Urgh... still sick. But yay for translations! This is Aiba's interview from the Taiwan pamphlet for Arashi's AAA 2008 tour. I'm sorry if it sounds a little sloppier than usual, just blame it on the medicine I'm taking. :(

Comments are always appreciated; enjoy!

BTW, would anyone be interested in translations to the two kimodameshi/haunted house parts from Himitsu no Arashi-chan? (well, if it hasn't been done yet XD)

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arashi marks ARASHI AROUND ASIA 2008

+ Thank you messages
+ Aiba Masaki
+ Matsumoto Jun
+ Ninomiya Kazunari
+ Ohno Satoshi
+ Sakurai Sho

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arashi marks ARASHI AROUND ASIA 2008 - Aiba Masaki

My feelings right now after the Kokuritsu (Kyogijo performances) is... I had a lot of fun! That's all (laugh). Just as I thought, although Kokuritsu is no doubt the start of our Asia tour, on a certain level, it's also the end of our 5 dome tour. Because of that, there was a double meaning to the "festival" feeling; it was very fun. And it was outdoors too! That was the best. It's kind of like... you understand it when you're looking up at the sky. "We're all passing the same time together," I'm really glad to have experienced that time like this. The weather was a big help to us too, though the first day was a bit... there was an accident with my outfit ripping (laugh). Really... it split beautifully right on my butt. That was very embarrassing. But thanks to that, on the second day, my clothes became a bit fancier! I was the only one to wear a skirt-like cloth around my waist. So that no one can tell even if it splits again (laugh). But you know, now that it has concluded safely, we can look forward to the Asia tour with a new set of feelings.

Just as expected, our Asia tour from two years ago left a lot of profound memories; it was a lot of fun. That's why, to be able to bring about a second round makes me really happy. In doing this, the previous round really has become a "1st". I'm really looking forward to this, really! Not only that, to be able to go to Shanghai for the first time is also a really amazing thing, isn't it? Whether in private or for work, I've never been to Shanghai before. Just what kind of a place is it? Really, I'm looking forward to this Asia tour very much myself. Not only do I look forward to the five of us going overseas together, I love Asian cuisine! That's why (laugh). Though there's still lots of things I'm looking forward to that I can list, the first one above all is of course the concerts. In this country, the feelings of support will be different, and the atmosphere will be different too. The atmosphere in Taipei and Seoul might also be different, but with Shanghai it will be our first. Just as I thought, I won't know unless I go and see for myself this time as well; I will work hard with a new set of feelings! I need to think like this, because we don't know if there will be a next time... so I'll really put all my energy into it! I will look forward to it with all I've got.

Since the summer tour two years ago, we've continued to do lives all this time. The five of us have overcome all kinds of different "firsts" together, and you can feel the unity of Arashi getting stronger with every year. Out of those years, the increasing size of our venues is a part of the results... It's just, though that's something we're happy about... just as I thought, no matter what kind of venue it is, the feeling of doing our own lives will not change. Because lives are fun. Truly, they are fun. To be able to elicit direct reactions, this so-called "live" really is amazing. And then, the more concerts you do, the more things you would also want to do, and with that different hurdles would increase as well. But because the concerts can only be done with everyone agreeing on it together, one by one, each concert gets a lot of thought put into it. It has nothing to do with the size of our venues being big or small; isn't it fine just to have Arashi standing on a stage together? ...that is what I think. Each venue has its own good qualities. Just what can be labelled 'large', I think we've become gradually desensitized to those standards... Just as expected, we need to carry with us the feelings we had from the very beginning, or it won't do. Nn, always thinking like this when I'm doing things, above all, I will be happy if I can connect with the coming Asia tour by doing that.

This fall, Arashi will be entering its 10th year. Thinking about it, although I do think it's been a long time, there are still many aspects where we still haven't matured, such as our way of thinking... so it's from now on! Because I don't think it's the time or place to look back yet, I want us to face forward and keep on running.