[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!

休止

Hello everyone to the first and final personal post on the archive.

I have been thinking on how to write this since I don't want to worry anyone.

I started this blog to archive all the translations I did in the PDJ Season 1 universe for the time something happens to my twitter account and everything becomes unavailable there and I'm really glad I did.

Because @pompom_lotus journey ends for now.

I decided that I will stop being an active contributor to the fandom(s) and instead silently watch from the sidelines.
A lot has happened in the last weeks/months, mainly in my personal life. I have to lot to cope with and I need to focus more on myself.

Still, this place will remain so that everyone can always revisit (old) translations. Or show new JAM or QWV some of the old stuff!

Please take care everyone and if you want to talk about whatever, feel free to message me!

See you!
Harupom

[JO1] Tokyo Calender 231121

The current standpoint of JO1’s Kinjo Sukai whose activity areas continue to expand

As the presence of fall grows stronger, we are in the neighborhood of West Azabu, Minato-ku (Tokyo). There are lots of competent stores lined up and even at such place as the “N’onaka” in the 2nd street of Azabu, this person’s muscular presence of 180cm stands out. The interview took place in the time of the rehearsals for the performance at the Kyocera Dome in late November. When asked about his feelings of being able to have a solo concert in a Dome just 3 years after the debut, it made him smile broadly, saying “We, too, couldn’t imagine this.”.

His almond eyes give him a cool impression, yet his smile is friendly. “We have also worked hard, but that we can stand on the stage of a Dome is especially because of all JAM. We are rehearsing full of motivation so that none of the people who come to the Dome leave feeling lonely.”

The JO1 members are not my rivals, but like my siblings

He shared with us the highlights of the Dome performance without spoiling too much.
“One of JO1’s charms is how close we are with JAM. In the Dome, distance is born due to its nature, so we are going closer to them. Please look forward to how the performance turns out.”

Before the Dome performance, he has another huge event. It is the release of the movie “OUT” in which he stars. This is his first movie. “I worked together with the director Shinagawa Hiroshi previously on the WOWOW drama “Drop”. Back then I also felt that the Shinagawa team was kind. There was also a staff member who told me “Welcome back” and the cast was harmonious which made it easy to do.”

In “OUT” JO1’s Yonashiro Sho and Ohira Shosei also appear.
“I can still remember when the 3 of us went to the casting. We acted one scene in front of the director Shinagawa, the producers and such, but in the end Shinagawa-san showed a bright smile. I thought we did bad, so on the way home we encouraged each other “it wasn’t good” “we gonna work harder on acting”. We were on some high as the tension was loosing, so we just talked the whole time. So when it was decided that we star in the movie I was as happy as surprised.”

Kinjo-san shows diverse activities such as acting, dancing and appearing on variety shows, but he is the most confident about singing.
“I take pride in being able to sing every song well. It was like this since the audition before the debut, but I pursue a way of singing that makes one think they want to listen to it again even if it is for example just one phrase.”

We wants to appear along MISA-san who he admires

When we asked him about musicians who inspired him, he gave us two names.
“One is Tori Kelly, I think her singing skills are amazing. And another one is MISA-san. The more I took vocal training and the more I learnt about music, I understood that MISA-san is far the best in any means. My ultimate dream while continuing music is to perform with MISA-san."

When we asked about the changes JO1 has gone through in the 3 years since their debut, he answered the kind of the relationship the members have with each other has slightly changed.
“In the time between the audition and the debut, I thought of them as rivals. But since each one’s roles and positions were solidified, I don’t think of them as rivals anymore. Now they feel like family and someone else plays a cool role or is being recognised, I also feel happy. I get motivation from all the members and we have a relationship of mutual encouragement.”

Lastly, we talked about his impression about the area West Azabu which we had visited today.
“I’m from Osaka, so I’m not that knowledgeable about Tokyo. I have this vague image of rich people living in Minato-ku. But West Azabu has a downtown-like atmosphere, there are hidden restaurants like this one and I came to feel like I could surprisingly fit in well here. Right, JO1 sings the title song of the movie “OUT”, but the title of this song “HIDEOUT” has the meaning of a hidden place like a secret operation base. I connected the movie and the interview well, right? (laughs)”

So how about Kinjo-san making West Azabu his hideout and living there?
“Good idea! I would like to live there. But since all the members are operating together, we have to search for a property where everyone can move into…I guess you have to construct such a building in West Azabu (laughs)."

2023, as the pandemic has also calmed down, became a year of JO1 making new leaps forward. They held their first Asia tour consisting of Jakarta, Bangkok, Taipei and Shanghai, and their performance in Los Angeles also received positive reactions. Their growth in the 3 years since their debut is a miracle and no one knows where else this global boy group can go. The expectations are high that they are able to do something huge, someone no one has ever done before. Even constructing a building in West Azabu doesn’t have to be just a joke.

Profile
Born 2000, from Osaka. He applied for the survival auction “PRODUCE 101 JAPAN” in 2019 and managed to debut as a member of JO1. He is known for his overwhelming singing abilities. Because of his handsome looks, he seems like a cool person especially when meeting him for the first time, but according to himself he is “just the typical guy from Kansai”.

[JO1] AR 230310

JO1 meets…

Kawashiri Ren x YUTO

The way towards the dream

This time we made happen the passionate same generation talk between JO1‘s Kawashiri Ren and PENTAGON‘s YUTO! The two, who are active after setting their eyes on the world, talk from their passion towards their favorite things, their earnest hard work and their never ending evolution until their surprising common points. We will dig deeply into their roads!

YUTO -> REN
Ren-kun is someone familiar to me, but when I saw his performance as an artist for the first time, his power and delicacy overwhelmed me. I am motivated by their process that made talented people come together and let them pass a hard audition and their earnest hard working and their attitude. I became more certain that I have to work hard, too.

REN -> YUTO
By dancing for a long time I am aware where I shine, but YUTO-kun is cool just by standing there! He has an overwhelming presence. Also, he is a very kind gentleman, too. His behavior is also neat and from the inside a mature charm comes out… I ended up smiling him without noticing it during the shooting of the solo pictures today!

Comrades who are in a friendly rivalry despite being seperated!

Ren: YUTO-kun, it‘s been a while! I really looked forward to today. Please take care of me today.
YUTO: I could say the same. Thank you very much for inviting me. I got your contact information back when we had the collab stage in 2022, but today is the first time that we are talking like this.
Ren: Hence, I anxiously awaited today! We talked after the collab-stage, but I was really happy that you remembered me from the time when I danced as a backhanded for PENTAGON-san. I was also moved when you asked to exchange our contact information. Since we were both busy and unable to meet in private… To make up for this I want to talk a lot today ♪
YUTO: You impressed me from the start, Ren-kun. You had power, were cheerful and your dancing was amazing! You were trustworthy as you made your surroundings shine brightly!
Ren: Wow, I’m happy! (Embarrassed) When I first met you, I was surprised by your overwhelming presence, YUTO-kun. You are tall, have a deep voice and just by standing there you were cool! When you were dancing you were powerful in the right moment. I felt the thrill “That’s how a star looks like…”.
YUTO: You make me feel shy by saying this. I spent the year end in Japan last year and I saw JO1’s activities on TV. Ren-kun, can you take a break?
Ren: I can’t take long ones, but it’s perfect right now how busy I am. While I look at the packed schedule with the members, I feel “That’s a great schedule” and I enjoy this youth-like time of talking to them while fooling around.
YUTO: That you also see the business as something positive is one of your charms and strengths.
Ren: How do you overcome times when you are busy and it is getting hard?
YUTO: I often felt down when I just came to Korea and there were some many things I learnt that I had no time to worry. Also, I’m shy so rather than asking someone for advice I often coped with it and solved it myself. Back then I took a walk along the river shore as the first thing in the morning to relax.
Ren: But because of this time you shine more than ever now. By the way, rather than business I fear more the recklessness of variety shows.
YUTO: Japanese variety shows are funny because they incorporate surprises and a huge variety of gimmicks. When I return to Japan and watch those, I feel “That’s fully Japan”. (Laughs). I’m sure if you are there I would enjoy it! I’m looking forward to you being active in variety shows!

What motivates me is the feeling of “liking” it from all my heart

Ren: When you went to Korea at the age of 15 years, did you have some plan on how to promote yourself?
YUTO: I went there without thinking about the consequences, so I had no special strategy (Bitterly laughs). Now is the result of being honest to my heart and facing what I wanted to do directly. What I had was not the ability to promote myself but the power to take action.
Ren: It’s cool that you put it in action without being afraid of the different language and culture.
YUTO: I was in my teens and rather than advancing by planning I pushed on just by the feeling of simply liking it. When I saw my K-POP seniors on TV, my biggest motivation was the feeling in my heart that “I want to be like this”. How did you get into dancing?
Ren: I’m quite the nimble type and when I started dancing during my 5th year of elementary school, I was often praised from the others right afterwards. When I thought “I’m the very best”, I met someone who was so good that they made me think “They must be a genius…”. Much less than making me feel down, they ignited my fighting spirit.
YUTO: The competitive devil was ignited!
Ren: Right! I didn’t want to lose in dancing, too, but for some reason I thought of it as “Dancing + sprint” and since I’m faster I win! (Laughs). I started to think that by brushing up on various skills I will win in the overall points. And from then on I started to try everything that interested me. My sources of energy are “competitiveness” and “knowing I’m no prodigy”.
YUTO: I know what you mean. Because when I noticed back then there was no Japanese rappers in Korea, I wanted to challenge this.
Ren: Did you always have this handsome deep voice?
YUTO: I used to lower it. I’m still in the middle of making use of it. Since last year I've been intensifying my voice training and I’m diligently doing the training such as opening and closing my vocal cords. I want to become better at rapping and also at singing.
Ren: We feel the same! I’m also competitive when it comes to singing. The powerful singing of the main vocalists is cool too, but… I have a voice that catches someone's ears so I'm often singing when the melody changes or when some change is added. This is the flavor I have and I feel I can still improve, so I want to analyze and study more the songs I can sing and the way of singing I’m looking for.
YUTO: It is very important to improve yourself while looking at yourself from an outsider perspective because once you are satisfied with the now, you will stop there.

There is no right answer on the road of music! Advancing on the best you believe in

Ren: I also like the uplighting feeling of concerts, but I really like it to be on the same wave as the cameraman during the filming of a MV. When I’m convinced that it was a good shot I’m itching to see the video while dancing (laughs). You are rapping, dancing and have a hand in songwriting, YUTO-kun, but what is the most fun moment in your music activities?
YUTO: The most fun times are when during the production of the album I come across some exciting lyrics or an interesting beat and the switch is turned to “Let’s go!”, and of course the song writing itself.
Ren: Is it hard to write lyrics in Korean?
YUTO: I pretty much got used to it, but there are also some trivial Korean words that are difficult for me. Writing lyrics is a craft that takes time, but I’m happy when music I had a hand in composing is released and makes the fans delighted and I float in a sense of liberation (laughs).
Ren: Even though I started to learn composing, too, my skills are not enough yet and there is also the frustration that I can’t shape the music I want to create yet.
YUTO: The path of music and arts has no right answer, so it’s difficult, isn’t it? Hence, I value confronting it until I am satisfied with it. Until there… it’s the path of anxiety, right? (Laughs)
Ren: I will do my best! (Motivated) Is there something you do for composing?
YUTO: 2 years ago I started to learn how to play the piano and guitar. Being able to play instruments became a huge plus. I came to understand “Here, a guitar is used” as well as the structure and music theory.
Ren: I also play the piano, so I guess I should practice more. Do you play every day?
YUTO: I try to play for 1 hour each day. Thankfully my agency provides a room for composing, so I lock myself in there and compose.
Ren: Time alone is essential for creating things, isn’t it!

YUTO
I want to become someone who gets close to the fans and gives them power. I’m sometimes called by my last name “Adachi”, but it makes me feel happy as it makes me feel close as if we were classmates. Fans are the ones who raised me, so I want them to feel of me as someone close without any distance. Outside of performances, I’m happy when I make them smile through my events or team announcements through SNS or live streams.
REN
We debuted through an audition, so that we can do these activities because of the fans. If it wasn’t for them, my current me wouldn’t exist. But I just don’t want them to know more about me, I also want to know more about them! At the online talk sessions I linger there until the very last second (laughs). I want to talk more ♥️

With daily care exhausting won’t last
Ren: I’m really sensitive to dryness, so I use the triple of air purifier, a humidifier and an air purifier with a humidity function at home, to care for my throat (laughs). Is there something you are careful of, YUTO-kun?
YUTO: I think I’m not doing anything regarding my throat. I have to do my raps powerfully, so I guess it’s different from what we are careful of.
Ren: Makes sense. I think I’m so careful of my throat that ones I feel the slightest unease, I directly use a throat spray (sweating). Also, in order not to carry the exhaustion to the next day, I stretch before going to sleep and when the exhausting builds up I go for acupuncture… And with this and that I care for myself.
YUTO: I take a hip bath at home. I like to sweat for 30 minutes and adjust myself. Recently I also go to the sauna.
Ren: I also like saunas. Do you also go to saunas in Korea?
YUTO: I often go with my friend NCT 127’s YUTA. Saunas are really popular in Korea, too.
Ren: I want to go with you when I’m in Korea!
YUTO: Sure ♪ Let’s adjust ourselves together.

Explosion of the same generation talk that took its time!
YUTO: Since we are from the same generation we should have lots of common points. Did you play card games as a child? I was into Duel Masters!
Ren: I played it, too, but I love Pokemon ♥️. Because I’m a Pokemon trainer (smug)!
YUTO: School time, so nostalgic. Back then I was good at sports and I didn’t like music. I think only recently I started listening to ballads.
Ren: I liked science classes. I was in the science department, so I experimented while wearing a white coat. I love experiments ♪
YUTO: You wore a white coat!? It would suit you.. By the way, what are go hobbies?
Ren: My hobbies are games, magic and…
YUTO: M-Magic!?
Ren: I’m not performing it anywhere, but I am increasing my stories for the future! How about you?
YUTO: Visiting secondhand clothes I guess. I often go to my favorite one in Korea. When I return to Japan, I will also check the ones in Shimokita.
Ren: I like these, too. I also remake secondhand clothes myself. When the difficulty level is high, I’m making it while being taught by the stylist.
YUTO: Amazing! I want to learn it from you. But first, let’s go to eat something together.
Ren: Sure! What do you like?
YUTO: Gyutan. And you?
Ren: Chocolate and fruits ♪
YUTO: Indeed, you are the sweets type! And for meals?
Ren: Minestrone. You can make it easily, so I often make it myself. Do you have something you dislike?
YUTO: Coriander. But I usually eat everything. I also dislike spicy food, but nowadays I think I can eat more spicy food than Koreans (laughs). Do you like Korean food?
Ren: My favorite is “Jinmichae”! It is a dish of dried and shredded squirts with a balance of sweet and saltiness, so it’s not a main dish but something that always sticks around, but it’s really delicious♥️
YUTO: Your favorite things are all kind of pinpointed like this (laughs). Also… What I noticed while we were talking, but we have a mole at the same spot. The mole over the eyebrow.
Ren: I have one! (Finds it after staring at YUTO) really, it’s the same spot! So cool!
YUTO: It’s rare for moles to be at the same spot, isn’t it? (Laughs) It must be fate, too.
Ren: It’s really fun to talk with you, YUTO-kun, as we are not running out of topics! I have a lot I respect about you and I was really happy to have this talk with you who is active worldwide in the same generation. Thank you very much for today.
YUTO: I have to thank you. Let’s meet again. I will let you know directly! I hope we can meet in Korea next time ♪

[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”.