Fish Tank 54
Interview with All Members in Okinawa
Translation: Lola

FT: Job well done everyone on the final show of the "REBIRTH" tour today.
Everyone: Good work everyone!

FT: First, would you all please tell me one at time your thoughts about today's live.
Higuchi: It felt good that it's the last one, because I'm tired. Your turn.
Sakurai: I feel the same as usual.......

FT: The same as usual in what way?
Sakurai: I'm exhausted.

FT: *smiles* And you Hide-san?
Hoshino: Ah yes, I was glad that we had a fun live today as well.....

FT: Imai-san?
Imai: It was hot!

FT: Hot? Are you talking about the mood of the live? Or the venue itself?
Imai: I mean the temperature *smiles*.

FT: And Yagami-san?
Yagami: I've hit my limit. Completely *smiles*.

FT: I know that you gave a Halloween vibe to the show in Okinawa but did you prepare the Halloween version of 'Kirameki no naka de' beforehand?
Sakurai: We arranged it before the actual show but I mean we only tried it out during the show itself.

FT: If you compare today's venue with say, the ones in Tokyo and Osaka, the audience was quite close. I thought the venue was rather tiny but how did you guys find it?
Imai: No, wasn't it rather large?
Higuchi: Well, it's huge if you compare it to the one in Niigata.

FT: The main hall tour began in spring, then you had FC only lives, then the standing tour. Basically this whole time since spring you've been doing "memento mori" lives but how do you feel now that this chain of lives has come to an end today?
Higuchi: Relieved. It was long you know.

FT: And how do you feel?
Imai: I feel this booze is going down good.

FT: And how about you Yagami-san?
Yagami: Feels like I barely made it to the end. And now that I've made it I'm gonna fall over *smiles*.

FT: You're always about to fall over *laughs*.
Higuchi: Don't laugh *smiles*.

FT: Hide-san?
Hoshino: Well, I'm just glad the tour ended without any major accidents.

FT: Ok so for today I've made a lottery of questions. I'd like each of you to take turns picking one and answering please.
Higuchi: Ok~.

FT: Then, Yuuta-san if you'd pick first please.
Higuchi: "What thing freaked you out the most during the tour?". Freaked me out?
Imai: Hyahahahahaha!
Hoshino: It's too good that he picked that *smiles*.
Higuchi: What freaks me out.......mm, well I freak out sometimes when I make a typo when I'm blogging on the cell phone site.......
Imai: That's it?
Higuchi: What else is there? That freaked me out......
Imai: What? Have you already forgotten what happened with 'Alice~'? *smiles*
Higuchi: Oh! Right! But it said what freaks me out. Well, I guess that freaked me out yeah.

FT: It happened at Zepp Tokyo right? Midway through 'Alice in Wonder Underground' you had to start over right, so what happened? *smiles*
Higuchi: Well, I freaked out.

FT: You had lives the two previous days and the day after the Zepp Tokyo live too right?
Higuchi: I knooo~w buuut, I went home and when it was time to go to sleep I was getting more and more frustrated about it *smiles*.
Imai: Hya-hya-hya-hya!
Higuchi: I got all teary over it even and then I couldn't sleep.

FT: I guess you did some intensive training after until the show the following day?
Higuchi: Yes, very intensive. I even got up at 7am to practice.

FT: Before the next show?
Higuchi: Yes. That's it for me!

FT: All right, thank you. So Sakurai-san, would you please continue?
Sakurai: "What was the most embarrassing thing that happened to you during the tour?" Um, people touched my dick(1) a number of times *smiles*.

FT: *smiles*
Higuchi: He means his crotch.

FT: Yes, we get it *smiles*. But that's something that would be embarrassing any time though.
Sakurai: What, that's not embarrassing enough for you?
Yagami: Not embarrassing enough he says *smiles*.

FT: No it is, it's just that it's something that would be embarrassing no matter when it happened right *smiles*.
Sakurai: Other than that......there was nothing. Ok, next.
Hoshino: "What made you the happiest during the tour?" Hm, what should I say? Being able to see all of the fans smiling faces! ......*smiles*

FT: That's such a goody goody answer.
Hoshino: Yes *smiles*.

FT: Continue please, Imai-san.
Imai: "What made you cry the most during the tour?" Cry? Nothing made me cry.

FT: It can be something that made you laugh so much you cried, or made you so happy you cried......it doesn't matter why. It could even be something that stood out for you in the questionnaires fans fill out like, "I'm glad I was able to see Imai-san's smile". Was there really nothing? Not even something ridiculous that made you cry?
Imai: Ah, well I even wrote about it in my blog but during 'Chikashitsu no Melody' there was this girl who was completely into it during the intense part. Well, everyone was excited and like 'whoa!!'. That made me beam. And be a little shaky but, it didn't make me cry.

FT: Would you like to pick another then?
Imai: *picks again* "What made you smile the most?" Well now, this is a good one *smiles*. As you know I had some pretty good views of the audience because they were so close. Like I could see their facial expressions. And there was this guy who looked incredibly miserable at one point.

FT: Oh are you talking about the guy you wrote about in your blog whom you threw a pick to?
Imai: Mmhm! Yes, yes, yes.

FT: I heard he got two.
Imai: Eh! Whatwhatwhat? How do you know that?

FT: Because the fan wrote in the questionnaire, "I got two of the ones he tried to throw at me".
Imai: Really! But he looked so blank from what I saw onstage and even in the photo I posted in my blog. So I tried to throw him like four or five but the two girls next to him were insane! They snatched the picks so zealously! So then I was like aw man, that guy never got any.

FT: But he got two really.
Imai: Well good, I'm glad.

FT: All right please continue Yagami-san. What did you pick?
Yagami: "What surprised you the most during the tour?" Screwing up 'Alice~' and then having to do it over again.

FT: What? Are you talking about the same thing Yuuta-san did?
Yagami: Yes, yes, that. Strangely, when I was reading the questionnaires after the show people seemed to enjoy the fact that we messed up. That surprised me. But it seemed a popular topic for the fans.
Imai: That kind of unexpected thing makes them happy, yeah.

FT: It's true.
Hoshino: Because they like when something different happens.

FT: Maybe you should be in a slump again Yuuta-san so you can screw up.
Higuchi: He~y.
Sakurai: *points at himself and Yuuta* Well we weren't happy about it.
Higuchi: At the time, Acchan's lips were smiling but his eyes were saying, 'Is it my fault? Did I mess up?' *smiles*. And my eyes were saying, 'No, it's me' *smiles*.
Imai: Hya-hya-hya-hya!
Hoshino: Hahahahaha!
Higuchi: I apologized because I slipped off my platform *smiles*. I fell from my spot *smiles*.
Imai: Hya-hya-hya!

Mr. Imai was happy because that's the point he'd been hinting at earlier.

Higuchi: I was ner~vous~.
Yagami: I thought you ended up in the roadie's section.
Imai: Well you tried it out during rehear~sal *smiles*.
Everyone: *bursts out laughing!*
Higuchi: The platform should be lower. It made me dizzy *smiles*.

FT: During this tour, the Niigata show was the day before Imai-san's birthday and I heard he got quite the birthday surprise. So please, tell us the full story.
Hoshino: You mean Yoko-chan?

FT: Well I know Yokoyama-san was there because Imai-san blogged about it.
Hoshino: Ah then you must be talking about how Yoko-chan came out and just randomly decided to sing.
Imai: I didn't think he'd sing *smiles*.
Hoshino: Me neither.
Higuchi: Me neither, me neither! *smiles*
Everyone: *bursts out laughing!!*

FT: So the singing of Happy Birthday wasn't planned?
Higuchi: We just followed Yoko-chan's lead.
Hoshino: Nobody told him to though *smiles*.

FT: Ok let's keep the story going about Imai-san's secret surprise in Niigata, what else happened?
Higuchi: We planned to give Imai-kun a cake but then Yoko-chan showed up......we didn't expect him to come all that way *smiles*.
Imai: Just like you didn't expect him to start singing *smiles*.

FT: How was it decided that Yokoyama-san would present the cake?
Sakurai: Nobody had asked him to. Nobody even told him we'd be doing that.
Higuchi: It was all very last minute. We just figured since he'd come all that way.

FT: The cake had Imai-san's face drawn on it so how did that come about?
Yagami: The original drawing was done by Acchan.

FT: Did you have the drawing done fairly in advance like last time Sakurai-san?
Sakurai: Not at all. ......I just got a request of, "Please Sensei, draw a picture for the cake".
Everyone: Hahahahahaha!
Sakurai: So the moment I arrived in Niigata, I sat at the desk in my hotel room, took out some hotel stationary and tried to draw. I was doing it so seriously too that I had to stop and ask myself what the hell I was doing *smiles*. I drew a lot and kept crumpling the paper and starting over.
Higuchi: Yeah right *smiles*.
Sakurai: So I drew it in the hotel in Niigata then brought it to the baker and asked them to please use it.

To see a picture of the cake, please see Imai's blog.

Imai: I didn't even realize that it was my face when I first saw the cake on stage.

FT: Huh?
Imai: I just thought wow, what a nice design. It was only at the after party after the live that I noticed it was a face. Cake artists are so amazing aren't they? They did the drawing so precisely.

FT: Yes.
Higuchi: Yeah like the lines were all smooth.
Imai: Even last time when I had the beard in the picture. In the one Acchan drew last year.
Higuchi:It's amazing that it's done by hand and not a machine you know?

FT: It's true and they have to do the chocolate designs in one shot right. So anyway, you celebrated that day at the after party right?
Imai: Yoko-chan was insane.
Higuchi: Yoko-chan was a drunken lush.
Hoshino: And then he gets so close.
Higuchi: *holds his hand 5cm away from his face* He comes like this close to your face *smiles*.
Imai: Noooooooo~ s'not that bad~!
Everyone: *bursts out laughing!!*

FT: Was it very different? Having FC only lives and doing the "-REBIRTH-" lives one after the other? As in having to do the two one day after the other?
Sakurai: I do image training before the lives. (2)

FT: How about you Hide-san?
Hoshino: Well, certainly the first time it happened in Yokohama it was chaotic. But the second and third time I was able to do it...without any worries.

FT: And how was it for you, Imai-san?
Imai: There was a subtle hint of something drifting about for the FC only lives...it had the Fish Tanker's scent.

FT: And what scent is that? *smiles*
Imai: Theirs.

FT: Did you happen to see the photos on display in the lobby for the FC only lives?
Higuchi: That was interesting too. It was kind of thrilling seeing all the photos there. It made me think of what we could do differently next time when we do it again.

FT: This issue will come out at the end of the year but, you've had meetings during the "-REBIRTH-" tour regarding the show at Budoukan so what's the situation in regards to that show now?
Sakurai: Right now we have the plans for the set and I think by the time this issue comes out we'll have something good. It's a combination of what I want, the designer Komaru-san's ideas......and the policies of Budoukan we have to adhere to.

FT: You've been waiting for the list of songs requested by the fans for the Budoukan live. This time we've listed them in a more comprehensive way according to people's age.
Yagami: When did you do this?

FT: We were tallying the votes until yesterday. So it's ready now.
Yagami: Now? So 'Miu' is really ranked number one?

FT: Yes.
Yagami: Wow~.

FT: This way you can see what each generation's preference is. So, what do you think of the results?
Imai: It says people in their 40s like 'Gessekai'.......
Everyone: Ha ha ha ha ha!
Higuchi: We'll have to use this as a reference.......
Sakurai: Yes, we will.......

FT: I know it's a little early but since this issue is coming out at the end of the year, could you each please say a word about this past year?
Yagami: Huh? But we're in Okinawa and you want us to think about the end of the year already? *smiles*

FT: I'm sorry but yes, please *smiles*.
Yagami: And you want us to look back on this year?

FT: Yes......
Yagami: It was exhausting. The most exhausting yet *smiles*.

FT: Imai-san.
Imai: I'll do my best till the year's end.
Hoshino: We did a lot of lives this year and then we'll wrap it all up with the show at Budoukan.
Sakurai: Seems like I've sung a great number of songs this year haven't I? While being able to sing can be difficult, it also makes me happy. Being able to do all these various songs made for a fun year.
Higuchi: You're right. We did a lot of lives in one year and then we'll bring it all to an end with the last show in Budoukan and hopefully that will lead into new developments next year. I'll try my best~ *smiles*.

Thank you everyone for chatting with me before the after party started!!
Afterwards we enjoyed our delicious drinks while basking in the warmth of the Okinawan climate.

(1) The word used 'chinchin' was actually censored in Japanese which is why Yuuta was quick to elaborate. You know, in case any readers didn't get it. *laughs*
(2) Image training is the process of focusing on what you need to do, envisioning it and then embodying it.