. “I like seeing them get along well with each other”. They didn’t betray those words. They cared about their fans. Their attitude was strongly conveyed even to a general viewer like me.
Arashi was also affected by the Corona pandemic, and the Olympic Navigator role was also postponed
That Arashi was affected by the Corona pandemic in year 2020, the year which was to be their final year of activities. Just like other entertainers, concerts had to be cancelled. Also, the original plan for them to take on the NHK Broadcast Special Navigator role for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic & Paralympic Games as they approached the hiatus on New Year’s Eve, went back to the drawing board.
I think there were probably many fans asking that Arashi postpone their hiatus for a year since the Olympics was postponed. Unexpectedly, it seems that there were by no means few fans who said, “I want to respect the decision made by the 5 of them.”
That made me feel that there is something there which went beyond the structure of a mere idol group between fans and Arashi. What is it? Can I call it the sense of “family”? And Arashi didn’t change the timing of the hiatus which they had decided on, but steadily headed towards that day.
Online birthday concert broadcast on their debut day 21 years ago
They broadcasted a pre-recorded concert footage on 3 November. They had made their CD debut 3 November 21 years ago. It was their birthday concert so to speak. When I looked at the website, it said, “The Arafes which Arashi creates with fans has come back after 7 years”. Even just from these words, we can read the relationship (T/N: between Arashi and fans) that it is not “fans who just watch” but rather “fans who creates with Arashi as friends”. Fans are their friends, standing on the same stage.
Furthermore, according to the timetable that day, there was a 4-hour FC-only livestream prior to the concert broadcast. Here, fans were able to share the same time as Arashi. As it was initially announced that there will not be a repeated broadcast, everyone thought it was the final concert and were enthusiastic.
However, it seems that there were several rebroadcasts after the 3 November concert ended. For those who conduct university classes and view it as a given to record live broadcasted classes so that they can be viewed many times on-demand, this wouldn’t have come as a surprise. Instead, they would be sure that “That are probably many such requests.”
Arashi was supposed to end their activities for the last year with a live (T/N: in person) concert. For them who couldn’t do it due to the unexpected impact of the Corona pandemic, I think they must have put in much thought about how they can bring out the “live feeling” from the online broadcast.
Countdown to the New Year’s Eve
As they headed towards New Year’s Eve, the last day of activities for them as 5 persons, several specials for their TV programs were aired. Like what I did for SMAP, I made preparations to record and watch 2 of those 4-hour long specials. Initially, I started watching it half-heartedly. The image of Arashi members I took away from that was “In any case, it was fun”, and also “It doesn’t make one feel unpleasant”. I ended up watching it all.
For the production teams, TV is a very scary medium. Once the viewer finds something uninteresting, they will immediately stop “the action of watching that program”. In particular, I would stop watching after a few minutes if the program gave me the slightest unpleasant feelings.
But the Arashi programs which I watched this time didn’t do that. Even as a non-fan, I ended up watching it all. “Things” kept being churned out and I burst out in laughter scene after scene. “Why is it this funny just watching them pick the joker!?” Does it mean that I got myself involved in the Arashi World without realising it?
During the program, one of the members said, “Because we are totally not competitive.” It was their behavior which made me think that could be true.
And then, that day came. The concert broadcast on New Year’s Eve, and their appearance at the Kouhaku during the concert intermission. Everything that I wanted SMAP to do exactly 4 years ago - they did all of it and left.
I quote the greetings from a member during their Kouhaku appearance.
“It will be new year in about two hours from now, and our Arashi will stop. After the storm passes, I hope a beautiful sky with a rainbow will spread out before you. Believe that there isn't a night which doesn't turn into dawn.”
After they took their leave, I think what became visible in hearts of fans and other people was a rainbow shimmering with the colour called “sincerity”. I finally realised that at the very end.
The fact that they have been on good terms with each other for 20 years, and the fact that they fulfilled the words “Caring about fans” tight to the final moment - I think the “sincerity” that they have always exhibited in their attitude underlies all of that.
I think everyone have always felt that important “something”. However, in the midst of their activities, “that ‘something’ has been taken as a given”. As is the case for “health” which we only realise after it has been lost, that “something” has now appeared before us, hasn’t it?
Just like the rainbow which appears in the sky right after a “Storm”.
My ramblings
On the point about the split views towards postponement of the hiatus, I’m actually glad that they stuck to it. Had they postponed, and with the uncertainty of the Corona situation, it would open up the gates to more requests for postponement. Also, that element of uncertainty would make fans (me) nervous.
Also, I’m sort of glad that the reporter posed the question about being irresponsible. Knowing the impact Arashi has on the Japanese economy - direct or peripheral, it’s not strange for people to make those comments. By having that question at the start, Arashi was able to voice out their stand before the noise came. And I’m glad they took that question with grace, and they backed it up with action.
Which media outlet can call them irresponsible 2 years on?
There was actually another tweet which gathered some steam on 1 Jan, which had some sarcasm towards the hiatus, that this article had covered from a different, more positive perspective. Whenever I visit a city that is holding an Arashi concert, I do get overwhelmed by the throngs of people holding concert goods (though in a good way for me, I can imagine how regular travelers felt), and accommodation becomes so expensive. So in way, I can understand the exasperation of non-fans who really do need to be at those places in the same time as concerts.
But, imagine a summer-autumn season without Arashi.
Imagine the fall in domestic travel and spending.
I really like how the writer compared that special “something” that Arashi has to a rainbow. We can only see it clearly after the Storm has passed. We knew it was there, but we took it for granted. Only when we were on the verge of losing it that we grew to appreciate it more, savouring every bit of it.
The sincerity of Arashi.
But like the seasonal monsoon, the Storm will return again right?
Someday.