[JO1] City Jouhou Fukuoka 210528

Kawashiri Ren talks about JO1’s "Challenger Spirit" in his hometown Fukuoka

The global boys group JO1 has steadily made progress since their debut in March last year. Among them Kawashiri Ren who is from Fukuoka and has gathered a lot of attention during the audition before the formation, makes his triumphant return to his hometown and brings the 3rd single “CHALLENGER” along! In honor of this special edition, we invited him to the Korean restaurant “Lock Stock” to talk a lot about Korea, the group and the new single.

Kawashiri Ren. Born ‘97. From the prefecture Fukuoka. He was active as a dancer for various artists and choreographer since his teens and in ‘19 he participated in the audition program “PRODUCE 101 JAPAN”. He earned the 2nd place in the final ranking by the votes of the National Producers = the program’s audience and his debut as a member JO1, a 11 member global boys group, was decided. They made their debut in March ‘20 with “PROTOSTAR”. Because of his outstanding dance skills, he carries the role of the group’s dance leader.

"According to the personal colour diagnosis which is popular in Korea right now, me and Kimata Syoya go well together. I think it’s because we are two oddballs (laughs)"

Ren-kun, welcome home!
I’m back home! I looked forward that I can eat at the shooting today (laughs)
This time it’s a special issue “Enjoying Korea in Fukuoka” and first, we would like to ask about Korean food and entertainment. In recent years, K-Pop gained a lot of world wide appreciation. JO1 also appeared on the Korean music program “M COUNTDOWN” some time ago which is broadcasted overseas, but did you feel something like a difference in music between Japan and Korea? I think both Japan and Korea have their own virtue, but our songs are mostly made in Korea, so it incorporates many elements from the music over there. Speaking of Japanese music, isn’t Japanese a very rich language? That’s why I feel that in terms of the song lyrics there are a lot of exquisite expressions that are characteristic of the Japanese language. Of course, this kind of songs exist in Korea, too, but personally I think in K-POP the number of syllabic sounds is huge and that’s interesting. I think that Korean music is characterised by rhythms and tracks that naturally make you want to dance and get your body moving when you listen to those. Also my motive of aiming for this world was greatly influenced by the lives of K-POP artists that I watched.
Of course. How about Korean food?
There are quite some things that I like in Korean cuisine! Samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup), Seolleongtang (ox bone soup), bossam (thinly sliced boiled pork shoulder)... and so on. I’m not good with spicy food, but I like the taste, so I often eat those. The member Mame was addicted to Sundubu jiigae (soft tofu stew) for a period of time and there was a time when he ate it pretty much every day.
Are there a lot of JO1 members who also cook?
Pretty much everyone… no, not everyone (laughs). I think about half (of the members) cook. I make Korean dishes using some kind of hot pot ingredients. I think I’m more of a cook than other members?
Other than this, please tell us about a Korean trend that you are interested in.
Recently, I’m interested in personal colours, but it seems like in Korea it is popular to diagnose the colour that expresses one’s personality. Some time ago, all members tried this diagnosis. My colour was navy and in terms of colours that go well together, it was the member Kimata Syoya.
Is it a result you can agree to?
Yes, recently we often played together. When we did another fortune telling on TV, we were split into the 4 types of red, green, earth and iron, but everyone became either red or green, and I was the only earth type and Syoya was the only iron type.It seems like people with these two patterns are uncommon, (I thought that because) we are two oddballs, we go well together (laughs).

Ren-kun tried Gopchang-jeongol (beef tripe stew with vegetables), Beef Galbi (grilled rips) and Kimbap (something similar to Sushi). He enjoyed the food until the last minute and the leftover Kimbap became take-out!

Well, a little over a year has passed since the time of JO1’s debut when you were grazing the cover of “Fukuoka” previously. but looking back, what is your current state of mind?
More than anything the feeling of “It has been fast” is strong. Also, we performed, talked to various people and the work was different each time, so the days passed very quickly. I think it was a fulfilling and enjoyable year in which a week, a month and also a year itself ended up passing so quickly.
I think as the dance leader, you have many opportunities to watch over the whole group from the bird's eye perspective including the ‘treatment’ of arranging all members dancing, but have there been cases when you felt that there was improvement?
I think after all because we could experience various kinds of work, everyone grew. I felt that, too. There are also people who didn’t experience singing and dancing before, so when those members practised diligently their development will also be fast and I feel that after all practise is important, but that Mame or other members who have experience also grew even more is amazing. I think that’s not something easy. I’m also respecting the experienced ones for being able to do that.
I’m sure there is still competition inside the group which is different from the time of the “PRODUCE 101 JAPAN” audition. It seems like a competitive spirit is born so that you are not left behind by the growth of the other members.
That’s right. My strength is dancing so it also happens that I’m teaching the members, but there are also a lot of other opportunities when I learn from the members. After all, I feel it’s good to be a team.
For example, when do you feel like that?
I ask Junki, Sho-kun and Sukai for advice regarding singing and Takumi and Mame are good in showing expressions in MVs and so on, so for example I show them gestures like “If I do this and that, which is better?” and I also cherish asking for the opinions from the members.
That’s a wonderful relationship. Right now, the 2nd season of “PRODUCE 101 JAPAN” is airing. I’m sure the presence of JO1 as the senior group has raised the overall level of the trainees in some aspects.
I ended up remembering our own time (in the audition). I think when you casually watch the footage you will feel “he’s crying, I’m sorry for him” “he’s giving his all”, but when you are someone who actually experienced it, things like “there is this drama behind it" or “practise just this” come to your mind. In addition, I think it’s quite hard itself to hold an audition under these circumstances, so I also feel those troubles. I would be happy to gain wonderful juniors.

It’s a custom to shoot around the PayPay Dome, too. At the monument “Warm Hand” which is installed in the vicinity of the 3rd floor deck, he discovered the original sized hands of Michael Jackson and became excited, saying “I have liked Michael since I was a child. Also for the Fukuoka campaign this time, I brought 3 pairs of white socks with me because of his influence”.

"If you don’t take on a challenge, nothing will begin. It’s important to prepare, but I think it’s most important to showcase the results of this preparation.

Please let me ask about the new single “CHALLENGER” from now on. It displays the theme of “Challenging towards the unknown”, but do you have your own challenge?
Me, Junki and Syoya are studying song writing and in addition I’m talking about choreographies with Mame and others, so in order to be able to create our songs, make the choreography and make the live production one day, I’m studying for the challenges of the future. The member number is big and there are strengths and weaknesses in this, so I think that it could be interesting when we can combine our strengths from various directions.
In the lyrics of the featured song “Born To Be Wild” there is the line “We will find something beyond the fear”, but in the current period there are also a lot of people who “started a new job” or “started a new school life” and so on, and can’t take the first step forward on the new stage while being wrapped up in anxiety.
I can’t talk big, but don’t you often say “there is a meaning in taking a challenge”? I think like that. Because I think no matter if its success or failure, there is surely something you gain from it and there are also surely people watching you taking on the challenge. For me who challenged the audition and debuted as a member of JO1, there is this result because I took up a challenge. Also, I was able to meet JAM, so I think if you don’t take up the challenge, nothing will begin. Of course it’s important to prepare yourself, but I think it might be the most important to showcase the results of that preparation. Nevertheless, there are the people (who think) “I’m not brave enough” and I think that if they listen to our songs, they will surely gain some courage, so I hope that you will listen to those and challenge various things.
Especially when I watch performance footage of JO1, there is a quality that makes me have no idea who was a beginner in singing and dancing only about a year ago and I wonder how many challenges and efforts are behind this.
I think because the inexperienced and experienced members practise together, we are making quite the effort and we also know that those members work hard, so we want to support them. I feel that’s our virtue.
”Speed of Light” also has that anticipation of the future and it seems like it has a part that alligns with the forward-looking mind of “Born To Be Wild”.
This time there are a lot of songs with the image of moving forward and the tempo and way in which they advance is different in each song, but there are nothing but songs that can express how they are moving forward in various ways, so it would be good if you listen to those fitting to your mood. Like you listen to “Speed of Light” or “Born To Be Wild” when you think “Today I will do it!”. Or you listen to “Kimi no mama” when you think “I’m a bit sensitive” and so on.
Is there a song you are a fan of? I like “Get Inside Me” and among our songs there are barely such happy end like feelings… In my own mind there floats the picture of it being the last song of the main part of the live concert and we say “thank you very much” while everyone on stage holds hands. When I listen to this song, I start to feel “I want to have a concert as soon as possible”, so I quite like it.
You announced a winter tour and I look forward to you performing the song live. When you look at the complete work, what kind of CD did it become?
Following what’s also in the title, the anxiety and anticipation regarding a challenge became the theme, but we sing especially “Born To Be Wild” with the emotion of “I'm looking forward to it, but there is also fear” which everyone feels. There are nothing but songs that anyone could listen to and when we listen to it, we feel an ambition to “Okay, let’s do it!”, so I think it’s going to be a very important single for us unrelated to (something like) “Because it’s the 2nd year” or “because it’s such a time”.