[English translation] Ninomiya Kazunari - IT column on More magazine May 2015
Yay~! It's been a while since I did a lengthy translation here. I post all the short translations on my Tumblr account instead. I decided to do a translation of Nino's latest It column because I feel like I don't devote time to him as much time I devote to the other four. I've been in a Sakurai Sho phase for the longest time now and I don't think it will end soon. Haha. Anyway, this one was unexpectedly and relatively easier to translate. And the content's also relatively light, or less glum. This month, Nino talks about marriage, independence, and the joy of redemption. Okay so maybe not that light. Haha. Enjoy reading! If you come across odd-sounding sentences, please feel free to point it out and let me know. English is not my native language.
Please do not forget to credit if sharing! Thank you. :D
Lines in yellow are Nino's words.
Standing on one's own feet
Towards the end of 2014, we saw marriage announcements of celebrities transpire one after another. “What a nice topic.”, Ninomiya says. Hinging on the topic of marriage, he gives us a gentle smile, and says “I don’t think about getting married though.” Around him are people of the same age already married. This number continues to increase, and yet, it appears as if he has not the least bit of interest when it comes to marriage.
When I think of the word ‘marriage’, I don’t think of it as something categorically good or categorically bad, or as something which comes with advantages and downsides. When it comes to romance, you only have to think about yourself and your partner. When it comes to marriage though, you have to consider each other’s families. It comes with a huge responsibility, and I think it can be demanding. Well, in any case, I’m not thinking about it right now. (laughs)
Do you think you’ll take a step towards marriage?
I wonder. I’m not the type who will want to get married even if I do have a partner. Having a girlfriend doesn’t equate to having a marriage partner. 'I like this girl so I want to be with her.’ I don’t ask for more than that. I wonder if there are guys who has the same thinking as I have about this. In my case, if my partner says to me something like ‘Marry me.', I probably wouldn’t want to get married all the more. (laughs). It’s almost similar as saying ‘Give me money.’ I think it’s a self-satisfying thing to say. People don’t want to give money to someone who demands it at his own convenience.
For a girl who dreams of marriage, these things might be painful to hear. Even so, this is Ninomiya’s logical and reasonable argument.
For argument’s sake, let’s say that I satisfy my own desire. I get married and everything goes according to plan. Even then, I’m not confident that I can handle an ideal married life. I’d ask myself questions like, ‘Will I be able to handle the responsibility?’. By merely satisfying your own desires and not being fully equipped to take on responsibilities, the marriage won’t last. The marriage won’t work if you rely solely on your partner.
To begin with, the probable reason Nino does not feel the necessity is because mind and body, he is overwhelmingly independent.
I live my life with the support of people around me. In spite of this, I don’t rely on other people. Things like, ‘I want my family or friends to do this.’, or ‘I want someone to deal with this on my behalf.’ - I don’t think about them. It’s easier and faster if I do things by myself (laughs). That’s why I don’t get dissatisfied with other people. The members of Arashi haven’t had a fight ever since the beginning, and it’s practically the same with friendships and romance. When it comes to the point that we meet each other less often than before, it only means that the necessity of each other’s existence is lost, and naturally, we drift away from each other. I don’t harbor sadness or anger though.
Becoming independent and maintaining a comfortable distance from people - aren’t these the reasons Nino can establish a smooth-flowing relationship with other people?
Is there someone out there who can only survive with the help of other people? I don’t deny that relying on other people is a part of life. Those kind of people grew up in an environment where they can afford to be dependent, I guess. That wasn’t my case. I’ve been living my life doing things by myself because they were needed to be done. I guess I’m naturally independent.
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As life goes on, people take in poison and panacea, both in little doses.
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To walk Nino’s path is to travel a one-man journey. At times, other people walk with him. In the end, his resolution to move forward is what keeps him going.
I continue to run only looking at what’s right in front of me. I can only see the present. I don’t have a lot of memories, and I don’t have long-term plans either (laughs). Weren’t we all like this when we were kids? What is it with adults anyway? Adults tend to look back on life decisions, establish and celebrate anniversaries, and immerse themselves on memories.
Perhaps people are not only dependent on other people. During difficult times, people depend on a fond memory, or former glory. We depend on these things to get us through difficult times.
To live while depending on a fond memory isn’t a simple feat. To pause when exhausted, to detox one’s mind and body, to reset and start life all over again - adults fancy these things. I guess I don’t have these fancies. As long as you live, failures and regrets are inevitable. In little doses, the poison continues to accumulate. But, as we take in poison, we also take in panacea, the good things. It would be a waste to reset and start life all over again. Besides, when we suffer from a huge failure, wouldn’t it be interesting to see how we recover from it? It’s the same with gaming. Yesterday, I suddenly lost all the points I’ve collected. Now I’m having fun creating a strategy to regain them (laughs).
Seems like Nino is capitalizing on the wisdom and philosophy he learned from gaming.
As long as I’m alive, whether it be work or relationship, the bad days and the good days are divided into equal parts. Because aside from the bad days and the good days, life is pretty much made of ordinary days. When you think about the ordinary days, even in a bad day you can still have fun winning it all back, without pressing reset.
~o~