Yamashita Tomohisa - Wink Up 2011.12
-Tell us the reason why you decided to go solo.
I'm really sorry to the fans who supported NEWS until now, one of the reasons is that my wish of challenging many different things alone, as a solo artist, grew stronger. Being NEWS was really funny, it was a very good experience. But right now I passed the 25 years, I thought that I had to take a decision by myself. I decided to go on solo.
-Did you personally talk with the members?
Sure. We gathered and I told them my reasons. At first everybody was very confuse but then they kindly send me off. I'm truly grateful for having understood me.
-Where you nervous when you told them?
I was! But once I decided inside of me I just wanted to properly express myself to the others.
-What do you think about the members now?
Nothing else but "Thank you". I could do all the things I did until now thanks to NEWS, my 8 years with them are a treasure. I'm strongly thankful. I want us to be good rivals from now on and of course if one day somebody of us will be in trouble we will help each others.
-What would you like to say to fans right now?
I'm thankful because they supported all the time a group that always had a pretty messed up activity. I've always thought that we are what we are right now only thanks to them. I'm truly sorry if I made them upset or worried, the only thing I want them to understand is that we didn't separed after a fight or something, we just wanted to go on on different paths. Right now I still don't know what I will do next, the only thing I can do is to try to bring back fans. I wish to pay back all the fans.
-Right now you have more expectations or more anxiety?
Of course the anxiety is huge right now. I took my decision knowing that doing that I would lose some of the people who supported me before. I feel a lot of anxiety... There will be more responsabilities, no possibilities to slack around. I think that the things that corner me will be the ones to give me new energy.
-You really are stoic.
I think I'm a masochist (lol). The decision of being alone was very important for my life.
-I guess you've felt lost too, right?
I was a lot, I thought about it many and many times. I thought and thought if I should go on performing solo and being in NEWS at the same time. But doing like this NEWS activities decreased more and more, I think it has been one of the reason it happened... Now I'm adult and I realized that I had to take a decision by myself. Choosing the masochist path... (lol). Right now I'm in a mix of feelings, I feel sorry and unconfortable, so many emotions. To express this right, I feel like I'm at my 2nd chapter. I want to start all over, I hope that people will look over me with kindness.
-What is your aim as a solo artist?
I want to work both as an actor and a musician. Right now I want to work hard in both the activities and dash off. For example, luckily I could perform in big arenas, but now I'd like to perform in many different cities in smaller places. Now I'm alone so I should have enough time to do it. I'd also like to do a tour in the 47 prefectures. I want to go to places where I've never been before. In small halls there's little distance with the fans, it should be funny and challenging. I wish I can climb the long stair of a solo artist little by little.
-Is there something new you'd like to try?
The communication with animals (lol). I'm not joking! I'd like to do it in a tv show! Because my favourite Tv show is "Tensai! Shimura Doubutsuen".
-What are the words that you'd like to say to yourself now that you'll work solo?
"Many a little makes a mickle!" It's really true. As you can't learn English if you don't memorize one by one simple words, you'll have results only if you work on your tasks one by one. I think this is very important.
Another one... this is really nice too. It's a worried, weak side of Yamapi that we aren't used to see.
Enjoy!