[OCTPATH] sweet web 241226

[OCTPATH NISHIJIMA RENTA] “I think girls who are fully confident are sweet.”

The first appearance of Nishijima Renta from the boy group OCTPATH, which was formed by former trainees of “PRODUCE 101 JAPAN SEASON2” on sweet web❤️
Their colourful multi-genre 2nd album “Present” was released on 25th December, and is truly a Christmas present from Nishijima-san!
We bring you a lot of Nishijima-san’s charm - the one of a straight forward looking and hardworking person - along with lots of cool photos.

You are currently 21 years old. Is it correct that you began to aim to become an artist and started to learn dancing during your first year of highschool at age 16?
Renta: That’s right. The turning point was during my 3rd year of middle school when I went to see a concert of my favourite Korean artist BIGBANG. I was absolutely inspired, thinking “wow!! I want to become someone who can stand on stage and impact people like this!” At this time, I was preparing for the highschool entrance exams and I had been a soccer kid since elementary school. I was so serious about it that I wanted to become a professional player, yet I announced to my parents “I want to quit playing soccer and join a Korean agency!”.

And did your parents support this?
Renta: My dad told me from the start “Do what you want to do”, but my mom had high hopes for me to become a soccer player, so she was really against it, saying “If possible, I want you to continue soccer”. But I had that weird confidence that “I can do it!”, so I promised them that if this has not happened until I graduate highschool I would give up and it happened that I passed an audition and went to Korea during my first year of highschool.

It is amazing how fast you went from having the dream to moving forward on it. And then you joined OCTPATH in November 2023, but how was this year for you?
Renta: It was a year full of memories and a lot of work, so the time passed really quickly. The hardest time was at the beginning, when I had to learn about 15 songs in a month right before my first concert with them. That time, it was so insane (laughs). I thought I was a fast learner, but I felt pretty rushed.
TN: The article here makes a mistake and states that Renta joined in November 2024 (as of 26 December 2024, 9:30 PM JST). For the sake of clarity I put the correct date in the translation.

OCTPATH’s second album “Present” , released on Christmas, is your first commemorative album since you joined the group.
Renta: Of course the title track “Present” is my recommendation, but personally I am attached to “Car Stereo”, the first ballad since I joined the group. It is a medium tempo ballad with a gentle atmosphere, and I think you can enjoy its chill feeling while driving or listening to it while looking up to the night sky.
Also, “Silhouette” is good, too. The intro sounds a bit like Japan in the 90s and 00s and from there on the sound takes an unexpected turn, giving it a K-Pop vibe. I hope you also pay attention to my rap part which is really rhythmic.

As sweet web, we have another song we are curious about…
Renta: Right, it is “Sweet -2024 ver.-“, isn’t it? The 2024 version means that my voice is also included. It honestly makes me happy and it is a song that makes me really grateful to hear.

Which was an especially memorable episode with the members during the album production?
Renta: On the day of the MV shooting, we came together at around 4 am and we returned home the next morning. It was funny to see how the members went from absolute sleepiness to “late night excitement”. It felt like youth. I thought, “that’s the kind of fun that only a MV shooting can bring.”

I heard that the “OCTAVE” MV was also filmed in Korea.
Renta: Yes. There was no translator, so I translated not only for the members but also for the manager when dealing with the hotel or taxi drivers. It was quite difficult, but it prevented me from forgetting my Korean. Above all, it was a lot of fun to be able to visit my beloved Korea together with the members.

What kind of atmosphere is when all eight members come together off stage?
Renta: I think everyone has a different character and thus there is a good balance. According to the MBTI test, I am the introvert type I, but in real life I am often fiddling with my phone. I am like a quiet observer of the extrovert E type members who dance and joke around.

By the way, you made your long-awaited model debut in 2024.
Renta: SAPPORO COLLECTION was my first runaway. It was truly a memorable moment. Ever since my time in Korea my role model has been Cha Eunwoo, who is multi talented as an idol, actor and model. I wanted to be like him , so I worked hard on my body and other things, which all had been worth it.

Please tell us about a Christmas memory.
Renta: It is a story from my childhood, but there was a ball that became famous when Honda Keisuke made a free kick around the World Cup of 2010. I wrote a message to Santa asking for it, and when I went to sleep, I didn’t expect to find it under my pillow the next morning. I still remember how happy I was back then.
TN: After a quick research it seems like he means the official ball “JABULANI” of the 2010 World Cup. It became quite famous in Japan for the unusual curf it flew after Honda’s free kick.

Please give advice to girls who are struggling to choose a Christmas present for their beloved one.
Renta: If it were me, I would be happy to receive a handmade present that I can wear, such as a scarf or accessories. I would also appreciate something bought from a storer, but a handmade gift is one of a kind.

Please tell us about traits of girls that you think are sweet.
Renta: What I think of as sweet is someone who never stops smiling and someone who is curious and always willing to try anything. Also, I think it is better to be straightforward and fully confident than having no confidence. For fashion I like a calm look. If it is winter (fashion), knitwear is cute, isn’t it?

By the way, who is the sweetest member in OCTPATH?
Renta: I guess it is me who, once I have made up my mind, I will carry it through to the end (laughs). If not me, then Takahashi Wataru. During dance practice we posed next to each other and I thought we were making eye contact in the mirror so I jokingly winked at him, but he did not react at all. When I looked clooosely I saw that Wataru was only staring at his own reflection in the mirror. That was sweet ❤️

And lastly, please give a sweet message to the fans.
Renta: 2024 was a really blessed year. I am truly grateful to THme, the embers and everyone who supported me. I hope to meet you in 2025 in a more evolved form so that I can prove this feeling. As for OCTPATH, we will continue to strive towards our goal of (performing at) Budokan, so please watch over us kindly.

[OWV] Oggi 241129

[OWV interview] “This is awesome about the members!” Introducing each other with “strong praise”

OWV is a four member boy group who have been active in various fields as “Pioniers”, pushing forward on an unprecedented path. Their new song “Frontier”, produced by Kudo Taiki from Da-iCE, is a driven dance tune about their history and their future ambitions. We asked the members to introduce the song and each other, in a way they can only do here!

“Frontier” is like “water” soaking through your body
Katsunari: We debuted in the corona pandemic (2020) and we were constantly worried as we were absolutely unable to do what we wanted. But when we found our own “light” we were able to push forward. I believe that our new song “Frontier” is a song that will touch people who are struggling like we did. I hope that listening to this song will help you get over your hardships and troubles.
Kosuke: I would be really happy if seeing us, OWV, paving a way that has never been taken before, could give you even the slightest bit of courage or emotional support. The song contains the message “it’s okay not to rush”, so I think it will resonate with the people who are working hard every day like the readers of Oggi. The song has a fresh and bright melody and it is a soothing song for those who are looking for healing. It is a song that you can listen to in the morning and it will soak throughout your body comfortably, so please give it a listen.
Katsunari: It soaks throughout your body just like “water”. It will surely become an essential song in your life.
Kosuke: Right!

“TRVCKSTVR” is a song that brings the excitement to a new high!
Shuta: The b-side “TRVCKSTVR” is a song I hope you check out. As the lyrics “Gear it up!” symbolise it is a song that will raise your spirits and make you go crazy!
Fumiya: Because of the nature of our work, our bodies are our capital. There are many times when we have to gear it up, so for example I always run 5km before leaving home.
Shuta: That’s impossible to copy? (laughs)
Fumiya: You can do 5 kilometres ! That's a short distance!
Katsunari: Since Fumiya started getting public attention for his marathons, he also tells everyone around him “Run!” It’s becoming more and more like bullying. He is also becoming crazier and says 5km as if they were 50m (laughs).
Fumiya: Our manager is also getting a little crazy. He thinks because I can run so easily, the members can run 40km.
Katsunari: Well, we can’t run this at all (laughs)!
Shuta: By the way, if I want to get into the mood, I try to eat sweet things.
Kosuke: Because sweet foods give you energy.
Shuta: When I am at home, I always have a seasonal dessert after each meal.
Kosuke: Cause you still live with your parents? It’s time you really think about living alone! (laughs)
Fumiya: He gets a LINE message from his mother saying “which sweets do you want today?”.
Shuta: Today I left early, but I had a roll cake after breakfast.
Katsunari: The love is strong!
Shuta: Thank you, mom!
Everyone: hahaha

We want Oggi readers to get to know OWV better! Therefore, they will introduce each other here! Let’s start with the Honda & Sano pair.

Kosuke: Fumiya won the 2024 “All Star Thanksgiving” Akasaka 5-chome Mini Marathon! It was shocking! His first participation and first win! The winner of the previous edition was K-san from &TEAM, and the next one Sano Fumiya from us, OWV, establishing a new path of enlightenment for boy groups! He became 4th in the recently held fall edition of the Akasaka 5-chome Mini Marathon but he lost to an Olympic runner. Well, I think in 4 years Fumiya could participate in the Olympics.
(*Furthermore, Fumiya finished in around 3 hours and 20 mins in the Osaka marathon in February 2024 and placed second in the 100km survival marathon of “27 hour TV” from Fuji TV)
Fumiya: No way I could participate! (laughs)
Kosuke: Of course he has many other qualities other than marathons. He is a strong dancer, a good singer and an all-rounder. I think that is what makes him stand out. Also, he says everything straightforwardly, which I think makes working women happy. Sometimes he says kind things to me. That’s his tsundere side.
Fumiya: No, I’m not like this at all!
Kosuke: Hey, now introduce me.
Fumiya: Honda-kun is our undisputed leader and the emotional support of QWV. He is a player and at the same time he has a very strong fan focus. I think it is a huge strength for a group to have a leader who has understanding and awareness. Now that he also does stage plays, his ability to express himself and his performances have been brushed up. Since OWV has only 4 members, I’m really looking forward to who will be the next one who will show off and blow up.
Kosuke: （ (◦ˉ ˘ ˉ◦)nyanya）

Conclusion!

Sano Fumiya is:
running, singing, dancing, sometimes tsundere. And in 4 years OWV’s pride, the perfect performer…?

Honda Kosuke is:
OWV’s dependable leader who guides the group and provides emotional support to the fans!

Next up is the Nakagawa & Urano pair!

Katsunari: I think the Oggi readers often work hard, so they want to be healed right here and there. Shuta is very funny and he is a healing person who can bring laughter into the midst of our daily lives. He is also surprisingly considerate. He often sleeps at my place, but each time he comes over he asks me if I need anything. When you come to someone’s place often you tend to forget that kind of consideration, don’t you? But Shuta never ever forgets to show his appreciation for me hosting him.
Shuta: Yes, I will heal you!
Katsunari: The fact that he is unexpectedly well-behaved makes me annoyed! I don’t think so but I think women will think Shuta is cute. But I don’t think so (laughs).
Shuta: No need to say this twice! Kacchan is a good driver and cook and he is a kind guy who makes you a quick meal after coming home. He picks you up and takes you home. He does everything I just mentioned for me!
Katsunari: You happily ate the healthy gyoza I made from lettuce, didn’t you?
Shuta: They were delicious-! Also, it’s easy to make us laugh, so we are laughing all the time, which creates a nice atmosphere. This is a good point, isn’t it?
Katsunari: You have to smile at least once, because when Shuta is down, it immediately shows on his face.
Shuta: Really!?
Katsunari: Recently, we traveled to Singapore privately. We laughed the whole time, and yeah maybe it is just comfortable for us to be together.
Shuta: Oh, I’m embarrassed!(laughs)

Conclusion!

Nakagawa Katsunari is:
Save driver & good cook. His laughing and lettuce gyoza are healing. OWV’s visual!

Urano Shuta is:
OWV’s youngest who brightens up your everyday life with laughter and subtle care.

As the years since their formation are passing, OWV have deepened their bonds and grew stronger. Their song is an inspirational song that encourages us every day as it depicts them pushing forward on their unique path which is not the traditional one to reach a goal that only they can reach. Please listen to it on your way to work or when you are exhausted. In the second part, we asked the four members to look back on their path. Please enjoy the “OWV Chronicles” filled with their sense of humour.

[OWV] B-Pass 240719

OWV - A hyper dance-rock tune that takes them to even greater heights!

OWV, whose previous single “BREMEN” brought them the 1st place in the Oricon weekly ranking for the first, are at the height of their power currently. Now aiming for even greater heights, they next unleash a hyper dance-rock tune that mixes band sounds into a dance track! We asked the four members to talk about “LOVE BANDITZ”, a challenging song just at the right time.

Your new song “LOVE BANDITZ” is a passionate song that is perfect for summer. What kind of discussions did you have when the song was chosen?
Fumiya: Our basic idea was that we didn't want to lose the steam that we gained from reaching the first place on the Oricon charts with “BREMEN”. We also talked about how we wanted to create an atmosphere where people who didn't know us would think it would be fun to support us, and that they would always be somewhat energized.
Kosuke: I feel that people who had only heard of OWV or had seen the one of the members but did not know the group existed, finally became aware of the group because of the hype related to our previous release “BREMEN” and Fumiya’s first place in the Akasaka Marathon at the “All Star Thanksgiving Festival”.

Right, it feels like the winds are blowing in the right direction for you now.
Kosuke: I am grateful and happy about it. That was also the reason why we chose “LOVE BANDITZ”. When it came to decide on the next song after “BREMEN”, we listened to a lot of candidates, but only “LOVE BANDITZ” was obviously the right one. But there was also the talk about whether the song would be a bit of a challenge when chosen, but we all felt that it has to be this song.
Shuta: Honda-kun’s excitement was huge back then.
Katsunari: He was happy like a child finally getting the toy he wanted. (laughs)
Kosuke: That’s how impactful it was!
Shuta: He felt alien in a good way.
Fumiya: Right, just like OWV’s Shuta.
Shuta: Hey, who are you calling alien?!
Everyone: ahahaha
Shuta: But well, in a good way… am I an alien?
Fumiya & Honda: Yes.
Katsunari: Physically you might be.
Shuta: From space!?
TN: This part was tricky to translate cause 浮いてる usually means “floating” but can also mean “being out of place”. I tried to find something that could somehow translate the jokes into English.

Let’s go back to the topic. (laughs) The song felt aggressive.
Kosuke: I think we have established a band sound since implementing this into “Gamer”. “LOVE BANDITZ” is even more metal oriented with a very fast BPM. But I believe by choosing such a song now, we can establish OWV’s identity even more.
Katsunari: When we first decided on this song, I felt like this was not a song boy groups tend to do. I wondered what kind of dance it would have. But at this moment with “BREMEN” getting the first place, we felt that if we hadn’t chosen the song with the current momentum, we would have never been able to release this song. Hence, I thought this was the moment to release it and I was excited that it would be a fresh breeze of air for OWV.

If you can showcase this song well, it will increase OWV’s strengths.
Katsunari: I think the most important thing for a group is to express something unique, so I thought this song would allow us to do that.
Shuta: The hook of the song is the dance break. The choreographer of the song is YORITO-san with whom we worked since “Bling Bling”, but in the songs we entrusted to him previously we did not dance much in the dance break. Pretty much that there was not even a dance break in the MV. However, this time the moment we enter the dance break we dance fiercely. There are a lot of movements and sound frames, the formations are also detailed. The difficulty level is quite high, but I think this makes a good hook.
Katsunari: This time there was not much time for the choreography…
Shuta: And the difficulty level was also high. But me and Kacchan were told “you learnt the choreography faster than last time”, which made us really happy. Last time I could not remember the choreography after one day, but this time we were able to gasp the flow in one session, so I felt that we improved.

Honda-kun and Sano-kun, do you feel that the two have improved in dancing?
Kosuke: I feel it, but they made some big mistakes during the “Poka Poka” changeover dance…
Shuta: (cuts him off) Next question please!
Kosuke: That was fast. (laughs)
Shuta: No~, during the changeover dance I made a big mistake and I ended up having a mental blackout…
Fumiya: So your head was Poka Poka? (= fuzzy)
Shuta: It’s a live show!
Fumiya: Well, they surely became faster in learning the choreography. When we are rehearsing on tour, they remember things faster, and they are also learning additional choreography faster. I think the quality has also improved.
Shuta: …! (seems happy)
Fumiya: YORITA-san is someone very busy, so we made a quite absurd request this time. But not only have we worked together many times, but we have also improved our ability to absorb things, so we were able to discuss and create together, which was really amazing. YORITO-san also contacted us outside of practice hours and we communicated closely if there was anything we wanted to change. I knew that YORITO-san was a reliable and experienced partner.
Kosuke: While there is a formation in the chorus this time, there is no dancing. That’s how much we devoted ourselves to the dance break. I felt that the dance that incorporates every single sound is a masterpiece by YORITO-san. It became pretty much the highlight, so I hope you will anticipate it.
TN: Poka Poka is a TV show on Fuji TV in which Shuta & Katsunari appear every two weeks on Tuesdays. Sometimes when they change the studio interior during the live broadcast, the two will dance to a popular song and this segment seems to be called 転換ダンス or “changeover dance” when literally translated.

The lyrics have been written by ZERO-san like the last time.
Kosuke: I really like the whole idea of not letting go of the momentum and recognition we gained with “BREMEN”, and making people like us and become fans.
Shuta: Until now it was often that we told QWV (through the music) “we go ahead and you follow us”, but now that the people who support us have increased, the urge to release lyrics that say “Let’s go to take over the world” is there.
Katsunari: I love the words that ZERO-san chooses. It is also wonderful how our name was inserted in a cool way like in Fumiya’s part “CODE: Operation OWV starts”. In “LOVE BANDITZ” there is also the meaning that we want to steal everyone’s hearts and make them like us. It’s really typical for OWV and once more I was glad that we asked ZERO-san to write them. It became a powerful song in which each part has its highlights.

ZERO-san wrote lyrics for all 3 featured songs, right?
Katsunari: We are totally addicted to his lyrics!
Fumiya: Not only are the lyrics cool, but there is no mismatch between each member's part, and the lyrics fit the characters nicely. It's because ZERO-san wrote the lyrics with a clear understanding of us which makes them easy for us to interpret, and it feels really good to sing them. It's great that there is absolutely no contradiction between the message we have and the lyrics written by ZERO-san.
Kosuke: He is originally a rapper, so he has a cool way of phrasing things, and he puts what we want to say into words in a cool way, which really surprises us each time. He always writes things beyond our imagination, so we are really happy that we could ask him to write all three songs this time.

[OCTPATH] Suumo 240606

Nishijima Renta’s (OCTPATH) love for his hometown “The charm of the prefecture Nagasaki are the rich nature and the retro townscapes”

Nishijima Renta who joined the boy group OCTPATH in November 2023 hails from the prefecture Nagasaki. As he pursues his dream of performing worldwide, his love for his hometown naturally remains strong. Also as his future goals he lists taking up the position of becoming a tourism ambassador and appearing on local television programs. He talked with us about his memories of Nagasaki, favorite food, his favorite restaurants and more.

His childhood was one of being a soccer boy by heart who was a member of a club team in his hometown Nagasaki.

What kind of youth did you spend in Nagasaki, Nishijima-san?
Renta: My childhood dream was to become a soccer player and until my 3rd year of middle school I was a lively boy who was completely devoted to soccer. During my middle school years I was part of a club team, so I trained and had matches at the stadium.
TN: most Japanese children play sports as part of a school team. So being part of a club team unrelated to one’s school is considered something special.

And then, after watching a K-POP idol’s concert, you decided to aim for the entertainment world and your direction in life changed. What was the reaction of your surroundings?
Renta: Initially, my family was against it, but eventually they supported me. My friends also cheered for me and after debuting they told me “I respect you for fulfilling your dream”, which made me happy.

That is the result of you not giving up. Back when you still lived in your hometown, where did you go to have fun?
Renta: When I went out with my family they often took me to the city center and when I went out with friends we often went to the city center of Nagasaki or Fukuoka. Nagasaki has Shinkansen and bus lines so the access to Fukuoka wasn’t bad. Speaking of this, there is the commercial facility “Amu Plaza Nagasaki” at Nagasaki station now, isn't there? The area around the station is five times more prosperous than it was during my school years, and I was surprised when I went back home (laughs).

What he will eat for sure when returning home is the roast katsu from “tonkatsu bunjiro”

What are your most memorable places in Nagasaki, Nishijima-san?
Renta: “Inasayama”. I went there on an excursion as a child and I think every citizen of Nagasaki has been there at least once. The night view is very beautiful and it has been selected as one of the world's top three night views. I have also been there to see the first sunrise of the year.

Which restaurant have you often visited in your hometown?
Renta: “Tonkatsu Bunjiro”. I have loved this restaurant ever since I was a child and even now I make sure to go there when I come home. I can neither leave aside the sirloin nor the filet, so I always order a sirloin cutlet with an extra filet. Recently they are so popular that they were also able to open a store in South Korea. When my mom eats tonkatsu in Tokyo, she even says “it is delicious but I prefer Bunjiro.”

So it’s a taste you remember together with your mother, right? Is there anything else?
Renta: There is a sushi place called “Wakatakemaru” which I also visited when I went home recently. I feel that when people from Nagasaki go to eat sushi, most of them will eat it at Wakatakemaru. All my friends also say “The sushi from Wakatakemaru is the most delicious one.”. I always eat roasted salmon the whole time. (laughs)
Some time ago I also went to “Yaitoruken”. An acquaintance of my grandfather told me about this place, but the yakitori is delicious, so check it out.

The Nagasaki speciality he wants to give (the members) as a snack is “Kakuni Manju“ from Iwasaki Honpo.

What is your absolute favorite food from Nagasaki? Is there some local chain you always end up going to?
Renta: I guess when it comes to Nagasaki, it is known for chanpon. It was served as a school lunch and we often ate it at home, too. If I went to eat it at a restaurant, I would go to “Sanpa Ramen” or “Shianbashi Ramen”. I prefer chanpon with a slightly stronger flavor.
TN: Chanpon is some type of ramen dish, which is made with only one pan as the noodles are boiled in the soup.
Also, I like kankoro mochi. An acquaintance from the Goto islands often sends those to me in Tokyo. These are mochi that were mixed with thinly sliced and sundried sweet potatoes and they are delicious when roasted.

When OCTPATH have a concert in Nagasaki in the future, is there any place where you want to take the members to or is there any snack you would like to bring them?
Renta: If the members came to Nagasaki, I want to go with everyone to “Osakaya”. It is a kinda luxurious yakiniku restaurant and perfect to kick-off a concert.
As a snack I would like to bring them “Kakuni Manju” from Iwasaki Honpo. I remember often going to buy them with my mother when I was a child and eating them as a snack.
TN: Kakuni manju are buns filled with marinated pork belly. It is another local speciality from Nagasaki.

His dream is to appear on the local television of Nagasaki and to become a tourism ambassador

Is there any future dream you want to make true in Nagasaki?
Renta: I want to appear on the variety program “Hirujike don” (Nagasaki local television) which is filmed in the city of Nagasaki. It is such a famous program in my hometown, that you can say every citizen of the prefecture has watched it. It’s also often on during noon hours at my home. I would like to appear there one day and shoot in the city.
Also, I want to become a tourism ambassador for the prefecture Nagasaki one day!

We can feel your love for your hometown! Once again, what do you think is the charm of Nagasaki?
Renta: There is a lot of rich nature and delicious food in Nagasaki. The retrolike townscapes are nice and when you walk through the city everyone greets you. I think the friendly personalities of the people is also a charm point.

When you go home, do you receive a lot of encouragement?
Renta: That’s right. No matter where I go, I hear it, which makes me really happy. The fans made a support ad in my hometown. I was unable to visit it, but I was happy to receive pictures of the ad from my family and soccer friends.

What do you hope to achieve in Nagasaki as OCTPATH?
Renta: I want us to appear at “Lovefes” which takes place at the Nagasaki Seaside Park. It is an event that attracts a lot of people, and my older sister also went there. I think a festival is a chance for more people to get to know OCTPATH, so I will do my best to perform at this festival eventually.

We believe there are people in Nagasaki who, just like you, aim for the entertainment world, Nishijima-san. Lastly, please give a message to these people chasing their dreams.
Renta: In any way I think the most important thing is to take action, so I would suggest going to auditions at every single chance. If there is no dance school in your neighborhood, you could try to rent a place with mirrors, such as a multipurpose hall, to practice. I hope you don’t give up, I’m cheering for you!

[JO1] Nippon Housou News Online 230304

https://news.1242.com/article/422076

JO1‘s Kawashiri Ren surprises the member with a place he spends a lot of time at “I fully enjoy the drink and ice cream bar and…”

On the night of the 1st March (Wednesday), the radio program ‘JO1 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 Kawashiri Ren and Tsurubo Shion appeared in this episode. Kawashiri, who is a huge manga fan confessed about an episode when he went to a manga cafe.

Ren: When I went to a manga cafe, I read it in one go. The manga “Attack on Titan”.

Ruki: When was it? Recently?

Ren: After I became a JO1 member.

Ruki: For real!? JO1’s Kawashiri Ren did that!?

Shion: That’s hilarious! (Laughs)

Ren: I like to read things in one go. If I’m having a day off, I will feel like “I wanna go!”. and I made full use of the drink and ice cream bar and read “Attack on Titan” in one go. It was really funny.

Ruki: It seems fun~ (laughs)

Shion: At a manga cafe, if you, for example, are interested in “Attack on Titan” and take all with you, others won’t be able to read it at all, right?

Ren: Right, this would be a nuisance. Hence I always take like 2 or 3 books. Plus, the ice cream keeps on melting, each time.

Shion: So nice~

Ren: Because there is also a 12 hour stay possible.

Ruki: Eh? Have you done that?

Ren: Yes.

Shion: Wow…

Ren: But I did so only 2 times since becoming a member of JO1.

Ruki: That’s a full day in total!

Shiroiwa and Tsurubo had been amazed by Kawashiri confessing he spent 12 hours in a manga cafe even after becoming a member of JO1.

Furthermore, Kawashiri introduced “Attack on Titan” as a recommendation and passionately stated about the foreshadowing in the manga: “the dots just don’t become lines, they become surfaces there!”. Both Shiroiwa and Tsurubo had read it halfway, so their interest in the rest of the story was sparked, saying “I haven’t checked it out in a while, so what you said made me curious”.

[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.

[OWV] Fukushima Minyu Shinbun / Minyu.Net 230224

https://www.minyu-net.com/news/sinsai/shinsai12/news/FM20230224-760081.php

OWV’s Honda Kosuke-san: ”I want to convey the current Fukushima”. His first concert in Koriyama on 11th March

“I want as many people as possible to feel that ‘Fukushima is a good place’”, says Honda-san at the Kenshin Koriyama Bunka Center in Koriyama. .

On 11th March, 12 years after the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake, the four-member boy group OWV, led by Honda Kosuke-san (27) who comes from this prefecture (Fukushima) will hold their first live concert in the prefecture, in the city of Koriyama. Honda-san, who experienced the earthquake as a middle school student, says “Through this concert I want to convey the charm of the current Fukushima and I want as many people as possible to feel that ‘Fukushima is a good place’”.

In 2020 his group made their debut under Yoshimoto Kyogo. They released 7 singles and have live performances all over the country. Honda-san also widens his activities by for example appearing on variety shows on TV and in a drama.

“Having a concert on 11th March makes me half happy and half anxious.” On 11th March 2011, Honda-san was a Nakadori* third year middle school student. His graduation ceremony was over and when he went home he was shaken by the huge earthquake. The electricity broke down and thus the night was spent under candlelight. Seeing footage of the tsunami and the damage in the TV news made him feel that he “had encountered something terrible”.
TN: Nakadori is a region in the prefecture of Fukushima, the middle third of the prefecture. The city Koriyama as well as Fukushima City are located there.

The announcement of whether he was accepted into high school was postponed and the gymnasium of his high school was used as an evacuation center even after his enrolment. He also had classmates who had moved into it because they were unable to return to their homes due to the TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Accident.

12 years have passed since then. After his graduation from highschool, he went to a vocational school in order to become a dancer and thanks to the audition he participated in, his activities as a member of OWV began. This live tour will be the first day of a tour that will visit four cities. The first live performance as a member of OWV in his old hometown coincides with a significant date. “It was a dream for me to have a concert in Fukushima. I would be happy if more people become interested in Fukushima because of me.”. In preparation for this concert, we visited the venue of the show, the Kenshin Koriyama Bunka Center. Honda-san powerfully expressed: “I want to show a lot of people that Fukushima experienced something terrible, overcame this and works hard towards recovery.”

The first show of “OWV LIVE TOUR 2023 - CASINO-“ in the prefecture will be held at the Kenshin Koriyama Bunka Center, Big Hall on 11th March. The tour also stops at the NHK Osaka Hall in the prefecture Osaka on 19th March, at the Fukushima International Conference Center in the prefecture Fukushima on 21st March and at the NHK Hall in Tokyo on 1st April. For more details please check their official homepage.

[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] smart WEB 230222

https://smartmag.jp/archives/24258/

[LUMINE EST Shinjuku] JO1 and Go to the FASHIONISTA! 2 HOT SHOPs which handsome men want to visit (Part 1)

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.

For the first part, we have HARE, which expresses their cool world view with a monotone base and STUDIOUS, which offers a collection of carefully selected Japanese items. You can find all the current trends at LUMINE EST Shinjuku!

Updating your daily clothes with individuality under the theme of “light”
Kawanishi Takumi, Mamehara Issei, Kawashiri Ren wearing HARE

[…]

Takumi’s comment: I was impressed by the design of this knit, Roth every single of its details. The sides are cut, so it looks better layered than if you wore it alone. Today I wore a shirt under it, but you can enjoy different looks depending on what you choose!

Issei’s comment: I think it is the first time I’m wearing a vest-like jacket. I have the impression of jackets being something formal, and I don’t have one because I only wear casual clothes, but today I matched it with clothes that have a relaxed vibe and it was an eye-opener to see that there are other ways to incorporate jackets in your outfits.

Ren’s comment: I usually wear a lot of monoton clothes, so these purple pants felt new. The color is not bright, rather it is a little dull, which gives it a mature impression. There is also a calm feeling and I think the pants go well with monotone styles, so they are easy to incorporate into my personal wardrobe.

Who is JO1’s fashionista according to Kawanishi Takumi, Mamehara Issei and Kawashiri Ren?

Takumi: Ren-kun’s style is something I am aiming for. He is especially good at choosing accessories and today (the shooting day), he was wearing a fluffy head with his own personal coordinate. I always think he is stylish for how easily he incorporates seemingly difficult accessories into his own style. What I am interested in this spring is denim. It seems like that LUMINE EST Shinjuku got everything I am interested in, so I want to go there as soon as I can!

Issei: You might know it already, but sure enough Keigo-kun is stylish. Also among the JO1 members, he is always a step ahead of us and he is fast to take up the latest trends. My standard style is a casual long T-Shirt that I like so much that I end up buying new ones. In contrast, Keigo-kun freely wears all kind of items. But in regard to long T-Shirts, I have lots of different ones (laughs)

Ren: For me the fashionista in JO1 is Takumi. On the contrary to me who always wears monotone colors, Takumi has the image of looking good in various colors. He is also knowledgeable about sneakers and I feel he likes fashion. Spring is coming soon and I feel that my mood would be boosted if I enjoyed using colors in my clothes, like the coloured pants I wore today! I think coloured pants are also cute when worn by girls.

[…]

Made in Japan Quality giving birth to a unique worldview
Ohira Shosei, Sato Keigo, Kimata Syoya wearing STUDIOUS

[…]

Shosei’s comment: The smoky gray that I rarely wear feels fresh. I was supposed to wear a coat, too, but we chose this style because I felt that showing the shirt and the pants looked cuter. The pants in particular have a beautiful silhouette and will work in a wide range of combinations.

Keigo’s comment: I rarely wear leather pants, but putting them on gives me a cool style. They give off a loose silhouette, so I think they look cute when for example girls wear those with a tight top, such as cropped knitwear or a tight-fitting turtleneck.

Syoya’s comment: I usually wear casual and cute clothes, so this coordination is quite elegant and beautiful, and it gives a different kind of “smart” vibe from the usual. The jacket has parts with gold and a delicate feeling, so I think it can be enjoyed by all.

Who is JO1’s fashionista according to Ohira Shosei, Sato Keigo and Kimata Syoya?

Shosei: Because Keigo is tall and is style is good, everything he wears looks good on him, I have the image of him of always wearing the latest trend items, but sometime ago he wore a vintage jacket and it was a new discovery for me that he also enjoys fashion this way. I personally became interest in denim styles lately!

Keigo: There are several members who pay attention to fashion, but I probably like fashion the most. But some time ago, Ren-kun was wearing the clothes I wanted to buy, and I was like “For real?”. (Laughs) What I am looking for right now are Heisei*-style retro items. I’m weak for star motifs.
TN: Heisei era: 8th January 1989 - 30th April 2019

Syoya: I feel there is no other answer than Keigo-kun being “the fashionista”! I don’t care much about trends and I’m just a genius who happens to wear something trendy from time to time, but Keigo-kun checks everything properly and knows the brands well, so there is never a miss in what he wears. Keigo-kun even wore a green quilted coat before it became popular.

[JO1] Nippon Housou News Online 230126

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

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

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

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

Sukai: !?

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

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

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

Sukai: But did they…?

Ruki: No (laughs)

Shosei: Wow! (Laughs)

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

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

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

Ruki: Eh? When?

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

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

Sukai: Ah, you said it!

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

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

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

Shosei: Ahahaha (laughs).

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

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

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

[JO1] Oricon 230125

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He further shared his feelings.

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

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

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

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

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

[JO1] JUNON TV 230118

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

Kimata Syoya’s interesting Valentine’s story ♡

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

*This is an excerpt of the interview

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

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

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

[JO1] Oricon News 230111

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[JO1] Nikkei X TREND 230110

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[OWV] Yozoroo 230101

https://yorozoonews.jp/article/14805366

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[JO1] Nippon Housou News Online 221217

https://news.1242.com/article/405702

JO1‘s Kawashiri Ren “Seriously, I‘m gonna take revenge on him… (laughs)” - A warning of a revenge against Sato Keigo for breaking one his home “rules”

On the night of the 14th December (Wednesday), the radio program ‘JO1 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 Kawashiri Ren and Tsurubo Shion appeared in this episode. They talked about their own home rules and revealed someone who broke these rules.

Ruki: Last time Sato Keigo and Ohira Shosei joined the radio and we talked quite lively about the topic “Is it acceptable to visit someone else’s place and sit on the sofa or bed in outdoor clothes?” Everyone had their own rules like changing into pajamas when coming to their home.

Ren: Yes.

Ruki: In your own room, do you go to your bed in your outdoor clothes?

Ren: Not the bed!

Ruki: But the sofa?

Ren: Sitting on the sofa is okay I guess.

Ruki: How about you, Shion? Do you go to bed without changing out of your outdoor clothes at home?

Shion: No way if I sweat before.

Ruki: After practice you don’t, right?

Shion: Yes. But if the clothes are not that dirty I feel it’s fine.

Ruki: I can’t spend time at home in my outdoor clothes. But sitting on the sofa is fine.

Shion: Yes.

Ruki: By the way, Sato Keigo said “If you come to my room, I would prefer you wearing a pajama.”

Ren: … That guy, he must have been joking! (Laughs)

Ruki & Shion: !? (Laugh)

Ren: Some time ago we went to Osaka for a schedule, right? Back then, two people shared one hotel room, didn’t we?

Ruki: Yes.

Ren: I shared one with the leader, Yonashiro Sho-kun. And then suddenly with a bam! Keigo came over. Both Sho-kun and me had bathed already and were playing games on the bed, but Keigo had obviously not taken a bath yet.

Ruki: Okay?

Ren: Keigo did ask “Is this Sho-kun’s bed? And that’s Ren-kun’s one?” And when I confirmed it, he said “dooooon” and dropped on my bed!

Ruki: No way! (Laughs)

Ren: Keigo, you said something like this despite doing the opposite? (Laughs)

Ruki: You know, Keigo looks happy when he does things to others that he would dislike if they did that to him! (Laughs)

Shion: Exactly!

Ren: He makes a wide smile (laughs).

In the previous episode of “JO1’s All Night Nippon X”, on the 7th December, Sato Keigo had said “I don’t like to spend time in my room in outdoor clothes”. Kawashiri, thus, complained that Sato, who had said he “didn't want to be made to spend time like this”, came to bed in his outdoor clothes, “I’m saying this because we are members, but seriously he should stop (laughs)". Furthermore, he gave out the warning for a revenge: “Seriously, I‘m gonna take revenge on him… (laughs)”

[OWV] KELLY 221118

https://kelly-net.jp/enjoytoday/2022111822002272299.html

OWV are here! An interview in celebration of the release of their awaited new song “Let Go” and their first live in Nagoya

OWV, who celebrated their second anniversary in September, released their 7th single “Let Go” on 2nd November.
As the creative concept is “holding close”, the 3 featured sounds portray various situations of holding people close.
As the final show of their fall tour “OWV LIVE TOUR 2022 -STRANGE-, they performed at Nagoya Shimin Hall in Aichi on the 3rd November 2022.
We held in interview in which the 4 members, Honda Kosuke, Nakagawa Katsunari, Urano Shuta and Sano Fumiya talked a lot about “Let Go”, their memories of Nagoya and the changes in themselves and the other members.

“OWV and Nagoya” Each one’s memories

Welcome to Nagoya! I heard it is the first time for you as OWV to come to Nagoya, but have you come here before?
Katsunari: I am from the prefecture Hyogo and back when I was a student I went on a drive with 4-5 friends that brought us up to Nagoya. Back then we just felt like going to Nagoya and no plan at all, but I heard from a friend that “Yabaton is delicious”, So I ate Miso-Katsu at ‘Yabaton’ there.
Fumiya: Like “Yabaton, it’s insanely good?”
Katsunari: Right (laughs). Because of that I went home, thinking “So Nagoya is this kind of place”. There are so many delicious things. This time I also want to go home after eating lots of things!
Fumiya: I came to Nagoya for a Karate tournament when I was in the later years of elementary school.
Katsunari: So cool! My story was lame (laughs).
Fumiya: So for me, Nagoya is “place where I went to to punch people’s bodies”.
Katsunari: It is better to say, it is “the place where you came to deliver your fists”.
Fumiya: I remember eating Ten-musu in the bus on the way home. I am interested in the food specialities of Nagoya, but I want to visit Nagoya castle.
TN: Ten-musu is a rice ball wrapped in nori and filled with deep-fried shrimp. A speciality of Nagoya.
Katsunari: I also want to visit Nagoya castle!
Shuta: I passed Nagoya on the way to a shooting. Since I just passed it, I had no chance to eat anything delicious there. This time I want to eat a lot of Nagoya’s specialties!
Kosuke: I have gone to Nagoya in the past when I was still active in another group.
Shuta: And you ate something in Nagoya back then? So nice! What did you eat?
Kosuke: It is just something banal, but the Onigiri from ____ (a certain conbini).
Shuta: Eh! Tell me about a speciality of Nagoya.
Kosuke: And there was ____ (a certain conveyor-belt sushi chain). Maybe this was because it was in Nagoya. But it was really delicious.
Shuta: I guess you haven’t eaten any specialities of Nagoya, have you? I thought you had tried Miso-Katsu.
Kosuke: Oh, I did. The Miso-Katsu was delicious.
Shuta: Eat it for real! (Laughs)

Deciphering the feelings in the dance and the lyrics of “Let Go”

The main track “Let Go” has a different atmosphere than before. Please tell us your favorite parts of it.
Katsunari: “Let Go” is a beautiful ballad, a heartbreak song, that holds close to people who experience a breakup with their loved one, as in the lyrics “You who used to laugh beside me is not here anymore”.
I like the clean transition from the verses to the chorus: The verses are sung in a sad and tranquil way, bringing some gloom to everyone while the chorus expresses a strength in the sadness. The transition makes the song pleasant.
My favorite lyrics are, when talking about my own parts, “Even when I try to forget I can’t erase it”. The choreography changes in the verses there, so I think it is an impressive part.
Fumiya: I will talk about the dance. This time, we express the concept of “holding close” and the feelings of parting, sadness and melancholy through the dance. Until the chorus, each one of us is a different person and we just perform as we should. But in the chorus, we send a positive message that we as OWV “are holding the fans close” in the nuance of holding our hands up to the sky, gasping the light that lies beyond.
Kosuke: I like the lyrics “Since the day we untied our fingers, the love I felt for you still calls to you.”
Shuta: What do those lyrics mean?
Kosuke: You used to hold hands with the other one, but after that day it is not possible anymore. It’s that there still love left?
Shuta: !?
Kosuke: So, you are singing that you are still thinking of the day you broke up. The title “Let Go” means “to let go (of the hand of the other one)” and the lyrics here fully express that feeling of “I want to let go but I can’t”. Just as the lyrics say, you are left behind with those feelings.
Shuta: It is a part I sing, but it’s “I don’t want you to laugh in someone else’s arms”. Just as these lyrics are, they straightly reveal the feelings of the heart, which is heartbreaking. I can picture this scene and I feel many others can do so, too.
Kosuke: If you think of ”Let Go” as a contemporary writing question, where would you find the right answer? It’s a question like “Think about what the author wants to express”.
Shuta: If it was such a question… (thinks) It is either “Even if I tried to forget I can’t erase it” or “I don’t want you to laugh in someone else’s arms”.
Kosuke: The right answer is… “I cannot let go”.
Shuta: This one! I overlooked that part.
Kosuke: These lyrics are about wanting to let go but being unable to. Actually, the song is not about “Let Go” but “I cannot let go”. But well, I’m not the one who wrote it.
Shuta: Right. We were not involved, were we?
Kosuke: Yes. I just read the lyrics we received.
Shuta: That’s how many emotions are into it.

A glimpse of their actors’ sides are shown in the acting scenes of the MV, where they challenge being emotionally invested into it♡

I watched the MV which was full of emotions! It was your first MV with acting scenes, right?
Kosuke: Since two of us have been acting.
Shuta: You are talking like an actor! (Laughs)
Kosuke: Shuta, you have appeared in a drama before, right?
Shuta: I played a young doctor in a New Year’s special..
Kosuke: Oh! That’s so cool!
Shuta: … It was just a reenactment-VTR.
Kosuke: A reenactment-VTR!
Shuta: But I did it properly! This is also my experience as an actor (laughs). But Honda-kun, well…
Kosuke: It is a terrestrial one and my role got a proper name.
Shuta: Amazing!
Kosuke: I am appearing in a serial drama! It is the TBS drama “Watashi no shite kurenai feromon kareshi”. There is some pressure, but I’m doing my best at acting.
Shuta: I have to watch it!
Kosuke: I’m still pretty much a beginner, so I worked hard on the acting in the MV, too.
Shuta: I expressed the lyrics by letting them possess me. OWV has a lot of concepts with intense dancing and flames, but this time it is a sad song, so I tried to put that into my expressions. Honda-kun filmed his scenes in a car, right?
Kosuke: When I pictured the lyrics in my mind, I acted those or rather it was just happening. I was so immersed into those memories, so it didn’t feel like acting to me.
Shuta: You are probably just joking right now (laughs),

I have no idea whether it was a joke or not!
Shuta: Was it the side of us being signed to Yoshimoto or the side of being an artist? I said something good now (laughs).
Kosuke: I also thought I was saying something good in the middle of it (laughs).

It was refreshing to see a MV with all of you acting.
Shuta: This time there were people other than OWV appearing there, too, and the other two (Nakagawa & Sano) had person-to-person expressions, so I think we were able to show a new side in the MV and as OWV as a whole.
Kosuke: Everytime we release a dance performance video, but exactly because the dance performance of “Let Go” is really beautiful, I hope you will both watch the MV and the performance video. The ratio of lip scenes and dance scenes is different for each MV. So far it was always about 50% each, but in this MV the dance scenes are only 30%, so I hope you watch the performance video and feel “Let Go” in the dance, too.

What OWV, who are committed in everything they do, want to challenge next I was impressed by the way you discussed your standing positions and such during the filming!
Katsunari: It depends on the situation on the set, but we often discuss the finer details ourselves and check the cuts as we film.
Fumiya: It ends up with us pushing the time. What should we do… They might think “They are too particular, it’s annoying”? (Laughs)
Katsunari: That would be the worst (laughs).

You showed a new side of yourself in the new song, but what would you like to challenge in the future?
Kosuke: Playing a doctor in a Special…
Shuta: You will play my role in the reenactment-VTR! (Laughs)
Kosuke: I watched that show with my family and even through it was just a reenactment, it was just cool!
Shuta: You sent me a message back then. Well, I will teach you how to play a doctor.
Kosuke: But being honest, I hope to have a concert in Nagoya each year. This was our first time coming to Nagoya and I am really happy about it. We want to come more often as we finally made it possible!
Shuta: We want to hype up Nagoya!
Kosuke: The time you need to go to Nagoya by Shinkansen is also just right. You just nap a bit and then you are already there. I feel it’s also easy to have fun here in private. I will take KELLY along and do some sightseeing. I will just take KELLY with me.
Shuta: Right. KELLY is all you need.

If you compared the coupling tracks to certain characters…

Thank you very much!! Please tell us also about the other two songs.
Shuta: “Tararam” is an uptempo song that holds close those who want to raise their mood. It is a song that has two sides.
Katsunari: If it was a human, it would have a dual personality that entertains people.
Kosuke: It is like H-san from the manga that takes place at a police station in front of a park.
Fumiya: And when he rides a motorbike, his personality changes.
Katsunari: Like L-san in the anime which is about collecting seven balls?
Kosuke: Yes yes! Like changing your appearance and personality when you sneeze.
Shuta: (laughs) The sound changes completely between the verses and chorus.
Katsunari: The verses are like a fresh pop-song, but in the chorus there is a heavy bass sound. This change is the key point.

How about “Gonna Getcha”?
Shuta: “Gonna Getcha” holds close those who don’t feel well, a song that raises your self esteem. A song that pushes you forward.
Kosuke: It is a song that gives you hope that you can get up from there again when you feel down and listen to it! Out of the three songs, this one is the easiest to get into someone’s ears and the refrain sticks in your mind. I hope people will feel better after listening to it.
Katsunari: The melody line is also very clear, so please sing it, everyone ♪

Congratulations on reaching your second debut anniversary in September. Do you feel like something about the members has changed?
Kosuke: Katsu had a cool impression in the beginning, but recently he is like a character who came from a “pirates manga” and he really laughs like “gahahaha”, making me worried “Is he okay?” (Laughs).
Shuta: Didn’t he say he has a wall around his heart in the beginning? This wall broke down by now (laughs).
Katsunari: Even the walls that were not supposed to be taken down, were taken down!
Kosuke: Even the walls you should protect as a human were broken down (laughs).
Fumiya: If you were a building, it would be difficult to get rid of you. You cannot be repaired anymore.
Katsunari: I’m a lot like my father when it comes to the way I laugh.
Fumiya: In this context, you must feel sorry for your father (laughs).
Katsunari: Well, in a way, this is just how he is.
Shuta: Everyone is now able to show their true selves.
Katsunari: Rather than being able to, it just comes out, at least in my case.
Everyone: (laughs)
Kosuke: Everyone also has unchanging sides in a good way, and I like this. The distance between the members was always close.
Shuta: Sometimes for the MCs at our concerts we just decide only on the general things beforehand and the details just happen. I like this because it shows the normal OWV which makes the fans happy.
Fumiya: It always feels fresh.
Katsunari: I feel the tempo sense has improved in the last two years. It’s always like this even when there is no camera.
Speaking of this, I discovered a hidden side of a member recently. Urano, whose member color is yellow, is cheerful during MCs and such, fitting perfectly to his member color, but after work, he doesn’t talk at all.
Fumiya: Even when he doesn’t talk right now, he adds a bit of coolness (laughs).
Shuta: You are all talking so much, so I have to do it properly! Be grateful. I want to actually talk!! (Laughs)
Fumiya: In my case, I want you to outdo me. “Oh that’s just as I expected it. I can’t keep up with Shuta’s talking” (laughs).
Shuta: Everyone wants attention so much, so you are talking too much! (Laughs)
Fumiya: Then, I will be silent from now on.
Shuta: Too late! (Laughs)

Other than the change of Nakagawa-san, is there anything else that makes you think a member has changed in this regard?
Fumiya: I will analyze myself. I think I was really determined. I went from being an ordinary person to suddenly joining an audition to debuting, so I was ignorant about this world and I met the people around me for the first time, too, so I was clueless about a lot of things. But now I am gradually getting the hang on how far I should go.
Katsunari: You came to understand a lot of things.
Shuta: I was really quiet during the audition and played cool. After it ended and I was with the other OWV members, they told me "Shuta, that’s not your position” and got my current member color yellow.
Kosuke: What is your actual color?
Shuta: My true member color happens to be red.
Fumiya: So you are the type to take the lead in the front?
Shuta: Yes. But thanks to the members I got yellow and my character changed. How about Honda-kun who is red?
Kosuke: In my case the red became a bit pink. Fumiya: White got mixed into it so it became lighter (laughs). Kosuke: In a good way, I started being pampered by everyone. If there is anything, they will say “Try it.” Or “Can I ask you to do it for me?”. OWV is getting bigger and we have more things to do. I do what I have to do, but to broaden the scope of what we do, I often have to rely on everyone.
Shuta: It means you trust us, right?

Lastly, please send a message to QWV.
Shuta: Then, let our leader do it.
Kosuke: We will always “hold you close”.

Perfect! Thank you very much for this interview with those well-matched reponses!