Translation: Potato June 2000・ONE of Arashi・Vol. 4 Ohno Saotshi
SPECIAL Serial!!
ONE of Arashi
Vol. 4 Ohno Satoshi

This month's "ONE of Arashi" is Ohno Satoshi-kun's. Starting with "When I was little I got hurt all the time" in a comfortable tone, stories of his family and the two years he spent in Kyoto, Oh-chan had a lot of drama.


When I was little, I was famous for getting hurt
At the hospital they would say, "Again!?"

My family is my father, my mother, my older sister, and myself, and I was born and raised in Tokyo; I'm the child of a very normal family (smile). Although I say that, when I was little I got hurt all the time. And it wasn't just scratches or something either, it was all things that needed stitches. When I was 3 or 4, my mother said "Can lids are dangerous, so don't touch them," and as soon as I said "Okay!" I wanted to try and touch it, and I deeply cut my fingers (smile). Without me learning my lesson, it escalated to things like me cutting my eyelid on a glass ashtray, or there was a time when I had an injury on my flank that I had no idea how I did it (smile).

Also a time when my father was going out on his bike... At the time, because little preschool-aged me had a habit of always falling asleep when riding on the back of a bicycle, my father warned me, "Satoshi, don't fall sleep. Keep your legs out," and as soon as I answered him with a lively, "Okay!" I fell asleep, and my heel got stuck in the spokes, 15 stitches (smile). It seems my father thought something was weird when no matter how had he pedaled, it wouldn't go (smile). And then I went to the hospital covered in blood. It was the hospital that treated my fingers, so they asked, "Again!?" (smile). But it seems I was a child that didn't cry and was very patient.

After that I didn't get hurt and was OK for a while. But, in 6th grade the blackboard eraser my friend was messing around with unfortuitously hit my forehead, and blood came dripping out, and that time I cried. It didn't really hurt, but I think I was surprised when I saw the blood. That time as well I got stitches (smile). Although I can laugh while talking about it now, for a little kid it was a big deal. After that there was also a sudden incident. In the summer of my first year of middle school. [1] We were doing a morning assembly in the gym, and suddenly all around me became dark... That's right, because of anemia, standing at attention made me collapse. That time as well my chin had to get several stitches.... I was injured so much as to think, "why?" Normally people don't have injuries that need stitches so much, but I had bad luck.

When I hurt my leg, my sister was also coincidentally hospitalized, and although it was already hard enough on my parents with that, I got hurt, so the Ohno family was in an uproar.

Personality-wise, I was the type of kid with no composure who would do it if you told me not to. I wouldn't listen to people. And at meals if I ate one bite I would run around dizzily. I didn't study. My parents never told me even once to study. My parents had a doctrine "Do what it is you want to do," and even more when I was little told me to play. They didn't get mad even if my grades were bad, the never hit me, and they really raised my freely. When I was little I didn't feel having this kind of parents was especially good, but thinking of it now, I wonder if my big-hearted personality is thanks to my parents. Hey, you know... just between us, but my parents, a long time ago, it seems they were hooligans (smile). That might be why they're understanding.

I was about ten when I understood how fun it was to draw manga. Up until then I hadn't read any manga, nor had I drawn any pictures, but after I met my friend Kacchan, I got into it. Kacchan was really good at drawing Dragonball, and he would draw

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pictures that looked just like it. So from then on, every single day... I drew manga until I was in 6th grade, and I vaguely thought it'd be nice to be a manga artist in the future (smile). During class as well I would just draw manga in the margins of the textbook. Although I had never won an award for drawing, I was really happy when I was chosen to draw the pictures for the field day [2] banner. I think I still have that banner in my house...

My parents were like this too, but I think I met good friends, and was really raised in a good environment. That's why I'm gentle? Could be (smile).

When dancing at the audition,
my mother who was waving from the window

In middle school I worked hard in the Badminton club. Just, I didn't like the organization matches, I liked being able to do the match with just my own strength. I'm carefree, but the things I decide to do myself, when it comes time to do them I do them (smile).

When I was a second year, my mother saw an open call for Juniors on TV, and my mother said, "How about you sent in an application?" Because I didn't really have an interest and I didn't think I'd get in, I kept saying no. She told me a lot, "You wouldn't get in. But since you have nothing to lose, how about trying it?", and in the end I ended up filling one out. A month later I was contacted about an audition, and I went with my mother (smile). There were lots of boys there, but... I didn't want to go up front, and I was depressed thinking I'd probably have to answer clearly (smile). As I was thinking the dancing was boring, when I looked out the window, my mother was waving (smile). But it wasn't like "Do your best dancing!", but rather she was just happily waving (smile). It was kind of a random dance, but the instructor complemented me saying, "Your sense of rhythm is good," and passed me.

My first work was at TOKIO's Budoukan debut concert. At that time in the introduction I got nervous at the cheers of the fans. I got scared, and thought maybe I'd go home (smile).

From then until I was 16 I had little desire to go to work, and it's certain I dragged a bit. Then suddenly work in Kyoto (KYO TO KYO [3]) came, from then on I changed a lot. At first we began with practice for the stage fights, and to be honest the beginning was tiresome. But, in that time my singing and dancing improved, and motivation came out inside me. Because I was a main character I had responsibility, too. Just, there were lots of times when I was frustrated because I messed up the quick costume changes.... We had close to 600 shows and every day something different would happen, and I think I learned from all of that.

Moreover, in the close to 2 years I was there, I never once fought with Hara-kun [4], and our thoughts were kind of the same, so I think I was able to make a really good friend.

I think my parents worried while I was in Kyoto. They'd send me deliveries of big boxes of mandarin oranges from Tokyo and stuff, they really sent a lot of things. On the last day of that play in Kyoto, my emotion at thinking "Oh, I accomplished something" wasn't half-hearted. It was a pleasant feeling I couldn't get anywhere else.

Whereupon, suddenly, we became "Arashi" just like that (smile). Arashi is well... Nino and MatsuJun are too level headed, so I'm trying my best to keep up with them (smile). You're young so let's laugh more!? If it's a balance of age and contents, I think Aiba-kun is very balanced. But, I think it might be good for him to play a little more. Sho-kun is awesome for still wanting to study! Looking cool! I've done a lot of things up to this point, but it's been only things I myself can't understand and accept as valid. I think I'll slam into more walls in the future, but I think it will be good if I can do my best with music as my main focus.


I'm thankful to my parents who let me be
independent and silently watched over me

Profile
Ohno・Satoshi
Born on 26/11/1980. Born and
raised in Tokyo Prefecture. Blood
type A. Height 168 cm [5]. Arashi's
leader who all the members depend on(!?)!


NOTES:
[1] 7th grade in the US. Anyone turning 13 between Apr. 1st and March 31st the next year is in their first year of middle school. Return
[2] As you know if you have ever seen an anime/drama set in a school, annually there is an event which is similar to the field day some American elementary schools do when younger, but they actually play real sports when they get older. The idea is to promote wellness/fitness, and it commemorates (kind of) the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Return
[3] KYO TO KYO was a play put on in the late 90's (I have a recording from 1997) by Johnny's that told the "story of Kyoto" and "blended ancient with modern." Ohno had a big solo in this play. Return
[4] Hara Tomohiro, former member of Musical Academy. Return
[5] About 5'6". Return


Many thanks to je_for8ver who is the originator of these scans.