Sho's Personal BLOG (OTONOHA)

Beijing


Now then.

Thanks to a lot of things here and there, I will be officially working as an anchor for the
Japanese television broadcast of the Beijing Olympic Games.

Of course, my eyes were first opened to the Olympics during the 2007 Volleyball World Cup.

It was when I'd hear from the players comments like,

"The Olympics are completely different."
"When you go there, your whole world
changes."

At the time, I kept thinking,
"I want to see them off to that grand stage!"

Then it changed to,
"I want a taste of what they feel at the Olympics."

Pretty impudent of you, Sakurai, when you're not even an athlete...

However, in the form of an anchor for the Olympics, I'm really looking forward to
talking to a lot of our athletes.

We're currently in the middle of planning and filming the interviews.

They'll be aired week by week so please stay tuned!

By the way, the latest thing we've all been interested in is the uniform of Japan's
Trampoline representative, Mr. Yasuhiro Ueyama. (World Ranking)

The red circle of the sun with the letters "JAPAN".

...How bold!

But when you see it, it really gets you into the fighting spirit...

We're only human.

Right!

That's that.

Until the "Ceremony of Peace".

Just 4 months to go.

I'm off on a quest to get the naked truth from our many competing athletes.


April 10
Sakurai Sho

credits to rininjapan

Navigation


There's something my mother always told me ever since I was young.

"A man has to know his way around. A man who has to look at the car navi while he drives is a dork."

Of course Mother knows all the roads really well.
Even better, she never forgets a road once she's used it.

Under the influence of such a mother, the family car has never had a car navi.

Instead, there was always a map that was made before there was an "Odaiba".
(Now we're better off without the map. It's a real pain.)

In other words, the only thing you can rely on is yourself.

It's been 7 years since I got my license. I've always driven just as I was told.

Time passed...

2007
Ninomiya and I were set to appear on Tokyo Friend Park.
There was nothing I could say that I wanted (to win) so I sent a message to the family.

Sho: "I'll be a guest on Friend Park. Is there anything you want to ask for?"

Mother: "A car navi ♥"


...Hey. Mother.

What am I supposed to do with that sense of value I had?
What am I supposed to do with the past 7 years?
Something deep inside me made a rickety sound before caving in.

The story continues.


A few days ago, the family all went back to the country.

Car Navi: "PLEASE DIRECT TOWARDS THE LEFT SOON"

Father (in the driver's seat): "This 'soon' business is too hard. I'd prefer it to just say 'here'."

Younger brother (in the back seat): "The car navi just doesn't want to be held responsible."

Brilliant!! That's my bro!!

The unlikely personification of the car navi!!

No.

He saw things from the car navi's point of view!!

We don't worry about the "soon" thing anymore.

We started calling it 'Navi", and even "Ms. Car Navi".

The car was filled with our roars of laughter.

Jokes aside...

A car navi is a REALLY great thing, isn't it.

Goodbye. Farewell. See you!


April 20
Sakurai Sho

credits to rininjapan

Modern Art


As preparations for 24Hr TV, I went to interview the t-shirt designer for this year Takashi Murakami san.

The interview was about 1 hour, it was conducted while eating the lunch Murakami san bought from a nearby supermarket.

At the end of our chat, to the question on what is my perception of "modern art", he replied:
"I feel it is manga. Dating a few hundred years back, Kabuki performer's portraits and the famous Ukiyo-e, is now a kind of art. So I feel, in future manga will also become a genre of art."

Besides that, I also asked him alot of questions regarding contribution to society and the meaning in the t-shirt design etc,
the full content please look forward to NEWS ZERO!!

In addition, our own artist, Ohno sensei, currently in Fukuoka.

After everyone had a full meal, had plans of drinking, so we all gathered in leader's room.
He laid down by the windowsill, eyes gazing at the faraway sea.

Sakurai: "What's up with you?"
Ohno: "I really feel like fishing... Should have brought my fishing rod along..."
Sakurai: "Ah?! The urge is so strong?!"
Ohno: "Today's high tide... Will be able to catch alot!!" (full of smiles)

Upon a closer look, I noticed his right hand was holding a piece of paper, "Tidal timing".
It was a time schedule kind of table, recording the high and low tides.
Sincere...
Everyone, he really is sincere.
He is going to get so involved in his drama filming, everyday will be busy,
really don't know when is the next fishing time ne...

Gambatte, Ohno Satoshi.

19 June
Sakurai Sho

credit: sweathoneyeah @ LJ

Toyako Summit

I headed off to do a report on the Toyako Summit,
which opened on the day of the Star Festival.

I left the hotel at 7:30am.

I spent a whole day doing the report.

Time to reveal a little behind-the-scenes of the Charge-In Report (nickname pending),
which aired on NEWS ZERO.

Everyday, there are a number of “briefings” where officials from respective countries
tell the press what has been discussed at the Summit.

The person I tried to interview was
“The Chairman of the White House Environmental Council”

That briefing was directed towards American press so Japanese reporters were not allowed in.
(Apparently those of the Japanese mass media from an overseas branch office were allowed in.)

Because of this, my only option was to keep waiting outside.

Mr. Chairman of the “American” “Environmental” Council,
“What did you discuss at the briefing?”

“Does America agree with the plan to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by the year 2050?”

I waited patiently outside the council chamber for the whole purpose of asking these two questions.

But as you are aware, I was smoothly swept aside.

That was really hard for me to take, but I do think it’s good if only in that it’s brought me
a little closer to understanding what reporters usually go through in compiling their stories.

Apart from this, I reported on the media from differing countries, asking them,

“What part of this summit are you focusing on?”

And so forth.

It may be an “Environmental Summit” but, depending on the country,
we’re left to wonder if there are other matters of interest apart from the environment.

It happened when I interviewed a reporter from Shanghai.

After the normal interview, I tried a different approach.

The title is…

“How well is Arashi known in Shanghai!?”

Uh, no.

This is the same Arashi whose first visit to Shanghai will be this autumn (fall)
for the fast-approaching Shanghai Concert.

Time for some PR!!
(A little late, though…)

Sakurai: Do you know “Arashi”?

Reporter: Huh? What’s that?

(Uh-oh.)

Sakurai: Um. They're a five-man group who sing
and what not.

Reporter: Oh! This? (Writes the kanji for “Arashi”
down on paper.)

Sakurai: That’s right!! You do know them.
(Whew.)

Sakurai: They famous?

Reporter: A friend of mine is a fan. She knows them from different TV drama series.
Aren’t there actors in the group?

Sakurai: (Writes down another name in kanji) Matsumoto?

Reporter: Yeah, I know him!

(Oh!! That’s good!)

Sakurai: (Writing again) What about Ninomiya?

Reporter: Yeah, I know him!

(Yay for Arashi!!)

Sakurai: You really know them, don’t you.

(The staff beside me add,)
Staff: He’s in Arashi too.

Reporter: …? …What?

Sakurai:
**It's a little crying happy face that's waving a hanky. It means "Hey, it's meeee~~~~!"

But, it's all good.

Reporters from America and France, the press attache from Canada etc…

I did a lot of advertising!

Right about now the Media Center should be
filled with a huge chorus of “A-RA-SHI”.

(10-20% chance. More like none at all.)

Oh, and another thing.

After I left, the staff wrote my full name in kanji
and the reporter apparently realized who I was.

Good, good.

What a relief.

So anyway.

I was given the opportunity to report on the very opening of the summit in my own country.

It was such a rare coincidence that our Sapporo concert finished the day before the Summit.

Thanks to a combination of many coincidences, I was able to report on the summit
with the largest attendance on record, all gathered here in Japan,
the Toyako Summit.

Anyway, it was a day full of excitement.

July 7
Sho Sakurai

credits: rininjapan