[JO1] Sunday Post 211219

Why did they wear each other's can badges at Open The Door?

Their first impression of each other

Letters they made for the program:

To the JAM who always support us,

How are you? Did you eat well? Are you not sick?
Thank you so much for always caring and looking out for me. Thanks to JAM, me and the members can enjoy our activities.
It’s been a while since I wrote a letter like this and it’s a little embarrassing, but when I write in my own handwriting, I feel like I'm more in touch with my feelings, or that I'm trying to deliver them properly, so I, the one who wrote it, is also happy. Because one who receives this will surely be happy, too, so I’m waiting for your reply. I’m writing this letter at an enjoyable schedule, but that I can write a letter at such an enjoyable schedule is thanks to you who always cheers for me. The members often say this, too, and we all feel that we can’t thank you enough. But we have a lot of gratitude and want to give back, so let me deliver that to you. Please continue to be at my side. Love you.

From Kawashiri Ren

How are you doing?
The winter has come and it is the season when the cold settles into your body. I feel some sadness seeing the leaves fall from the elegant trees. In the midst of this, I suddenly had a thought. It was when I was driving on the highway. When I opened the window and let the wind blow, I happened to see a magnificent building. At this moment I was deeply moved by the fact that we humans build that.
It might be something obvious, but the roads we walk on, the houses we live in, the buildings we look up to, everything was made by humans. I realized that we should not forget that our lives are made possible by someone else while we go on with our daily lives without thinking about anything.
I’m so thankful to the people who work outside even while I’m sleeping. Thank you very much.
In one’s life there might be more dreadful things, but I’m hoping that everyone can spend each day happily and joyfully. I will introduce you to something that might relax your heart a bit.
It’s the single “WANDERING” that was released on December 15. There are a lot of songs that are perfect for this season, so please listen to it if you like to. Please continue to support us. Please take care of yourself.

Kawanishi Takumi

https://www.tfm.co.jp/post/index.php?catid=3595&itemid=183828

This time Kawashiri Ren and Kawanishi Takumi came to visit us. It was the first visit of JO1 since September 2020 when Kono Junki and Kimata Syoya visited us.

Uga: I think your year was busy, so what kind of year was it for JO1?
Ren: We did new jobs and were able to have various experiences… When we are active, we don’t know what is going on, the time just passes, but when looking back now, I think it might have been a year of growth for us, with only useful things happening.

Koyama: Based on this, how would you express this year in one word?
Ren:… Can I have 2 weeks (to think about this)?
Koyama & Uga: (laugh)
Takumi: For me it’s “eye”. The “eye”, just like the eye of a Taifun. Because it was a year that was spent as if we were in the eye of a taifun.
Koyama: Not the “台” (podium) of the Taifun, but the eye, right?
Ren: For me it’s “meeting”. In November we had our first live performances with audiences and it was the first time since we made our debut that we were able to directly meet JAM on stage. This was very memorable.

Uga: Right when you made your debut Covid came… like this right?
Ren: Our activities started with our debut single release event being cancelled.
Uga: It’s the thing you longed for, isn’t it? How was it? To meet (the fans) for real?
Ren: It was a lot of fun.
Takumi: It was fun. We sang and there were also the fans who cried. I was deeply moved.
Koyama: Not meeting you must have felt long for JAM, too.

Uga: The theme of this show is sending letters. Before today, we started to collect those, saying “please write a letter for these two.” Well… this much has come.
Ren & Takumi: eh!
Takumi: That’s a lot!
Uga: There was a deadline, but until now 328 ones have arrived.
Ren & Takumi: Thank you very much.

Uga: We have those, so please choose one and introduce it to us.
Koyama: Quite a lot of express letters have come, too.
Takumi: This one is cute! ‘I’m often fighting with my little sister. Do JO1 fight too? How do you reconcile afterwards? Tsubasa, 7 years old’
Uga: A 7 year old boy! His drawing is also very good!
Takumi: Thank you.

Uga: How is it? Do you fight?
Ren: After all there are conflicting opinions regarding our performances and we voice our opinions which don't go as far as fighting, but there are some.
Koyama: How do you reconcile and solve it?
Takumi: Rather than reconciling we don’t let it become bad. Because actually we say “isn’t this better?” “Isn’t that better?” in order to improve each other. We try to focus only on our good points… because it won’t get worse.
Koyama: So it’s a mutual agreement on the spot?
Uga: It’s like a debate, fighting with your opinions.
Ren: That’s right!
Takumi: From this point on I will try to conclude it. It’s important to not drag it out. But it might be difficult for the 7 year old Tsubasa-kun… (laughs)

Uga: Please share your message for Tsubasa-kun.
Takumi: I have an older brother. We used to fight, too, back then. It’s something normal I guess. But since it’s your little sister, please be kind to her.

During the broadcast Kawashiri-san and Kawanishi-san read a lot of letters. In the letters there were questions such as “Why did you wear each other’s can badges on your encore outfit at OPEN THE DOOR?” or “How do you keep your motivation during hard times?”.

Uga: Today you received a lot of letters, but until now which was the most memorable letter that you wrote or received?
Takumi: I played baseball from elementary to high school, but before my last match in high school I received my first letter from my father. “Thank you so much for the fun you have given me until now.” This letter made me really happy.
Koyama: Oh! Did you win the match?
Takumi: I lost!

Uga: How about you, Kawashiri-san?
Ren: In my case, I got a letter from Santa when I was in elementary school. We were 4 boys, and on Christmas Eve together with my mother we decided “Let’s bake cookies for Santa!” and made those. Santa could eat them when he brought the gifts. When I woke up the next day, Santa had eaten them and left a letter. In this letter he wrote “Look for___!” and we looked (for the gifts) at a lot of places and it was an entertaining Santa who came. This is something I still remember vividly.
Koyama: What was the gift?

Ren: The toy I wanted to have back then.
Uga: What a nice story.

Furthermore, Kawashiri-san and Kawanishi-san wrote a letter, addressed to “the person you want to write to right now”. Kawashiri-san wrote “to JAM who always support us” and Kawanishi-san “to the people who build buildings”… It was a letter filled with gratitude to people working.

Koyama: I expected that you two would surely write a love letter to each other (laughs)
Takumi: This would be a little embarrassing, so I couldn’t do it (laughs).
Koyama: But what you have in common is gratitude. I felt that you both always do your work while being thankful to everyone.

Uga: Do you have a goal or an ambition for next year?
Ren: The lives in November were originally planned as a tour, but due to the influence of covid we were only able to perform in Tokyo. We are thankful for this, but this is one frustrating thing, so in order to be able to see all the JAM who support us from afar, we are working hard to do so.
Takumi: I think I will be the happiest if I could spend the year happily and healthily without any injuries or illness.
Koyama: Out of the 11 JO1 members, 4 members have come so far. I hope the other 7 members will visit, too.