[JO1] QJ Web 220706

https://qjweb.jp/feature/73135/

Shiroiwa Ruki, Sato Keigo and Mamehara Issei talk about “JO1’s All Night Nippon X”. The idea of “the vibe of a night during a study trip”.

Since April 2022 “JO1’s All Night Nippon X” (later shortened to ANNX) has been airing. Shiroiwa Ruki, who serves as the main personality of it., welcomes two other JO1’s members as partners each week and the program features a free talk and various activities.

Each week the Twitter hashtag “#JO1ANNX” takes the first place of the Trend ranking (*excluding 22 June when “‘#HappyTakumiDay”, celebrating JO1’s Kawanishi Takumi’s birthday, took the first place) and unexpected chemistries, born from the units, are one of the charms of this program. QJWeb closely followed the 22 June broadcast in which Sato Keigo and Mamehara Issei appeared. Before the broadcast we held an interview with the three members.

The way they spend the day before the radio and the broadcast day

At the two partners, when did you get to know about your appearance?
Issei: It was quite early this time.
Keigo: Right. But it depends.

After your appearance is decided, does the way you spend the day before or the broadcast day change?
Keigo: I do not really prepare myself, but I try to get a good sleep, so that I will not come here being exhausted. Today, too, I slept well.
Issei: Because it is a program at a late hour, right. Normally at this time… I play games or sleep (laughs).

Shiroiwa-san, are you told about the appearing members at the same time as them?
Ruki: Yes, mostly at the same time.

What do you think about the two today?
Ruki: Yes… Right (laughs). Keigo has times when he is in a good form and times when he is in a bad form.
Keigo: Right.
Ruki: When we match, we really do.
Issei: (laughs)
Ruki: However, there are times when he gets out of control, so… each time I am doing it, wondering “How is his form today?”.
Issei: Like a director (laughs).
Keigo: Today I hope to match with Ruki-kun.
Ruki: Oh! I am really grateful.

Keeping in mind the whole group

You have this fixed schedule each week and I am sure that you must have a lot of things going around in your head during your broadcast, Shiroiwa-san. Is there anything that has changed in your daily life or have you started a routine since ANNX has started?
Ruki: That’s right… I have started to meditate. There is quite a lot of what I think about. Like the radio, but also other things like work. So, I close my eyes and meditate for 15 minutes during the day, while not thinking of anything and reset my mind once. I have started to do so every day.
Keigo: That’s amazing.
Ruki: I used to have the habit of overthinking before sleeping and I wanted to stop that. In order to lighten both my mind and heart, I made time to close my eyes and not to think of anything before I go to sleep. Since I started to do this, I became able to talk more relaxed.

Do you think “Ah, I could talk about this on the radio” when something funny or interesting happens in your life?
Ruki: I do. In addition, as the members change weekly, I try to keep in mind to remember something that is related to the whole group rather than an individual episode.

Do you feel like you are preparing yourself for the radio on a daily basis?
Ruki: Yes. I even take memos in order not to forget things. For example, today, I made sure to remember what Keigo and Mame talked about when they last came here. Because I hope to create a flow that connects to these previous broadcasts.

When your appearance is decided, do you think about your stories for free talk in advance, Sato-san and Mamehara-san?
Keigo: No, not really.
Issei: Right. I feel the same.
Keigo: Because I feel it is better to talk following the flow naturally than to prepare for it.

His future task as the main personality

However, isn’t a live broadcast scary?
Keigo: I think it could be easier to have our usual casual conversations like this.
Ruki: This is my ideal, too. I hope we can bring a carefree and relaxed atmosphere as if we were in the dressing room to the fans and listeners. Because we like the vibe of the nights of a study trip (laughs), we have the hope that people hear and know us in a casual state and not in our usual work mood. But, once it starts, sure enough, everyone will watch us and there are also reactions and we cannot help but get tense.
Keigo: I tend to get into it. After all, it is a live broadcast.
Ruki: Right. But, I have the ideal that I would like to do it in a just casual manner.

Sato-san you expressed that “you get into it”, but you do not get nervous?
Ruki: In the beginning he was? Like before it started?
Keigo: I do. Because it is a live broadcast and it is a place to do it properly. So… it is hard for me to… get into the right form. For today, I hope to do it calmly.

How do you differentiate it from your fan club web radio “Jamming with JO1”?
Issei: This is because well… it is our close circle (laughs).
Keigo: Right, we can do inside jokes.
Ruki: It is our “home” where only people listen who know us well and like us, so every single teasing changes it. I was told that by Keigo, but during ANNX my teasing towards him becomes nicer (laughs). Sure enough, during ANNX I have to pay attention to the way people see me. I have to be considerate to various things because there are listeners who do not know about JO1. We can take a step away from this in “Jamming”.
But I hope ANNX will become like this. I hope that we can gradually make it our home. I want to make the radio more JO1-like. It is still kinda difficult… So this is my future task.

The chemistries with the weekly changing members

Did you ever have some typical live broadcast accidents that made you say “back then, I was actually really panicking”?
Ruki: There was one.. During the one for which Sukai and Shion joined. It was a prerecorded broadcast, however. Out of nowhere, a staff member explained that we have to cut one song. We could not play 3 songs, but only two. This is not something rare, but back then the arrangement between the staff member (who sat next to me in the booth) and me did not go well and they told me “After you said the announcement, the jingle comes”, but there was no “announcement” in the script. I did not understand what I was supposed to say and I stayed silent for about two minutes during the conversation. I was panicking at that moment. But Sukai and Shion kept on talking for me the whole time.

Kinjo-san and Tsurubo-san understood the situation and followed it, right?
Ruki: I was communicating with a staff member right in front of them, so I think they made the connection for me. Actually I should have been the one to lead, but I feel bad for making the two younger members take care of it for me. Yes, there was such an episode.

Lastly, please tell us once more what you recommend about “JO1’s ALL NIGHT NIPPON X”.
Ruki: Each week, two different members appear, but I think one of the points that make the show enjoyable is the chemistry that is created by these units.It is interesting to see the differences in who comes together and the ones in age. I also do my best to make it work each time and I hope you will enjoy the various chemical reactions.

By the way, do some members volunteer, saying “I want to appear”? For example, in the broadcast you mentioned that Kono Junki-san is a “semi-regular” for it.
Issei: Recently, he has not come, right?
Ruki: Indeed (laughs). I want him to appear and I want more and more members to come, but hardly everyone… It is, in fact, a live broadcast and there are some who are still nervous, so they say “It is something I am not used to” (laughs).
Issei: (laughs)
Ruki: But after it ended we went home together, saying “It was so much”. I hope they will grow accustomed to it slowly and keep on coming.
TN: The next week (29 June) however, Junki did appear again.

[JO1] Josei Seven 220804

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

A "summer treasure" for you

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

So stay in the shinning present

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

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

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

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

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

We received a message for JAM from them.

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

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

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

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

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

[JO1] Stage Navi 220527

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kawashiri Ren

I trust my senses and aim for the top

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

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

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

[JO1] Josei Seven 220714

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

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

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

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

Enjoying a exclusive gourmet experience

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

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

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

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

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

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

The first feature! (of JUNKY ICE)

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

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

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

Get to experience horse riding at an unexplored picturesque scenery

With the best horses at the best location

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

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

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

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

Fully enjoying a luxurious time

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

Careful… Careful

Pop!

A graceful “morning champagne”!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[JO1] AR 220712

Talk theme:
The whereabouts of passion

What is the power source of the artist and the voice actor, each one shining in their respective fields?
We asked the uncompromising powerful two about their driving force that keeps moving forward, how they face each of their works, the feelings that inspired them and their determinations.

Shosei -> Yuki
I have loved anime for a long time and since I was a child I listened to Kaji-san’s voice. When this crosstalk had been decided I was so happy that I could not even believe it was happening… I have been fidgeting with anticipation and excitement until today! This talk is really like a dream. Also during the shooting, I thought “His voice is like ‘Meliodas’ from ‘Seven Deadly Sins’.” or “That’s ‘Mikumo-kun’ from ‘World Trigger’ now!” which left quite some impression on me. I will be happy if we can talk a lot during this opportunity.

Yuki -> Shosei
I was really happy to hear that you watched a lot of anime I was involved with and that you have supported me for a long time. Let’s talk about what we like about anime! There are rarely chances for artists of different generations to talk with each other, so I also hope to receive new motivation from JO1-san. I feel this is a place for me to learn something new. I also would like to see one of your concerts.

The “voice” is the treasure trove of one’s personality

Ohira: Thank you very much for today! The first time I came across your works was “Magi” and I can’t count how many animes with you I watched! I especially liked you as ‘Meliodas’ in ‘Seven Deadly Sins’!!
Kaji: Thank you very much. This means you know me for more than 10 years, right? Manga and anime are something familiar that transcends ages and generations. In fact, I am very happy that after all these years I am able to meet you on this schedule and share my thoughts with you.
Ohira: It is embarrassing to say this right in front of you, but I like your voice too much, so sometimes I rewatch just my favorite scenes or the ones with “sweet talk” from your anime on streaming services (embarrassed). I am practicing to sound like this, but sure enough it is difficult.
Kaji: The sweet talk! That makes me a little embarrassed (laughs). You mentioned practice, do you also have voice actor jobs?
Ohira: I participated in the movie “Poupelle of Chimney Town” and the anime “Gunjou no Fanfare” as a voice actor. I admired the work of the voice actors, but it is so difficult… I struggled a lot to create a voicetone that fits anime.
Kaji: I also kept in mind that I have to do this so-called “anime-like voice” in the past. However, even if I was only vaguely aiming for this “so-called” atmosphere, I felt something was off and I worried a lot about how to reach a 120% performance. And, after being a part of countless anime.. At some point I realized that acting is about “faithfully reproducing the real emotions that flow throughout your role”. I am sorry for being so abstract, but.. Well,I believe it is best not to get caught up in the so-called voice actor techniques and bring out your very own “character” through your role, Ohira-kun.
Ohira: I learnt something new from you! By the way, are you taking special care of your throat? I keep in mind to sleep well for my voice.
Kaji: Indeed! Sleeping is important. But I am the type of person who has a hard time falling asleep (laughs). In the past, there was a time when I took medicine out of worry once I felt the slightest discomfort in my throat. But nowadays, instead of such temporary measures, I try to be careful on a daily basis so that it doesn’t get into a bad condition. Besides, your mental state is also very important. Do you take special care of your throat, Ohira-kun?
Ohira: When I feel that my throat is dry on set for example, I make sure to eat candies with Manuka honey. Also, I make sure to drink “Throat Coat”, a herbal tea that is good for your throat!
Kaji: Ah! I have drank that one too! There are also people who say that apple juice is good for the throat and I guess everyone is looking for the best care for their throats.

Thinking of their dream collaboration

Ohira: As there was this wonderful opportunity, I would be happy if we could work on something together again!
Kaji: I could say the same! Let’s meet again. What should we do next time?
Ohira: Some time ago we performed the song “YOLO-konde” with makeup I made matching to each member and actually I am the one in charge of beauty in the group.
Kaji: Well… How about you do my makeup? (laughs)
Ohira: Yes! Please let me give you a JO1 makeup!
Kaji: Please do so (laughs). And now… Actually, since you also worked as a voice actor, what do you think about reciting something together? As recitating has no pictures or video footage, I think you can express everything just as you feel it in your heart, you can listen to your partner's lines, think about how to respond to them and you can do voice acting naturally by catching up with each other’s feelings. Perhaps this experience will help you in your future voice acting career.
Ohira: (with his eyes shining): This is just too awesome… 🤍 I will train even more! I am really happy when I am watching anime, so I was really happy to be able to talk with Kaji-san who gives me this happy feeling. Thank you very much for today!!
Kaji: Let’s go for dinner next time. Just tell me what you want to eat.
Ohira: Ah! This is really… Something that makes me beyond excited (moved). Please let me contact you about this!

I am happy when you start to like some anime because of me.
Apart from my own being, I put my heart and soul into “voice acting”, so I would be more than happy if someone gets more into an anime by the voice of the character I am voicing. Or to put it another way, it is also fine when someone thinks “He is an actor who makes a good work” even when they dislike me for example. The messages from the fans of the anime who support and love the characters I am voicing, are truly the source of my strength.

My current me exists thanks to the fans.
My current self exists exactly because the fans voted for me during “PRODUCE 101 JAPAN” and supported me the whole time. I feel nothing but gratitude. Even though we were unable to meet in person because of the corona pandemic, I felt supported the whole time. There are still a lot of people I was unable to meet, so I want to continue to convey our feelings through our songs and performances. I want to hear everyone’s voices when we can do call & response games during our lives one day again!

Bitter experiences and frustration lead to inspirations

Ohira: It is the third year since we as JO1 made our debut, but how was your third year?
Kaji: My third year was a period of “Being able to take a step out of the days filled with nothing but part time jobs”. After years of failing auditions, I made it to the final list for the role of the protagonist of a new anime and it was the extreme situation that either me or someone else would get the role (laughs). I waited for them to contact me with the anticipation of “Finally my dream might come true” as it was my first big chance. It was right at the end of the year, so right in the moment I thought “I guess they won’t tell me this year, so I will wait for the next year to start.”... the rejection came to the answering machine of my phone. This made me beyond frustrated. I was at rock bottom. I thought “Doing it like now does not work, I have to change myself completely” and I started smoking despite not doing so before and I styled my hair in a Mohawk even though that did not suit me at all (laughs). That the winds suddenly changed… was surely not because of that (laughs), but somehow I was able to pass the audition I took right after! It was my first time as a main character, my first regular role and I remember the happiness I felt by going to the set every week for half a year and I was just happy.
Ohira: I understand this! Before becoming a member of JO1 I was a trainee at another agency, but when my contract ended, my schedules became empty, but from the feeling “I don’t wanna lose here!” I took the audition for JO1. Because of the frustration back then, I want to work hard to make it better now!
Kaji: The more you want to do something, the bigger the shock is when you lose it, right? But because I made the experience of “I want this job so bad”, I never had the feeling of “I hate my job” even when the stressful days continue. I am just grateful for this.
Ohira: You are one of the top leaders of the voice acting world and yet you are always humble and full of ambitions, which makes me respect you more and more.

When you are busy, stay in a fighting stance

Ohira: What are you doing on your free days? I play games with the other members and watch anime. Also, I would like to go camping or to an outdoor sauna.
Kaji: You are really close, as you are always with your members during the day and have fun with them after work, too. It seems fun because you seem like a family! I also love games and I guess I travel if I have the time for it.
Ohira: I watched you playing games on YouTube!
Kaji: You watch my content a lot, don’t you (laughs). Thank you! Also, while I have fun and rest, I actually think a lot about work also on my free days. My hobbies are like my job nowadays (laughs).
Ohira: But is it okay not to rest your throat and body?
Kaji: I don’t like losing my sensation by taking a break. Isn’t it the same for your throat? If you take a break too long, it is like your vocal cords will fall asleep and your voice cannot sound well anymore. Hence, when I am busy, I try to keep my schedule as tight as possible so there are as few gaps as possible and try to keep myself in a fighting stance. And, once I finish all these jobs, I relax, letting go of the tension all at once. How do you spend your time when there are lives and such?
Ohira: Resting also makes it hard for my voice to sound well, so during the periods we have lives, I often try to talk with the members or sing lightly during the breaks, too.
Kaji: Even though our work is different, there are similar things after all. By the way, when I was in my 20s, people tended to think “Anime = otaku culture” and actually the word “otaku” had a negative connotation, but nowadays the image has made a huge change to “that person has a deep knowledge about anime”, right? I am deeply moved that an era has come in which young artists like you say “I watch anime on my free days”. I feel there was a shift in values and the fact that the art of anime has become something more ordinary and familiar makes me really really happy.