[MAGAZINE] Kawashima Noeru x Matsuda Genta (Travis Japan) - Stage Navi vol. 63 (Part 2)

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Speaking of keeping vigilant,* you drew attention for your statement at the press conference for “Toraja NINJAPAN 2021” the other day that you would debut next year, the year of the Tiger.

[T/N: The idiom Noeru used for “being vigilant”, koshi tantan, uses the character for “tiger”, hence the interviewer draws this link.]

KN: It’s not specifically because it’s the year of the Tiger, but rather the hope for a debut is always in our hearts.

MG: In fact, I think it would be strange if it wasn’t.

KN: Yes, that’s right. As people living in this world (of entertainment), it’s our duty to repay our fans’ kindness by offering up many things. In that respect, the moment we become passive, I think that becomes like an abandonment of our professional duties. That thinking lies in the very foundation of being a Johnnys Jr., and I think it’s something everyone should have,

MG: In a good way, we also didn’t feel pressed when Naniwa Danshi debuted, right. It was our leader’s intent that we would amass our own skills at our own pace, and when our time in the spotlight comes to stand in it as 7 people and work hard together, after all.

KN: Not just Chaka, but the intention of all 7 of us.

MG: I don’t think we’ve felt pressed ever since the debut announcement for SunoSuto (Snow Man & SixTONES). It’s just been like, we’ll walk forward one step at a time, and that’s it!

KN: That’s right.

MG: I thought it was really good when (Takahashi) Yuto (HiHi Jets) declared his intention to debut over the summer, we were like that in the past as well, and even now we’re treating them as good rivals as we continue to improve and amass our special skills and talents.

KN: About Yuto’s statement, I’ve talked about it before, and my thoughts haven’t changed much since the summer; but I could only think that it was amazing that he was able to say it! It was admirable, that he said it. When someone says something like that, it really motivates other people, so I think it had nothing but positive effects.

MG: He just said something that should be a given, didn’t he.

KN: At the press conference the other day, when asked about our goals for 2022, we said “We’ll dream big, and we’d like to debut!”, but I think that if the response from those around us had been “Ah, then please go ahead” it would have felt different. These days there’s more and more new Jr. groups, like Ambitious* in Kansai, aren’t there. I’m close to Ura Rikuto and we talk a lot, but he says things like “We’ll also become bigger and better!” which shows how ambitious he is. I always say in reply, “You’re my rival so I won’t lose to you, you know”.

[T/N: “Ambitious” is the newest Kansai Johnnys Jr. group to be formed. One of their members is Ura Rikuto.]

MG: I like that!

KN: I don’t think it’s relevant how much younger than me, or much less senior than me they are, and it’s not really a question of maturity; it’s something like having respect for them, or acknowledging them. Whether they’re in a group or not, I think every single one of them absolutely wants to have their abilities appraised.

MG: Noe-san!!

KN: I think that in a period where everyone thinks “I can do it better (than another person)”, and everyone engages in a sort of friendly rivalry with those burning feelings, a debut in such a period would really make you look back and think, “Let’s not forget the feelings we had at that time”, and because of that, we’d be able to keep doing group activities for a long time.

MG: I think so too!

KN: In the past there was a period where you could be plucked out (of nowhere) and given a debut, but now the potential of all these groups in this Warring States era* is amazing. I mean, it’s also true for Snow Man-san and SixTONES-san, we have these burning feelings of wanting to be able to put forward something that only we can do. When you feel like that, the momentum is amazing, and even though you have the same Jrs. aiming for the same debut, once they debut they really start to develop in all sorts of different directions.

[T/N: A metaphor to describe how all the various Jr groups are competing with each other. The Warring States era is a period in Japanese history where various samurai clans fought against each other.]

MG: I see.

KN: I think that the further and further those different branches go, the more interesting the entertainment industry will become.

MG: It’s like… Noeru’s seriously like some kind of professional from somewhere.

KN: No, no (laughs). Speaking of which, recently I watched this show that Shin-chan (Morimoto Shintaro) was in, where they could eat huge servings of food for 1,000 yen, and I thought, you really see SixTONES everywhere, don’t you.

MG: You really see SunoSuto every day.

KN: Shin-chan was in his 4th or 5th year of elementary school when I entered the agency in my first year of middle school. Every time I see him now appearing on TV so relaxed, like it’s natural for him to be there, I really think it might be due to his overwhelming level of experience, and I feel moved by that.

MG: He really vigorously built it up.

KN: I think it’s a skill, to not be afraid of anything. I think it’s also something I’m aiming for.

MG: Is there anyone else you’ve got your eye on, Noeru?

KN: Eh~ Of course, the first one would have to be Abe (Ryohei)-kun, I think. Although I might be biased in that respect (laughs). When we both appeared together on “Quiz Timeshock”, I thought he was really reassuring, and when I watched the broadcast on air he was really a dependable leader. I want to improve my ability so that Abe-kun can rely on me more, and I also want to be in the position where my juniors will rely on me more. Other than that, it’ll be someone from SixTONES again, but it has to be (Matsumura) Hokuto, I think.

MG: It’s Hokutii* for me too! He has such a unique aura, it’s so cool.

[T/N: Nickname for Hokuto.]

KN: He took care of Shime (Shimekake Ryuya) during the movie “Liar x Liar”, and he’s already a seriously skilled actor. But when he speaks he’s sharp and acerbic, which is really interesting, and it’s fun when we get to appear together on “The Shounen Club”.

MG: He has sex appeal, doesn’t he.

KN: Genta, as someone who’s also pursuing the acting route…

MG: I want to be able to not lose to him! It may be a little impudent of me to say this, but he’s my rival (laughs).

KN: Hokuto’s athletic ability is really good, isn’t it. He can do karate, and he can also backflip. He’s seriously multi-talented, he can do everything. Hokuto’s someone who exudes an almighty aura. Even when he was a Jr. he appeared in a lot of dramas, which I thought was amazing, but that was just the tip of the iceberg. I’d like to make 2022 a year where you realise that the Travis Japan of now is but the tip of the iceberg.

MG: You made such a good comment (laughs).

KN: Genta, was there anyone else who piqued your interest this year?

MG: Can I say a group? Of course, it’s got to be V6.

KN: They’ve appeared! V6-niisan!!

MG:  I was able to watch live as they brought down the curtains on their Johnny’s life, and I thought, I want us to also become like that. I admire them.

KN: It was the greatest. It was a concert that made me think, I’d like the 6 of them even after they stop being V6, and they’re seniors who really have a charm about them. For me, I really came to like Sakamoto (Masayuki)-kun after that concert. They were really so cool! They had the calm confidence of adults!

MG: For me it was (Morita) Go-kun. It was like God was dancing on stage.

KN: Ohhhh! Nice comment!

MG: Within our group, if we had to pick an MVP it would be Chaka, I think. Chaka-chan is someone who’s supported us in various avenues as the leader, such as in our tours and stage productions. He’s normally joking around, but as expected he’s truly the “core” of Travis Japan, I think.

KN: If I were to pick someone from the group, it would be Matsukura (Kaito) or Genta, I think.

MG: Me?

KN: The two of you are really good at setting the mood, and so I’m really thankful to you both. And both of your acting activities were spectacular. Genta, you’re working hard in both dramas and movies, too.

MG: It was quite the struggle, though.

KN: Genta, your face is really, should I say, refined, or polished. After you finished filming your movie, you wanted to try dramas and you were able to do a lot of those, so your face has become one overflowing with self-confidence. What you tried to cover up with your aura (laughs) shone out from your inner self.

MG: That makes me happy to hear!

KN: And Matsukua’s role as Yu* in “7 Detectives” was also really good!

[T/N: Matsukura Kaito was a guest star in the drama “7 Detectives”; his character’s name was Ito Yu.]

MG: In the drama itself he went from blonde to black-haired, too (laughs).

KN: I feel like Matsukura’s presence has really become distinct. It made me think he’s become confident in himself. As expected, that’s important.

MG: That’s true.

KN: (Yoshizawa) Shizuya started receiving basketball-related work (“Nekketsu Basuke”, on NHK BS) during the period we were doing “Toraja NINJAPAN 2021”, and I think it was good that he then became able to understand the other members’ feelings. It’s tough to have filmings or live-broadcast appearances right after the show, but Shizuya also started to realise the difficulty of having work right before or after the shows for the stage production, and it really changed the way he acted towards the other members. Because he realised that it was really this tough, so he became a lot kinder towards everyone. When he said “So it was this tough for everyone else, I see”, I was really happy.

MG: Yes, yes.

KN: That was a gain as well, I think.

MG: Everyone’s working hard in solo activities as well.

KN: 2021 was a year of great returns.


>> Part 3

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