[JO1] Nippon Housou News Online 230126

https://news.1242.com/article/411978

JO1‘s Ohira Shosei - Upon seeing the room of the “not letting anyone into his room”-type Shiroiwa Ruki “It might get your hopes up, but Ruki-kun’s room is…”

On the night of the 11th January (Wednesday), the radio program “JO1’s All Night Nippon X” (every Wednesday from 24:00~24:58 on Nippon Housou) aired of which Shiroiwa Ruki from the 11 member global boy group, JO1, acts as the main personality. As the weekly changing personalities Ohira Shosei and Kinjo Sukai appeared in this episode. They talked about the reason why Shiroiwa is the type not to let anyone into his room, and stories of having fun at the other members’ places.

Ruki: Not too long ago when I came home from practice, right in front of my door Sho-kun and Ren-kun were standing.

Sukai: !?

Ruki: I was surprised to see them standing there! When I asked them “What are you doing here!?”, they said “Because today you will surely let us into your room!” and laughed, they seemed to have waited for quite some time.

Sukai: They waited for you to come out*?
TN: Sukai used the term “出待ち“ (demachi) which is the practise of waiting at the exit to wait for the performers/celebrity to exit and is generally forbidden in Japan. Just like 入り待ち＝waiting for the celebrity to arrive. Hence, we have those ticket numbers or assigned seats and not hours of queuing like in other countries.

Ruki: What surprised me was that they wanted to get into my room so much.

Sukai: But did they…?

Ruki: No (laughs)

Shosei: Wow! (Laughs)

Ruki: And then without any complaints they left. They said “It’s impossible” and “Got it” and just went to their rooms. No one of the members has entered my place so far… No, someone did! Shosei, you came over to play games, right?

Shosei: Ah yes, I did! We played Mario Kart!

Sukai: I think… I might be the only one who was told by Ruki-kun “Come over to my place”.

Ruki: Eh? When?

Sukai: When you came to my place, you said something like “All I need is a dining table now”, and I said “Please let me into your room next time”, you answered something like “Fine. Once I find a dining table, come over”.

Ruki:… Eh, I don’t remember this at all. But lately, my feelings have changed. I don’t mind letting you into my room.

Sukai: Ah, you said it!

Ruki: Why is it like I’m doing something really bad by not letting anyone in?

Shosei: No, from the other members’ point of view, being able to enter might be something extraordinary like a “flower on top of the mountain” (=something unattainable).

Ruki: A flower, you like them! (Laughs) You associate everything with “flowers”!

Shosei: Ahahaha (laughs).

Ruki: I wonder “Why do they want to enter so much?”. “Are they that curious?” That’s the simple reason. So if you say it so much, I don’t mind at all.

Shiroiwa, who is the type not to let others enter his place, recently changed his mind in light of the members requesting to go to his place.

Ohira, who had been to Shiroiwa’s place before, revealed “I might get your hopes up, but Ruki-kun’s place is really stylish”, to which Shiroiwa replied “Shosei’s room is nothing but flowers". The flower loving Ohira decorated his room with so many flowers that he could open a flower shop and furthermore, he decorated his walls with his own flower paintings. When Shiroiwa exposed his flower-filled room, Ohira laughingly commented in a self-deprecating way “I am a flower idiot… (laughs)”.

[OWV] Shinobi’s, room. 221102

Source: https://youtu.be/Qd07b9H7Hj0

[JO1] Shinobi’s, room. 230125

Source: https://youtu.be/kC7JRlP6iz0

[JO1] Oricon 230125

https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2265348/full/

[ANN 55th Anniversary series Vol.9] JO1’s Shiroiwa Ruki’s “love for the members’ - His experience as personality “broadens my scope”

1 AM on the night of the 2nd October 1967. “When you dance and I sing, a new era of the night is born. Music replaces the sun, dreams replace the blue sky. All Night Nippon, leading you to a fresh night!” - Those first words by Itoi Gorou opened “All Night Nippon” (ANN), Nippon Broadcasting System’s “synonym for a late night radio show”. Until the present day, “ANN” has discovered a number of talented personalities, stayed close to its listeners, always looked out for the latest trends, and presented popular topics and culture, and now it celebrates its 55th anniversary starting April this year.

ORICON NEWS has started a series to introduce the current “ANN” programs by focusing on one personality every month. The second and third installment of the 9th part of the series will feature an interview with Shiroiwa Ruki, who is the main personality of “JO1’s All Night Nippon X” (every Wednesday at 0:00), which started in April this year.

TN: Since both articles feature an interview with Ruki and were released on the same day, I decided to upload them together.

In the 9 months since the start the radio became “a part of his life” - His ideal style is “if we can do it casually, it’s the best”

9 months have passed since the start and it seems that for Shiroiwa the radio became a full part of his life.
“In the beginning there was so much adrenaline in me and even after reaching the bed I was unable to sleep until 5 or 6 am, but in the middle of it I pretty much got used to it and after taking a bath and other things I became able to sleep afterwards. I’ve established a weekly routine by now, so even when it’s pre-recorded and not a live broadcast, I sometimes end up staying awake despite being able to sleep (laughs). I get nervous thinking ‘Ah, damn, the broadcast!’. At such times I watch ‘smash.’ (a vertical video app), but honestly it’s so embarrassing. I still feel that my voice sounds strange while talking and during the recording I don’t notice this, but especially when watching the aftertalk I sometimes realize that ‘I was hyper I talked that much’. I usually watch it thinking ‘What did I tell them?’, so I probably enjoy it as much as their fans. It’s even funny when I watch it myself (laughs).”

Especially because he was entrusted with such a long running program as “ANN”, and also because he has the role as the main personality, it seems that although he is talking to the members he knows well, there is a part of him that unconsciously switches between the program and daily life.
He says “I only realized this recently, but while I usually don’t use honorifics, in the program I use those with the younger members too. The usual is fine when it is directed to JAM, or rather there are a lot of contents for them, but ANNX can be opened and watched by everyone, right? And since me and JAM know the characters of each member and understand ‘It’s funny when he teases there’, but if I keep in mind to ‘Make also first time listeners understand it’, ‘don’t let it become too much of an insider talk’, I ended up using the honorifics.”

The talk went on about what he considers to be the “ideal form” of the program.

“Actually, I want to do it like ‘And next is this!’ or ‘Yeah, here we go again!’ (Laughs), but I tend to be stiff in making progress or correcting the course. That is the right way to do it, but I wish to be more playful (laughs), and I think it would be best to do it casually, as if we were just sitting on a chair and starting to talk. However, we made our debut only 3 years ago and we are still inexperienced, so it’s hard to do it in that way, or rather I think a lot about it such as there might be parts that are better to be protected. Yet I want to try to engage into little battles with the listeners, or be a calm adult and say ‘Well, here we go again today’ (in a nice, low-tone voice) (laughs).

Not failing to collect stories - High hopes for connections that transcends the program

Of course, he also makes sure to be considerate to the members and the fans. “I appear on the show every week, but the other members appear randomly and less often, so I want them to talk a lot, and I want to have a talk that makes JAM happy. Well, I have no idea whether we manage to do so (laughs). Thus, I often try to remember what the members have said to me during schedules or practice throughout the week, and I listen to what they say to have stories to talk about on the radio. I have always been the type of person who objectively takes a step back, but I guess this has become more often since the radio started.”

Shiroiwa, who never had the habit of listening to the radio, has made a change in terms of how he sees radio and how he values it by being entrusted with this show.
“When we were approached for the program, I felt that our role as personalities would be to reintroduce the younger generation to radio and make them listen to it. When I actually tried it out, it was really fun and a staff member who likes radio taught me (various things about it) and I started listening to the radio programs of comedians such as Kirin’s Kawashima (Akita)-san’s ‘Kawashima no negoto’. I always liked listening to the stories and talks of comedians, so now I listen to them as a textbook and role model, too, and I also realized the virtues of the radio. I feel that starting this program has broadened my horizon, so I think it is something really great.”

One of the charms of ANN are the connections and interactions that transcend the boundaries of the program. He told us about the personalities he would like to collaborate with in the future.
“When I meet EXIT-san, Ryokuoushoku Shakai-san or Creepy Nuts-san at music shows, they talk about the radio and thanks to this show the scope of my interactions has expanded. I even heard that EXIT-san has let some members visit their homes and they had fun playing games together, so I think I could hear from them about a side of the members that I don’t know. I would also simply like to talk with OWV, who auditioned together with us. They are hilarious. If we appear together, JAM often say ‘OWV’s talks are so funny’, which makes me jealous. However, no matter who will come, I believe I can surely learn from them and everyone will enjoy it!”

https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2265354/full/

Experiencing the real thrill of being able to talk on a “live broadcast” - “I’m really glad about it”

“I wish the members had a sense of crisis (laughs)” - A talk full of love for the staff

There is something that Shiroiwa, who is the main personality, feels after some talks with the members.
“I was suddenly told that I would be the main personality of this show, but I was really surprised about it since I didn’t believe I was good at talking or that I had any talking skills. Hence, I want everyone to have the sense of crisis that they could (suddenly) become the main personality (laughs). I don’t know how long I will be doing it and there is the possibility that another member might take over (eventually). I often have this talk with Keigo before the show, like ‘It might be you doing it.’ ‘No way it would be me.’, so he would be completely caught off guard (laughs). I also enjoy each episode and think of it as something to learn from, but I want the others to think of their appearance as a practice and bring their own stories and think about how they would handle it (laughs).
*For the broadcast of “JO1’s All Night Nippon X” on 18th January, Sato Keigo took over the role of the main personality as Shiroiwa Ruki paused due to poor health.

During the press conference for the appointment of the personalities, Shiroiwa said “We are a group with a surprising amount of blunders”. He told us with a sly smile that something like that has not happened so far.
“Miraculously, nothing happened on live broadcast and everything went well, but surprisingly there are some things that are cut from the pre-recordings. Maybe because those are pre-recorded I tend to be looser than usual, but this is dangerous, isn’t it? (Laughs). A little information is that they are actually cutting it well (laughs).”

We asked him about a memorable episode from all those unique talks as each time there is a different unit joining.
“It was a recording in South Korea, the one where Keigo and Junki came. In Korea we basically recorded two episodes in one go, and sometimes I couldn’t think straight and the members helped me then, but since it was these two who showed up, I honestly thought ‘Oh damn’ in the beginning and I was scared. But then Keigo talked about a quote from a manga he liked and Junki also talked about a memorable quote he had recently heard, so the content was surprisingly fine (laughs) and it was over in no time and I enjoyed it.”

There are of course the members who work hard with him and the fans who send emails, and for Shiroiwa there is also reassuring support in the presence of the staff such as the director, Kaneko Tsukasa, and the broadcast writer, Nishikido Hideo.
“Kaneko-san is really funny. People say that I often choose old songs, or songs from previous generations, but Kaneko-san and I have the same taste in music, so we talk about it a lot. He likes to talk a lot and he looks especially happy when talking to me (laughs). Since I was a child, I wanted to make people happy and make them laugh, and I remember how happy I was when someone laughed at something I did, so when I see Kaneko-san looking happy, I think ‘I’m feeling truly alive now’ (laughs).”

He further shared his feelings.

“We end up talking until just right before the broadcast, so I would like to go out and eat something together and talk more. In comparison, Nishikido-san doesn’t talk to me at all! He only talks when we take the pictures for SNS. But I know he smiles widely when he listens to me and Kaneko-san talking, so I hope to open up Nishikido-san next (laughs). I think it is really thanks to everyone who supports us in the back that we created an environment in which it is easy for us to do this.”

The joy of being able to communicate in real time - caring for the health of the fans

JO1 have created places to interact with their fans in various ways, such as their live shows or online talks. Among these however, the significance of this programme, where they can talk about what they feel live on air, is huge for both them and the fans.
“The press conference for our first Kouhaku appearance, the FNS music festival and also the arena tour were like this, but what really makes me glad is that we were able to communicate with everyone supporting us in a real time manner. I think FNS is basically broadcasted and then ends, but I feel there are some interesting things for the fans such as behind the scenes stories, so it is also a good place for JO1 to get the opportunity to talk about such things and I believe it must be something that makes JAM happy, too. Also regarding the tour, we talked in various interviews about what we ate at this place, but we don’t talk about the production or the set up of the show unless we are asked, But we are also excited and talk about various things we thought of, so I think there are quite something you can’t hear elsewhere or just on that day.”

While he feels a strong connection to the fans, there seems to be also something that worries Shiroiwa. “Each time, about 40 minutes into the broadcast, I think ‘They have school or work the next day’ or ‘I wonder if some fell asleep’. If you listen to it every week, you have to stay up late, so I’m worrying about everyone’s health. Some of them force themselves to listen, but I want them to warm themselves up as it has gotten colder and go to bed early, and it is fine to fall asleep while watching it. I want everyone to watch it live, but you can also enjoy it later on ‘smash.’ or ‘radiko’, so please think of your health as your priority (laughs).”

From the start of the program, Shiroiwa had the wish “to be able to give something back to the group by getting people to know about JO1”. In fact, there are people who have become JAM because of the radio. Having shown various sides (of the group) that have won the hearts of the fans, from lifelike talks as if they were school club mates to behind the scenes talks of their songs and live shows, we asked him what he would like to do in the show in the future.
“For example, for the 40th broadcast, I think it would be refreshing if me and everyone else looked back on the past episodes together. I said that the episode with Keigo and Junki was memorable, but I would like to know about episodes and scenes that were memorable to the others. We talk about ‘I want to do such an episode’ or ‘It would be interesting if guests came and talked’, but Kaneko-san forgets about it right after the broadcast ends. But he listens to it with a nice face (laughs). But including this, I rarely mention it because it is cute, but one day I want to do this (laughs). Also, I get the attendance award for appearing in every episode, but there is no one who has listened to every episode? Or is there? Can I work hard for this person? (Laughs). If this person is there, I want them to send a message saying ‘I am (always) listening.’ Also, because I can’t tell it myself, I want them to tell me how my talking has changed.”

[JO1] JUNON TV 230118

https://www.junon-tv.jp/articles/1529

Kimata Syoya’s interesting Valentine’s story ♡

Beautiful blue hair and red glitter - this dazzling contrast makes you feel dizzy♡
We wish we could give Valentine’s chocolate to a guy like this…!
He was enthusiastic about his first appearance in a serial drama and told us with a sparkle in his eyes “I like to create art”.
We have nothing but high hopes for him playing a high schooler in “Shou mo nai bokura no renairon” (English title of the manga: Our little love story )

*This is an excerpt of the interview

I didn’t receive much chocolate for Valentine’s Day. I’m sure Rukkun must have gotten a lot (laughs). I didn’t really count it, but I guess the maximum were 7 ones.. And this includes obligation chocolate. But rather than sweet things like chocolate, I like savory things. I’m happier to receive soused fish or miso with crab innards (laughs). Or dried squid. Among the JO1 members Ren-kun likes chocolate. When there is chocolate among the snacks at some workplace, I see him taking it home. Hence, if I gave some Valentine's chocolate to a JO1 member, I would give it to Ren-kun while saying “Yes, you like it, don’t you?”. Ren-kun does everything properly, so he would nicely give me something back (on White Day). Considering this, too, yes it would be Ren-kun (laughs). On the other hand, I think Junki-kun and Shion would be more likely to give something back. But this is just my image of them (laughs).
TN: obligation chocolate or 義理チョコ is chocolate given to men by women out of appreciation or politeness. 本命チョコ (true feelings chocolate) is the one given to your crush/partner. Still, even when receiving this obligation chocolate it is expected from you to give something back on White Day.

I will appear in the drama “Shou mo nai bokura no renairon” (Literal translation of the title: Our hopeless love theory) that starts in January. When I heard about this, I thought “Yeees!”, but I wasn’t sure whether I could actually do this (laughs). I will play the role of the high archiving high school student Ogura Yu. He is the classmate of Tanimura Kurumi, the daughter of the woman whom Tsutsumi Takuro, played by Mashima Hidekazu, loved 20 years ago. Since there is “love theory” in the title, I thought it would be a romantic story, but it is actually a story from various viewpoints. I read the whole original story and I was really moved by the story that is so human. There were many scenes where I thought “It comes like this?”, so I am wondering now how much I could express myself in this drama… Anyway, in order not to catch a cold, I try to drink orange juice and take vitamins. I have to boost my immune system! Right now my excitement is bigger, but when I go to the set, I might end up being super nervous.

PROFILE
Kimata Syoya. Born on 5th April 2000 in the prefecture Aichi. Blood type A. He is a member of the 11 member global boy group “JO1”. At the end of last year, they had their first appearance the the “73rd NHK Kouhaku Utagassen” and performed their debut song “Mugendai”. Kimata will make his first appearance in a serial drama with “Shou mo nai bokura no renairon”. The title track for the drama, “We Good” by JO1, will be released digitally on midnight of the 19th January.

[JO1] Comment for Miracle 9 230118

[OWV] BoyAge Festival Issue 230111

OWV reached the third year since their formation. How do they keep their team work in mind as these four strong individual personalities move forward on their way? Which sides of them changed from the time they met to now, and which of those evolved?

Theme Talk
Team Work -How to build a relationship of trust-

That we became able to have such good teamwork, is because each one of us was able to establish their own character

Does everyone of you have something they keep in mind or is particular about in your activities with OWV?
Katsunari: We tend not to do so, right?
Kosuke: Not really~
Katsunari: What I feel is that we all have strong individual personalities. We all have our own strong feelings and determination. But we want to do the same things as a group and this was clear since the formation. Thus, it never happened that I thought something like 'We have to emphasize this as a group!', but I feel there is a strange balance of the four of us getting along very well.
Shuta: We also unconsciously help each other. We are four members, so when for example someone gets something to drink during a MC or someone has a coughing fit and thus stops talking, there are even less members who can talk. But in such moments the other members follow the flow naturally. This is not just the case for live shows but also in interviews or variety shows. On the other hand, when three members talk a lot, I feel one member calmly watches. In the last two years this developed naturally.
Katsunari: Because it’s like we are always together, both at work and in private, right?
Shuta: The way you say it sounds like song lyrics? (Laughs)
Katsunari: Like 'Be always with me' (laughs). But it’s really like this and I feel the result of this that the team work came to be on its own. We don’t really keep this in mind, but we are close with each other.
Fumiya: I think this is also because we are not just close with each other, we trust each other, too.
Kosuke: It might be this, but I believe that we were able to have such good teamwork, is also because each one of us was able to establish our own character. We all understand our own characters, so we think ‘I can leave this to this person’ or ‘Here I will talk’.

This feels like you distributed the roles, right?
Kosuke: That’s right. We do this diligently. We were close from the start, so there was consistency, but everyone made truly use of their characters after they became able to comprehend all characters. Hence, I can feel that we can move forward in our talks and work more smoothly than before.

And having these characters also happened naturally?
Kosuke: That’s right. Because it happened that during our activities, the members and the fans got the image of ‘This person is like this’. A certain person however, that guy Nakagawa, his character became blurry currently (laughs).
Shuta: Rather than becoming blurry, it’s that his wall was taken down (laughs).
Katsunari: Indeed. Because I think there had been a huge wall in the beginning.
Shuta: Because you are shy.
Katsunari: Yes. But this one disappeared now and I became normal. I feel this makes my character blurry on the other hand (laughs). Thus, I feel a bit sorry that Honda-kun became interested in me and asked me whether we want to do this together in a time when the wall was still there (laughs).
Kosuke: No, I’m fine, however, if you are like now in private.
Katsunari: I was weird in the beginning, wasn’t I? But I want to diligently protect the character that is needed for performances in the future.

Sano-kun, what are your thoughts regarding OWV’s teamwork?
Fumiya: To work as a team was something I really disliked in the past. I hated acting as a group so much that I left the baseball club and joined the track and field club (laughs).

Such people often join boy groups and are active with those (laughs).
Fumiya: That’s absolutely right.
Katsunari: This is also funny, isn’t it?
Fumiya: Because I didn't think much about it. Speaking of this, In a boy group, it’s like there is someone other than me, too! (Laughs). But while being active with OWV, I can actually feel the perks of everyone having the same goal and running towards it. Hence, despite me having my own pace, I want to cherish the team during this.

Of course. Teams also have their perks.
Katsunari: They have a lot. Sure enough in your activities, you will discover the sides where you lack. But when the members are there at this moment, they will compensate for this. Thanks to this we can create something good, so I feel the team is something really great.

You can balance each other.
Katsunari: That’s right! That’s right! To make it simple, there is the role of the leader, right? That’s a role I can’t do. But there is someone in the group who takes up this role. I feel this is an amazing merit.

I feel that exactly because it is these four people OWV’s charms are getting refined.

This connects to the “role distribution” that Honda-kun had mentioned earlier. Like the right person is at the right place.
Kosuke: Exactly this. I believe we are like this.
Fumiya: This is like a… Yakiniku menu?
Katsunari: Hm? What do you mean? (Laughs)
Fumiya: Isn’t it “Let’s say it in a four character idiom!”?
TN: 適材適所(the right person at the right place) and 焼肉定食 (yakiniku menu) are both 4 characters in Japanese. A lot of Japanese metaphors are 4 character idioms.
Katsunari: No, because it’s not this (laughs). Also, yakiniku menu isn’t such a four character idiom.
Fumiya: Well, to answer this seriously, when I arrive at the workplace and say “Good morning”, they reply “Good morning”. This makes me happy.
Katsunari: Cute!
Fumiya: But I think if I had debuted alone, this would not happen. It is the same as when I return home to my family and say “I’m home” and they reply “Welcome back” and it makes me somehow feel relieved. Because I feel the members are like a family and this makes me feel happy.
Shuta: But you rarely say “Good morning”, don’t you?
Fumiya: Yes, and even if someone else says it I don’t reply.
Kosuke: Someone reading this must think you are the worst.
Fumiya: But when I say it from time to time and get a reply, I’m happy!
Shuta: Makes sense. What I think is a perk of the group is that we all come from different backgrounds. That's exactly why everyone can teach me a lot about the things I don’t know. I feel this is really great.

Can you give an example for this?
Shuta: Games, manga, anime and sports. I rarely came in touch with those (in the past). But they gifted me a game for my birthday and they told me about manga, so I’m reading “ONE PIECE” right now.

Right now!? You started pretty late (laughs).
Fumiya: See! They all react like this!
Shuta: But after reading it it’s pretty funny, and since we started to cook on YouTube, everyone teaches me this and so on. There might be something I would have never noticed myself, so I feel my life has become richer.
Kosuke: I get that. There is a lot we can learn from everyone, isn’t it? We are different kinds of people, so when these four people come together, lots of different opinions and ideas come out. I feel that thanks to this my brain grew bigger. This is also reflected in the brain as OWV. Thus, I became able to image things I would have never thought of myself and the topics for the MC also became more, so I feel that exactly because it is these four people OWV’s charms are getting refined. They even reply to my advanced gags, so this is amazing, too.
Shuta: Because they are not advanced.
Katsunari: I don’t know. Maybe these will be well received jokes in the future.
Fumiya: Yes, in the year 20XX.

Sure enough our style is to cover each other’s weaknesses and work hard together!

Do you also consult with each other in regards to the song production?
Kosuke: We do. We chose the songs all together and from time to time our opinions on those differ. At such times, we discuss with each other why we think that song is good.
Fumiya: Also regarding the choreography, we get proposals from the vocal-line such as 'This choreographer would be good' and also when we record the songs, when someone records alone, the other three members listen to it. Because of this, there is the feeling that we created everything together.
Shuta: When we struggle with the dancing, another member will help us. I certainly feel that we improved (thanks to this).
Katsunari: In regard to dancing, they help me so much that I’m a bit ashamed. They diligently help me when I ask them, for which I am grateful. From time to time a member does the choreography for one of our songs, but this is also something I personally can’t do. Hence, I feel like this is another strengh for this group and another virtue of it, too.
Fumiya: If I didn't teach you, I could be the popular one however (laughs).
Katsunari: He might say so, but in reality he teaches me with a really happy face.
Shuta: Right. With a wide smile he teaches up to the extra parts.
Fumiya: To be honest, I’m the happiest when I’m told “Teach me!”. Sure enough our style is to cover each other’s weaknesses and work hard together!
Katsunari: But during the MC everyone tries to make the audience laugh.
Fumiya: It’s a battle royal, isn’t it?
Kosuke: Right. In the MC it’s like who can make the others laugh.
Fumiya: It’s the World Martial Arts Tournament.
TN: World Martial Arts Tournament is a reference to “Dragonball”, a tournament that features the Earth’s strongest fighters.
Katsunari: That said, I think my character is becoming blurry because everyone is too funny. Because I can’t survive if I stay quiet.
Shuta: Because lately, Kacchan puts great importance on the adjective “funny”, doesn’t he? (Laughs) But I’m sure there is a lot of demand for “cool” and such, too.
Katsunari: No, the “cool” is weak inside of me.
Fumiya: Indeed. The expiry date of “cool” might be early. “Someone funny” keeps on being told they are funny no matter how much time passes.
Katsunari: Exactly! That’s why I feel “funnily cool” is the best.

It is different at oneman shows and at festivals, but actually it’s not right to say festival, rather we go into a battle.

And in order to become so, you are surely studying “funny” right now (laughs).
Katsunari: That’s right.
Kosuke: Also now you are funny enough when you are relaxed.
Fumiya: But everyone has a different style of being funny.
Shuta: That’s right. Honda-kun is a specialist for one-liners and I guess I’m the one for reactions.
Katsunari: And it depends on who picks up Honda-kun's jokes, as well as what happens afterwards.

Because one of OWV’s strengths are your MCs during your live shows, right? (Laughs)
Fumiya: Because we see MC also like a song.
Shuta: Yes. We want to make the audience as satisfied as if they had heard another song.
Kosuke: Last year during the “Inazuma Rockfest”, we squeezed in 2 MCs. But other artists didn’t even have one.

2 MCs, during how many songs? (Laughs)
Kosuke: During 5 songs (laughs)
Shuta: I heard you don’t really do MCs at a rock festival. Because everyone came to hear the music.
Kosuke: But we put too much effort in our MCs and squeezed in two of them. Thus, when no one else did them, we thought ‘Huh? They don’t do that?’
Shuta: It was normal (what they did).
Fumiya: Maybe in our case, I feel that one day our first song will be a MC.
Katsunari: This would be hilarious! But during the “Inazuma Rockfest”, Nishikawa-san also told us 'I’m looking forward to your MC! Because I will be watching you from the wing (of the stage).' So we had no choice but to do it.
Kosuke: We had no choice but to squeeze in two. But since we were the first ones to perform, I think we warmed up the crowd.

Furthermore, this was good because it made you different from the other artists.
Katsunari: I agree. I think we want to walk a little different way.

Including these MCs, I believe live shows are a very important place for OWV. Is there something you keep in mind at such times?
Fumiya: It is different at oneman shows and at festivals, but actually it’s not right to say festival, rather we imagine that we go into a battle.
Kosuke: Exactly. We think on how we can make the parts of the audience who are not our fans raise their hands for example.
Katsunari: When we find someone who doesn’t raise their hand, we launch a concentrated attack against them! (Laughs)
Shuta: Because in reality we say something like 'Please raise your hand' or to sitting people 'Please stand up'. We have the huge intention of wanting to have fun with everyone.
Katsunari: Because there are lots of shy people among Japanese people, it is sometimes important to tell them something. It’s like if you like music, it doesn’t matter (to us) whose fan you are!
Kosuke: Furthermore, we will make our big breakthrough in the future and it would be a shame if you didn’t see us back then.
Fumiya: As long as you can still see us closely.
Shuta: We are a confident group.

Then how is it during a oneman show?
Kosuke: We have a concept, so we value this and we create it considering a flow adding songs that makes the fans happy. An oneman show is a creation, so our way of thinking is absolutely different compared to a show with other artists.
Fumiya: The key point is that QWV are included in the making of it. And for outside events, (the key point is) that people discover us. In contrast, oneman shows have the sense that everyone is creating the space together.

Your favorite and least favorite weekday
A question for all artists appearing in this issue! “What was your favorite and least favorite weekday as a child?” We bring you their answers along with their reasons!

Favorite day
Kosuke: Sunday
Back then on Sundays between 7:30 am and 8:30 am two Sentai shows, bundled together as “Super Hero time” aired. I loved those, and on Sundays the whole family came together, we were able to eat lunch together or go shopping, which I enjoyed.
Katsunari: Friday
I really hated studying, but due to my parents’ upbringing I pretty much went to cram school every day. Only on the weekend I didn’t have to go. And I prepared for that on Friday (laughs). I enjoyed this day because my favorite anime such as “Doraemon” and “Crayon Shin-chan” aired on this day.
Shuta: Thursday
Because it had a 'long lunch break' that was about 10 minutes longer than (the one) on other days. So, together with my friends I used to play 'SASUKE' (= Ninja Warrior) using the school playground equipment such as the monkey bars, climbing bars, slides and so on. We also played dodgeball and soccer. But I wasn’t particularly active in any of these (laughs).
Fumiya: Saturday
On Saturdays I had out of school activities. I hated these activities itself, but as an elementary school student it’s exciting to meet your friends at night, isn’t it? We felt a bit like we did something bad (laughs). It was only 9pm, but (it felt like this) because it was something you normally can’t do.

Least favorite day
Kosuke: Wednesday
I went to school so often, but only half of the week had passed… I hated this thought. I also didn’t like my timetable on Wednesdays much. It was annoying to have lots of humanities and there was no art class. Because I only liked arts and sports (laughs).
Katsunari: Monday
Despite relaxing since Friday and finally resting on the weekend, my body reset itself again and a long week started. I remember how tough it was for me to keep studying in my mind. On the contrary, I recall that by Wednesday I somewhat got used to studying (laughs).
Shuta: Monday
I went to a cram school because I wanted to take the entrance exam for middle school. Their (weekly evaluation) result came out on Monday. Since my parents supported me in my studies, I was always nervous on Mondays. However, in the summer during my 6th year in elementary school, I started to aim for the entertainment world, so I pretty much gave up on the middle school entrance exam (laughs).
Fumiya: Tuesday
I was somehow able to overcome Monday which had some remains of the weekend (laughs). But Tuesdays were just awful. Moreover in summer we had swimming lessons on Tuesdays, but I am a hopeless swimmer. So, it felt like a punishment and I hated it. Despite, on the ground, I ranked first in the prefectural fitness test!

[JO1] Oricon News 230111

https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2263714/full/

[ANN 55th Anniversary series Vol.9] An exclusive closeup on “JO1’s ANNX”: A lively time with lots of chit-chat

1 AM on the night of the 2nd October 1967. “When you dance and I sing, a new era of the night is born. Music replaces the sun, dreams replace the blue sky. All Night Nippon, leading you to a fresh night!” - Those first words by Itoi Gorou opened “All Night Nippon” (ANN), Nippon Broadcasting System’s “synonym for a late night radio show”. Until the present day, “ANN” has discovered a number of talented personalities, stayed close to its listeners, always looked out for the latest trends, and presented popular topics and culture, and now it celebrates its 55th anniversary starting April this year.

ORICON NEWS has started a series to introduce the current “ANN” programs by focusing on one personality every month. The first installment of the 9th part of the series will proved a close up on “JO1’s All Night Nippon X” (every Wednesday at 0:00), which started in April this year.

The broadcast we portrayed was the one of the night of the 14th December last year, in which the main personality, Shiroiwa Ruki, along with the two weekly changing personalities Kawashiri Ren and Tsurubo Shion, live broadcasted. There was a friendly atmosphere as the members were chatting and laughing already before the broadcast.

In the beginning, Shiroiwa’s “love for strawberry milk” was noticeable in his talk and he bursted out the confession that “But I call eating it “iku”. Meanwhile Kawashiri and Tsurubo swayed and danced to the songs that were played after the talks, while Shiroiwa also enjoyed himself the same way, while also checking the script and writing notes for the next step.
TN: I assume that “iku” is coming from the first and last letter of いちごミルク (ichigo miruku, strawberry milk) and is not 行く (iku, to go).

Also afterwards the chit-chat of the three did not stop and they livelyly discussed themes such as Kawashiri debating with members and staff during breaks about “topics that have no conclusion” or their own room rules.

Under the topic of “Is it okay to sit on the sofa or bed in your outdoor clothes when you visit someone else’s home?” Shiroiwa mentioned that “Sato Keigo (who had been the weekly personality the week before) said ‘If you come into my room, I would like you to wear your pajama if you can.’”, to which Kawashiri snickered while laughing “That guy must be joking!”.

Kawashiri continued, explaining that when they went to Osaka for a schedule, he and Yonashiro Sho shared a room “There Keigo came over out of nowhere. Me and Sho-kun had taken a bath already and were sitting on the bed, playing games, but Keigo clearly had not bathed yet.” Then, he shared an hilarious event, saying: “Keigo did ask ‘This is Sho-kun’s bed? And that one is Ren-kun's?’ And then, while saying ‘doooooon’ he dropped (on my bed)!”

Afterwards they continued to talk about a variety of topics, and the live broadcast that made you feel the team work of the three lasted about an hour, and they continued to keep up with their enthusiasm for the after-talk for “smash.”. After the recording they politely told everyone “Thank you for your hard work” and then left the studio in a fresh manner.

In the next part, we will share an interview with Shiroiwa.

[JO1] Nikkei X TREND 230110

https://xtrend.nikkei.com/atcl/contents/18/00754/00006/

JO1’s Shiroiwa Ruki: I didn’t know how to listen to this radio and my mission became…
(This article is a re-edited version of the one that released in Nikkei Entertainment’s December 2022 issue)

JO1 All Night Nippon X airs with Shiroiwa Ruki as the main personality and two other members of the 11 member global boy group JO1 as weekly changing personalities. “I even had no idea how to listen to this radio”, emphatically stated the 24 year old Shiroiwa regarding his mission for the program, “that’s why I felt there was a meaning in me doing this”.

Shiroiwa Ruki, born 19th November 1997, from the prefecture Tokyo. He was chosen to become a member of the 11 member global boy group “JO1” through the audition show “PRODUCE 101 JAPAN” in 2019. Their momentum continues to speed up in their third year, as their newest single “MIDNIGHT SUN” , released in October 2022, surpassed their previous sales with more than 600.000 copies sold in the first week and the music video for the lead track “SuperCali” gained more than 30 Mio views in less than 2 weeks.

JO1 All Night Nippon X (ANNX) began as a special episode in March 2022 and started to air regularly from 6th April. From the first episode on the official hashtag “#JO1ANNX” surpassed 100.000 tweets and ranked 1st in the worldwide Twitter trends. Since then it keeps on ranking at the top of the trends. Shiroiwa Ruki, who serves as the main personality of the program, said he was surprised to be chosen for this.

Even though I’m not really familiar with radio programs, I, of course, knew the name of “All Night Nippon”. Thus, I felt a huge amount of anxiety when it was decided that I would be the main personality for this big program which has a long history. However, I believe that JO1 was chosen with a certain expectation and since we made our debut in 2020, the year the Covid pandemic started, which made us a group which had troubles to interact with their fans, we felt happy to have the opportunity to share time with them through such a live broadcast.

When the program became a regular feature and I was asked to become the main personality, I honestly felt pressure and surprise to be chosen out of all the members. Because actually, when I am with all 11 members I barely talk and the same goes when I appear on variety programs. Hence, when I asked the manager “Why me?”, he told me that he has watched my activities so far (and that’s why it was decided) and it gave me a lot of confidence.

So far I had never found a role that would benefit the group activities. However, when I was appointed as the main personality, I realized that this may not have been the case. For me, "ANNX" is more than just a radio job.

When I actually tried it, I felt it was an easy to understand system as I got the reactions from the listeners in real time. I can hear through my earphones reactions such as “We are Number 1 in the (Twitter) Trends right now” and I get a sense of how many listeners we have and what they think, as if I could directly feel their enthusiasm. In the beginning I often regretted that I wasn’t relaxed enough and I couldn’t pay attention to the time, or that I focused too much on the progress and did not get into the conversation itself. One after another I kept in mind “not to do this next time” and slowly I became able to manage the pace of the talks by saying “Let’s move to the next mail”.

A part I think is interesting is the members’ recent status talk. I also find the emails we receive interesting, such as, "When you step on the alcohol disinfectant pedal with your right foot, it would be coolest if you received the pedal with your right hand.” I am impressed by all of them because I wonder “How do they come up with those?” (laughs).

During the live broadcast, the listeners decide the songs to be played via voting, the “Twitter Song Battle” also gets lively. If it is prerecorded, it’s something you can’t do, but instead you can read more letters and extend the time for free talk. So both kinds have their good points.

I actually want to do a more laid-back and calm radio, but I feel that the fans might want to see us having fun, so I can’t be cool and show my energetic side instead (laughs). That’s also because the presence of “smash” is big. Because I am always seen, I have to be energetic and can’t lose my flow. It’s also cute to see the member yawning on it, isn’t it? (Laughs)

Since my role is the MC I can’t fool around

He says that it might be because he is the main personality of “ANNX” he can show a different side of the JO1 members (to the audience).

The thing I pay the most attention to is to “say something”. When another member is lost in thoughts or doesn’t know how to react, I try to take the lead by first saying something. Even if I don’t understand something, I won’t stay quiet and instead I will say something such as “I don’t get it!” or “What do you mean?”. I try to connect the pause to the rest by putting something I would normally only think into the microphone, as honestly as I can.

Speaking of pauses, we had our first live shows with an audience in 2021, but sure enough the MCs were bad. We could not fill those pauses and it caused a mysterious silence. In this regard, I felt an improvement during this tour. I can’t say this is only thanks to the radio, but I guess the experience we made on this played a big part in it. We have come to understand the balance of “Who’s going to speak now?” or “Who will react?”.

In the introductional press conference in March, I said that “We are a group with a lot of blunders”, but the members are really trying their best. But (the leader) Yonashiro (Sho)… He keeps on cheating by leaving his mark every time he appears by talking about the prefectural boxing tournament he won without a fight because there was no opponent or the “zebra buns” which only exist in Okinawa (laughs).

But I found out by doing this myself that as the MC I can’t fool around. When I saw how Sho-kun went crazy when he joined the show, I came to understand how much he holds himself back when he is the MC but wants to fool around. It is a radio show that is created by all of JO1, so Sho-kun’s usual role falls to me here and thus I feel I can show a new side of the members. I’m happy that everyone has grown more and more and this has become a comfortable space for all of us, but I keep in mind to prevent any accidents in the future, too.

Recently, Shiroiwa had more opportunities to exchange opinions with the director. His own thoughts were also reflected during the broadcasts during the tour.

During the tour, I thought that the fans wanted to hear something about the tour, and we also wanted to talk about this, but we had concerns about spoiling something and we couldn’t make a script for it. Yet, if I was a listener, I would want to know something even if it was something small like what they ate. Hence, in the following week, I told them “In the recent status talk part, I want to talk about the door as much as possible” and it worked out. Lately, we also say things like “This one seems exciting, so let’s talk more about it”, and it became a comfortable environment to work in, and we are able to create something good together.

During the tour there was an event where we were able to meet the fans after the show and pretty much everyone told me “I listen to the radio”. It was a chance for me to feel that we are gradually fulfilling our mission to make a generation who is unfamiliar with radio listen to it. I am also happy about receiving emails and tweets from famous postcard crafters*. I feel that people who are not our fans slowly know about our program and say “If this person says it, it might be interesting, maybe I should listen to it”.
*TN: postcard crafters - As you might have seen on Twitter, fans often send their gratitude and thoughts for a program/magazine on postcards, with some people putting a lot of work into it. This has developed already in the 1980s into a somewhat subculture of people who are known simply for their elaborate and/or funny postcards. Hence, this means these people listen to (or read) various media and if they like it, they will send one of their postcards, which is in turn something like an honor for your program/magazine.

None of them have been realized yet, but I’m thinking about various projects (for the program). I would like to invite guests other than the members, I hope to do it alone once and there is more I would like to try. But the ideal stays the same - a laid back radio (laughs).

JO1’s All Night Nippon X (Every Wednesday 24:00-24:58)
It started in April 2022. Shiroiwa Ruki welcomes 2 JO1 members each week and they get excited about various topics from private conversations to school memories. One of the highlights of the show is Shiroiwa’s MC abilities in controlling members who are about to go crazy.

“Shiroiwa Ruki-kun is the best balancer in JO1, or rather he is someone who considers a lot of things, so I think he is the perfect main MC (for the program). Also when they broadcasted from South Korea, he demonstrated an excellent grasp of the situation and I felt his high potential.” - ANN program producers Tomiyama Yuuichi

[OWV] Yozoroo 230101

https://yorozoonews.jp/article/14805366

“There was only 1 train per hour” “My school was almost closed”
Sano Fumiya from the Yoshimoto artist OWV - From a depopulated town to a national artist

Sano Fumiya (25), part of the 4 member boy group OWV signed to Yoshimoto Kyogo, went viral for his Tweets after performing at an event in his home prefecture Yamanashi. “The school I attended was almost closed […] I, who comes from an area where only one train per hour operates, is active as a member of OWV now. I want to embody that everyone can make their dreams come true no matter the environment (in which they grew up).” With us he spoke about his journey from growing up in a depopulated town, where no dance classes existed, to stepping to the entertainment business on a path he had carved out all by himself, as well as of his feelings to the children of his hometown.

He made his CD debut in September 2020 following his appearance on the audition program “PRODUCE 101 JAPAN” (2019) which produced JO1. Now he is performing at concerts, appearing in variety shows and has activities nationwide. Before he participated in the audition, he was a professional dancer who danced in the background of famous singers.

Until his highschool graduation he lived in a rural town of which he said “There were more monkeys than humans.”. Only one train per hour operated there and it took a 1-2 hour journey to the nearest town center. “The kindergarten, the elementary school and the middle school I attended have all closed down by now. In elementary school there were only 9 children in my class and in the year below there were only 3 children.”, he explained.

Due to the small number of students in his middle school, there were only two clubs available: baseball and brass band. “If I wanted to do some sport, baseball was the only option.” After reading the manga ‘SLAM DUNK’ he had started to wish for a basketball club, but his options were limited.

The moment his interest in dance was born, was when he watched the ‘OKAXILE’, a collaboration unit of NINETY-NINE’s Okamura Takashi and EXILE, during his later years of elementary school. He told his parents he wanted to learn dancing, but there were no available dance classes in his hometown, so he went to “some sort of rhythm class” in the neighboring prefecture. His parents took him to and from the school, a distance that was 1-2 hours by car.

Even after his years in middle school, there was still no chance to take real dance lessons and he relied on videos to get information on how to do hip-hop dances or breakdance. “I used to watch a lot of dance videos on YouTube for example on my flip phone. After my parents bought me the DVD box of the dance show ‘Super Chample’, I always watched those in my room and studied the dance moves.”

Back then, so he explained, there was no one among his friends who shared the same interest in dancing as him. He invited them to dance at the school festivals of his middle and high school, but he remembers being told: “‘You won’t find any entertainment culture, such as dancing, in such remote and depopulated places like this one.’ My seniors back then would even say something like ‘You are just a show off.’ or ‘You are just try to look cool?’”
“Now I think that it’s just because they were averse to things that were new to them.” and he explains that while he can understand them now, at that time, he felt like he was given a cold shoulder because he was different from the others.

When it came to deciding his career path after high school, he was in an environment where many people decided to stay in their town and work there, but Sano had the dream “to achieve something big”. At this time, the dance world was “not as major as it is now”, unlike the world of professional baseball for example, hence he could not imagine how it would be to be at the front lines of dancing. “Exactly because I did not know the limits of the world of dancing, I thought I wanted to challenge it.”, and thus he aimed to be active as a dancer.

At the age of 18 years he moved to Tokyo to go to a university. During his second year there, he started to dance seriously,but everyone around him had dance lessons since their childhood. “I couldn’t win a direct battle against people who had been dancing since elementary school.” Instead of taking the common way of improving his skills by taking dance lessons, he developed his own strategy to become a professional dancer as soon as possible: A direct attack on choreographers who had worked with famous artists before by messaging them. He actively participated in events organized by these choreographers and promoted himself there. “It was important to be remembered in the lessons, like to be the first one in front of the mirror, the one on the right. Eventually they remembered me as ‘the guy who is always here’.” Over time, the choreographers began to invite him to the performances.

At the same time, he went to Los Angeles to study dancing for about six months. Thanks to his diligent self-training, he slowly emerged as an outstanding performer and by this third year as an university student, he had made a rapid improvement and was working as a pro by being a back dancer for Japanese singers and world-famous K-POP artists.

During his 4th year in university he participated in the audition and made his debut as a member of OWV. This year in October, the 3rd year (of OWV’s activities), he made his triumphant return during the festival ‘TGC FES YAMANASHI 2022’. He reflected on this: “I left the countryside with the goal of debuting and performing my own songs at a show in my hometown, so I hope that some children will feel the same after seeing my performance.”

Now he has debuted as a member of a dance-vocal group and he cites lack of opportunities to see ‘live’ performances by professionals as a difficulty for someone from his region to pursue a career in the entertainment industry eventually. Back when he was still living in his hometown “I can’t remember even one.” “Because I was never able to see anything ‘live’ in Yamanashi, I really wanted to perform live there.” He is sympathetic to the local children and has set his next goal as a one-man show in Yamanashi.

In March, his group will start the concert tour ‘OWV LIVE TOUR 2023 -CASINO-‘ in which they will visit 4 cities across Japan. There will also be a performance in the prefecture Fukushima, the birthplace of the member Honda Kosuke. He expressed his enthusiasm, saying: “I feel Honda might be someone who carries the same kind of feelings with him. I hope to convey the same feelings I have for the people of Yamanashi to the young children of Fukushima and show our charms.”

[JO1] VoCE 221221

Kawashiri Ren
My beauty rule is…
For a beautiful body, I strengthen my inner muscles

My ideal is a “flexible body” that is covered in natural muscles. I am aiming to have a body that is slim but makes dances look beautiful. I usually do light exercises like stretching and yoga, and even when I’m alone in my room I try to have a beautiful posture, which in turn trains my inner muscles. My future goal is to keep on taking care of my bleached hair. I want to exchange information with my light hair color buddy Ruki and find the best way for me.

Kawanishi Takumi
My beauty rule is…
I always make sure not to dry out both on the outside and on the inside.

I gain muscles just by a little bit of working out and my body isn’t really affected by what I eat, so to be honest, I don’t really pay much attention to “beauty”. However, in this season, I put effort into not letting my skin become dry. With skin care I take care of the outside, of course, and I drink lots of room temperature water to prevent dehydration. When I sweat during practice, I use YSL’s mist lotion during the breaks and it helps me to feel better.

Kono Junki
My beauty rule is…
I am in my perfect form mentally and physically by watching my diet and working out.

I’m really careful about what I eat lately. I carefully calculate the nutrients of my food, the amount I eat, and the time to eat, and I try to avoid sweets and high-fat foods that could cause skin problems. Thanks to my moderate diet and exercise, my body and mind are in perfect shape, but this year, a lot of fans seemed concerned and told me "You've lost weight… “. I kinda feel frustrated about this, so in 2023 I would like to increase my muscle training and protein intake to have a thicker body (laugh).

Mamehara Issei
My beauty rule is…
I am to have the best skin ever by keeping my gut healthy and regularly go to the sauna.

I, who debuted as a high schooler, turned 20 years old now, too, so it’s about time for me that I have to keep inner care in my consciousness, too. Specifically, I have started to pay more attention to what I eat. Recently, I have been actively consuming fermented foods such as kimchi and natto, and soy milk. Those are meant to keep my gut healthy. I also always liked to go to a sauna to refresh myself. I believe both of these habits have great beauty benefits, and I hope to show off my smoothest skin ever in 2023.