The core of the group JO1 is made of the leader of the group, Yonashiro Sho , who has an inclusive power in his voice and supports the group as the humane part that everyone can rely on, and the performance leader Kawashiri Ren who pulls the group tight with his outstanding and overwhelming performance. Both release a strong presence in the performance, but once they talk, a gentle and tender air flows. What connects the two is the passion that is hidden inside of them. Also, more than other members, it took them a long time to reach the debut, thus their feelings regarding JO1 are also stronger.
Sho: Often the members gather at my room and we talk about in that direction we want to go as JO1 or with how much enthusiasm they have or that we want to turn our expectations into the same direction. Ren: It’s absolutely not “Later we will have a meeting", naturally we gather in Sho’s room and while playing games or talking, the meeting starts. Also, some time ago, we, Mame and Takumi, the four of us talked about the future of JO1 until the morning. Especially because me and Sho are the oldest, who have a lot of experiences and because we chased our dreams the whole time until now, we also experienced various hardships and failures. Also that’s why, now that we grasped our dreams, we understand what we have to do for sure and what we shouldn’t do. I’m grateful to be able to share that feeling with Sho and needless to say, but I’m really relieved that he quickly points out things. For example... that you should sit down on the toilet lol Sho: Because that’s super important, right? lol Exactly because both me and Ren came to Tokyo aiming for our dreams, have a long history of part time jobs and the experience of being a failure as a person, we understand the harsh entertainment world and that besides debuting we can’t continue with a half hearted feeling. Especially because we could debut by being chosen from the the national producers, precisely because we couldn’t gasp the debut for so long, we think that to master the performance even more, you absolutely shouldn’t leave out improving your manners in daily life.
Different “dreams” that were aimed for since the teenage years. While friends and comrades who chased the same dream were able to make it come true, those two couldn’t realise it as expected, there must have been a lot of frustration and impatience. But both absolutely never gave up. More than that, they said that they didn’t even think about giving up.
Ren: Before participating in PDJP, I failed about 20 auditions after another. Besides failing those auditions I had that unfounded confidence that “I’m absolutely fine”. Especially because I continued to give my best while not giving up that confidence, I was able to come across PDJP. Moreover, if I hadn’t participated in those auditions before, I wouldn’t be in JO1 now. That I became a member of JO1, is also because I always failed those other auditions. If you think like that, you realise that it’s destiny and that I might have done everything that’s possible in JO1. People told me “you didn’t give up at all”, but it’s not like that. I didn’t have the choice to give up. After all, I’m nothing but dancing.
Right next to the softly laughing as if he was embarrassed Kawashiri, Yonashiro also reflected on his own past. Also for him, there wasn’t the option to give up. However, for Yonashiro there was a deadline when he had to give up.
Sho: Aiming for my dream, I entered a university in Tokyo on my second try and while working part-time I continued to study singing. But I had no idea how I should do activities as a singer. I took part in a lot of auditions from agencies, but it wasn’t easy. Furthermore, honestly I became depressed when I saw my friends from Okinawa on TV by chance how they became artists and fulfilled their dreams properly. I often thought “Maybe it’s not for me.” Moreover, during my student years, especially because of my studies, I could chase my dream without caring for anyone, but once I graduated I had to think about my future. Because I knew that my parents were also worried for my future, I decided to work hard to reach my dreams in two years and if a sprout of a future career didn’t appear in that time, I would have given up and work as a normal working adult. In this time because I came across the audition of PDJP, I started to think that it’s all about timing. Now, my parents are also happy, so I’m really happy with the result. Of course, because it’s an insecure world, I have to continue to give my best. TN: He refers himself as ronin. Nowadays this word means someone who failed the university entrance exams and waited a year to try again. Thus, there was a year gap between Sho graduating from high school and him entering university.
The debut that was reached. However, they never became restless and took it seriously.
Sho: precisely because Ren has experience as someone working in this industry, he values manners as much as dance and performances. That’s why in that world it’s normal that if your manners are bad, you won’t be called for that next time, so you have an awareness of crisis..I think starting with myself everyone has to share this awareness.. Ren: We are a boys group and we are artists, but if you say it in another way we are a “product”. Thus, doing interviews, appearing in magazines would be useless if it didn’t have a merit only for us but also for the publisher side. For this, it’s important to take good pictures and talk properly like this, so during shootings you shouldn’t fool around and become too comfortable. In JO1 there are also still young members, so there are members who loose their concentration and a childish side comes out, but we both will point that out and we have to do it while leading them.
We both keep in mind that we lead the group - Ren
Sho: When I first became leader, there was also pressure and I personally thought I have to lead diligently, but even if I forcibly lead, nothing will come out at any rate and there is also a risk in working on something without knowing anything, so after understanding everyone’s position and personality, while thinking that I want to create a place where everyone is at ease, I came to fill the leader role lol but the atmosphere of “damn I can’t bring this together” has calmed down, balance is very good. Ren: In addition, there is also Kono Junki who leads everyone energetically, so JO1 is composed of the image of Junki dashing in the front, I take everyone along while helping them from the middle and Sho pushing us from the back lol Sho: Junki really pushes on straight ahead and occasionally there are also times when it’s going nowhere, but then we will support from the back, so he will keep dashing without hesitation.
By the way, even in their part time jobs during their unsuccessful times, just like now, those two were leaders.
Ren: I worked part time at a Karaoke shop, but without realising it I became the “boss” of the store lol I was faster than anyone in using the cash register at the front desk, so without looking at the numeric keypad at at hand I could input the customer information quicker than anyone else. The input wasn’t “dondondon”, I was able to input it “dararan” TN: It seems that he means that you didn’t hear him hit the buttons individually but it was one swift movement Sho: haha it seems very fast! Ren: even if for example all rooms were used and it became crowded, other part timers said “if Ren is here, it will be fine.” Sho: that’s because if you did it for awhile and you became used to it, right? I used to work in a restaurant, but because I worked there for about 4 years, I understood the customer types to some extend. I responded to customer complains and when the store closed I was entrusted with totalling the register of that day. I calculated the expenses and material costs and because I finished after the last train had departed, I went home by taxi. Ren: you were the shop manager already lol Sho: it seems like… lol but well, if I work, I don’t want to work reluctantly. At any case, I want to work while allowing myself to enjoy it. Ren: I understand that feeling! Sho: even when I quit, especially because my dream came true, they were happy, but also sad and even in busy times now there will be messages like “can’t you work?” Of course, I decline politely. Ren: I also got messages at busy times like Halloween “there are not enough people, so…” Because I was in the middle of the audition, I declined lol Sho: it makes me really happy knowing that until now they think like this about us and support us.
What is demanded from them right now is a new idol image. If asked about their thoughts on their future vision they answer “We want to become unique”
Ren: Our weapon is that we are an all Japanese group that performances songs written by Korean writers and I think that's what makes us unique. Sho: Moreover, because we are connected with a Korean dance teacher, our performances are based on singing and dancing intensly, this is the very first step towards the world standard that we aim for, so first we need to settle our position. Ren: Furthermore, to make the Japanese entertainment industry more exciting, I want to make performances that the audience can enjoy and the set ups for those. Sadly it’s a time right now when you can’t easily do concerts, so once this situation has passed, I want to make such a production, too. Sho: During this “STAY HOME” period, we were able to do a lot of dance performances and live streams at home, but this was something new. We want to continue to think how we can sufficiently delivery our performances no matter the form. Ren: Also, recently, there were a lot of times when we felt our influence power. For example, it surprised me that personal items that I uploaded on SNS were sold out and besides not making an advertising, this advertising effect came out. Surely, I think because JAM are like parents, they think of us as “our kids are cute in that, aren’t they?”, that phenomenon happened. I’m happy and thankful about this. Sho: I was surprised when I heard that the tumbler and the shirt I occasionally use have sold out. However, because there were a lot of cases when the items were connected with a charity, I came to think that if there was any reaction and it’s connected to charity or welfare, I would like to choose more consciously in the future.
Both Yonashiro and Kawashiri are challenging new things that are completely different from the dances and songs they did so far. That’s why there are budding thoughts.
Ren: What I value from my former activities as a back dancer, is that you shouldn’t break the world view of the main artist. Because I became familiar with the side now that creates that world view, I have a lot of things I want to do. Even with the same choreography, I was able to play with the way of showing the dance such as surprising everyone by changing the nuances depending on the time, situation or environment and doing everything else as usually. In the MV of the new song OH-EH-OH, we performed together with dancers. During my time as a dancer I did such extra work, too. Usually, I did everything faithfully as I was told to. So, this time, when I saw the extras from my side as the main role, continuously the thoughts came out that if it was me, I would do it like that or wouldn't it be better like this. Those are thoughts I never had before. I realised that this is what people changes in a good way. Sho: By the way, my role in the MV is the “unreliable club president”. Ren: In the script there was written “unreliable club president”, right? Lol Sho: yes. At first, I thought “what?”, but if that was my entrusted role, I thought I will act unreliable with all my power lol If you say it in Ren’s earlier words (about changing due a new standpoint), everything which I sang until now, is so-called J-POP and if anything, I liked songs made me hear the melody well and there are a lot of them in J-POP. That’s why, when I first heard “Mugendai (INFINITY)”, I had the anxiety of “Can I sing this well?”. Until then I sang the songs provided by PDJP, but back then I didn’t do any voice training and we sang while practising, so during the debut when we suddenly got the songs, I was quite confused. But when the Korean teacher told me “Your way of singing leans towards ballads with a typicial singing voice of Japanese people and that's not suitable for dancing, so let’s practise a voice that fits to dancing, it didn’t mean that that my way of singing was bad, more it increased my variety of knowledge as a new option. So, I started to think “I don’t have to throw away my way of singing. There will be that genre, too, so let’s try it.” From that on, I also came to think “I’ll give it a try” no matter what song we get. So from that on, the anxiety disappeared. Ren: When I came to watch the recording, Sho and Junki had a lot of response capabilities and were quite flexible. If they are told “a little more like that" after singing what I thought was good, they can fix that on the spot. That’s because there is the room to do so. I admire that you have such base, so you can do it. Sho: That’s what I think about your dance Ren. I always admire it. Ren: We are a good team, right? Lol
Because Yonashiro aimed to become a singer-songwriter, he has the ability to write songs. Also in the single, he wrote the lyrics for “My Friends”, but asked whether we can hear an original song in the future, he answered “I'm not hurrying this, at ease I'm working on it.”
Sho: This time I was able to have the experience of writing lyrics, but it doesn’t mean that I want to let everyone listen to my original song as soon as possible. It can be done at any time, so now I’m doing the things I can do after another and I want to do those things faithfully. Rice is also more delicious when eaten slowly. Ren: That’s right. That’s just my thought, but I believe that everything is decided in life. That’s why, even if you don't hurry, good things will also wait for you and there might be also bad things but I think eventually everything will balance out. When I die, I die lol But that doesn’t mean you can be lazy and I think that if you deal with the things you can do with all your power, everyone can become happy. Sho: You have a life plan, don’t you? Ren: My ideal would be living in a castle with a dog and hide my inheritance in that castle and then I die. A lot of people will come when they hear that there is a hidden treasure in that castle, won’t they? Lol I want to live my life fully after building such a dream castle. What about you? Sho: I want to become a very healthy grandpa. I want to aim to become a person who works out regularly and is told by the people in the neighbourhood “this grandpa is healthy/lively” lol
Column Strange episode after moving to Tokyo told by two people from the country side TN: In this case 'country side' refers to everything that is not Tokyo
The two members that came to Tokyo to reach their dreams. But expectation and reality were different.
Ren: For me the crowded trains in Tokyo are scary, so after moving to Tokyo, I’ve decided to travel by my road bike which I used in Fukuoka every day. That’s why, I told the realtor that he can show me some places that I can go to by bicycle even when they are a bit far from the city centre. Then, they told me with a smile “Understood!”, so while feeling relieved I went to the viewing. They showed me about 3 apartments and there was one with a reasonable price, so I signed the contract on the spot. Sho: That’s good. Was it a place from which you needed about 30 mins to the city centre? Ren: Well... On the first day after moving, I checked how long I need to my friend who lived in Shibuya and even if I ran the road bike on full speed, it took 2h and 45 mins. Sho: That’s far! Ren: Despite the realtor seemed so nice, I thought Tokyo was scary lol Sho: Because I came to Tokyo after having to wait a year to be accepted into university, my friend who moved to Tokyo earlier told me “If you just say that you are from Okinawa, the talks will flourish and it’s surprisingly popular.” Ren: wait, what’s the reason for that? lol Sho: I have no idea lol but back then, I came to Tokyo with big expectations because of those words. Suddenly, my motivation appeared and while thinking “Is it popular?”, I resented my not so popular friends... Ren: ahaha. So, it doesn’t mean that everyone from Okinawa is popular. Sho: It seems like... I had high expectations and after the bar was raised I moved to Tokyo, so it took me a while to accept the reality lol
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