Ninomiya Kazunari Long Interview Translation (in response to 盧家宜's request)

I have no idea what magazine this interview was published in...but because he is talking about his upcoming stage play “Strangers on a Train”, I think this is a very recent article.

Ｔｏ　ｓｅｅ　ｔｈｅ　ｓｃａｎｓ．．．ｐｌｅａｓｅ　ｖｉｓｉｔ　ｔｈｉｓ　ｂｌｏｇ．．．

Apologies for any mistake that may be included...spelling as well as translation. I do not have time to go over the translation and perfect it. I know it is a rough translation but hope it is sufficient for you to understand what Nino is talking about and get the gist of it all,ne!

If you find mistakes or feel there are better words for translating particular sentences etc., feel free to just comment! You could be my editor/proof reader, lol!

Long Interview with Ninomiya Kazunari

The theme is “LIVE (real time/face to face)”. When I researched Ninomiya Kazunari’s activities within his field, there became a list of many pre-filmed programs, films, music, articles written in newspapers and magazines, etc. What I mean by this is that he spends most of his time creating things that gets filtered through some kind of media and put to his audience after editing, rather than having a chance to deal with who is interested in him live. So, I asked him directly, “Is it important for you to express yourself live?”.

“Well, the difference between live and other things depends on how the audience see it. It would be different for the audience depending on if it is through the tv screen, or a magazine. However, to me, its always live. This (being interviewed) is still live, isn’t it? Right? So, to me, there is no difference.

I feel that it is much bigger difference for me wether I have a character I am acting or not, rather than if it is in front of the live audience or not, if you are talking about my tension or feeling of live. A variety program without set dialogue is more live than anything. If I could say so, it is even more live to me if I was talking to a stranger at a pub. This is because I have no idea what the other person will say to me next. If I cannot hear what is said to me, then I will have to ask back. So I am more concentrated on listening. On the theatre stage, you would not ask what the other person said just because you could not hear it, right?”

I could not say anything to his reply of his everyday life being ‘live’ at all times. If I asked him the direction to a local town hall, this person would probably open up a world map then ask ‘so which town hall do you want to go?’”

I must be careful what kind of questions I ask him about acting, I thought. This is because, when he talks about acting, he sometimes say ‘I’ from the viewpoint of ‘I’ , the character he is acting. His extremely free thinking style and his own unique way of talking that sometimes lack words to explain himself fully, require the listener to really concentrate, leading to sense of tense feeling. One must listen, being free from so called common sense / fixed idea about the world, or he will take to you places you have never been before…And it reminds you…interviewing Ninomiya is LIVE, it is a confrontation without a script.

You must battle without having a character to draw from, concert is more difficult

“Although both stage play and concert are live, they are different. When doing a stage play, I am wearing a character. In contrast, in concert, I need to take off character, so there need to be substance to myself. They are both difficult, but to me, I find it more difficult to battle it out being myself. For example, in this stage play, I have lines full of dirty words, well, to say such words as a character in a play, it would not offend audience…but if I said such words in concert…audience would be offended. We are always fighting under conditions where we have no advantage/strength of a character to draw from. So, having set dialogues and directed movements in stage play, makes it easier for me.”

A member of Johnny’s – the one to be in owe of.

Also, much experience being in concert without a weapon (being himself without a character) means that he is equipped with strong nerve, as well as an advantage of being able to look at himself from a director’s point of view.

“I remember talking about losing memory every now and then when on stage…but that never happens during a concert. I make sure that I am high on top of the tension all the way through. Our concert is not just about talking…we have to make sure it flows well, so there is a lot to think about…because you never know what might happen. For example, if some kind of trouble happens to one of the members, then we will have to think quickly, from an audience point of view, looking at the whole stage, then decide on the next move that will make the stage appear well-balanced. So you cannot relax as such. In contrast, when doing a stage play, it is the director’s job to be looking at the whole picture, so I do not have to worry about it too much and just concentrate on what I have to do.”

Story goes that he did not even realise that he was bleeding while acting on stage…such concentration. However, Ninomiya himself dismissed it lightly saying “well, that is different from concentrating”.

“Well, it can be described as a sort of responsibility. I guess it is the same during concert, it really does not matter wether you are bleeding or whatever…if you think you can dance, you can dance…well…if I did not…that is not rude! Well, I would imagine you would still feel the pain…but if you  acknowledge the pain, you lose…so you just …do not register it…then its ok. If your girlfriend made you really disgusting meal, you can still eat it if you do not think it is disgusting, right? Its same as that.”

Is it the same? For ordinary people like myself, his comment begs questioning, however, Ninomiya, who “always have been like that since 13y.o.” says this like it is normal. Not everyone who has survived through competitive world of entertainment develop this kind of professional attitude. Is it his emotions, experience or the environment? I do not know what made Ninomiya the way he is, bit it is clear that he is painfully aware of the responsibility of being in the spotlight/presenting in front of people.

“Well! Of course it is important! They are paying money! Very important! I am selling, say, two and half hours of my time, for 9000yen or something like that. And moreover, the value of that time – two and half hours – is a lot more than the face value…lots more. Even then, people still bought ticket for me…so I must satisfy them at least for that period of time…I really think that. ..yeah…because…there are some stage plays that make you think ‘give me back my time’. I believe you have full right to say that if you felt it. I am all for people criticising a play and I think they should be allowed to write whatever they want on internet. If you are watching a play, you are paying for that right (to criticise if want to) as well. Fully inclusive.

So, if I go and watch my friends’ stage play, and did not think it was good, I actually tell the person straight. Only stage play I go and see on invitation are play with Arashi members in it. All other plays, I pay from my own pocket. If I did not pay for it, then I probably would feel unable to comment honestly. Well, because I pay from my own pocket…I do not often go and see a play, though *laugh*”

Well, his sense of responsibility stemmed from very fair value system of respecting money and time!

No time to breath yet. His words are realistic, full of energy and negative …those powerful words continue out from his mouth. Forget making comments about what he has got to say…let’s just listen to him for a while…

“Well, there are people out there who would shuffle their work around so they can come and see my play…and if the play was no good…I would not be happy. Well, I am very narrow-minded, so I would not be happy *laugh*! In contrast, if the play was really good, then it would make me want to work hard again …who knows? Maybe it becomes a reason to enjoy work …dirty (not great)  intentions usually works best, you know?

I used to be really bad at any event that require me to work/be/participate in a group/as a member of a group(or just large number of people) …School Sports day, School Excursion, School Trips…I really really did not like them at all. Even now, if I can be honest, I  actually do not really like being in a movie theatre or a play theatre. As for concert…I can put a concert on as a performer…but could not attend one as an audience. From the viewpoint of someone like me, I think it must be so difficult to be an audience as everything is so strictly regulated – opening time, starting time, break time, finishing time…all of them…So, when I am the one performing and not the audience, I want to make sure that audience feel that it was worth all that hassles ( of strict time regulation etc.) . I want to create a play that make people feel that way when finished.

The opening day is all about peak performance

Goal is to maintain that peak

“As long as there are people who can only make it to the opening day of the stage play, I believe it is our responsibility to show a play that is solid and completed from the first day. If that is not possible, then there should be ‘opening day 20% off” special or something. People from the same entertainment industry send flowers on opening day – the flowers mean ‘congratulation on creating finished product(the stage play)’, right? I am really against using excuses like ‘sorry things were not as it was meant to be as it was only the opening/first day…’ So, my goal is to reach my peak performance on the first day, and to maintain it until the final show. Of course it is difficult to maintain…but isn’t maintaining the most difficult part of most things? It is easy to lose or gain weight with a goal in mind, but to maintain today’s weight into tomorrow is difficult, isn’t it? And it is kind of boring. I feel that it is important for me to maintain the same standard all the way through … especially because this play is not a comedy. So…well…I guess its not a really good thing…but I am reluctant to listening to suggestions to improvement once a play is opened. I think it is great to try to continuously improve…but everyday, I give all I have…so after doing that, then given suggestions for improvement…I do not have energy (could be read as power or wisdom or maturity)  to listen and say ‘yes, I will change that tomorrow’ yet. If you could do better, then why could you not get to that level during practice? You can think that way, too. I never had a performance where I had regrets after giving it my 100%.”

After speaking for a while, Ninomiya finished his sentence, then seeming pensive, looked in the air. It gave me chance to catch deep breath. His determined attitude towards creating high quality work is not limited to just stage play but for all his work, fuelled by his view on wanting to return on audience’s investment.

“I think the important thing is to keep the emotion in control and calm. I do not do stretching exercise or voice training or shout out to put spirit into things. I do not deny those things. If someone asked me to do it with him/her, I would reply ‘sounds good’ and will do it. But this character for this play is sort of confusing/hard to understand. I feel that if I put too much spirit into it, then there may be uncomfortable difference in mood between myself and the audience…so I feel I should not be over the top with it.

“He comes up with the most complete version of the character before anyone else” was the words given by Tsutsumi Yukihiko (director) when I was gathering information for this story. Now I understood why.  It is never too early for Ninomiya. To have developed the character – the finished product -  at  very early stage of practicing/rehearsals, it will give time for him to struggle with it for perfection, then also time to get used to it before the opening day.  ‘To finish forming the character by the opening day” is not enough for him.

I would like to let as many people as the law allow into the theatre

“I have not yet done a comedy play at theatre. If it is a comedy, the audience would laugh out loud, so it would let me know that ‘I was right’. But no one cry out loud at a theatre, right *laugh*? There is no sign from the audience so could not gauge reaction. So, I guess it depends on what kind of play it is…but the audience of a stage play always felt close in bodies, but very far away. “

So close yet so far, is the same for the audience wanting to get inside the Globe theatre in Tokyo. Ninomiya Kazunari – someone the world is watching right now, starring in a stage play after long absence…it would be battle for all to get a hand on a ticket. When asked what he thinks of the ticket situation, he clowned around.

“Well, of course! Its starring Ninomiya-kun from ARASHI! Of course it will be a serious battle for tickets. ..well*laughs* I am so thankful…To have fully booked seats is an extreme extravagance, really…if I could, I would like to fill the theatre to the brim and let everyone in…but there is a limit as maximum capacity is set…so I cannot. I sincerely wish for even just one more person to watch this stage play…but I do not think this is a kind of play to be performed at bigger theatre like Aoyama theatre …I hope you understand…Anyway…I will do my best to put on a performance that will not lead to anyone shouting ‘refund the money!’.”

Well, it went right around and back to money again. It is almost like Ninomiya has burdened himself with a huge loan from the audience …loan of their time and money, sacrificed by the audience…as well as paying price of being put through pain and hassles of forced to do what he/she is told according to a group rule…so he feels he is indebted to repay them.

 I do not want people to misunderstand…but I feel that if I describe Ninomiya’s attitude that way, it help to explain why he has such extreme sense of responsibility. If there are no audience who is actually thinking they are sacrificing money and time, or feeling pained about being an audience at theatre…maybe we should keep that a secret from Ninomiya. That would ensure that we will be rewarded with top class performance from him again in the future.