Translation: Interview with Nino from Style July 2008
This translation is for eve_aida. She's going to scanslate it, so. Original scans provided by her: 1 | 2 | 3
Scanslations

Ninomiya Kazunari
Aspiring to be a "man like water"

From early on he's come to display his rare talent as an actor.
But, that high evaluation and his popularity as [a member of] Arashi he caught without hesitation.
What is the result of cultivating such large generosity?
The true feelings of Ninomiya Kazunari who is seen as aloof from the world are here.

Photography: Nakayama Katsumi / Stylist: Nomura Masashi
Hair and Make-Up: Katou Kazuo / Coverage & Article: Ohuchi Yumiko[1]

Profile
Ninomiya Kazunari
Born 6/17/1983. Born and raised in Tokyo.
Entered Johnny's and Associates in '96,
and debuted in Arashi in '99.
On his own he's appeared in dramas Haikei, Chichiue-sama
Yamada Tarou Monogatari
and play Shibuya kara Tooku Hanarete, etc.
Appearing in the movie Letters from Iwo Jima,
he's received high estimations both domestically and abroad.
Currently he appears as a regular on the variety shows
Arashi no Shukudai-kun and Shakaika Nazo
Kaimei TV Himitsu no Arashi-chan!.

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"I think I've become able to start from the positive first." [2]

-----

"As long as it's a person who holds convictions and enjoys doing something, just that is fine."

In May his first nationwide 5 dome concert tour is starting. The number of programs he appears on regularly as Arashi is also increasing, and there's no mistaking now are days that are at the extremes of busy. Yet Ninomiya Kazunari's very calm expression comes out in the camera, and he begins to talk.

"Right now I feel like I have a very good balance. There's nothing you could say I'm trying too hard to force myself to do, and I think I could say I do the things requested of me at the requested places carefully and with all my effort."

This November Arashi with break into the 10th year since their debut. From beginning work in the entertainment world, he's already surpassed 10 years. Certainly as a group and as an individual, there is a feeling that coming to this point has finally gathered estimations of that "him-ness." [3]

"We really don't have a sense that we've changed. Just, there's a feeling of, all the things we've done until now have become part of ourselves. From back when we first debuted, we've not been the type to say 'I don't want to' or 'I'm tired' even when we're busy. If we had time to say that, we came to think we should spend it on something we were interested in. If it was Leader (Ohno Satoshi) he drew pictures and stuff, and I would play guitar and stuff. It's not like we were trying to have them connect to anything, but I feel those were able to become strengths in the end. [4]

"Therefore, at the time of the 2007-2008 Countdown Concert which we were allowed to lead [5], it was incredibly moving. At the concert 2 years earlier we didn't have much of an appearance, so of course we felt impatient and were like, 'We have to try harder.' That we would be asked to lead the concert. [6] Well, Aiba (Masaki)-kun and Ohno-kun and myself didn't talk about the safety plan (smile), but as we saw (Sakurai) Sho-kun and (Matsumoto) Jun-kun taking control of it, of course we were glad. I think we got here by each individually doing our best at the things we could do."

Rather than about himself, he talks completely about the group. Even when at a place he'll perform individually, it seems he is not concerned with how he will be viewed. He is constantly thinking only of the performance.

"What is this piece trying to convey? What should I do to convey it? I always place emphasis on that. Therefore, although I've learn a lot about the things I should know in advance about the piece, I don't want to do those things in public. I think a performance isn't 'what I'm pulling out is this,' [7] and stuff like that is embarrassing. I'll do a shaved head or whatever but, because of that, it's like, please spare me from having written [about me] 'he showed us his acting spirit' or stuff like that. (smile)"

Nevertheless, he brags that he's came to properly attempt and fail at what he's supposed to do. When he first appeared in a drama at 14, his sense was opposite, but before long his own thoughts about the drama came out. Furthermore now he thinks that kind of pickiness is not even necessary. Using that as his start has led him to appearing in director Clint Eastwood's movie Letters from Iwo Jima.

"That was just, words that received in the hardened places in my head. When I say 'hardened' I mean, for example, although it wasn't showing any progress, doing a play with the tone suddenly going up and down wouldn't make sense no matter what, and there are many areas I'm insecure about regarding the present. But that, I guess you could say I was changed by meeting with Letters. Of course, we wanted tell a story with a minimum of "trying to protect" that, when Japanese people watch it, they don't feel uncomfortable. But in the end, as long as the center of the story was 'war has no meaning,' it felt like didn't matter how we did it. So since then I think I've become able to start from the positive first. No matter what it is, I've become able to listen to the alternatives."

Even in his private life that change shows. Recently, rather than with people his own age, his chances to go drinking with people older than him have increased overwhelmingly. Further, is seems he's become able to feel the sensation of the topics they discuss there.

"Of course being with friends my own age is motivating. Because everyone is so passionate and serious. Just, because of that, no matter what it always turns into an insecurity-like [8] conversation like, 'That's weird,' or 'You should do it more like this.' But with people older than me it's mostly a conversation of respect and affection where we say things like 'that was good.' Isn't it more fun to hear things like that? A conversation like, 'That person in that thing was the best.' I think I also want to become someone who is able to speak positively like that. I want to be able to take anything flatly."

He says what he wants to become is a "man like water." Not biased towards anything, able to change into any shape. That's his ideal.

"In that meaning, I'm very grateful for the existence that is Arashi. Because no mater what color I become, it's a place I can return again to my flat self. It's really, people that will understand me even if I don't say anything, Arashi. It's like by just saying 'get that,' they understand what it is I want. That's become the biggest bottleneck for love. When there are people who understand me this much, saying I'd have to start building a relationship from square one is frankly bothersome. (smile)"

He says that with a bitter smile, but somehow the expression is still warm. Perhaps because he's caught hold of a cosy place, you can feel the love in each and every word he says. Already that heart is large and generous.

"I can feel it myself, but recently somehow, I've been like an old man. (smile) [9] It's kind of been like, no matter who I'm with, as long as they're having a good time I'm happy. That's why, if I have a romance, as long as it's a person who holds convictions and enjoys doing something, just that is fine, I think. In Arashi too, all of us are like that. I think, being in the middle of that, it might be a good feeling for me as well."







Translation Notes
[1] For the names I couldn't read myself I went with the first entry in the JDIC. Because there are, like, ten different ways to read any given name, and who even knows which obscure reading somebody's parents thought it would be a good idea to use, much like how my cousin is named Branden. (For example, Nino's kanji are usually read "Kazuya" not "Kazunari.") Return
[2] The words in this sentence are literally backwards from their order in Japanese (^_^) Return
[3] "Rashisa" is this hard word that means something along the lines of "being like xx". If I said you had banana-rashisa, that would mean I thought you had the qualities of a banana. In this case, what they're saying is that he's come into his own, has his own personality and image and qualities, and confidence. Return
[4] He is expressing appreciation of the unexpected result that things that were just hobbies that they didn't set out to really do anything with were things that ended up enhancing the group (for example Ohno's painting turning into "Freestyle"). Return
[5] They had chairmanship of the concert, guys. :P Return
[6] He can't believe that they would have turned it around so much so as to be asked to lead when they were barely in it two years earlier. This grammar pattern sort of encodes disbelief and the tone of voice, but you lose it in English. Return
[7] This is like, he doesn't think the actors should be saying "this is my interpretation (and if you don't think that you're wrong)." Return
[8] I think he means, a conversation that sort of amplifies his insecurities. Like he says "I wasn't sure about this" and then his friends jump to offer him advice, so it's like they obviously thought it was bad, too. Return
[9] I don't mean an *old man* old man, here, but one in his 40's-50's. I don't want to write awkwardly "middle-aged man," especially since what he's trying to say is that's he getting sentimental in his old age :P Return