NAKAGAWA KATSUNARI Nakagawa Katsunari's gap is born from a powerful and aggressive rap that is emitted from a graceful look, and he attracts a lot of people. He who performs with a confident stage self, is actually a sensitive and tender-hearted young man... The reason for this is!?
Caring about what other people think Training his sensitive personality with boxing
Please tell us about the region you are from and your hometown I was born in the prefecture Hyogo and right after my family moved to the prefecture Osaka where we lived until I finished kindergarten. Since I've went to elementary school we returned to the prefecture Hyogo. During elementary school I liked idols, especially Arashi. Also, that’s why, I wondered how the entertainment world is. I became interested in idols because I thought they were cool. In fact, it seems like my parents sent my resume to Johnny & Associates. But a reply never came... -laughs- Admiring idols means that you liked appearing in front of people? No, I wasn’t the type to step forward because in fact I’m introverted. That’s why I thought that becoming an idol wasn’t something for me and the entertainment world isn’t my fate. Once I started to think like that, the feeling that I want to try any artist activities honestly disappeared. Furthermore, I would also say that of myself, but I was a tender-hearted child –laughs- I realised that I started caring about what other people thought the whole time, thinking “Isn’t that kid, that person troublesome now?”. After all this time, I think thanks to that I was able to become an adult who can read the atmosphere. You were a child with a reserved personality who sensitively felt the mood of your surroundings, right? Yes, that’s right. When there were friends who fought, I would interject somehow so that they could reconcile. In elementary school I wasn’t the type to take the initiative and step forward and I felt stressed when talking with people because I cared about what they thought. If you say something and disturb the harmony, it’s better not to say it. I wanted to make everything as peaceful as possible. That’s still close to how I think now. I don’t want to stand out, but rather I want to be an unsung hero. I haven’t told the OWV members this yet and please don’t tell them –laughs- Because it’s something I’ve decided myself. Back then and now, you are the owner of a sensitive heart. You are too kind! My upbringing was unremarkable, but well my parents were overprotective enough to make me wonder. To go to my elementary school, I had to use the train and bike, and mostly my parents brought me and picked me up again, so in the 6 years I barely went to school by foot –laughs- you shouldn’t do that for a child who wants to grow up strong minded. Also, my family made me study a lot. But I hated studying, so I couldn’t improve my grades at all. Going to school without walking!? That’s absolutely not unremarkable! During the early years of elementary school, I used to say “In the future I want to become a doctor!”. However, along with becoming older, I’ve noticed that “Becoming a doctor is difficult”. For a while, I didn’t have any particular dream and I just wanted to become rich –laughs-. I’m relieved that you were like a normal child. Was there something you were crazy about to as a child? From the middle years of kindergarten to the 5th year of elementary school I played soccer. I used to play with strong members who were part of a club team which took part in prefecture wide competitions and I worked hard in my own way, but when I noticed after 7 years that it doesn’t suit me, I stopped. Originally, when I started playing sports, I chose soccer over baseball because I didn’t want to shave my head –laughs- Since my third year of elementary school I started going to cram school, calligraphy and English conversation school and I received education for gifted children. Then, in middle school I joined the basketball club because I admired the cool basketball players. I thought that only sports in which I had to use my feet weren’t for me and that I could play basketball, but I can’t play any ball games at all... -laughs- From then on you played basketball all the time? In middle school I stopped with basketball and after joining high school I started boxing. The occasion was that my father took me along to a boxing school, but among the sports I did until then it was the most fun one! It was pleasant that after overcoming the hard training I could win against strong people, and I became motivated when I was praised for the results of the matches. I feel that I could train my emotional strength which was quite delicate. The high schooler you who was into boxing was surely cool. There must have been confessions. When I graduated from high school, I got a letter from a junior who said “please read it”. Because for me there was no similar feeling, I didn’t plan to reply. But I was happy to get it, so when I received it I conveyed my thankfulness.
Trying to become an actor to grasp the chance to work as an artist!?
You were into sports the whole time, but when did you start to become interested in singing and dancing? When I started listening to K-POP and went to see BIGBANG’s live before advancing to high school, I was shocked by all the coolness and thought “I want to become like that!”. However, even back then I used to think it wasn’t something for me and imposed a limit on myself. The admiration was insanely strong, but on the other hand I advanced on high school and university, so I only dreamed. Well, I gave up on my own. I think it takes a lot of courage for everyone to face their big dreams. Before that you didn’t listen to music and admired the artists? That’s right. I was influenced by parents who liked western music, and the music I listened to until this point was mainly black music or hip hop. They liked artists like NE-YO, Eminen, Chris Brown and so on. So, you had a rap foundation since back then. Other than that, did you have any interest or activity you were crazy about? I didn’t have something like an interest, but I used to work in two part time jobs at the same time. I was blessed with people at each workplace and it was a really perfect time. One was in a café. I got along well with a colleague who worked at the same time and the café manager, so the work was really fun. The other one was a sushi restaurant that had a Michelin star. The boss was a good person and the atmosphere of the restaurant was wonderful and the feeling there was good, so I worked there for 2 years. My part time jobs are a good memory of my high school days. It’s a digression, but when I returned to my hometown early this year, I went to eat with my mother at this sushi restaurant and my boss from back then sat down next to us. It seems like I can pull people I like towards me –laughs- During your high school days, you prepared to enter the artist world while boxing and working part time jobs? No, I didn’t do anything during my high school days and during my first year of university an acquaintance introduced me to an agency that signed actors, so I thought I might aim to join the artist world from there first. I tried acting lessons and they were honestly difficult and I had a feeling that I wanted to try singing and dancing lessons, but in the first place there wasn't an agency that offered a lot of chances to learn singing and dancing. I said that if that's so I wanted to try to become a model, but I was told that I would become an actor first, I continued to learn acting. It was like that. Because it was an agency to become an actor. Your route was to become an actor...? Without a break I studied acting and I appeared in a big movie as an extra, but at this time I was already a 3rd year student and I couldn’t keep my passion to become an actor. Little by little my feelings switched towards job hunting. Well, when I started job hunting a friend told me that a Japanese agency cooperating with a Korean one is holding an audition to create a group in Japan and I applied for that. I successfully passed for the first generation of students and went to Tokyo. With 20 years I finally started genuinely practising singing and dancing. Because I was really serious –laughs- I only returned to Osaka so I could take tests for university. Between the practises I had the chance to witness the circumstances of Korean idols’ lives and practises. Just like mental training, I felt familiar with stage performances, and together with that the feeling became stronger and stronger to pursue artist activities. I listened to what my dancing and voice teacher said and my awareness also deepened. How long was your training time? Also, what is the story that you participated in “PRODUCE 101 JAPAN” (later shortened to PDJP)? Because I finally felt close to my dream, I could keep my motivation as a trainee for long. That’s why I trained for about one and half years at this agency, but it became that I couldn’t debut anymore. My feelings only became stronger and I wanted to sing and dance, thus I unintentionally started to cry. At the same time I also felt glad that I was so serious about it that I cried. Luckily, at this time I heard the information about PDJP in which I could debut as an artist and decided to challenge it saying “That’s my last chance.” I had been facing singing and dancing since one and a half years, so I didn’t think of it as something hard even a little, thus I showed the fighting spirit that I was prepared to debut at last.
Unexpected comeback from a regrettable defeat at the place where he risked his dreams!
So, it happened that you participated in PDJP which was connected to your dream. What did you feel during the audition? If humans have nothing else, stand at the brink where everything can be over at any time, they will overflow with strong emotions. Originally, I wasn’t much the person to take initiative, but after graduating university I was prepared to participate, so in order to pass I tackled it with the feeling “Only look at me!” When I stood on stage or when I appealed to people I casted away my natural neutral self, became a different me who was constantly confidently facing forward. PDJP was the last chance for me personally and I felt like nothing but that this way was left for me, so various feelings broke through me... but, but... Yes... People who know the current OWV you won’t believe it... but the unexpected disappointing result was... I was eliminated at the early position battles... The song we sang was an original one and it was a genre in which I could deal with my own verse, so I aimed to make the performance on stage strong by emphasising cooperativeness. By doing this, for example when one person shows himself on stage, it won’t break, so I thought that when each one can do his own presentation, it could be a success. The original rap and dance that was actually performed on stage by 4 people including you was aggressive and intense. Thank you very much. Because I believed that debuting in PDJP was my last challenge, I couldn’t leave my home for two weeks after being eliminated early. Absolut nothing! I didn’t think about anything, I shut out every information related to PDJP and barely looked at my smartphone. However, my former team partner who I fought with was working hard, I found out at least a minimum of information, like looking at the results of the evaluations and staying in contact –laughs- I thought that I could do nothing but job hunting by then... Both my mind and heart were in a state of emptiness. What did you think when you heard about OWV some time after PDJP was over? Looking back at the previous PD, I believed that there was no come back for trainees who dropped out at the first elimination, so I thought I was dreaming. When I felt it for real, I wanted to be so popular that I couldn't go back anymore. I wager everything of myself here and I swore in my heart to become a cool vocal and dance group. I heard it later, but that I was chosen as an OWV member, was because Honda-kun mentioned me as a comrade he did activities with. I feel indebted to Honda-kun. I wasn’t able to succeed in the actual challenge, but it makes me very glad that there were also people who saw me honestly giving my best. At the end, at PDJP where you wagered yourself you got irreplaceable things such as comrades and bonds as a result. I think so. The origin of the person Nakagawa Katsunari is made from my parents’ education and the relationship with them. The training to be kind to people was quite strict. Among that, a slight introverted personality might be born, but PDJP changed that. Thanks to PDJP I learned how to switch when I go on stage or during work. My current task might be the appeal power. I’m not self-confident and... Because I have constantly yearned to become this voice and this image, I want to make it true while being active as a member of OWV!
100 Q&A 001: A message to the fans who bought the first photobook! Thank you so much! 002: Your childhood dream? Doctor 003: A moment when you think you are happy? When I do the things, I like 004: If you compare yourself to an animal? Sloth 005: Your charm point? Dimples 006: What would you eat as your last supper? Sushi 007: Comment on your fashion today? It’s early fall, so it’s something stylish with calm colours 008: Tell us about your favourite pair of shoes? BALENCIAGA’s “Speed Trainer” 009: What’s most favourite fashion item right now? Knitted fabric 010: If you appeared in a drama, what role would you play? Tony Stark (Ironman) 011: You are the director. What kind of movie would you make? Sci-fi, a cool movie! 012: The muscles you are the most confident about? Pectoralis major muscle 013: A part of your body that you like? might be my eyes 014: A part of your body that you dislike? I don’t dislike them, but if my fingers were a bit longer... -laughs- 015: A song you sing for sure during Karaoke? C&K – Mikan Heart 016: Which is the most memorable YouTube video? What else do you want to try? When we decided the fan name 017: What makes you feel safe if you have it? My mobile phone 018: How does your family call you? Katsunari 019: How do your friends call you? Katsu, Katsunari (in Hiragana) 020: What’s your lock screen? OWV’s logo 021: How long do you sleep? About 8 hours 022: Speaking of café menus? Coffee 023: Speaking of home cooking? Miso soup 024: A hairstyle you want to try? Or a hair colour? I would like to grow them until the shoulders, cut the sides short and braid 025: Do you easily gain weight or is it hard for you? Recently, I gain weight easily 026: If you compared yourself to a thing? Seasoning to adjust the taste 027: A colour that fits you? Also, a colour that doesn’t fit you? Colours that fit to me are black and red, and colours that don’t fit to me are white and other light colours 028: Are you better with hot or cold weather? Cold!! 029: Your taste in interior design of your home? White and grey, my interior is all low 030: Your favourite spot at home? Toilet (I like narrow places) 031: Do you have a lot of luggage? Or only a bit? A bit 032: Your favourite manga? “Fullmetal Alchemist” “DEATH NOTE” 033: Your favourite book? An elephant that fulfils a dream (by Mizuno Keiya) 034: Your favourite movie? Ironman 035: Your favourite drama? Stranger Things 036: If you suddenly had tomorrow off, what would you do? Soak in the bath and watch YouTube 037: Your speaking habit? Egu (means something like awesome in slang or nasty in spoken language) 038: Your ideal image of an adult man? Someone who is a gentleman and kind 039: An actor you admire? Mizushima Hiro 040: Your type? Someone with good manners and kind 041: What’s your image of meeting your lover? In the same classroom 042: What kind of scent would you like your lover to use? Something that smells like fabric softener 043: Do you want to spoil your lover? Or to be spoiled by them? Be spoiled by them 044: How do you appeal to the person you like? Faithfully staying in contact 045: Do you believe in love at the first sight? I think I do! 046: When were you the most popular (with the other gender)? Now, I think? -laughs- 047: Are you someone jealous? Or not? I’m jealous when I’m jealous and I’m not jealous when I’m not jealous –laughs- 048: What do you do when you are heartbroken? Driving while listening to my favourite songs 049: What is the ideal fashion of your lover? To be honest everything is fine as long as it fits to them 050: What is the ideal hairstyle of your lover? Everything is fine if it fits to them 051: What is your ideal way of proposing and in which situation? I haven’t imagined that yet, but somewhere with a pretty scenery or a pretty night scenery? 052: Your ideal image of a family? Spending a long time with my family. My wife and me helping each other (a family like my parents!) 053: What would you like for your lover to cook for you? Difficult! Curry! -laughs- 054: What was your strong subject back in school? Japanese, English 055: What was your weak subject back in school? absolutely math 056: Your motto? An unsung hero 057: Something you value? Thankfulness, respect 058: What do you want to do the most right now? Private – travel overseas, as OWV – a LIVE 059: What do you think you will do in 10 years? I want to laugh with everyone 060: Do you act superstitiously? If yes, what do you do? I’m not acting that superstitiously, but if there is something, I’m going to a shrine 061: Your favourite Sushi ingredient? shellfish 062: Which kind of ramen do you like? Shoyu 063: Please tell us your blood type with adjectives? Careless A type 064: Something other than singing or dancing you want to improve? Writing songs and aesthetic sense 065: A drink you always buy? Coffee 066: How much do you spend each month on beauty items? It depends, but about 4000-5000 yen? 067: Is there a must have beauty item? Which is it? There isn’t anything special, but I guess it’s face masks 068: A beauty item you always carry with you? Nothing –laughs- 069: Please tell us how you train your body? Muscle training, I can do myself (something like push ups) 070: If you compared each member to a family? Honda-kun -> mom, Fumiya -> little sister, Shuta –> little brother 071: What is your position inside the group? What could it be? -laughs- 072: Is there something you don’t lose to the other members? The length of my eyelashes –laughs- 073: What do you want to challenge with all OWV members? Sports! 074: Do you celebrate your birthday with the members? Did you get gifts? It’s a must! -laughs- It wasn’t my turn yet 075: What do you like about Kosuke? What do you want him to change? No matter what he’s serious. that he tries to lose weight immediately 076: What do you like about Shuta? What do you want him to change? That he is always bright. that he is too detailed –laughs-! 077: What do you like about Fumiya? What do you want him to change? That he’s really considering. that he throws silly jokes at me that are too hard to respond too -laughs- 078: Please tell us something common among the members? When someone does something silly, everyone’s silliness comes out 079: To what would you compare the members’ love? quadruplets (a group of people bound together by a common destiny) 080: An episode that made the members inexpertly laugh? I can’t remember any episode because we always laugh too much –laughs- 081: Please tell us about one time when a member sent you a message? Honda-kun sent me suddenly a picture of “choco eggs” (a Japanese candy which often features popular characters) and I ended up collecting those characters –laughs- 082: Please tell us who is NO.1 of ___ among the members? Honda-kun -> NO.1 of chivalry, Fumiya -> NO.1 of competitiveness, Shuta -> NO.1 of nimbleness 083: Have you fought with the members? Hasn’t really happened 084: Who is the most passionate one of the members? Honda-kun 085: What would you do now if there was no OWV? Office worker, I think? 086: A habit that you often end up doing? Combing my hair upwards 087: What is the first impression that other people often tell you? I seem scary and cool 088: What is your lucky number? 3? 089: Your favourite season? Fall, winter 090: A country you would like to visit? London in Great Britain 091: A prefecture you would like to visit? Fukuoka 092: A celebrity you would like to meet Robert Downy Jr. 093: If you could use magic, what would you do? Magic that could bring me to my favourite place would be nice 094: If you compared yourself to a colour? Black 095: Something you want to insist on? Health first 096: The thing you dislike the most in this world? Bugs 097: Your future dream? Being a cool artist 098: What is something OWV doesn’t lose to other groups? Getting along, unhidden individuality 099: If you could go out alone with QWV, what would you do? Café, drive 100: Something you want to promise to QWV? That we will deliver a good time
No comments:
Post a Comment