[JO1] smart WEB 230225

https://smartmag.jp/archives/24267/

[LUMINE EST Shinjuku] JO1 and Go to the FASHIONISTA! 3 HOT SHOPs which handsome men want to visit (Part 2)

The 11 member global boy group JO1 is riding high as they had their first appearance on NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen in 2022 and now they collaborate with LUMINE EAST Shinjuku in Tokyo, a department with a wide range of fashionable shops. In line with JO1’S greeting “Go to the TOP”, the concept of this collaboration is “Go to the FASHIONISTA” to enjoy this year’s spring fashion to the fullest. 5 noteworthy shops from LUMINE EAST Shinjuku will be featured here.

Following the first part, this part will introduce the three brands: “Lui’s”, whose theme is the wardrobe of a popular guy, “FREAK’S STORE MEN’S+ANDY FREAK’S STORE), which specializes in expressing the real American lifestyle, and “RAGE BLUE”, which offers daily standard clothes that reflect the current trends. You can find all the current trends at LUMINE EST Shinjuku!

An exquisite balance of “style” and “street”
Yonashiro Sho, Shiroiwa Ruki and Tsurubo Shion wearing Lui’s

[…]

Sho’s comment: My personal wardrobe also consists of items from Lui’s, so I’m really happy about this. The items today are somewhat formal, but I like that they are not too tight and you can wear them in a good way. I like the design of Lui’s clothing and they make a nice silhouette, too.

Ruki’s comment: This outfit includes a patterned shirt and loafer heels which I used to wear a lot as a student. The loafers have heels, so they make both the style look good and the silhouette of the pants beautiful. It feels new to have such items coming from a men’s brand.

Shion’s comment: Before wearing it I felt that the jacket looks strong, but after taking a closer look there is not just the front but the back as a flower embroidery and thus it has a good balance between strength and delicacy. I also like the silhouette of the pants, which fell nicely to cover my bulky figure!

Who is JO1’s fashionista according to Yonashiro Sho, Shiroiwa Ruki and Tsurubo Shion?

Sho: Sure enough, it’s Keigo. I have the image that he often looks at the photos of stylish foreign people and after all he knows a lot of the latest trends. His sense in choosing his clothes is also very charming and I think how great he looks when seeing him, but I also feel those clothes look good on him exactly because it’s Keigo. I think he really knows what looks good on him. This spring I would like to try denim sets. I want to wear something with a formal vibe, different from the one today.

Ruki: I have the impression that compared back to the time of our debut, everyone started to properly pay attention to their fashion. Back then, to be honest, there were only 2-3 members who were interested in fashion, but I think by wearing a lot of clothes like today, having more opportunities to appear in front of people, more of us became conscious of it. Among them, I talk the most about clothes and exchange information is Keigo, who always keeps up with the trends.

Shion: Keigo-kun is admired by the other members, but (for me) it’s Junki-kun. His clothes for practice are simple but good like this. As a fashion rule I only use a maximum of two colors because if I use a lot of different colors, it will get messy. But this is just a rule for me (laughs). Junki-kun also looks good in bulky clothes for practice, and the items he chooses are often to my liking.

[…]

“Casual” or “military”
Wearing each jacket in a modern way
Kinjo Sukai wearing FREAK’S STORE MEN’S+ANDY FREAK’S STORE and Kono Junki wearing RAGE BLUE

Sukai’s comment: It was a new discovery for me how adding yellow to a military-like tone can change the impression completely. It also brightens up the face and I want to try this technique with my own clothes. The calmly toned pants have actually a leopard print, which also gives a sense of mature playfulness to it.

Junki’s comment: My membere color is light blue, but a color that suits me is more orange. Also, I love denim, so I was happy to wear this coat and there was no way it wouldn’t look good on me (laughs). I want to take the whole outfit home with me! I think girls would look cute in this outfit, too.

Who is JO1’s fashionista according to Kinjo Sukai and Kono Junki?

Sukai: I’m influenced by the fashion of all the members, but among them I like the fashion off Syoya and Keigo-kun. Keigo-kun’s height and body form is close to my own one and I for example take reference on the silhouette of the pants he wears. Syoya is good at wearing knitted hats, belts, bags and other accessories. The other day, after drinking tea with Syoya in Shinjuku, we happened to go to LUMINE EST Shinjuku to look at clothes!

Junki: It’s Keigo. To begin with it’s because he has a body form that makes clothes look good. The green quilted coat that Keigo was wearing was cute and when I found a similar one I wondered whether I should buy it, but I decided not to because I felt it was indeed too similar… Back in the days, before moving to Tokyo, I went shopping with the members and we went to LUMINE EST Shinjuku. Back then I bought a bag, but I want to go again to check out their spring clothes.

[JO1] Fandom 230221 Sho x Ruki x Takumi talk

Witty talks unfold in “JO1’s All Night Nippon X” in which the main personality Shiroiwa Ruki welcomes two different guests each week. We are bringing you reports of the year-end and year-start broadcasts that will make your mood better, too!

Part 01
Guests
Sho Yonashiro
Takumi Kawanishi

“ANNX” might be a radio, but you can enjoy it with a video.

Each episode Shiroiwa-san facilitates “JO1’s All Night Nippon X” as the (main) personality.
Takumi: I’m always thinking ‘Just as I expected from him’. But we are fine with not advancing, so we do it freely (laughs). He sums up the talk, teases us, directs it diligently and really helps us, so I understand why this was entrusted to Ruki-kun.
Sho: A live broadcast means a limited timeframe and you have to advance precisely, which is something really hard. One time Junki was the main personality, but he said he once more understood how hard it is to be the MC (laughs).
Ruki: Thank you very much (embarrassed laugh).

On the app “smash.” you can enjoy the program together with video footage, right? Is there something you keep in mind?
Ruki: If it was just our voices, I would like it do it in a slow manner, or rather in a mature and calm way, like (in a nice lower voice) “Here we are again, JO1’s ANNX”, but after all since there is video footage, there is a feeling of being even more lively. It is a radio, but it gives a new kind of feeling that you can enjoy together with video contents.
Sho: We can talk more carefree on the radio than on TV, so I hope that the fans will be pleased to see us enjoying our conversations in an honest and close manner on smash. It is a good relationship between the radio and smash, isn’t it?
Takumi: I’m happy that each time something like our outfits are also enjoyed.

Is there something new that you noticed among the members by starting this radio program?
Ruki: In the beginning I put all my power into the role of the main personality and sometimes I couldn’t follow the others, but I really felt that everyone followed me (instead). For example, there was the joke “If so-and-so comes it is going to be dangerous”, but I’m grateful to everyone. I feel that the listeners continue to listen, especially because this is a radio made by everyone together.
Sho: I feel that there is an honest side of each one of us coming out that we rarely show on TV. Hence, it is easy to do for all of us. And Ruki is getting better with each time, both in progressing and directing!
Takumi: We are doing this with different members each time, so I became more prepared, thinking something like “Ah this member jokes around like this”. Like when it’s a member who jokes around a lot, I will do the paybacks. Especially if it is Ren-kun, I will tease him.

A voice media that also changes the way you connect with the listeners

Please tell us if there is something you want to try in the future.
Takumi: I would like to give advice about the worries of the listeners. How about we answer the worries we get via phone or mail?
Ruki: Good idea. I’m always supported by the others, so it would be nice to do it alone, and having guests other than JO1 would be something fresh, too, and an episode would be nice of which I am not the main personality and just watch it as an audience.
Sho: I think it would be nice to have a lottery and let one of the 30.000 listeners have a conversation with us. I think a topic would come out from talking directly like this.

Being able to talk directly is only possible with a live broadcasted radio.
Sho: Right. For example, we are in Tokyo, but even if the listener is in Hokkaido, I think we could talk directly and do something interesting.

Lastly, what do you think is the charm of the media called radio?
Takumi: I normally listen to radio from time to time, but I was really into it before becoming a member of JO1. I used to fall asleep while listening to the radio before sleeping. For me, it is kind of a media that calms me down.
Sho: Unlike TV, there are also people who listen to it while driving or while studying and it is a broad media you can listen to in various situations, and it is good that you can focus on the talk as there is no video footage.
Ruki: To be honest, before being entrusted with this program I didn’t have the habit of listening to the radio, but since doing it myself, I have come to think of it as a good tool that allows me to talk more freely and deeper about things while being less self-conscious than on TV. In addition, by us being in charge of it, we are doing our best with the wish of making the young generation listen to the radio more...

It is also a tool that allows you to communicate with JAM outside of performances and concerts, right?
Takumi: That’s right. Especially since “ANNX” is late at night, we are doing this hoping that you can forget even a bit about the bad things of the day and relax by laughing because of our radio and listening to JO1’s songs.

JO1’s All Night Nippon X broadcast report

Radio highlight
- It started by them entering the booth 45 min before. They had a briefing session with the director and read the script. The atmosphere was a special mix of a friendly relaxed mood and a pleasant sense of nervousness that the show is about to start soon.
- Once the briefing session ended they had a moment of free time. They looked at their smartphones and chatted with each other. 5 minutes before, they sit down on their seats and 2 minutes before they checked the script again. More and more their expressions became serious.
- Before the broadcast. Kawanishi performed a rap about Nuresenbei which he got addicted to the other day and talked about on the radio before. Yonashiro broke out laughing while hearing this. The rap is recorded for the jingle, and thus the jingle was recorded in one go just before the broadcast. Yonashiro’s expression of freely enjoying himself was memorable. There was big excitement as he told his all time best story of “winning the Okinawa tournament (in the middleweight class) without a fight” during the show! Even on Shiroiwa’s and Kawanishi’s face, who have surely heard the story a lot already, a smile broke out.
- Shiroiwa was the steady facilitator. The three talked, read the mails of the listeners, interacted with the staff and made appeals towards the smash-camera. Their attention towards all directions was as perfect as expected!
- Only for the end of the year, the topic of ozoni was brought up. Yonashiro who is from Okinawa where there is no ozoni, said “Because in Okinawa we have Inamuduchi.”, which gave birth to a power word aiming for the (Twitter) trends. This moment made everyone break out laughing, including the director outside the booth.
- Shiroiwa and Yonashiro gently watched over Kawanishi reading mails. The booth is always lively, with occasional heated exchanges, but it was also a glimpse into the warmth and friendship between them.
- After the broadcast ended, Kawanishi received lots of Nuresenbei from the staff. On the radio, he was constantly recommended to add a little extra to the Nuresenbei and also snacks with a similar texture, which made him both happy and annoyed!?
TN: Nuresenbei is a rice cracker from Choshi, Chiba. The rice cracker dough is dipped into soy sauce while it’s still hot after baking.
Ozoni is a soup containing mocha, which is strongly associated with the new year.
Inamuduchi is a traditional soup from Okinawa, a miso soup with a lot of ingredients which is served on special occasions, such as New Years.

[JO1] Nippon Housou News Online 230222

https://news.1242.com/article/419458

Regarding something JO1’s Kawashiri Ren wants to do together with the juniors, DXTEEN: “One of them seems to be in the top 5% either worldwide or in Japan!”

On the night of the 15th February (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 Yonashiro Sho and Kawashiri Ren appeared in this episode. A listener of the program asked “The new six-member group, DXTEEN, has been announced, but do you have any advice or expectations for your juniors who will start their activities from now on?”, and they proceeded to talk about what they like to do with their label juniors.

Ren: I was entrusted with the choreography for DXTEEN, so we quite talked a lot. Thus, (I found out) they are “good at games”.

Ruki: Eh?

Ren: There are a lot of members in JO1 who like games, so I would like to arrange a game tournament with them!

Sho: In a way, we are their seniors so we have to stay true to our word… What a pressure we put on them! (Laughs)

Ren: According to something I heard, one of the DXTEEN members is in the top 5% (of a game ranking) either worldwide or in Japan!

Sho: Ah right, in the ranking of a certain game.

Ren: Hence, I’m trembling (with anticipation to play against them) (laughs).

Ruki: Is this a game the (JO1) members often play?

Sho: Right! Because he is in the top 5%, right? I don’t get it!

Ruki: … Well, the pressure from earlier has no meaning anymore! (Laughs)

Sho: No, exactly that’s why there is pressure on them (laughs).

Ren: I’m really looking forward to it!

Ruki: You haven’t played against them yet?

Ren: Not yet.

Ruki: That’s exciting.

Ren: Everyone from DXTEEN, let’s play games together!

Kawashiri is in charge of the choreography for DXTEEN’s song “Sail Away”, and at the recent “New group announcement press conference” in Tokyo, Yonashiro was there as a senior.

As an advice to the young DXTEEN members, Yonashiro commented: “They are all young, the youngest one is 17, so 10 years younger than me. The leader is also young, 20 years old, so if they have any worries, they can come to me for advice.” Shiroiwa also shared the message: “Right, I want them to feel free to rely on us!”.

[JO1] Sports Hochi 221026

https://hochi.news/articles/20221026-OHT1T51152.html

“JOCHUM”, created in the JO1 x Sanrio new character development project has been unveiled

The 11 member boy group JO1 released the new characters, created in the “JO1 x Sanrio new character development project” on the 26th.

Under the theme of “creating JO1 alter ego characters” JO1 teamed up with Sanrio, who have created more than 450 characters including “Hello Kitty”, for this project and the group name of the character has been decided as “JOCHUM”. Kawashiri Ren explained “JOCHUM has the meaning of roommate or friend. They are Soulmates who are each fulfilling their dreams.”

In the past Sanrio has collaborated with YOSHIKI for “yoshikitty”, EXILE’s Sekiguchi Mandy for “Hello Mandy” and the singer Niihama Leon for “Leosuke”.

The leader Yonashiro Sho said with a smile “It was a really precious experience. I’m glad that these characters were realized, down to the smallest detail.” The member Ohira Shosei said: “First of all, I am filled with gratitude to the staff who supported us in this regard. They made truly amazing characters happen for which I am thankful.”

Regarding the outcome of the design, Kono Junki said “My character is the cutest after being finished. I can’t thank them enough for making my character look so different from my poorly drawn draft. It is so cute. I love it.” Mamehara Issei expressed his satisfaction (with the designs), saying: “I am hopeless when it comes to drawing, but Sanrio altered it and made something very cute come out. Having a scarf, cape and belt included makes me really happy.” Also Tsurubo Shion expressed his gratitude, saying “I am proud of it. Thanks to Sanrio, they made the character look quite cute.”

Kinjo Sukai, who is good at drawing, expressed “In my character there are both my own ideals and the feelings of it as a Sanrio character. Rather than it being a character, I see it as another version of myself. I enjoyed thinking over it every night.” Kimata Syoya described the hard work that went into the creation of the draft: “I thought about the character by looking back at my own life. I faced myself for this.”

The group’s motto “Go To The TOP” has the meaning of standing at the top of the world. And, they hope to make a leap forward to this as their characters. Kawanishi Takumi said: “People overseas also know the Sanrio characters. I want our characters to go global, too.” Sato Keigo said “I hope these characters will be as active in the future as (the popular character) Cinnamoroll.” To this, Shiroiwa Ruki added his wish: “I hope a lot of people will love them. Hopefully they will be not just adored by us, but also by the fans.”

◆ Characters that the members have designed
Kinjo Sukai (22) - PiHAi - A fox with a pokerface. Its habit is sticking its tongue out.
Kawashiri Ren (25) - RAIN - A magician fox. Brings everyone surprises and excitement.
Ohira Shosei (22) - moco - A quietly beautiful angel. Can read people’s minds.
Mamehara Issei (20) - MAMEchi - A heroic Shiba Inu. His personality is too straightforward.
Kono Junki (24) - micoon - A microphone whose charm point is the round face. It likes to sleep.
Kimata Syoya (22) - CHIMATA - A lively bunny. It loves sushi.
Yonashiro Sho (27) - YA-NU-KA-MI - A Shisa, the guardian deity of the house. It rarely leaves the house.
Shiroiwa Ruki (24) - RURU - An actual princely? poodle. Doesn’t let go of its pacifier while sleeping.
Tsurubo Shion (21) - CHULALA - A chihuahua that can communicate with the cosmos. Its body is bear-like.
Sato Keigo (24) - Bira - A forgetful and bizarre flower. Its hobby is fortune-telling.
Kawanishi Takumi (23) - POP-POH - A penguin with a chubby body. It loves ice cream.

[JO1] ELLE 221024

https://www.elle.com/jp/culture/music-art-book/g41638146/jo1-kcon-2022-japan-interview-22-1024/

A special interview with JO1 at “KCON JAPAN 2022”! Only in ELLE they tell about secret stories behind the new songs and the highlight of the performance of a new song.

We caught JO1 at the huge event taking place at Ariake Arena 14th ~16th October.

What is KCON?
The Korean culture event KCON started in 2012 and celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. It has been held in the USA and all over the world to promote K-Pop and other forms of Korean culture.

Due to the influence of the Covid-19 pandemic the offline events were canceled and KCON took place online for 2 years, but this year it finally returned to shows with a live audience. As the third installment this year, after LA and Saudi Arabia, it took place over three days, from 14th to 16th October, at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, being a great success. The three-day event attracted an audience of around 41,000 visitors and 8.7 million digital viewers, proving in figures that the content is popular worldwide.

JO1, who appeared on the 15th October, have participated every year since their debut in 2020. The ban on large-scale offline performances was lifted this year, and they were finally able to stand on stage alongside spectacular other artists in front of a packed audience.

ELLE held an exclusive interview with JO1 right before their performance, covering everything from the stories behind KCON to their 6th single “MIDNIGHT SUN”.

Performing SuperCali Korean Ver. and a new song

There will be many highlights at this year's KCON 2022 JAPAN, but what are the most important points of interest for you personally?
Keigo: Sure enough, it is the first performance of the B-side “Rose” of our new single here. It will surely be a performance that will drive the audience crazy so much to the point that they will turn into roses!

Who is the member that drives you especially crazy?
Keigo: No one but Kawanishi Takumi-kun! His facial expressions are amazing.
Takumi: Eh? Me? I just do a cool expression that was advised, that’s all (laughs). Like this.
The rest: (laughs)
Junki: You just recreated what the teacher did! (Laughs)

Furthermore, since you will perform the Korean version of “SuperCali”, isn’t it hard to sing such a speedy song in Korean?
Takumi: The words in the rap before the last chorus are even more than in the Japanese version and there is a lot in the verse and very face paced. Also, the pronunciation is difficult, so I struggled a lot. I practiced hard.
Keigo: There are two parts where I can shine, but when we recorded it in Korea, it was pointed out that my original pitch was off more than my Korean pronunciation. Because after all, the number of words is different, so it was difficult to get the pitch right… It struck me that they said this seemed worse than my Korean pronunciation.

A secret story of the MV filming of their big hit “SuperCali”

It became a hot topic that both the PV and MV of “SuperCali” got your biggest view count in history, but please tell us an episode from the filming of the MV.
Issei: Except for the dance scenes where everyone was present, I was only at the same location as Takumi-kun, so I didn’t see what the other members were filming, making me able to see their sets for the first time in the MV itself, something that felt really new to me. I thought “So they filmed it like that!”. It was fun to watch the MV as it has a storyline and made me think about various things.
Takumi: I felt that was amazing. There is a shot where the members rotate in a circle and get further away from each other in a photo-like still image. I wondered how that was filmed.
Keigo: I just stood there. The cameraman was going round and around on something like a crane.

“MIDNIGHT SUN” that you have just released the other day has 4 songs all together, but please tell us the key point of the part you are in charge of in your recommended song.
Ren: For “Phobia”, I studied the emotional atmosphere of the song in order to bring out the song’s very own world. I tried to create an atmosphere in my own way, making it sound like it was going to disappear, like with the amount of breath I was using, so I hope lots of people will be impressed when they hear that part.
Junki: The start of the song “16(Sixteen). From the very first note, I sang the song with the intention of conveying the song's atmosphere 100%.

Of the four songs in this album, which one made you think intuitively "I might like it!" when you first heard it?
Junki: I think it was "Phobia". It is fully balanced, still there are a lot of surprises in the song, and the sound represents an atmosphere that hasn't really existed in JO1 songs up until now. I like it a lot, it's fragile and powerful at the same time.
Ren: For me it is also “Phobia” and the leadtrack “SuperCali”. I tend to like songs that have an easy to understand concept, so especially in “SuperCali”’s case the concept is easy to understand and it well expresses the strange world.

Yonashiro-san, what is your favorite song and to which one of your parts do you have a special attachment to?
Junki: He kinda looks as if he is going to say something interesting! (laughs)
Ruki: Didn’t he get an unusual part this time?
Keigo: A SHO with a threatening aura, right?
Ruki: You know, that bridge part.
Sho: Ah… It’s actually “16(Sixteen)”.
Ruki: What? You are not gonna talk about “Phobia”?
Sho: Ah, right. I guess it’s “Phobia” (laughs).
Ren: I guess, you say! (laughs)
Sho: The bridge “I am here, I only see you~”. When I heard the demo before the recording, I thought “I want to sing this part”, so I remember being really happy (when my parts were decided). So I decided to give my all for this! But I went a bit over the top and got scolded (laughs).
Ren: Yes, you were (laughs).
Sho: I tried to make it sound a lot like the way the Korean person sang the demo, but I was too enthusiastic and overdid it, and I heard how Ren was laughing a lot about it in the back (laughs).
Ruki: I received a lot of memorable parts this time and a lot of people praised my rap in the second verse of “SuperCali”, but I chose the first verse of “Phobia”.
Junki: The part “Vanished feelings~”? It’s so good.
Ruki: Because I haven’t sung like that before, and it was the first time I used this new singing style. “Phobia” is something I have never done before and it felt new to me, too.

“Phobia” seems widely popular with the members.
Ruki: It's a good song, and indeed quite popular with the members. Also,I especially like my part in it. I like the way it's well structured from the very beginning, and I like its fragile atmosphere.

Speaking of KCON, their recent favorite Korean culture thing is?

Since KCON is an event that spreads Korean culture, we would like to know about your recommendations for places in Seoul or Korean food that you have recently discovered.
Syoya: I have a dish. Because I love Korean food! Lately I love the dish Sundae. I've always liked appetizers, and as you probably know (from the Elle Gourmet series)… It's quite a unique dish, and I hear that even many Koreans don't like it, but I'm addicted to it!
TN: Sundae is a Korean sausage.
Junki: You ordered it so often from the delivery.
Syoya: There was barely anyone who ate those with me, so if we ate at a restaurant, we would go to a place where there were various menus, and I would order the sundae and the other members would order something else. I asked Shion, "Do you want some sundae?" But he refused, saying, "I don't want it" (laughs). I think it’s very tasty good for your health!
Shosei: I chose Lotte World. I went with Sukai and Syoya and it was so much fun. There is also a shopping mall close by and the food we ate there was delicious. We had a great time.
Syoya: Back then we didn’t eat Korean cuisine but Italian one.
Did you ride the thrilling attractions there?
Shosei: No, we rather enjoyed the park itself.
Sukai: There was an insane one. That free fall one.
Syoya: Yes, that was the scariest!

You spent a long time in South Korea this summer for production, what are some of your favorite new Korean words you learnt there? Or any words that became popular within the group?
Sukai: Photos are called “사진 (sajinh)”, and I really liked the term “life photo” that came up as part of the “HELL?O TOUR” programme on YouTube in Korea, where we were instructed to “take photos like this”. In Korean, it's called ”인생 사진 (Insensa-jin)”, and every time we took a photo, I kept on saying “Insensa-jin! Insensa-jin!”.
Syoya: Ah yes, you did that ~
Sukai: But it seemed to have become absorbed by the members, and it's probably not an exaggeration to say that I popularized it after that.
Syoya: It is one. It's not popular (among us)!
Shion: During the "HELL?O TOUR", Ren-kun, me and Keigo-kun helped with the preparation of moon shells, and I really liked the word "골뱅이 (golpenyi)" which we used a lot at that time. I kept wanting to say it.
Shosei: There is a word I learnt from the dance instructor! I first heard there of the word “chinma” which is the short form of “진짜 마지막' (chinchmajima = really last one). I realized that, "Korean language also has abbreviations", which I would never have understood unless I had a local person teach me.
TN: As I don’t understand Korean, I went with the katakana transcription from the original article, unless I found by chance a better one.

What do they want to do in 2022?

Only 2 months are left for 2022, but please tell us something you want to do this year!
Takumi: I would like to eat lots of food/rice.
Ren: Ah, this is important! Because fall has come.
Junki: I also want to eat (lots of) food/rice.
Keigo: I will be “Japan’s number 1 Sato” !
Everyone: (laughs)

[JO1] Asadesu 221012

[JO1] JA Kyosai campaign interview 220921

Note: The same interview was published by various news pages

Please tell us your thoughts on being appointed as the ambassadors of the “JA Kyosai Fall Traffic Safety campaign”.
Sho: JA Kyosai-san values the bonds between people, or in other words their “Kizuna” (bonds) and the concept of the tour that we as JO1 are currently holding is also “KIZUNA”, so we feel a strong bond with them.
Takumi: Traffic safety is not just important for us but for everyone going on with their daily lives, so I hope that through this campaign as many people as possible will think about road safety.

Please tell us an old memory or an incident related to road safety.
Ruki: I love driving a car so I often go for a drive but I drive extra carefully and with lots of caution on narrow roads or at night when it is hard to see others such as pedestrians.
Issei: I was once nearly run over by a car coming in my direction, and it made me think I should have been more careful.
Shosei: Me and Mame-chan go for night walks, but sure enough we are hard to see from the perspective of drivers and I thought we need to be creative by wearing reflective and bright (noticeable) materials, so that we can be seen.

As “JO1” what is a traffic safety message you want everyone to keep in mind?
Junki: I think everyone understands the necessity of traffic safety rules, but I also think that it is quite difficult to constantly stay conscious of traffic safety. Hence, I hope you will take this opportunity to strongly increase your traffic safety awareness.
Sukai: I think it is important to be mindful for everyone, people driving a car, people riding a bike and people walking.
Keigo: Traffic safety is something that is created by everyone together, so I hope that this campaign will be a good opportunity for all of us to pay more attention to the traffic rules.

Please give a message to everyone who watched the videos.
Sho: Everyone, 1-2…
Everyone: Go to the TOP, we are JO1!
Ren: We, as JO1, were appointed as ambassadors for the “JA Kyosai Fall Traffic Safety campaign”. JA Kyosai encourages road safety everywhere through traffic safety classes and traffic safety poster contests for elementary and junior high school students.
Shion: Through this campaign which starts on 21st September, we want everyone to think once again about traffic rules and safety.
Syoya: Starting today, we, as JO1, will learn more about traffic safety in a fun way in web limited videos, so please make sure to check them out!
Sho: This is all from the ambassadors for the “JA Kyosai Fall Traffic Safety campaign”…
Everyone: JO1!

The reason why the JA Kyosai federation appointed JO1 as campaign ambassadors:
The JA Kyosai federation values the bonds between people. All JO1 members have a strong bond with each other because they struggled through a hard audition together. Furthermore, we felt an affinity with them as they value their bond with their fans and hence we asked them to become the ambassadors. JO1 has a wide following, especially among teenagers and it is said that they have the No.1 spreading power on SNS. We think that if we convey our message by using the power of JO1’s words people of all ages, and not just young people, will think of traffic safety in a familiar and friendly way.

[JO1] Josei Seven 220804

Part 2 because the shooting in Okinawa was just too good!

A "summer treasure" for you

When these two are together, they are constantly smiling. This mutually effectionate chemi YonaRen, made from JO1's Yonashiro Sho and Kawashiri Ren, showed us their exclusive cool and sweet expressions. Since we were unable to include all pictures in the 14 July issue, there is part 2 of the "JO1 x Okinawa" project! Enjoy the "shining present" of the two!

So stay in the shinning present

Yonashiro Sho and Kawashiri Ren are the two oldest members of the group. They are known to be dependable within the group, but they had been somewhat excited that only the two of them would have a shooting in Okinawa. When they arrived at the airport of Naha, Kawashiri-san said “This already feels like Okinawa!” and smiled innocently while holding a souvenir he had bought on the spot. There was also the surprise of Yonashiro-san’s parents coming to see them at the airport.

Sho: For me, Okinawa is not just the place where I was born, but also the place that formed me. There are a lot of people like me who leave Okinawa to see the world, but by leaving Okinawa you can once more understand the virtues of it.
When I come back to Okinawa, everyone will welcome me like a family. It is both a place to come back to and “my source of energy”.

On the other hand there is Kawashiri-san who visits Okinawa for the second time since his high school days.

Ren: When I was in high school I traveled with my family. This time, I was able to enjoy the time in Okinawa fully because I was able to come with a member of my group with whom I spend even more time than with my family now.
Also, back in high school I believed ‘tanned guys are so cool’, so I wanted to get tanned in Okinawa. But this time I fully protected myself with a parasol and sunscreen. So the way I feel regarding the sun has changed (laughs)

With a smile the two looked back to the shooting locations in Okinawa. About two months after the shooting, on September 3rd, their first arena tour “2022 JO1 1ST ARENA TOUR -KIZUNA-“ will start.

We received a message for JAM from them.

Sho: It will be our first arena tour. So far we were only able to hold concerts with an audience in Tokyo, but this time we are going to visit the JAM in other areas. It will be the place to convey our gratitude to a bigger number of JAM. Through this tour we hope to give back to everyone even more.

Ren: What I felt during this shooting in Okinawa is that each place has its own unique atmosphere. For example, if you interact with people from Okinawa, you somehow feel they are “typical Okinawan”. We can visit a lot of places during the next tour, so I hope to feel what is the “typical feeling of that place”.
All JAM are very kind people. I hope that we can make this a time when we can feel the bond between us and JAM, to embody the title of the arena tour, “Kizuna” (bond).

We are sure that as long as it is them, they will bring a wonderful treasure to their fans.

Is there something you want to try this summer?
Sho: I would like to try diving.
This time our shooting was “on the land” as we went to eat something and rode horses, so next time I want to do something “in the water”!
Ren: (after listening to Yonashiro-san’s answer) Diving would be nice, too~ Also, it is still hard to do in this day and age, but I would like to go to a summer festival.

The feature was also published over here: https://www.news-postseven.com/archives/20220807_1780880.html?DETAIL

[JO1] Stage Navi 220527

The global boy group JO1 is made of 11 members chosen in the audition program “PRODUCE 101 JAPAN”. They, who keep on attracting attention with their refined performances, released their second album. This time, we asked the group leader ,Yonashiro Sho, and the dance leader, Kawashiri Ren, who leads their performances, about the group’s songs, the appeal of their performances, all about from their debut to now, conflicts they felt as the leaders and finally their bond with the members.

You released your second album “KIZUNA” on May 25th. 2 years have passed since your debut and I believe just like the says the bond of JO1 has deepened in this time, but what kind of feelings are put into this album?
Sho: From our debut in 2020 until now, we overcame various hardships by cherishing our bonds. However, I feel that now as we have entered our third year, we are at our true starting point. As we had been unable to do our activities as we had imaged them due to the pandemic, JAM supported us the whole time and last year at our first lives with an audience we had been able to meet them, so I hope to have more concerts and give back more to JAM who support us in the future. That’s why, there is both our bond with JAM and the bond of us in “KIZUNA”. Those are the two bonds that make the album.
Ren: Of course, we have to improve our singing and dancing, but by experiencing live shows with an audience I was able to feel the connection with JAM and also the one among the members once more and deeper than ever. I think this album was made while keeping this “connection” in mind. In terms of performances, I think all 11 members being uniform is a certain thing, but also the cohesiveness of the group as a whole while each individual also stands out on his own is easy to understand, so I would be happy if you could pay attention to this.

There are 7 new songs starting with the lead track “with Us”, and 12 other songs that had been featured on your 3rd to 5th single, but please tell us your personal favorite of those.
Sho: I really like “Touch!”. The melody feels a little soft, but this is something really nice in my opinion. I like this feeling that makes me want to listen to it over and over.
Ren: All songs are my favorite, but today I feel like choosing “ZERO”. Actually JO1’s logo changes a bit with every CD, but this time it was changed under the motive of a gear. The image of these gears being interlocked into each other and everything being connected is strong. This emphasizes the theme of bonds which we talked about earlier. Especially the lyrics of “ZERO” “Our story that is stretching endlessly It was decided from the moment we met The circle you call fate” is something I really like. The keyword “The circle you call fate” fits to how I feel today, so I think I pick “ZERO” as my favorite song today (laughs).

Well then, please tell us about an event that deepened the bonds of you two further.
Sho: I feel there was not that one occasion. Because I often talked with Ren since our debut already. After practice ended Ren and Junki came to my room and we talked for a long time. While talking about a lot of things like about the group or about the future, I guess our bonds deepened without us realizing it. And we often go out on free days. Hence, there is not that one occasion…
Ren: Right (laughs). I think surprisingly we have been talking a lot since the audition already. Cause we are both the kind of people who proactively start to talk to other people. Since we became JO1 members we somehow do things together (laughs).
Sho: But actually, we weren’t engaging much with each other during the audition.
Ren: Because we were only the same team for the very last performance. So I guess from then on (we became closer).

As you are the leader, Yonashiro-san, and you are the dance leader in JO1, Kawashiri-san, I believe you are often relied on by the other members. Is there anything you were able to consult with each other?
Sho: I consulted Ren way too often that I can’t even remember one thing (laughs bitterly). As JO1 has 11 members, what everyone wants to do is different, our personalities, our values and the way we express ourselves are also completely different. Ren teaches everyone the dances while I support them in their daily lives and I often observe their personalities. We are the two oldest members of the group, so we have a little more life experience than the others, right? That’s why, it might be that things that are common sense for us are not like that for the others and in the beginning we struggled a lot with that or rather we said something like “sure enough it’s different”.
Ren: In this business there is no right answer. It is also not like winning a game. It is not a world that has something that makes you improve for sure when you train like this, so in the beginning we had no idea what was the right way for us to proceed. In this day and age where we could not see what was awaiting us I often talked with Sho-kun and the other members about what we should do.
Sho: Exactly that’s why I feel that being attentive to everyone’s feelings is the most important thing. There might be times when I think something should be done but the others think differently, and just like Ren said, there is no right answer. Hence, it might happen that even though we think something is right, it will not be the case. Besides, we get to know about other values by being with others. This is the environment in which we can improve, so I feel we have to talk with each other on the spot.

In this case, do you have something you keep in mind in order to deepen the bonds with the members?
Ren: It might be something very trivial, but it is to say things like “Good morning” or “You have worked hard today”. Out of the 24 days a day has, we might be together for 20 hours, so the sense of saying something like “Good morning” is fading fast. So I try to turn it on again by saying “Good morning”. As long as I live I plan to say “Good morning” in the sense of work is about to start and “You have worked hard today” in the sense of ‘you have done well today, see you again tomorrow’. It is something natural for me to greet the people we work with, or rather it is a matter of courtesy to say this for me, but some members who have not worked yet or have not experienced this business yet seemed to be puzzled by this at first. Like “Why are you saying Good morning in the middle of the night?” But I also thought like this in the beginning (laughs). Thus, I keep these greetings in mind.
Sho: I am both the leader and the oldest member, so I am careful to make the greetings loudly. If I don’t do that, other members might assume it’s okay not to greet. I don’t mean to set an example. but if I don’t use honorifics when I am talking with the manager, the members won’t do so either and since I don’t want to be a bad example I always keep in mind to keep the way I appear acceptable.

Because you two are the oldest members, you might feel a little tense at times, right?
Ren: I am not sure whether it is something good or not, but I am the type of person who wants to match the atmosphere of the other one or what they are looking for. For example, if there is someone who seems to like cheerful people, I may joke around and talk cheerfully in an interview or in a serious discussion like this, I will talk about what's on my mind so far. Even when I am with the members, when I feel now is the time to have fun I will join them and fool around, but on the other hand when I feel they don’t want my attention, I will leave them alone and I just end up thinking about the other one. It is not that I am acting like this on purpose, but I subconsciously adjust which part of myself I will show. Thus, I feel like I never let my guard down. It might be that I don’t want people to feel bad around me.
Sho: Back right at the early times of our debut, I felt I had to do the things properly to a perfect degree.
Ren: At first, you worked so hard that you pretty much overdid it, didn’t you? (laughs bitterly)
Sho: I ended up being exhausted by this (laughs). But I realized that surprisingly in this business just being polite is not everything. This is just my opinion, but if you are too polite, you can make others feel distant from you. So, recently I feel like I try not to create too much distance, and if it is possible become friends with everyone. Because it is usually more enjoyable to talk about things that interest you than talk about superficial things that are not really interesting, and there are also people accepting this. However, I felt if I made up something, I would get caught on the spot.

Prior to the album release, on 22nd April, you digitally released your first collaboration track “YOLO-konde” which was produced by STRAY KIDs’ 3RACHA (BangChan, Changbin & HAN) and JO1 wrote the lyrics.
Sho: It was the first time they provided a song for us and I was really happy to collaborate with Stray Kids-san like this. They told us they want us to perform the song with our own way of performing and singing, so we wrote lyrics while thinking what we can express in this song. On the demo version Stray Kids are singing, but this was so well done. I was deeply impressed by the world view and high quality of Stray Kids-san who produce their music themselves, and I strongly felt that JO1 should be able to do the same in the future.
Ren: We wrote the lyrics based on a circus concept, so while I was in charge of making the choreography I kept in mind to make the most out of this vibe while not making it boring to look at, and I asked the other members for their opinions. I hope you all will check it out too and tell me your opinions about it.

Kawashiri Ren

I trust my senses and aim for the top

When asked about the good sides of the members, who he often watches over as their dance leader Kawashiri Ren answered “That they are competitive”.
“There are both members who say it openly and members just keep it in their hearts. But they all have something ‘I won’t lose to anyone else just in this one thing’ even compared to the others, which is something good in my opinion. I feel having someone who can be your friendly rival so close leads to current JO1’s strength.”

This friendly rivalry led to everyone’s huge improvement in regard to performances.
“Junki dances naturally, and Sho-kun is also serious about dancing. Their personalities also come out in their dancing. Ruki has a clear idea of ‘coolness’ in his mind and is good at showing this. Once Shion is into something, he is stronger than anyone else in it. When something gets him, all his goodness comes out. Sukai has insane athletic skills (laughs). He is also smart. Hence, he is one who can do what I tell him on the spot. Keigo got his own “Keigo-ness” (laughs). I think it is great that exudes his own vibe in everything he does. Shosei’s hands are cute when he dances (laughs). Like they always curl up a little. Mame is more amazing than me in his own field. Our genres are different, but it is so amazing what he can do in his age and I simply respect him for this. Syoya has his own sensibility, but it resembles mine a little. When I tell the members ‘Raise your hand as if it was heavy’, I can say ‘Do it as if your hand was stuck in jelly’ in Syoya’s case. When I tell him something in a way he can easily imagine, he can do it in an instant, which I like about him. Takumi is someone who has multiple eyes. He can look at himself from above and from the side. I feel he dances while having those images in his mind which is really amazing. In my case, I want to trust my senses. I want to trust my senses in the way that when I think it will look beautiful if I raise my hand here, I move like that.

JO1 reached its 3rd year and a new chapter opens up in front of you. What are your future goals?
“Our greeting is always ‘Go To The TOP’ but we don’t put emphasis on what the Top actually is. We keep on aiming for the top and work hard to get there. I think this is the right path for us, so I would like to keep on cherishing this greeting.”

[JO1] Josei Seven 220714

Traveling with JO1’s Yonashiro Sho and Kawashiri Ren
A secret summer vacation in Okinawa

Finally the real summer is here! No doubt that especially this year a lot of people think “I want to have fun in Okinawa!”. The invincible chemi of “YonaRen”, made of Yonashiro Sho and Kawashiri Ren, from the global boys group JO1 show us secret spots that have been introduced nowhere else and places that are different from your usual tourist spots. Let’s hop on the plane and go on a summer vacation that the two and the readers have never experienced before!

Yonashiro Sho (26)
From Okinawa. He leads the group as the oldest member. His charm is that he is impressive as their reliable leader, but actually he is also an airhead.

Kawashiri Ren (25)
From Fukuoka. He is the reliable performance leader with his dance skills. He choreographed the new song “ALL HOURS” that was released in June.

Enjoying a exclusive gourmet experience

“It smells like the home of my grandma!”
A nostalgic smells brings a smile to their faces

The Fukugi tree is the “village tree” which protects the Onna Village in Okinawa. And ”Fukugi” is an Okinawa Soba restaurant, located in a traditional-style house surrounded by those Fukugi trees. When the two entered it, the owner, Matakichi Hiroko, who runs the restaurant all by herself, greeted them with a smile. “It smells just like the home of my grandma~”
TN: Since there are no furigana, I am not sure whether I transcripted the name of the store owner correctly. It is possible that the name is read differently.
To Yonashiro-san’s surprise, the restaurant is in a traditional house that has not been renovated in the more than 80 years since it was built, with the exception of the kitchen.
The menu contains only three dishes: “Sooki soba”, limited 15 servings per day, “Sanmainiku Soba” and “Juushii”, an Okinawan rice dish limited to 7 servings per day. Kawashiri-san struggled with how to eat the “Sooki soba”, but Yonashiro-san, who hails from Okinawa, advised him “You bite into the sooki (meat from the rips still attached to the hard bones) just as they are”. We also witnessed the scene of Yonashiro-san picking up the Sanshin and teaching Kawashiri-san how to play it. “It was a taste that made me want to say ‘I am home’.”
These words slipped out of Kawashiri’s mouth on the way back. So he decided on Okinawa as his “Second home”…?

Yonashiro-san ordered the “Sanmainiku soba” (600¥). “It was a very nostalgic ‘Okinawan taste’!”

Kawashiri-san also challenged playing the Sanshin that was found in the restaurant. He played a wonderful melody while being taught by Yonashiro-san.

A family friendly experience at “Gangster’s world” (the ‘Restaurant Old Gangster’)

The two were in high spirits while posing in front of the “gangsters”. “It felt like I went back to old America.” (Yonashiro-san)

The first feature! (of JUNKY ICE)

With its pop interior and “piled up ice cream” it is recognised as Okinawa’s most photogenic spot!

Named by Kawashiri-san!
“Chimu dondon
choco dondon”

It happened that Kawashiri-san almost spilled his toppings. But Yonashiro-san rushed to his help, extending his hands (to catch them).

Get to experience horse riding at an unexplored picturesque scenery

With the best horses at the best location

Kawashiri-san was encouraging his horse even during the shot under the burning sun. “Roney, just hang on just a bit longer”.

Yonashiro-san was super delighted, saying “I met a ‘genius horse’.”

Yonashiro-san and Kawashiri-san rode “Goody” and “Roney”. Initially they were surprised by the size of the horses, but soon enough they became friends.

Riding along the beautiful shores of Okinawa is a big attraction of the “Okinawa Horse Riding Club”. Kawashiri-san gave his seal of approval by saying “The location was undeniably the best”.

Fully enjoying a luxurious time

The two were about to enjoy a “morning champagne” fitting to the luxurious atmosphere of their room. But they struggled with popping the cork…

Careful… Careful

Pop!

A graceful “morning champagne”!

The “AQUA TERRACE“ in front of the hotel is a 2200m2 area that offers a variety of contents like open air pools.

Kawashiri-san said “The room had some cuteness in the middle of the luxurious feeling.” A refreshing feeling from the early morning on!

All rooms are equipped with wide balconies. “I was so happy to be able to greet the morning while smelling the sea”, said Yonashiro-san as he relaxed and enjoyed the view after the shot finished.

As the last part of the Okinawa trip, they went “Treasure hunting” in a store that is full of Okinawan culture!

Yonashiro-san selected a set containing a coffee mug, a saucer and a spoon. While staring at all those sizes and forms, he finally made his choice. “I love coffee, so I really hope you will use it!”

Kawashiri-san selected a bracelet with a “wave” motif that was made from brass from Miyakojima. “I just knew it was the one! Actually I also bought a bracelet here in Okinawa, so if you happen to win it, please enjoy the feeling of us matching.”

The last store they visited was the store “Proots”. This is a coined word out of “chanpuru”, meaning “mishmash” in the Okinawan dialect and “roots” expressing origin and source, showcasing the theme of “sending Okinawa‘s netsuke culture to the world” in a variety of products such as accessory, art, drinks and food.
“I was once more reminded of the coolness of Okinawan pottery. I want people in the whole country to know about this store that is full of the charms of the past!”, said Yonashiro-san.
They took their time to select “souvenirs” for our readers. They seemed to have made satisfying choices that “they would have wanted to use themselves”.
As the conclusion of the trip we took a pic in the plane. “For me Okinawa was “my source of energy”, said Yonashiro-san while Kawashiri-san commented “I fully enjoyed the time in Okinawa!”.

“Bye bye Okinawa! We're gonna come back!”

The feature was also published over here: https://www.news-postseven.com/archives/20220720_1775113.html?DETAIL

[JO1] Nippon Housou News Online 220622

https://news.1242.com/article/368843

JO1, their new song ‘ALL HOURS’ is completely in English “We also checked the pronunciation remotely”

On the night of the 15th June (Wednesday), the radio program ‘JO1 All Night Nippon X’ (every Wednesday at 24~24:58 on Nippon Housou) aired in which Shiroiwa Ruki of the 11 member global boy group JO1 acts as the main personality. As the weekly changing personalities Yonashiro Sho and Kawashiri Ren appeared in this episode and they talked about the new song ‘ALL HOURS’.

The new song ‘ALL HOURS’ is JO1’s first song with all English lyrics. From a listener a mail came, asking “As all lyrics are in English, were there any points you had a hard time with or a point where you think ‘It’s awesome over here, please pay attention to it’?” and the three of them answered.

Sho: These lyrics are JO1’s first time challenging all English lyrics. Something difficult, sure enough it should be pronunciation, right?
Ren: That’s right~
Ruki: We divided ourselves into smaller groups and for the first time we checked our pronunciation remotely with people who speak English. It took quite some time, didn’t it?
Sho: Because it is something that goes out to the whole world, and we wanted to do the pronunciation properly, it was like this. In the beginning, we had study sessions from the morning on.
Ruki: But, it was good, wasn’t it?
Sho: Yes, it was good after all. We learned things we didn’t know before.
Ruki: Do you have a point where you think “It’s awesome over here, please pay attention to it”?
Ren: I have! In the lyrics there is the word Elevatin’ and if you would read it normally it would be “ereveitin”, but native speakers say it rather like “erevei…”, they tune down the sound in the middle. I was taught that this sounds a little more like a native speaker.
Ruki: Right. There are various patterns to try, like pronouncing it like a native, or saying it Japanese-like on purpose. Out of all those options for pronunciation, we chose the one we felt was the coolest one. It was interesting.

They revealed that they spent a lot of time and carefully added life to lyrics, including in their morning English study sessions.

Furthermore, JO1’s performance leader Kawashiri had been in charge of the choreography for ‘ALL HOURS’. Shiroiwa and Yonashiro commented on it “I like the movement here!” and “This time there are a lot of sexy movements, right?”, to which Kawashiri listened with satisfaction.

[JO1] PR Times 220616

https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000027.000023089.html
TN: The same interview was published by various newsoutlets

Please tell us your thoughts after finishing the filming.
Sho: It was a new challenge or rather it was very fun for us to be able to have such a wonderful experience. Everyone, how do you feel about what you did?
Ren: There are points I really really want you to pay attention to… We filmed on the grass inside of the race course, everyone is standing in one single line as if the race is about to start and in the background footage of the anime ‘Gunjou no Fanfare’ is playing, so I want you to check this all out. Please watch it!
Everyone: Please watch it!

What do you think about filming at a horse racing course?
Shosei: As it was our first time shooting at a racing course and we came here for the first time, moreover we were allowed to stand on the grass this time, it was a highly valuable experience and we had fun.
Sho: It is so neat!
Junki: Normally you cannot go there. Really.
Ren: Only the selected few horses can run here, right?
Sho: That’s why, we are… the selected few horses (laughs).
Ruki: We were able to film inside the racing course, as well as at a lot of other places such as on the lawn or inside the buildings with the anime playing in the background, which was a fun filming while we did some amazing new things, so everyone please watch it!

Did your image of horse racing change because of the filming?
Syoya: I always had some interest in horse racing, but I never took a step towards it as I thought it was an adult’s domain, but after hearing various stories and experiencing horse racing first hand today, I would like to go and watch it in private once!
Everyone: ohh— nice!!
Takumi: There were moving stories and the bond between jockey and horse moved me, so I think next time I will also buy a horse racing betting ticket and cheer for them.
Syoya: Let’s go everyone together! Everyone together!

Please tell us about your favourite lyrics or choreography of ‘Move The Soul’.
Junki: My favourite lyrics are ‘I can make my history’ from the chorus. Also we as JO1 hope to become a group that makes history by impressing someone or remain in their hearts through our various activities. I love this song!
Ren: My favourite point of the choreography is that there is often an ‘arm turning movement’ in the chorus and other parts of the song, but personally… I thought it looked like holding the reins and when I actually saw real reins and how they look running today… I am absolutely convinced that it looked like the reins (laughs).
Sukai: Maybe there will be a jockey doing this choreography (laughs).

Who do you believe would be ‘the biggest risk taker’ of the members? Please answer by pointing at the person when given the sign.
Result:
Issei: 6 votes
Sukai: 1 vote
Keigo: 2 votes
Shosei: 1 vote
Ren: 1 vote

The reasons why they choose Mamehara:
Junki: I don’t see him as nervous outside of shootings, but I have the image of him that carries it out in one shot with all his might once the filming starts.
Sho: He takes the chance when he can!
Ren: He is a determined guy!
Issei: Thank you very much!

In the program the ‘racing uniforms’ that the jockeys use are introduced, but please tell us about your ‘racing uniforms’!
Keigo: Aren’t our costumes our racing uniforms after all? When we wear our costumes, we become cooler than normally and… but well, we are always cool (laughs).

Please give a message to the fans.
Issei: Today’s filming has been a lot of fun. I hope JAM will watch the collaboration commercial with JRA-san a lot.
Junki: The collaboration between us, JO1, and JRA-san and ‘Gunjou no Fanfare’ is also a very awesome anime… Right now, JO1 is on a roll, so please enjoy everything (laughs).
Ruki: Today I learnt that just as there is a bond between us and JAM, there is also a bond between a jockey and his horse. We will continue to entertain you, so please continue to support us.
Syoya: Please continue to support JRA-san, JO1 and ‘Gunjou no Fanfare’.
Ren: Today has been a lot of fun. JO1 will continue to run as fast as we can, so please stick to JO1.
Shion: You realised the virtues of JO1 and horse racing! Let’s work harder and harder.
Takumi: If you spot me at the horse racing course, please do not talk to me (laughs)! I am concentrating.
Shosei: Today was so much fun. I was so happy about visiting a racing course for the first time. Please make sure to watch ‘Gunjou no fanfare’ and the CM of us and JRA-san.
Keigo: panpakapanpanpanpanpanpanpaan (imitates the sound of a fanfare) … Move The Soul! Thank you very much. It was a lot of fun.
Sho: Seeing real racing horses has also made us curious. We will continue to work hard, so please continue to support us.
Sukai: This collaboration is between JRA-san and us, JO1, so let’s use it as an opportunity for JAM, us and JRA-san to rush to the world together. Let’s go—!

[JO1] Sports Hochi 220604

https://hochi.news/articles/20220603-OHT1T51251.html?page=1

The 11 member boy group JO1 are on the zenith of their power and in the middle of their rapid growth. They widened their range of activities by providing the opening song of the anime ‘Gunjou no fanfare’ and working as voice actors and they are awaiting their first nationwide tour. We talked about their past and future with the leader Yonashiro Sho (26) and Kono Junki (24) who both participated in the ending song of “Gunjou” as guest vocalists, and Kimata Syoya (22) and Ohira Shosei (22), who are both voice actors in the anime.

During the photo shooting, the 4 members were tense and made their poses and expressions with serious gazes. Once they got the OK, they checked each other’s dancing and imitated anime characters which created an atmosphere like in a school club.

Ohira: We are surely deeping our bonds, but in the beginning we did not get along. I was anxious whether I really could make it in this group.

Yonashiro: We were together in the audition, but in the beginning there were also members who had not talked with each other.

JO1 was born from “PRODUCE 101 JAPAN”, the Japanese version of a large-scale Korean audition project in December 2019. They achieved their victory after they received a total of about 65 millions votes and were selected from about 6000 applicants. Unlike previous boy groups they continue to increase their fans with uptempo songs and a controlled and intense dancing that originates from K-POP.

Kono: The moment my name was called my mind went blank. But I felt that a path had opened for me and the winking pose came naturally.

Kimata: I was so happy to the point I mistakenly believed that the audition would continue for longer.

They were supposed to have a splendid debut, but in the next year, 2020, the Coronavirus began to spread widely. The release event for the first single “PROTOSTAR” that was supposed to take place on 4th March was canceled. A trial came out of nowhere.

Kono: I also thought ‘No way!’ sometimes, but I replaced this thought with ‘Let’s train more until we can meet JAM!’

Kimata: I remember that I was unable to leave the house even though it was sunny outside and I silently practiced the second single in my room.

Yonashiro: There is a video of the moment the release event was canceled and when I watch it again from time to time, I brace myself (for future challenges).

They are united in their hearts under the group’s motto “Go To The TOP”, meaning to stand at the top of the world. They dared to travel to a training camp in South Korea while assessing the pandemic situation. They polished their dancing and singing for the third single “CHALLENGER” released in April 2021.

Ohira: I want to become better, I want to aim higher and show a cool self to JAM. We shared this feeling and became one.

Yonashiro: That we became truly unified as a group was at the time of the third single.

Overcoming the Corona pandemic, they held their first lives with an audience at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba in November last year which was visited by 45.000 people through the 5 shows in three days. Being able to be face to face with the fans who had been eagerly awaiting them since their debut, is still the driving force of the members now.

Yonashiro: Just before the curtain went up on the first day the staff seemed about to cry when they called us.

Kimata: (When I saw) the delighted faces of JAM, I really felt that everything that happened so far has paid off.

Kono: The venue was shining with penlights until the very back and it felt good to perform.

Ohira: I was worried whether we could fill the venue, but this worry was unnecessary. It was also something that built up over two years and it was truly beautiful.

Even though the first concerts with an audience had been a success, there is also regret. As the member Kinjo Sukai (22) was taking a hiatus due to Adjustment disorder since October last year, they were unable to stand on stage as 11 members.

Ohira: I was moved by the JAM coming to the live show with Sukai’s nameplate. That is exactly why I want to have a live with 11 members.

In February there had been the announcement that Kinjo returned. At the release event of their second album “KIZUNA” taking place with 11 members in May, they announced that they will have their first nationwide arena tour in September in front of the fans.

Kono: As there is Sukai’s voice and dancing, I thought we finally came together. I felt that we were finally complete. I want to show this to JAM once again. That this is JO1!

The long awaited tour is just a stepping stone. Their goal is to become a group that can compete with the world and be a pride like BTS from South Korea, the first Asians to be nominated for the Grammy awards, which are the highest honor of the American music industry.

Kimata: I admire BTS. But, we are neither well known nor skilled enough to follow their footsteps. First, I want JO1 to be more and more known in Japan.

Ohira: I want to give back even more to JAM. After all, following the arenas I want to stand on the Dome stages. Also, I want us to be called for the Kouhaku.

Kono: I was working part time at the Kyocera Dome during my student days. Back then, I was a ticket collector and guided fans to their places, but next time I want to stand myself on the stage of the Kyocera Dome.

Yonashiro: Our future aim has been the world since the audition. We want to build the foundation for global boy groups which does not exist in Japan yet.

The activities of their juniors has also become a driving force. Born from the second installment of “PRODUCE 101”, the 11 member group INI who just made their debut in November last year, is also engaging in a friendly rivalry with them in the same agency.

Ohira: I check them each time they release new songs. All of them are good and their dancing is also great!

Kimata: Rather than being our juniors, INI are comrades with the same mindset. We even went fishing together in private.

Kono: We are not rivals, we want to make our agency bigger together.

Yonashiro: In the beginning, the agency was so empty as it lacked too many people, but right now they also increased and it became filled to the bursting. With JO1 and INI, we want to grow the office even further.

The moment of the young JO1, formed 2 and a half years ago. rewriting history might be not so far away anymore.

[JO1] Nikkei Entertainment 200304

JO1 member profile
The 11 members who passed the audition and gasped their debut, when these 11 individuals, who all have different strengths and experiences, become one, an unique JO1 energy is born.
Q&A
① What do you always buy in a conbini?
② How do people call you? How do you want to be called?
③ Is there someone you want to appear together in some program?
④ Which JO1 member would you like to date?

01 Mamehara Issei
The youngest member and center of the debut song
A high schooler who won the center spot of the debut song. He grabbed the hearts of the viewers with his simple appearance of riding a bike to school through the fields and his serious attitude to tackle his tasks. His true face is quite active. He is like a younger brother who comfortably and freely behaves among his elder brothers.
Profile | born 2002.5.30 (17 years old)
from Okayama / 173 cm / O type
① Recently, I like eclairs and often buy those. I often eat them in the morning.
② It’s ‘Mame’. I want to be called ‘Mame-chan’ by everyone.
③ Hm…
④ Junki-kun (direct answer). He is funny but actually thinks of a lot of things and while he respects my opinion he tells me when I am wrong.

02 Kawashiri Ren
The dancer leader who is like a father
His highly skilled and eye-catching dancing is a huge weapon of JO1. On the one hand as someone serious and dependable he is called ‘JO1’s father’, but he loves to have fun. Also there is the side of him loving ‘HARIBO’.
Profile | born 1997.3.2 (23 years old)
from Fukuoka / 173 cm / O type
① I buy the mango salad drink from Kagome’s ‘Yasai Seikatsu’ everyday. I started to drink it for my health, but I also love the taste.
② ‘Ren-kun’. Back in high school I was also called ‘Ren-chan’ and it is nostalgic and makes me happy.
③ The people with whom I worked during my time as dancer, I would like to appear along them as JO1 once more.
④ Takumi! (direct answer) Because all his actions are cute!

03 Kawanishi Takumi
A Cinderella boy with unparalleled visuals
Regardless of him being inexperienced in both singing and dancing, he always had a spot in the upper ranking thanks to his natural sense and ‘unparalleled visuals’. He seems cool but is actually mischievous. According to the members he got the ‘Chopper position’ if you compared them to ‘ONE PIECE’. He loves junk food.
Profile | born 1999.6.23 (20 years old)
from Hyogo / 170 cm / B type
① I buy sweet bread with chocolate in it every day.
② It is ‘Takumi’ or ‘Takumi-kun’. There is not anything in particular I want to be called.
③ Some comedians because I like comedy. I am a huge fan of Kamaitachi-san and I went to watch one of their shows.
④ Kono Junki-kun. It is fun when we are together and I think I would laugh the whole time. That’s great (laughs).

04 Ohira Shosei
The No.1 member who cannot be left alone
His tears, earnest hard work and soft smile that have been aired in the audition let him soar towards the 4th place in the final ranking. The members also see him as ‘cute’, ‘like a younger brother’, ‘a worrier’ and someone who ‘tells me it’s okay’ and they cannot leave him alone. His speciality is dancing.
Profile | born 2000.4.14 (19 years old)
from Kyoto / 176 cm / A type
① As I am in the middle of a diet, I just buy salad late at night. I lost 3 kilos in one month.
② ‘Shosei’ or ‘Shose’. Also, ‘Sean’.
③ I want to meet Pompom Purin. Even though I am on a diet I ended up buying Pompom Purin bread.
④ It would be Takumi-kun. He is kind but funny. Because he is just too cool, I want to look at his side profile while being next to him.

05 Tsurubo Shion
A purehearted ‘alien’ displaying diverse charms
He was criticised for his bad attitude at the very start of the audition making him the main character all of sudden. In reality he gets along well with everyone and is someone with a pure heart who is unexpectedly serious and even a little shy. However, his true self is wrapped up in a mystery even among the members as they call him ‘mysterious’ and ‘an alien’.
Profile | born 2000.12.11 (19 years old)
from Shiga / 178 cm / A type
① ‘Lifeguard’ from CHEERIO. I like it so much that I drank 3 cans a day in high school.
② Shion.
③ It is often said that I am resembling a certain celebrity, so I would like to meet this person once.
④ Kono Junki-kun. I like that he has no hidden side and that he tells you what he thinks. I am sure everyone will answer Junki-kun!

06 Shiroiwa Ruki
The ‘comedy prince’ with orthodox visuals
While everyone recognises his looks as ‘cool’, his reputation among the members is out-and-out ‘he is really funny’. This gap and the chivalry that glimpses through every word he says are his charm. Since he got experience as an idol, he received high appreciation for his fanservice.
Profile | 1997.11.19 (22 years old)
from Tokyo / 175 cm / O type
① 500ml of Coca Cola.
② ‘Ruki-kun’ or ‘Ruki’.
③ Right now, I want to appear along Kamaitachi-san the most.
④ Keigo and Mame-chan. Because Keigo would drag me, who prefers to stay indoors, out and he is influential (laughs). Mame is simply funny and seems not to know much about love yet, so I hope to be able to experience an pure feeling (laughs).

07 Sato Keigo
The fashion leader who is ahead of the trends
He has an outstanding style and often wears luxury brands. He even says ‘One day I want to handle JO1’s costumes’. However, in the group he is a teasing character. He is an airhead and some might even say ‘his words are the ones of a problem child’. If he gets the chance, he will try to touch the butts of the members.
Profile | 1998.7.29 (21 years old)
from Aichi | 181 cm / A type
① Fruits jelly or cut fruits. I like pineapples and tangerines.
② ‘Keigo’. I am told I look like a giraffe, so I want to be called ‘Gira’ because of the English word for it.
③ With Downtown-san! I want to be teased by them.
④ It’s that guy (Tsurubo Shion). His teasing is fun and his teasing side is girlish.

08 Kimata Syoya
Once you notice his ‘appeal’ there is no way out of his swamp anymore
Attended a famous dance school and went to a fashion vocational school because of his love for clothes. His true face is loving to be mischievous, but the members know him as someone ‘who stood talking once the camera is on him’. He humbly calls himself ‘the type of person who does not stand out’ but once you notice his charms, he got the deepest swamp to fall into.
Profile | 2000.4.5 (19 years old)
from Aichi | 171 cm | A type
① ‘Kireeto Lemon’ and salad chicken. I also buy a lot of snacks such as seasoned octopus with wasabi, soused fish or raw ham.
② ‘Syoya’
④ It is Junki-kun. He is older than me, but he is easy to talk to from the same standpoint. When I say something cheeky he makes sure to pick it and make it funny. In short, he spoils me and is patient.

09 Kono Junki
An absolutely positive mood maker
He is a mood maker who is recognised as the pivot of JO1’s vocals by both others and himself. During the shooting, he clapped his hands and bursted in a sports kind of mood saying ‘Let’s get hyped up!’. He got 1st place in ‘Which member do you want to have as your boyfriend?’ chosen by the members and he was also not displeased by this.
Profile | 1998.1.20 (22 years old)
from Nara | 174 cm | O type
① ‘Meiji probiotic yogurt R-1’ and ‘C1000 vitamin lemon’.
② As I want to feel close others, I hope to be called just by my first name.
③ I would like to appear on programs like ‘Shabekuri 007’ and be teased. I want to learn more about comedy.
④ Shion. His face is really my type. He is cute as well as kind without being flirtatious with his surroundings.

10 Kinjo Sukai
The highest growth rate in singing and dancing
On the first glance he looks fierce and cool. Yet the members see him as ‘a moody person and cute’. He was inexperienced in singing and dancing but he showcased a huge growth during the audition and the trainers also often mentioned that he ‘is very obedient and passionate’. His further growth is infinite.
Profile | 2000.5.6 (19 years old)
from Osaka | 178 cm | A type
① I end up buying Coca Cola. Also, dried mangoes. I like the time when I am chewing those (laughs).
② ‘Sukai’
③ Someone like (Akashiya) Sanma-san who I watched on TV since I was a child.
④ Junki-kun. But there are times when he is kind and indecisive… I prefer to be talked to more sternly. I guess my answer is ‘myself’ (laughs).

11 Yonashiro Sho
‘The mother’ who wraps up the members
The oldest member and leader and another pivot of the vocals. He is a mother-like existence who brings the many free spirits in the group together with his natural patience and caring side. He was inexperienced in dancing during the audition, but his pride is his muscles. He tends to wear costumes that show his biceps.
Profile | 1995.10.25 (24 years old)
from Okinawa | 180 cm | O type
① I always buy coffee. I prefer black coffee.
② Since I am the oldest one, it is ‘Sho-kun’. I would like to be called by my first name because in Okinawa you rarely call people by their last names.
④ Ah, it’s Ruki! (Direct answer) He is cool and honest and his professional consciousness and seriousness in regard to performances are strong. I think if I was a woman, I would be drawn to him.

TN: Both Syoya and Sho did not answer the third question.

Kawashiri Ren
Even if I am normally a small existence I want to be ‘a king’ on stage.

Kawashiri Ren’s career as a back dancer is brilliant. Thanks to his high level pro awareness of “I am aware that I am constantly seen by other people” he had since then and his outstanding dancing skills that are both powerful and elegant, as well as his charisma, he became the center of 101 people for the theme song of ‘PRODUCE 101 JAPAN’, ‘Tsukame ~ It’s Coming~’.

That day (11th December, the day the final ranking had been announced) had been the turning point in making me a pro or rather I prepared myself to enter a world where ‘I can’t do it’ is not accepted. Since I was in 5th or 6th year of elementary school I dreamed of becoming a dancer in the future and I moved from Fukuoka to Tokyo before turning 20 years old. But when I finally worked as a dancer, I saw that the artists in front of me seemed to have more fun and the feeling of wanting to stand in their place gradually grew bigger.

During the audition it was hard when the eliminated trainees left. Especially when Sano Fumiya-kun, with whom I was in a friendly rivalry, left… It was the hardest. In other words, there were people whose path to debut was erased this time. But, believing that outside of the 11 of us a lot of more lives changed by participating, might be what kept me going.

There was some cruelty in the amounts of votes being announced, but it also made me actually feel that I am supported. When you think that JO1 was born from the support of so many people, there is a sense of responsibility, but I see it as a further expectation of us. I believe it is more fun to think like this. I hope all 11 members will not forget this as we keep on being active.

Nonetheless, that I was in second place in the final voting had been really frustrating. After all, being first is something cool. I feel that all chosen members were aiming for the first place. But from now on the battleground changes and 11 members become one team and aim for the world. In order to achieve this, we work hard on becoming the top of Japan first.

I put my state of mind into my signature. Outside of the stage I am a really small existence, I still need a lot of training and I have to be always humble. Yet, once I step on stage I am a king, have absolute confidence and want to give happiness to the people watching me. I hope to value the transition between the stage and other places. The dot on the bottom right symbolises the small me offstage and the crown on the upper left is the king I am on stage.

[JO1] B-PASS 220527

Q1: A number you want to listen to while driving?
Shosei: JO1 “Touch!”
Ren: JO1 “Get Inside Me”
Takumi: JO1 “Touch!”
Syoya: Kobukuro “Sakura”
Sukai: aiko-san “Boyfriend”
Junki: EXILE ATSUSHI “Sakura no Kisetsu”
Keigo: Justin Bieber “Forever”
Ruki: One Direction “Live While We’re Young”
Shion: Saucy Dog “Tsuki no sumu kimi”. I want to listen to it at a sakura alley at night
Issei: TREASURE “JIKJIN”
Sho: JO1 “ZERO”

Q2: An event you liked or were good at at a (school) sport’s festival?
🍮: Ball-toss games
🦊: Cheering
🍓: Relay
🐰: Ball-toss games
✈️: Relay
🌱: Ball rolling race
🦒: Chicken fight
👑: Relay
👽: Ball rolling race
🐶: Chicken fight
🌺: Relay

Q3: A menu that made you happy when it was your bento?
🍮: Wiener, broccoli, rolled egg omelette
🦊: Chili Shrimps
🍓: Rolled egg omelette, kugini (sand lance simmered in soy sauce/mirin/etc)
🐰: Frozen karaage and gratin with a fortune
TN: There seems to be a Japanese brand of gratin that has fortunes in every package
✈️: Karaage-san
🌱: Potato salad
🦒: Gratin
👑: Rolled egg omelette
👽: Rolled egg omelette (salty)
🐶: Sweet rolled egg omelette
🌺: Gooya champuruu

Q4: Your favourite miso soup ingredient?
🍮: Tofu, Wakame
🦊: Wakame
🍓: Tofu, Wakame
🐰: Shrimp heads
✈️: Sweet potato, Wakame
🌱: Lettuce
🦒: Manila clam
👑: Japanese bunching onion
👽: Onions, firm tofu
🐶: Tofu
🌺: Manila clam, freshwater clam

Q5: Please tell us your trick to prevent/overcome the May blues?
🍮: Listen to JO1’s songs a lot!
🦊: May blues is nothing but a superstition.
🍓: Fully relaxing
🐰: Eating food!
✈️: Visiting various cafes, playing games
🌱: Not thinking about May
🦒: Liking JO1 more than before!
👑: Eat a lot. Rest a lot
👽: May blues, what’s that? First of all, do your best!
🐶: Going out with friends
🌺: Exercise

Q6: How do you often spend rainy days?
🍮: Cooking at home. Drawing
🦊: Playing games at home
🍓: I’m watching anime or movies at home.
🐰: Staying inside my home
✈️: Watching movies at home
🌱: I open the window and enjoy the rain
🦒: I don’t like rain, so I watch movies and such at home.
👑: I’m often at home.
👽: I get headaches, so I’m at home.
🐶: Playing games at home
🌺: I calm down by the sound of rain, so I study.

Q7: What is a fashion item you are curious about in this spring/summer season?
🍮: I want slippers
🦊: Sneaker
🍓: T-Shirt, accessories, hat
🐰: Light clothing
✈️: Shirts without sleeves
🌱: Jeans (wide)
🦒: Handmade fashion. Like T-Shirts sewn by hand
👑: Half pants, accessories
👽: Hats and half sleeves
🐶: Accessories, half pants
🌺: White T-Shirts

Q8: Is there something you collect or you find yourself collecting?
🍮: Skin care items. I even buy spares, so if I forget about them, they accumulate at home.
🦊: Sweets
🍓: Sneaker
🐰: Gacha stuff, knit hats, recent vinyl records
✈️: Supplements and nutritional foods
🌱: Mugs
🦒: Clothes, sneaker
👑: Sunglasses, Pokemon sticker
👽: Figures
🐶: Kamen Rider belts
🌺: I find the members assembling (at my place)

Q9: Are you the type who believes in fortune telling or jinxes?
🍮: I don’t believe in anything.
🦊: I don’t believe in those.
🍓: I don’t believe in those at all.
🐰: I do. But I don’t want to…
✈️: I do. I like psychic ones
🌱: I’m not really believing in those
🦒: I only believe in good things
👑: I’m not really believing in those
👽: I believe serious ones.
🐶: I don’t believe in those.
🌺: I don’t believe in those.

Q10: Which colour do you like lately?
🍮: I ended up buying things in pastel colours and a little brilliant colours.
🦊: Dreamily pretty purple
🍓: Yellow. Because I love it.
🐰: Blue
✈️: Grey
🌱: Blue
🦒: Yellow-green, blue
👑: White
👽: Aqua, black, green
🐶: Red
🌺: Green

Q11: What is the place you can calm down the best?
🍮: The air in my hometown. It is not a big city, so the stars are really clear.
🦊: Home
🍓: Bed. At home in general
🐰: Home
✈️: Bed, sofa
🌱: A place where I can feel nature
🦒: Cinema
👑: Theme parks
👽: The toilet
🐶: On my bed at home
🌺: Okinawa

JO1‘s anime situation
In connection with the anime tie-ups “Move The Soul” and “Prologue” featured on the album. What kind of anime have the members come in touch with?

Do you usually watch anime?
Keigo: I love “HUNTER X HUNTER”. There are a lot of characters I like, but I especially like the enemy characters. The backstory of the enemies has been properly drawn out, too, so I ended up liking them.
Sukai: I also like “HUNTER X HUNTER” the most. I like that the main character has also a very positive side, and not only are the enemy characters strong, but they also have uncommon abilities and each one of them got something charming.
Shosei: I really want to see the rest soon.
Keigo: Because I’m ready to spend all my savings! I want to read the rest in some way or another!
Shosei: I like “To Aru Kagaku no Railgun”. It is a not so recent anime, but the art is beautiful and the development of each episode is well done and it is exciting. The work is based in the city of Tachikawa in Tokyo and I would like to make a pilgrimage there.
Sho: It’s “Poppey” for me when it comes to anime! I often watched cartoons since I was a young boy and I loved “Powerpuff girls” and “Tom & Jerry”!
Ruki: Ah, I cried heavily when I watched “Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day”.
Sho: You cried when watching anime, Ruki?
Ruki: I cried from the start to the end.
Shosei: You (always) act so tough! (laughs)
Ruki: After reading “Anohana” my dislike for manga disappeared and I also read mangas such as “Attack on Titan” or “Tokyo Ghoul” and watched the anime. Right now, I’m looking forward to the “Attack on Titan” season next year.
Issei: I like “Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam”. My parents like Gundam and I started to like it due to their influence. In Gundam the story about the people is really interesting. In “Zeta Gundam” they transform into planes… (an unstoppable fast & passionate talk)
Shosei: He is so enthusiastic…
Sho: I wonder how many years it would take to finish the whole series starting today?
Issei: I think it will take some time. There are connected episodes and unconnected ones. Right now with “Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn” the foreshadowing from back then has been retrieved so… (endlessly continues)
Sho: O-okay, I got it! (laughs)

Hahaha we will continue slowly (laughs).
Takumi: In “Shaman King” the main character Asakura Yoh keeps on saying “Everything will work out” and I think I can learn from his mindset. It is cool to say “Everything will work out” no matter how strong your enemy is.
Shion: My choice is Rem from “Re:Zero” (Re:Zero: Starting Life in Another World). The aqua hair suits her so well. So much that I want to dye my hair in this colour, too. She is wholeheartedly kind and really cute. She confessed to the person she likes knowing he likes someone else, but back then I said “Why are you not choosing Rem?”. I think I speak for about 80% of the fans in this regard.
Ren: I like the moment when seemingly laidback characters get serious. For example, characters like (Nara) Shikamaru from “NARUTO”. I like how they bring out their hidden powers when their friends are in trouble.
Syoya: I like the scene in “Guilty Crown” when Daryl Yan is told “Please live” in the moment when he is let go but refuses to do so. I like such a passionate feeling, or when a character takes a stand to protect someone.
Junki: I like the story arc of “The lying Noland” before they go to the sky islands in “ONE PIECE”. Despite discovering a treasure island, it was launched in the sky and became a sky island, making the original place disappear, so everyone calls him a liar but lastly his descendants and Luffy discover it and prove it was not a lie.
Ren: Can I add something here? (laughs) When Luffy found the sky island and the treasure he says in his heart “Old man, the island is here”, but actually in “ONE PIECE” it is not the intention of the mangaka Oda Eiichirou to write Luffy’s inner voice. But this is the sole scene where he did so.
Takumi: For real? Now I want to read the manga. But I only read until Shirahoshi’s part.
Ren: I think in this case you are about two thirds from there?
Shion: You can still catch up!

[JO1] Digital TV Guide 220422

Ren x Ruki x Keigo x Shion talk

Are you the type who takes long baths? Or short ones?
Keigo: Crazy long ones. I usually soak in hot water for an hour. From time to time I even end up falling asleep as I’m the type who gets tired after relaxing.
Ren: I also bathe long. I also often mix and use treatments, so I’m not spending that much time in the hot water however.
Ruki: Me too. When I have time I fill up my bath in the morning or at night and sometimes I bathe twice a day.
Shion: I also take long ones.
Ruki: Really? But your ones seem short.
Shion: They are about 30 minutes long.
Ruki: For me that’s kinda short. I bathe for about 1 or 2 hours.
Shion: That’s nuts.
Ruki: I’m watching movies while bathing. I put in bath salts and the temperature is automatically set to 41 degrees. Because there is a function that keeps the set temperature.
Ren: I didn’t know that! Wow!! That’s something pretty nice!
Shion: If I don’t soak in hot water, I only need 5 minutes. Hence, 30 minutes are long for me.

Is the time you need in the bathroom long?
Keigo: I also need long there.
Ren: I also need quite a long time, I guess. Because my job is standing in front of other people, doing skin care ends up taking a long time somehow.

In the past, you mentioned that brushing your teeths takes a long time for you, Kawashiri-san.
Ren: I used to brush them while taking a bath, but nowadays I have an electric toothbrush, so I’m brushing them at the sink now.
Ruki: I think I’m not taking that long. I use a mist spray on my face, use a mask while blow drying my hair and after applying beauty lotions and cream I’m done. It takes only 10 minutes I think.
Shion: For me that’s kinda long. I only need about 2 minutes. I dry myself, use a skin lotion and after getting into my clothes I’m done.
Keigo: The reason why I am taking so long is because I’m using a lot of skin care products.I also use a lot of shampoo, conditioner and body soap and it’s so much that I probably don’t need to use beauty lotions anymore, but a little more can't be wrong, hence I end up taking a long time.

Are you someone who spends a quiet time in his room? Or do you (loudly) enjoy yourself?
Ren: I’m quietly enjoying myself in my room. I mainly play games. I play online against the members or people I don’t know.
Shion: I play YouTube videos on my TV while watching YouTube videos on my phone.
Ruki: What?
Shion: The YouTube videos on my TV are the BGM and I’m watching all kinds of videos on my phone.
Keigo: I’m the type who relaxes quietly. I’m a lot on my phone and just like Shion I often let music or random videos from YouTube play on my TV while I’m doing something.
Ruki: When I’m playing games or sing, I have fun and be loud, but when I’m watching videos or movies I spend my time quietly. Also sometimes I practise singing. so I play the instrumental version of my favorite songs on Youtube while singing.
Keigo: How about buying a Karaoke machine?. We have one at my parent’s house.
Ruki: I have thought about it already. But since my room is not soundproof, it is not a good idea.
Shion: I can hear a lot of singing.

Ren: In the morning I was also woken up by the sound of Keigo waking up.
Keigo: I wish Ren-kun would become more laid back.

Is your room clean? Or dirty?
Keigo: It could be better, but I guess it's clean.
Ren: I have a lot of things, but they are arranged neatly.
Keigo: hehehehe (laughs)
Ren: What’s that reaction? (laughs)
Keigo: I’m wondering what it actually looks like.
Ren: In this case, come over.
Keigo: I want to! Speaking of this, I haven’t been in the room of any of these three people yet. There are not many things in my own room. It does not feel lived-in.I like to store as much as I can, hence I stuff everything into my wardrobe. Also I don't like to leave a lot of rubbish, hence I’m throwing away things directly. I am bothered when things are in chaos, so even when it’s my own room, it will feel bad (laughs).

If you ranked the cleanness of your room, which rank among the members would you give yourself?
Keigo: I am first or second.
Ren: That’s right. I have this image of Keigo’s room. I would place myself in rather in the middle than at the top.
Ruki: I wish to put myself at the top of the ranking. I don’t have many things in my room. I don’t put up anything I don’t need. I don’t buy anything I don’t need, and if I don’t use things, I will get rid of them. The other day, when I was with Sukai, we called Shion saying “We are going to your room now”, but Shion refused saying “Don’t do it cause my room is so dirty. Right now it’s insane.”
Shion: It had been a monsterous back then (laughs) I cleaned up a week later. I’m the type of person who cleans everything all together. But it’s quite chaotic again.
Ruki: So fast ~ (laughs)

What is so chaotic in your room?
Shion: It’s mainly my clothes. I’m diligently cleaning away my food, but the pet bottles might also be laying around.
Keigo: Don’t you put your clothes on a hanger when you return home? So why is it chaotic? Are you just leaving them where they are after taking them off?
Shion: This. Hence, I’m last or second last in the ranking.
Keigo: And with whom are you competing for the last place? (laughs)
Shion: (looks around) Hm… Because everyone seems quite clean.
Ren: So it's not Syoya?
Syoya: (noticed it by chance) What?
Keigo: We are making a ranking who is the coolest.
Syoya: Is that so? ♪
Ruki: You deceived him well (laughs)

Ruki: Shion, who does not let himself be influenced by others, is manly and wonderful!
Shion: Ruki-kun is the one who usually laughs about me. Please expose each other’s “REAL” self!
Keigo: I don’t really have a hidden side, so I’m fine no matter what they are going to say. But I think there is nothing JAM don’t already know about me.
Ren: Keigo eats a lot of bananas. He eats 2 or 3 ones a day, right?
Keigo: I buy a pack of three bananas at the conbini and I eat them before practice, in the break and after practice. I heard that bananas are good when you practice.
Ren: Because they have good energy efficiency.
Keigo: What could there be for Ren-kun~ Hm… On the contrary, there isn’t anything? Please expose yourself (laughs)
Ren: There was something that irritated me a lot yesterday. I like it when the timing of things fits together, like for example I set the microwave for 40 secs, fold the laundry in the meantime and return just when the timer beeps. I like this feeling of efficiency. Hence, yesterday after my schedule ended, I ordered a food delivery for the time I returned home, and as soon I got home, the intercom rang and I received it with a good feeling “The perfect timing”. But the soup was completely spilled inside. This absolutely pulled my mood down.
Keigo: This is tough. Did you call the shop regarding this?
Ren: I didn’t, but I gave my first bad review (laughs)
Ruki: My exposing was the story of Shion’s room being dirty earlier (laughs)
Shion: (laughs) I admit this. My expose story is that some time ago, Ruki-kun, Sho-kun, Junki-kun, Syoya and Sukai had to a dance lesson starting in the morning and we had to do somnething like stretching exercises there, but after sitting for a long time, everyone started to lose focus. But when I looked at Ruki-kun’s expression at that moment, he seemed to have reached a state of nothingness after overcoming his limits and I thought “Oh my god, I saw the top of Ruki-kun.”
Ruki: (breaks out laughing) I wasn’t aware of it, but I guess it must have seemed like I had a spiritual awakening.

Please tell us the wonderful things you (LOVE) about each other and what you (HATE) which the other one needs to fix about himself.
Ren: When we went to South Korea for the single production, there was a time when I shared the hotel room with Keigo. I’m the type of person who needs quite some time to get ready before going out, but since Keigo also needs some time, we got up early and I felt that I was woken up by the sound of Keigo waking up, which helped me a lot. What I HATE is that from time to time he fell asleep while playing on the phone without taking a bath first.
Keigo: Ren-kun watches the members’ dancing and gives us a lot of advice, and I think he really cares about the group. This is what I LOVE about him. On the other hand, what I HATE is that he often thinks too much about the group. He looks at too many things and ends up taking those on himself, so I wish he would become more laid back.
Ruki: I have a lot of things that I LOVE about Shion. Like that he is not influenced by others, stays true to himself and that he has an amazing self confidence in that, or his mentality. I admire this manliness and I think this is something wonderful.
Shion: Thank you very much. Ruki-kun’s smile is handsome. When I tell a gag, it’s usually Ruki-kun who laughs about it.
Ruki: Our humor is similar, isn't it?
Shion: It really helps. There is actually nothing in particular I want him to fix about himself~
Ruki: I also got nothing to complain about you.

From the members to Shosei
Ren: Thank you for always making me laugh. I like how you can perfectly switch on and off
Takumi: You always tell me things that make no sense, but it feels very good. Thanks!
Syoya: Thank you for your constant beauty
Sukai: Thank you for stoically giving me various kinds of advice
Junki: Shose is always cute. I get motivated by seeing you challenging various things
Keigo: Thank you for giving your all in your studies of how to be a fool
Ruki: Thank you for always relying on me
Shion: Thank you for always laughing at me!
Issei: You always hang out with me. We are like classmates I’m grateful
Sho: Thank you for always keeping me smiling!

From Shosei to the members
to Ren: Thank you very much for always doing the treatment for us. I’m grateful
to Takumi: You are kind! But you mess with me a lot (laughs) You are cool and cute. You are my Aniki
TN: Aniki is slangish term for an older brother
to Syoya: You seem so happy when you eat. Thank you for always happily chatting with me
to Sukai: THE GUY. You always smell good. Thank you for always
to Junki: You are lively. I want to go to a lot of places with you— Thank you for always
to Keigo: Thank you for being too handsome
(This was written before I knew -tears-)
to Ruki: Thank you for always happily doing improv comedy with me
to Shion: You have a big heart and it’s fun to chat with you. Thank you for always.
to Issei: My cute little brother. But we are friends. I want to go to a lot of places with you. Thank you for always
to Sho: You are the reliable singing big brother, who will reply no matter what I ask him regarding singing. Thank you for always

From the members to Ren
Shosei: Thank you very much for always doing the treatment for us. I’m grateful
Takumi: Thank you for your hard work as a dance leader always. Please take a rest from time to time
Syoya: Thank you very much for always dancing
Sukai: Thank you for always teaching the dance to everyone
Junki: Thank you very much for making JO1’s performances the best, dance leader Ren-kun
Keigo: Thank you for laughing
Ruki: Thank you for leading the team
Shion: Thank you for taking care of me countless times. Pls continue to take care of me
TN: Shion uses formal language in the first sentence and internet slang in the second one
Issei: I’m truly always grateful for your treatment of our performances
Sho: Thank you for always teaching the dance to the members!

From Ren to the members
to Shosei: Thank you for always making me laugh. I like how you can perfectly switch on and off
to Takumi: I like Takumi who tackles everything seriously. Thank you for making me want to work hard too
to Syoya: Thank you for accompanying me at meals. Let’s go to eat Sushi again
to Sukai: Thank you for relying on me. A big brother is happy to be relied on
to Junki: Thank you for being honest. It’s amazing because it’s something difficult when you are an adult
to Keigo: Thank you for always making me laugh. Keigo, whose happiness is to make others happy, is truly wonderful
to Ruki: Thank you for always making me laugh. Let‘s have another concert evaluation meeting and improve the quality of the group together
to Shion: Thank you for always watching your surroundings. Shion, who is really serious and knows that doing so makes me happy, is wonderful
to Issei: Thank you for relying on me. Without caring for our ages you support me. and I support you. I’m trusting you
to Sho: Thank you for always taking care of me. Sho-kun is the one with whom I’m often doing something. Let’s work hard as the oldest ones

From the members to Takumi
Shosei: You are kind! But you mess with me a lot (laughs) You are cool and cute. You are my Aniki
Ren: I like Takumi who tackles everything seriously. Thank you for making me want to work hard too
Syoya: You are making me laugh. Thank you very much
Sukai: Thank you for kindly talking to me
Junki: My master, thank you for teaching me a lot each day
Keigo: Thanks for your face
Ruki: Thank you for showing me your sense
Shion: Thank you very much for laughing at me. Let’s continue to go wild
Issei: Your sharp retorts are very funny. I’m grateful
Sho: Thank you for always being lively!

From Takumi to the members
to Shosei: You always tell me things that make no sense, but it feels very good. Thanks!
to Ren: Thank you for your hard work as a dance leader always. Please take a rest from time to time
to Syoya: You always give me energy! Thank you. Continue to be “No, Limit”
to Sukai: I like listening to SKY’s funny stories. Thank you for always
to Junki: Thank you very much for always speaking. A little less would be nice
to Keigo: Thank you very much for making each day fun and interesting. Please continue to take care of me
to Ruki: I calm down when I’m with Ru-kun. Thank you very much. You are cool, kind and amazing (^o^)
to Shion: Everything about you is funny!! It is thanks to “you” that I can smile. Thank you
to Issei: Being with Mame motivates me and calms me down. Thanks for always~✨
to Sho: In any case thank you for always, Sho-kun. Thanks for everything…

From the members to Ruki
Shosei: Thank you for always happily doing improv comedy with me
Ren: Thank you for always making me laugh. Let‘s have another concert evaluation meeting and improve the quality of the group together
Takumi: I calm down when I’m with Ru-kun. Thank you very much. You are cool, kind and amazing (^o^)
Syoya: Thank you for the surreal comedy
Sukai: You liven up the group. Thanks a lot
Junki: Actually seeing you working hard motivates me, for real
Keigo: Thanks for being unexpectedly stupid
Shion: Thanks for always laughing at me. Please continue to watch my stuff
Issei: I’m grateful that you always listen to me talking
Sho: Thank you for always spoiling me!

From Ruki to the members to Shosei: Thank you for always relying on me
to Ren: Thank you for leading the team
to Takumi: Thank you for showing me your sense
to Syoya: Thank you for showing your face enjoying a meal
to Sukai: Thank you for showing me your manliness
to Junki: Thank you
to Keigo: Thank you for making things funny
to Shion: Thank you for inheriting the pink
to Issei: Thank you for encouraging me
to Sho: Thank you for unifying us

The members explained all the songs from the album!

Walk It Like I Talk It (Takumi)
Even for JO1 it is a cool and impactful song with a dance that has a HIP HOP feeling. It is a song we have rarely had so far, so it feels fresh.

Dreamer (Keigo)
It is the title track of our first drama “Short Program”. It is a cheering song with lyrics that gives you the courage to take one step after another towards your dream.

LOVE & HATE (Junki)
It is a song that lets you feel JO1’s sexy aura. Since it is also JO1’s third year, we hope to bring out a sexy and mature aura with this song.

Move The Soul (Syoya)
It is a song with a dashing sense and that has explosiveness. It feels like white and blue? Please pay attention to it because of the fresh vocals, which are like exhaling.

Prologue (Ruki)
It’s a song that my friend praised as “a good song”. It is a tie up song, so I hope it will serve as an introduction of JO1 to people who don’t know us yet.

Design (Keigo)
It is a sexy song with a sexy performance. There is the idea that we will preserve our design in this era.

Bokura no Kisetsu (Ruki)
Our first winter song. It is a song I often listen to even after the winter has passed and full of emotional attachments. Personally I like it a lot.

STAY (Sho)
It is a song I sang together with Junki at the concert. I think it’s the JO1 song which fits the best to summer, so I want you to play it while going on a drive in summer.

Kimi no mama (Syoya)
I love this song. I like it the most in J-POP. It is a song that can make you cry. There are also strings in the song and I also like this atmosphere. A song I want to perform live.

Born To Be Wild (Junki)
The song we performed first at the live shows. We made this song in South Korea, so there are a lot of memories (connected to it). I hope to be able to perform it in many other places in the future.

Never Ending Story (Issei)
I quite like this song. I like how the lyrics and music evoke associations. The lyrics are quite sad, but this is what makes the song intense.

With Us (Ren)
So far we expressed our state of confronting our troubles and hardships, but this song is one that can reaffirm the connection between us and everyone else.

Touch! (Shosei)
It has a song with a similar cuteness as “Yancha Boy Yancha Girl”, so I think it will liven up the mood at live shows.

ZERO (Shion)
I might be a rapper but I like calm songs, so I like it so much that it is my number one or two of the album. I often listen to it while sleeping.

Algorithm (Ren)
It is a powerful and masculine song. I think that the fans also wanted to see this side of us. We also enjoy it and the performance is also noteworthy.

Ryuuseiu meteor shower (Sukai)
I’m singing “the downpouring stars this moment shines”, which I’m singing with the feeling of wanting to be with JAM at that moment of the night.

REAL (Takumi)
The title track of the 4th single. It is a song that expresses Let’s realise everything you wanted to on stage which you have dreamed of before becoming JO1.