First off, I’m alive, staying healthy (although I catch the occasional cold), and getting sleep every day.

I’m sorry for the lack on any contact, let me explain in brief:

After coming back from my last business trip, like, literally the day I came back, I finally got details about the new department I was going to join for part of the week.

A few days later, I met everyone in my new team, got my new office in order, etc.

Things started getting busy when staff started to quit in both jobs, which means more work for the rest of us.

Right now I’m in charge of several projects going on at the same time, with no end in sight, or at least not until my contract finishes at the end of March!

Japanese working culture is a bit of a headache too.

You might have noticed when Johnny’s talents get together in big groups, the older, senior talents are always the most important.

The younger talents are always careful with how they act or talk in front of their seniors, and a lot of Japanese companies are like that too.

I have to act and talk a certain way to my older senpai, and while I’m cool with being polite and respecting them, what I do mind are the few senpai who let it get to their heads.

I guess there’s always one everywhere, the person who acts like they are supreme ruler of the world.

In my case, I have a few of those at work, and they’re difficult to work with.

The workload I’ve been getting is quite a lot so unfortunately I’ve decided to take a break from blogging until late January 2013.

I’m so sorry, but I promise to be back!!  I hope you all have the best Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

And don’t worry about me, I have a small rebel alliance at work too!  Some people who share the same views as me and we like to cheer each other up during the day

Happy Holidays!

Momo xo

The two are playing the lead characters in the live action movie adaptation of popular book series 図書館戦争 (Toshokan Senso), which is due to be released during Golden Week in Japan next year.

It has been reported Eikura has been training hard to be able to pull off her own stunts, but according to one source, she’s been getting some extra advice from V6 member Okada.

“They started filming this month, but there are so many scenes where they’re doing stunts.  Okada-san’s been teaching Eikura-san a lot of the moves.  Okada-san has already learned a lot of stunts and martial arts from doing the SP movies, and he’s passing those skills onto her.  And for her, she’s been constantly asking him for advice about how to move properly.  They are getting along so well, maybe they’ll even start dating before filming has finished.”

Who knows?  It might or might not turn out to be.

\

In the TV drama series ATARU, Nakai had played the lead character, a man with savant syndrome who has autistic disorders, but also shows moments of genius which aid police in solving seemingly impossible crime cases.

“I have mixed feelings.  For one I feel really excited to be able to work on the show again, but on the other hand I’m worried about whether I’ll be able to play a complex character like Chokozai (also called Ataru) again.  But I’m looking forward to filming it with everyone,” Nakai said.

It has been reported producers had decided to make a special drama after receiving numerous requests from fans.  The drama series had an average TV rating of 19.9%, and its best rating was 21.7%.

In the special episode, Chokozai’s younger brother Tasuke will play a suspect in a serial murder case.  Although Chokozai went home to New York at the end of the drama series, he will return to Japan to save his brother.  It has been reported Chokozai’s rival will also appear in the show, a character just like Chokozai, with savant syndrome, but who has also been trained by the FBI.

Q: Kanjani8 have tried a variety of music genres, but to get here the group went through a number of transitions musically.  First there was your enka era.  Your debut song “浪花いろは節 (Naniwa Iroha Bushi)” stood out with its mix of enka and rap.  Were you worried at all at the time?

Murakami: I wasn’t.  I was willing to sing anything if it meant we’d make our debut.  The only thing I remember was being happy.

Shibutani: Me too.  It was enka, but I thought that song could cut it.  No one else had made a song like that, and I thought we could use that to our advantage.

Q: Did you think it’d all be over after one or two singles?

Maruyama: Yes!  I thought we were like a special project.  You know, like some of those other groups who have come out from Johnny’s?

All: Yup.

Murakami: I think a part of me was thinking that.  Maybe that’s why I worked so hard, because I didn’t want it to end.

Q: We started to see a change after you released “ズッコケ男道 (Zukkoke Otoko-michi)”, then “イッツ マイ ソウル (It’s My Soul)”.  There was a time where you released a number of songs that displayed Kanjani8′s masculinity, something we see a lot of today too.

Nishikido: I think “Zukkoke” was the first time people started noticing our songs.  It’s a must in our concert set list.  I think that’s when we all started goofing around on shows like Music Station (laughs).  Well, I say everyone, but I really mean Subaru-kun.  On camera he’d do something completely different to what we practiced during rehearsals.  I remember we’d all watch the show afterwards and be like, “what is he doing!?” (laughs).  But I also think that gave us the opportunity to start being ourselves on TV.

Q: What were you thinking, Shibutani-san?

Shibutani:  I just wanted to do something (laughs).  I wanted the people watching TV to remember me in some way.

Murakami:  You wanted to leave a permanent impression on them didn’t you!

Shibutani: Yeah.  I wasn’t goofing off, I just didn’t want to lose!
Q:  So you were a rebel.

Shibutani: I don’t know about that, but before I knew it, I was making tons of funny faces on camera (laughs)

All: (laughs)

Q:  It was hard to forget Kanjani8 after you saw them once.  Your music, the way you talked, and your drive to be on top.

Okura: I was just so happy to be on TV.  We weren’t on TV much when we made our debut.  I was happy knowing that I could do the same work as my senpai who had already released records, and I guess it showed on my face.

Q:  And it continued to your hit single “無責任ヒーロー (Musekinin Hero)”…

Yasuda: I think this is around the time when guys started listening to our songs.  When I meet guys who are our fans, they’ve told me they like “Zukkoke” and “Musekinin Hero”.  It’s partly thanks to the song’s music, but also as Ryo-chan says, the fact that we were all able to be ourselves.

Murakami:  I think it’s also thanks to our 47 prefectural tour.  I have a feeling that we started to get more guys at our concerts after that tour.

Nishikido: I think so too.  In the old days I remember being really happy seeing a guy in the crowd, even if he was just there to be with his girlfriend!

Q:  That 47 prefectural tour was a big turn for Kanjani8.  Not many musicians manage to go around so many places across the entire country.

Murakami:  We managed to play in huge places like Tokyo Dome and smaller venues like town halls.  Without knowing it, I started to learn how to predict how close or far we’d be from the crowd depending on venue.

Nishikido: There were quite a few places which would only fit 1000 people eh?  Like in Choshi!

Murakami: And Shikoku, and Aomori…even that small venue in Kyoto, right?

Maruyama: Was it the Kyoto Kaikan.  But even in there, it was great to be able to feel the vibe of the crowd instantly.

Okura:  One conversation I remember really clearly was when we were playing a concert at a place where not many musicians go to, they told me, “thanks for making the effort to come to our tiny country town.  We’ve got nothing to look forward to but the annual festival so you’re a real treat.”  I felt so happy.

Murakami: I remember one fan at one of the smaller venues, they were on the second floor wearing a “Naniwa Iroha Bushi” costume and waving Murakami uchiwas in both hands.  I still remember you.  I thought you were funny (laughs).

Q: Have you become closer as a group?

Nishikido: Absolutely.  We’re always together on the bus and over long periods of time.  I wouldn’t take it as far as saying that because of it we are where we are today, but it is an important part of our group.

Shibutani: Tours are a big deal.  I don’t remember the details, but I do remember when we were on our PUZZLE tour, I felt so much better after having dinner with the members and talking over things with them.  I’d feel so great during the concert the next day.  Learning more about one another during tours every year has been important to me.  It never feels like I’m wasting time.

Q: Speaking of tours, Kanjani8′s band is another one of your features.  You’ve had a band together for years but your first single as one wasn’t until “LIFE ～目の前の向こうへ～ (me no mae no mukou-he)”.

Nishikido: Yeah, Maru and Okura and Sho-chan had formed a band before we became Kanjani8, and Subaru-kun was doing vocals.  So I wanted to be part of it too!  Then I started learning guitar.

Q: Kanjani8 look so cool when you’re playing as a band.

Maruyama: I think bands are a powerful music tool.  You can use it as a weapon to reach out to teen idol fans and music fans.

Shibutani:  Bands are powerful, but I think our biggest weapon is that we’re not just a band.  Depending on the song we can become a band, but we can also do a comedy skit, or even a dance.  That is what Kanjani8 is.

Read more of the interview in this week’s Ori-Suta (released Oct 19)!

I’m quite busy during the day, but starting to get used to things at my new work.

I have another big meeting this week to sort out my schedule (I’m more or less running around learning things at the moment), but things should be running back to normal soon.

But for the time being, I think most of my posts will be at night time or on Twitter.

Funny thing is that, I’ve part of a team that’s building a new website, and it’s made me realise all the things I want to change with my blog!

I’ll see if I have time to play around…

Oh wow, drama season has started in Japan!

I have mixed feelings already.  I was really looking forward to Massu’s drama, but I’m not too fond of his character.

I mean, he’s adorable and all, but I wish he’d play the other male character in his drama.

On the up side, I really like Yamapi and Shingo Katori’s drama!  He’s soooo cute!!!

Well, have a good week!

Momo xo

It has been reported the group had started the Tokyo leg of their GIFT of SMAP tour on September 26, where they performed more than 30 songs for 55,000 fans.

“Concerts bring out the best of SMAP.  Thank you so much for all of your love,” Goro Inagaki said.

Last year, the group had held a special 20th anniversary fan event in Tokyo Dome, making it two years since the group have performed in this venue.  SMAP leader Masahiro Nakai said the venue had a special meaning to them.

“SMAP is the same age as Tokyo Dome.  We formed our group in April 1988,” he said.

“I feel at home in Tokyo.  I hope I can give it my all for the next five days,” Takuya Kimura said.

To go with the tour’s theme of “a gift for fans”, it has been reported Shingo Katori had asked production staff to build a giant gift box so that the group could jump out of it during one of their songs.  The SMAP member said he could not help but laugh when he saw his design, a box measuring six by six metres and four metres high, come to life.

“I just said, ‘what the…’, but the crew told me they just built it following the dimensions I wrote on my design.”

Other gifts included singing some older SMAP songs like “泣きたい気持ち (Nakitai kimochi)”, the coupling song to the group’s first No.1 single “Hey Hey おおきに毎度あり (Ookini Maido-ari)”, which has not been performed since 2001.  The song’s title mentions crying, but Nakai said he felt like crying for a different reason after he missed his cue to start the song.

“I didn’t hear my cue.  It just makes me want to cry…”

It has been reported this tour, which started on August 23 in Fukuoka, will have attracted 955,000 fans in total by the time the tour ends in Sapporo on Christmas Eve.

“Every day is another day I’ll never forget,” Tsuyoshi Kusanagi said.

For Nakai, this Tokyo Dome concert was memorable for another reason: Baseball.  A few days ago, Nakai’s favourite team, the Yomiuri Giants, won their central league competition in the same venue last week.

“What great timing that SMAP is here right now, right after when everyone was throwing (Giants coach) Hara-san into the air in celebration right here.  I was wandering around here before thinking, ‘they were celebrating right here’,” he said.

EXTRA

Kis-My-Ft2 came on stage during the encore as guests, where Taisuke Fujigaya said hello to the crowd.

“I hope you’ll support our group too,” he said, making the crowd really cheer.

“Hey, how come everyone’s screaming louder since you guys came,” Nakai joked back.

I love autumn, it is the best season of the year for me.  I just wish the mosquitos would go away already – I got bitten seven times yesterday! Stop. eating. me.

October’s going to be an interesting month for me for a few reasons:

One, I’m scheduled to go on another overseas trip next week so I’ll be taking a break from the blog.

I’m heading to Europe!  Yay!

Not so yay about the colder weather or the fact that most of my week is full of meetings and events, but still looking forward to it!

Two, I’m starting a new job!

I’ve been busy all this week tidying up and doing paperwork for my company now to say I’m leaving, and more paperwork for my new company to prove I’m not a crazy psychopath (or I hope so).

Three, I’m thinking of joining another Johnny’s club.

I’ve been thinking maybe Arashi…but I’ll see what my bank account has to say about the adventure.

I better get back to work, but I hope you all have a great weekend and I’ll see you when I get back!

Momo xo

The magazine, which went on sale today, reports on September 14, a 53-year-old junior high school teacher in Kawagoe city, Saitama prefecture, was punched by one of his school’s students.  It has been reported the student had frequently received warnings from teachers for bad behaviour and untidy uniforms in the past.

It has been reported a representative at Johnny’s & Associates has said the talent has not been actively working lately.

“He seems to be referred as a Johnny’s Jr. talent, but he has not been working for us since June this year, and we are yet to confirm that he was the one actually involved.”

Cyzowoman has reported the ex-talent had been featured on an episode of variety show SMAP x SMAP and many fans have already narrowed the list of Jrs down to a possible name.  It has also been reported the incident began after one teacher gave the student a warning.  The student then confronted the teacher, prompting another teacher to jump in and stop the argument, only to be punched twice in the chest.  Police were called in and the student was arrested on the spot.  It has been reported the student had told police he punched the teacher because they surrounded him, which made him angry.

Akanishi and his wife, actress Meisa Kuroki, had a baby girl on September 23.  It has been reported during an interview in Tokyo, Kondo, who also has a 4-year-old son, said he had some advice for Akanishi about being a father.

“Kids are really cute.  Just seeing them makes your worries go away.  I don’t think you need to put more pressure on yourself, it’s okay to do things at your own pace.”

Kondo also said he would like to encourage Akanishi to keep doing what he wants to do, even after all the drama so far with leaving KAT-TUN, going to the USA, a cancelled concert tour, and a blank work schedule.

“I chose to start a racing career, and I’m still involved in it.  You can get through it if you concentrate on your work and have faith in your fans and your supporters.  Your wife and children are on your side, you’ll be alright.”

The two released a statement to media outlets by fax.

“After many days and months, which also seemed to fly by, she’s come into our life.  The both of us hope to work together, and support one another to bring up our precious, precious new love, this new life.  We thank God, and this amazing miracle, and hope to live together in a home that’s always full of laughter. “

According to one source, Akanishi was in the room with Kuroki at the time.

No details have been released about which hospital Kuroki was taken to, nor about how much the baby had weighed.