[JO1] Girls Giants 220308

Okamoto Kazuma x JO1’s Kawanishi Takumi & Mamehara Issei
Finally the crosstalk between our athlete Okamoto and the two JO1 members with baseball experience, Kawanishi Takumi and Mamehara Issei, becomes reality!
How did their connection, born from Okamoto using Mugendai (INFINITY) as his entry song, evolve?
They will talk about various topics from baseball to each other’s jobs!
TN: This interview is from a fan magazine of the Yomiuri Giants, a baseball team from Toyko, their home stadium is the Tokyo Dome

Profiles
Okamoto Kazuma
Born 1996.6.30 from the prefecture Nara.
Last season he got the double crown for his home runs and runs batted in.
He is the 4th batter with the number 89.
TN: Double crown means in Okamoto’s case that he got the most home runs and runs batted in in the season. The highest achievement would be the triple crown for which Okamoto would also need the highest batting average.

Kawanishi Takumi, born 1999.6.23, from the prefecture Hyogo.
Mamehara Issei, born 2002.5.30, from the prefecture Okayama.
They are members of JO1 , an 11 member global boys group born from the survival audition program PRODUCE 101 JAPAN. Both of them played baseball in their childhood and Kawanishi-san used to be the main character of “Hochi Kokoyakyu”.

How did Okamoto get to know about JO1?

Okamoto: This is the first time that I met Kawanishi-san since meeting in the Tokyo Dome last year (14th August 2020).
Takumi: Back then we did not have much time, so I was really looking forward to being able to talk with you like this again.
Okamoto: I am also glad that we could meet again.

Issei: I have something I would like to ask you first. Where did you get to know about JO1?
Okamoto: My cousin lives in Nara and worked at the same part time job as Kono Junki-san.
Takumi & Issei: eh?!?
Okamoto: My wife knew about this and I watched you two since the audition.
Issei: So you know us since that phase!
Okamoto: I was also one of the first to use this song as my entry song (laughs)

Takumi: Right, it was right after the release, wasn’t it?
Okamoto: I am proud that I was able to contribute (to make you more known) in some small way (laughs).
Issei: The influence of you using it as your entry song has been amazing!
Okamoto: No no, it was nothing… But I hoped it would be a chance for visitors in the stadium to get curious, wondering “What is this song?” and to look up JO1.
Takumi: We got to know that you use Mugendai (INFINITY) via SNS, which made us surprised and very happy.

Issei: We were also very thankful that in 2021 you used “Born To Be Wild” as your entry song.
Okamoto: I’m in the middle of selecting what I am going to use this year.
Takumi & Issei: Wow!

Okamoto: Also, the signature pose you taught me that day (which he showed after his homerun against Hanshin on 19th August 2020) was used for the Giants calendar for 2021, which I sent home, but it stands out quite a bit (laughs)
Takumi: I remember how excited I was when I saw it in the sports newspaper the next day, thinking ‘He has really done it…!’
Issei: It became such a hot topic among the members, too!

Takumi: I have a question next. With matches every day, what do you think about when you get into the batter’s box?
Okamoto: When I am in a good form, I straight up go into the box without thinking about anything, but when I’m in a bad form, a lot of negative things swirl in my mind. But I pretend that I am not thinking of anything (laughs). Well, basically I try to be free from any thought, at least in terms of the timing.
Takumi: When I watch your matches, I never noticed you having negative thoughts, so this is really amazing!
Okamoto: However for me, it’s more amazing to perform in front of a large audience. Of course, I believe it is part of the job, but I am shy, so I was embarrassed about the signature post (being featured like this) and to be part of such a hero interview (laughs)
Takumi: I might perform on stage free of thoughts, too. But there are a lot of shy people in JO1, so while we might enjoy ourselves on stage, we end up being quite nervous when we talk like this here.. (laughs)
TN: In fact the Japanese Pro Baseball teams have matches on every day of the week, with only Monday as their off day.

Issei: I have a question. Is there a routine you always do before a match?
Okamoto: I am not sure whether this is a routine, but I will eat the same thing at the same place until I am unable to hit the ball and since I’m washing it every day I wear the same clothes and use the same perfume.
Issei: You are quite fixed to the detail!
Okamoto: If I can not hit for two days straight, I will change my bat and my batting gloves to new ones and I think I rather do this out of superstition than as a routine.
Takumi: Did this just happen naturally?
Okamoto: I think so. Like yesterday I was able to hit, so today will be the same. Because I am also settled on the place where I shower, I wait for the other players to come out in case they use it.
Takumi & Issei: Eh?!

Okamoto: Do you two have a routine, too?
Issei: Before going on stage I let my lips tremble while voicing something and do some stretching, but there is nothing I keep in mind as my routine…
Takumi: I think depending on the members there are some, but I do not think I have one. But since I am here maybe I should create one… (laughs)
Okamoto: To be honest, it’s actually better not to have one (laughs)

Takumi: Is there something that makes you feel nervous in the season?
Okamoto: I am nervous in every match until the first bat has ended.
Takumi: Oh really?
Okamoto: But once the first bat is over, it is becoming easier. I always end up wondering “Will I be able to hit the ball today?” before every match.
Issei: Just thinking I would stand in the battling box of the Tokyo Dome makes me scared already…
Okamoto: But are you not more nervous at a live concert? To exaggerate it, if I make a mistake I can make up for it on the spot, but at a concert you have only one chance so you can not make a mistake, right?
Takumi: I think it is nothing compared to the scenario where your hit determines the win.
Okamoto: No, it is absolutely different (laughs)

Issei: I think you had a lot of hard times so far, but when was the hardest time in your baseball career?
Okamoto: Physically, I guess it was in high school. Mentally, it was hard until I joined the pros and established myself in the first team. I always thought about things like how I can strike the ball the best.

Issei: How did you overcome these hard times?
Okamoto: I thought about it quite a lot, but it just happened. There is something Maru-san often told me. It’s “the laws of the balance in human life“. It means because there are bad times in life, there will be good times, too. Since he told me this, I was able to put more effort into practise thinking that even if it is bad now, something good is waiting ahead.
Issei: We also had hard times during our activities, but I want to work hard from now on remembering the “the laws of the balance in human life”!
Okamoto: It’s because you can not always do well. I am becoming more and more responsible, so I feel that I have to produce good results in every match, but I also know that there will be a tomorrow even if I don’t hit.
TN: Maru - Maru Yoshihiro, an outfielder from the Yomiuri Giants

Takumi: What is the hardest thing for you?
Okamoto: I actually wanted to ask you this, but when we (baseball players) walk through the city, people will rarely call for us, but I imagine that if you two did so there would be an uproar? You can not do things like shopping in private, right? (laughs)
Takumi: I barely… go shopping (laughs)
Okamoto: I was always curious about JO1’s shopping situation (laughs)

Issei: I am also curious about your shopping situation, so is there anything you buy yourself as a reward for working hard?
Okamoto: The year before last year I bought a car.
Takumi & Issei: oh!!
Okamoto: It's normally that “If I manage to hit that much, I will buy this.” On the contrary, did you get something as your reward for JO1’s first lives with an audience?
Issei: Before the live we held back, so afterwards we ate a lot (laughs)

Takumi: By the way, how do you spend your free days?
Okamoto: I often relax at home since I do not really go out much.

Takumi: What do you do at home?
Okamoto: For a time I got really into Korean dramas and watched a lot on Netflix or Amazon Prime, but it made me go to bed quite late..

Issei: So in the season break you do not go out much?
Okamoto: In the break I often go to play golf. Do you two play golf?
Issei: We went to a driving range once.
Takumi: I went to a golf course with Choi CEO for the first time some time ago.
Okamoto: Oh! I want to play with you once.
Issei: Sure! Please do so!
Takumi: Ah, I guess I have to practice… (laughs)

Okamoto: Do other members play golf, too?
Issei: I went together with Keigo-kun to the driving range. But…
Takumi: He seems not so good… (laughs)
Okamoto: Well, you two are former baseball players so.. (laughs)

Takumi: One final question from me, I would like to know what are your goals for the future now that you have made it this far?
Okamoto: I think I still have a lot to do, and this is because I’m not satisfied at all with my results this year.
Takumi: Besides the crowns for home runs and runs batted in…
Okamoto: Also, I have not experienced becoming the number one in Japan yet, so I want to become the number one of the country. When I saw how Yakult defeat Orix in the Nippon Series, I wondered how this view would look for me.I want to do my best to experience this.
Takumi & Issei: We are cheering for you!
Okamoto: And I am cheering for JO1!
TN: Yakult - Tokyo Yakult Swallows - another team from Tokyo, their home stadium is the Meiji-Jingu-Stadium
Orix - Orix Buffaloes - a team from Osaka, their home stadium is the Osaka Dome
Nippon Series - the finals of the japanese baseball league, between the teams of the Central League (of which the Yomiuri Giants and the Tokyo Yakult Swallows are a part of) and the Pacific League (of which Orix Buffaloes are part of)
Random fun fact: the Yomiuri Giants were in the final in 2019 and 2020 and lost both times 0:4 to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks

Talking about their love for baseball!
We asked the two former high school baseball players plenty about their school memories! Also more stories related to the Giants such as their thoughts on the cross talk with Okamoto or players who are attention worthy.

Checking their ways to switch their attitude and their routine

I think it was the first time that you met Okamoto, Mamehara-san, so what was your first impression of him?
Issei: At first, I had a strong first impression on how huge he was. That’s how professional baseball players look, such as the height or the thickness of their muscles, and more than anything I thought he was so cool. He was very friendly when we talked to him, so I’m impressed.

For you, Kawanishi-san, it was the first meeting after about a year, so what do you think?
Takumi: We could talk more than last time, which makes me really happy. He even explained to me which equipment he uses!

What are the most memorable words for you from the crosstalk with Okamoto?
Issei: After all, it’s “the laws of the balance in human life”. Okamoto, who was taught this by Maru, values those words, too, and I think the importance of such human connections is wonderful . I hope that I grow to be able to use such a change of attitude too.
Takumi: When I asked him about his routine I was surprised to hear that he has a lot. I think this is because there is a match every day, but I wished I had something like that, too (laughs)

Please tell us about a memory in relation to the Giants.
Takumi: Because my father is a Giants fan, I often watched their matches on TV when I was an elementary school student. I’m not sure whether I remember it correctly, but there was a match when the Giants were behind, but unfolding from there, fiercely attacked and gradually turned the score around. In the end they lost, but watching this match made me realize what a cool team they are and I started to support them.
Issei: Since I’m from Okayama I was a fan of the Hiroshima Carps, but my impression was that the Giants were always a strong team. The orange towels were also intimidating (laughs) Also, I was also a catcher for a time, so I respect Abe Shinnosuke a lot. I remember how I copied the way he put his catcher mask on his head when he took it off (laughs)

Are there any Giants players you are paying special attention to?
Issei: I might be a fan of the Carps, but after talking to Okamoto I can’t help but wanting to support him.

Is there any other athlete you are paying attention to, Kawanishi-san?
Takumi: For me it’s Sakamoto Hayato. He has been appointed as a captain this year again and I’m looking forward to seeing him leading the Giants.

How was the shooting at the Giants training field today?
Takumi: I was really excited to be able to walk on the field, which is so wide and beautiful.
Issei: I saw how the lawn was replaced for the first time, which surprised me.

You hardly have time to watch the matches, right? Was it the first time that you stepped on a field on which professional baseball players play?
Issei: It was the first time for me.
Takumi: I was able to play on the field of the Hotto Motto Field in Kobe during my high school years once.

Do you remember the first time you played baseball?
Takumi: My father used to play and in the beginning we just played around. During my first year of elementary school I joined a club team.
TN: Club team = not a team of a school club, but one unconnected to a school.

Which position did you have?
Takumi; Because I was still young, I played all kinds of positions, but gradually my main positions became shortstop and pitcher.

How about you, Mamehara-san?
Issei: In elementary school I did a lot of sports such as soccer or basketball, but watching baseball made it seem interesting, so I asked my parents to enroll me in a team. In my third year of elementary school I stopped for a time, but I joined the baseball club again in my first year of middle school. I continued to play until high school.

Earlier you mentioned that you have experience as a catcher, but when did you start playing as one?
Issei: Initially I was not a catcher but often protected the outer field. In middle school the student who always played the catcher got injured and there was no one willing to take over the position. I was interested, hence I told the coach “I want to try it”.

Did you two have the chance to play after you retired from your clubs?
Issei: Not all all.
Takumi: Same for me.
Issei: Just for one project we could play a bit.
TN: This was during an episode of Stargather TV
Takumi: I did some practice swings in front of Okamoto today, which was like playing again for a moment, but I have become quite weak.
Issei: I already became weak after not practicing with the club in the test period, but now I didn’t practise for two years, so my movements were even worse than I expected them.
Takumi: But seeing the field like today makes me want to play again.
Issei: If we happen to see a field, we have such an urge.

What kind of practice would you like to do? Most likely batting, right?
Takumi: I would like to hit balls to practise fielding.
Issei: Me too.

As expected seeing baseball close up makes the former baseball players excited. Please tell us about a memorable episode from the time when you still played.
Takumi: I remember running a lot (laughs)

Going for long runs is the norm, isn’t it? By the way, which kind of running program did you have?
Takumi: We ran about 10 kilometers at the riverbed near the school. We used to run there pretty much every day. Also the training to build up a high power level has been gruesome.
Issei: A gruesome episode also comes into my mind.. Every winter, the standard training was the circuit program and I hated that so much (laughs)
Takumi: Oh yes that’s so awful (laughs)
Issei: I was happy to touch the ball in Spring again.

Do you want to share some memory from a match or from your own play?
Takumi: I protected the center after entering high school, but the batted ball flew over the one before me and I made a sliding catch.

That’s how an outer fielder shows off! Such a cool play.
Takumi: But when I caught it, my glove got off and I broke my hand. But it was close to a tournament, so I ignored that and I took part in the match the next day, too.

What a painful episode!
Issei: I have nothing but painful memories… (laughs)

So far we didn’t get even one happy memory.. (laughs)
Issei: Of course baseball is a great sport but… (laughs) It’s a story from a test match before a summer tournament. I was a left hander, and the ball pulled came flying low in front of the light. It was quite far at the time, so I assumed it would strike out like this, so I made the quick decision to head slide. When I did so, the index finger of my left hand hit the base. When it was the next turn to defend, putting on the glove hurt too much, hence I went to the hospital in the middle of the match. There I was told that it was broken.

No way another story of broken bones…!?
Takumi: The stories overlapped unexpectedly (laughs)
Issei: The broken bones did (laughs) My hitting condition was quite good back then, so I was quite down that I couldn’t participate
Takumi: It’s easier to get injured when your condition is good, isn’t it?

I believe that you can make use of a lot of baseball related experiences in your current activities, but do you think you are glad that you used to play baseball?
Issei: I think so… I naturally take off my hat.

I expected some good stories or some trivia from your baseball club….? (laughs)
Issei: I often wear a hat, but I automatically take it off when a meeting starts for example, which makes me glad that I was part of the baseball club (laughs)

This makes sense! Sport clubs make you naturally acquire good manners! How about you, Kawanishi-san?
Takumi: Even after retiring from the baseball club, I get such valuable opportunities to engage with baseball again, so I’m glad that I used to play it.
Issei: I was really happy to be able to talk with Okamoto.

It would be great if once Corona has settled down more, you could watch a match in the stadium with all members together, right?
Issei: I want to watch one in the Tokyo Dome.

It would be nice to see Okamoto’s signature pose after a homerun in person, right?
Takumi: And, I would like to make the first pitch one day!
Issei: Please! (laughs)
Takumi: We also have to work harder for this to happen.
Issei: I also want to make the first pitch, and I hope that we can have a live show at the Tokyo Dome one day!
Takumi: We are going to do our best!