news_jpop | NEWS news (week of October 15)

Sorashige Book (15 Oct)
- Shige decided to start off by reading some messages about Green Mile. The first message who came to the first show, and they congratulated him on a successful start. They said that the play left them with a lot to think about and feelings they have a hard time putting into words, but they’re glad that they saw it.
  
  The next message was also from someone who saw the show on the first day, they praised Shige and the whole cast saying that the play made them cry a lot.
  
  Shige said that he got a lot of messages about Green Mile, but emphasized that people shouldn’t feel like they have to put their thoughts about the play into words. He said that the play is about a heavy topic, but that he hopes the play makes people think about the topic more. He said he would continue to read messages about the play, but do his best not to have any spoilers on the show.
- ♪ Kibou ~Yell~♪
- Shige said that there was something he wanted to play on the radio but hasn’t found the right time to until now, RHYMESTER’s new album, “Danceable”. He said that all the album on this album too were all really good, so he wasn’t sure which one to play at first. He decided to play the song “Future Is Born feat. mabanua”. He talked about the first lyrics in the song that go “back to the summer of 1973”, and talked the American Netflix show, “The Get Down”, about the rise of hip hop in New York, saying that if you’ve seen that you can see the relation between them.
  
  At the end of the section before playing the song, he read a message from a listener who suggested that he play a song from “Danceable” saying that they thought he would like it.
- He read some message about the goods from Green Mile. The message came from a listener who hasn’t seen the play yet, but has plans to see it. They asked about the Green Mile book cover, wanting to know if Shige had designed it.
  
  Shige said he didn’t design it, but he picked it and is a part of the decision of deciding what goods to have for the play. He talked about having the doll of himself for the last play, and how this time for Green Mile, he wanted something a bit less comical and cute. He thought it also worked well since the play is based on a novel, and said that he thought it’d be nice if fans used them while reading The Green Mile.
- Next, he talked about how it’s become a sort of tradition to talk about comedian contests and so he’s been getting requests to talk about ‘King of Conte’.
  
  The first message he read was from a listener who said that they thought there are jokes that were to Shige’s taste in this years ‘King of Conte’ and recommended he watch it.
  
  The next message asked if he had watched it, and said that there were a lot of funny skits, including those who placed at the top, “Kamaitachi” and “Saraba Seishun no Hikari” and “Nyanko Star”. The wanted to know which was Shige’s favorite.
  
  Shige said that also thought this year’s was really interesting, and how he was pretty busy with his play and SCP filming when it was airing, and forgot about it. He suddenly remembered in the car ride home after drinking after his play, and watched it as soon as he got home. He drank as he watched and said that it was really fun. He praised various comedians talking about some of his favorite acts.
- ♪ Silent Love ♪

Tchan NEWS (17 Oct)
- T: Good evening! This is Tegoshi Yuya. Tchan NEWS has started, and this week there’s no guest! K: Hey! Introduce me! T: The guest is this guy, Koyama Keiichiro! K&T: Yay!! K: Nice~! T: And now the program is finished. K: That’s not true! Why? T: What? Well, Let’s have everyone listen to this *Starts to drink his tea* K: Why? The sound of you drinking tea? T: *spits tea out laughing* K: You!! You!!
  
  They kept laughing for a long time about how stupid Tegoshi was being before he apologized and said he would wipe up and they moved on. Tegoshi decided to ask Koyama a question they always get asked in the Idol magazines around this time, ‘What kind of autumn is it for you?’ [In Japan, they have a number of different common ones, like autumn exercise, autumn reading, autumn arts etc.] Koyama said for him it’s the autumn of waking up early, since he has drama filming.
  
  T: How’s it going? How’s Tamayanen? What about Tamyanen? K: Tamayanen? I’ve never called him that. I don’t think Kisumai even calls him that.
  
  Tegoshi commented that he and Tamayanen both joined the agency at the same time, but Koyama was distracted from answering, because he was complaining that there was tea everywhere from earlier. Tegoshi apologized through his laughter, and they continued with the conversation. Koyama said that he went drinking with Tama for the first time yesterday, and Tegoshi asked what he’s like since he’s never gone drinking with him before, and asked if he talks much. Koyama said that he talks a lot, even though he’s quieter at first. They started talking about the drama and Koyama was happily surprised at how much Tegoshi knew about it, and Tegoshi said it was because he talked about it with his manager.
  
  T: I’d like to read some messages next, but why is my paper so wet?? K: Because you spit tea on it!
- The first message was from a listener who likes tomatoes and so can’t understand Koyama’s hate for them. They wanted to know why he hates tomatoes so much, and if he prefered regular tomatoes or mini tomatoes.
  
  Koyama said that if they’re cooked then tomatoes are fine, he likes pizza sauce, ketchup, and meat sauce, but he doesn’t like cherry tomatoes either. Koyama asked Tegoshi what food he didn’t like, and Tegoshi reminded him that he didn’t like coriander and started singing a song about it.
  
  T: Because we were raised in different environments♪ Likes and dislikes are undeniable♪ K: This song is so long! T: *keeps singing*
  
  They laughed about how stupid it was, before Tegoshi introduced the first song.
  
  T: Sweet Martini! We still haven’t performed it!
- ♪ Sweet Martini ♪
- K: Ok, Tchan NEWS is over. I’m at my limit! I can’t take anymore. Isn’t it better to stop? T: Yeah, I’m tired. K: Right? Let’s stop, it’s better not to have free talk. T: Since I like freedom. K: We’ll go back to Kchan NEWS. T: Sure. You can do that. *both crack up* K: So annoying!
- The next message was from a listener who said that they’ve been told that their ideals for a partner is too high, gave a long list of traits their ideal partner would have, including kind, taller than 150cm, funny, smells good, polite, etc. Since they’re 20 years old and have trouble finding someone they like but don’t want to compromise any of their expectations. They’re wondering what they should do and asked Tegoshi for advice.
  
  Tegoshi felt that he fit their ideal partner specifications, saying ‘Isn’t that me? That’s me!’ Koyama laughed asking if Tegoshi really felt that he was the ‘clean and neat’ type. He said he was and went through the list confirming that he fit everything. Koyama was still stuck on ‘clean and neat’ and Tegoshi said that in his heart he was ‘clean and neat’, and Koyama said that Tegoshi is the unique genre of ‘Tegoshi’. Tegoshi tried to go back to the listener’s question but hit his funny bone while talking. Finally, they got back to her question, Tegoshi said he didn’t think there was anything wrong with having high expectations. They returned to how she said that she has trouble finding people she likes, and Tegoshi said that he’s the same way. While he loves and respects women in general, but he doesn’t often find a specific person he likes. They went on a long tangent about women and being thankful for their existence and respecting each other.
- The next message was from a 15 year old who wants to live on their own when they’re older but they’re afraid of ghosts. Since both Koyama and Tegoshi are both afraid of ghosts too, they wanted to know if Koyama and Tegoshi don’t get afraid, and if you just get used to it as an adult.
  
  T: When you get in the bath, and are finished washing your hair, watch out behind you! K: Cut it out! T: What?
  
  But they said that they aren’t afraid in their own places. Tegoshi said he doesn’t get afraid even in hotels overseas, he’s completely fine and in fact he thinks a world with ghosts is more beautiful than without. Koyama asked him what he meant, and he said that if your beloved mother and friends died and you’re left with nothing, it would be really lonely, but if you think of the soul and the good memories, isn’t it actually scarier to think of them disappearing forever.
  
  They reassured her that she’ll get used to it and be able to live on her own. Tegoshi joked that she should come to ‘Tegonyan’s’ house.
- ♪ BYAKUYA ♪
- The last message was from a listener who became a high schooler in April. Once day their father told them that their skirt was too short, and asked them that if their daughters went to school with a short skirt would they say something or watch over them without saying anything? They also asked if they like high school girls with short skirts.
  
  Koyama asked Tegoshi how he would feel if he were a father and saw his daughter leaving home with a really short skirt. Tegoshi said if someone tried to take pictures up his daughter’s skirt he’d kill them.
- Tegoshi said that he wanted to come again next week, and Koyama told him he doesn’t have to come every week. Koyama joked about how things Tegoshi says on the radio will often appear on the news sites the next day, Tegoshi wondered why even though it’s not like they’re talking anything important. Tegoshi said that it’s best if people interact with him thinking of him as Spanish or Italian, because it tough on him when people expect him to think like a Japanese person.
- At the end Koyama asked everyone to watch his drama.

Tegomass no Radio (18 Oct)
- The programme opened with the introduction from Massu (instead of the usual Tegoshi) and Massu and Sakura talked about how it’s finally going to be a proper programme as the root of the problem wasn’t around that day. (T: No way…) The 2 of them then said there was audience that day, and would the audience please keep quiet. (T: Where are you in the programme already? M: Almost done. T: No way! M: Pick the listener for the pen. T: Etto....the listener from Okinawa) Then they started proper, saying they’ve received a lot of mails for the 6th anniversary, and are also asking for mails for the new segments.
- The request was from someone who just bought a car, and requested for “Overdrive”. They also said they always listen to Tegomass, and some NEWS, when driving.
- ♪ Overdrive ♪
- The listener said that they’ve been receiving a lot of news from people around them that they are getting married. Each time they receive such news, they think that, “Ah, I’m at this age already, we’re now grown ups”. What makes Tegomass feel that they are grown up already? Tegoshi said that it’s the same, when their friends get married and have kids. Massu agreed, but said that there was probably a wave before, for people who got married relatively early, at around 20, and now there’s a second wave of people getting married again. Tegoshi said that it wasn’t till about this year that “marriage” became something relevant to him, as they are idols and all, and it didn’t seem to have much to do with them. But Tegoshi is turning 30 soon, and Massu’s 31, and the cockroach father had this cockroach son when he was 30 (T: My dad is probably going “OEI who are you calling cockroach! From up there). Tegoshi then shared a story of how his father and him are alike in personality. Like once when his dad brought Teeny onto the train by holding her in his arms. Not in a cage, not in a bag, anything. This is not okay by usual norms, and his dad ended up with fur all over his clothes when he reached work. (T: That’s when I think I’m the son of this father.) Going back to the topic, they said getting married still seems far away. Looking at their sempais, like Taichi? Getting married at around 45 is way too late for the average guy, when the average for Japanese men is about 31.9 years old. Tegoshi said assuming if you got married at 40, have a kid at 43, you’ll already be 63 when your kid is 20. He thinks that’s too late, as he’d want to play soccer with the kid. Even if he doesn’t want to get married now, he wants to have kids, as soon as now. (Sakura: Eh? T: I mean, won’t you hate to have such a huge age gap between you and your kid? Don’t you want to see your grandkids? You won’t get to see them with such a huge age gap. Well even though I might live till 150 since I’m a cockroach. M: Provided nobody steps on you. T: Right, like BAM!) Massu said when he was a child, he thought all the parents were of about the same age, even though some of them might have been 10 years apart, and that would have made a difference. Sakura said her parents had her when they were in their 30s so they would have been older parents, but she was never bothered. So Massu said he’s fine. Like he could be the oldest, but still run the fastest (NOTE: the Sports Days at Japanese elementary schools have a segment when parents join in). Like with his hair all white but still be real fast. (M: But I’ll probably fall. And go back in a taxi) Sakura said her friends have started talking about the degeneration of their skin conditions, and also about divorce, on top or marriage.
- The following listener said they had to take a long bus and train ride recently, and took almost 12 hours for the return journey. It started out okay, but got so painful and they couldn’t sit still at the end. Tegomass probably has to take such long journeys for work. What do they do so that their bodies don’t get tired out or start aching? They said 12 hours is a really long time and they can get to Europe in that time. Tegoshi shared he’ll be on the plane at around the same time the following day to New York, and he won’t be in Japan for half the time in October. So 12 hours isn’t that big an issue for him. He usually reads magazines on the tablet, read books (T: I don’t get motion sickness), listen to the music on the headphone… he apparently doesn’t get any aches as well. Sakura and Massu then told him the listener isn’t asking for how he spends the time, but what he does for the body! Tegoshi said he doesn’t do anything as he’s already gotten used to it. Massu said he doesn’t have much problem with his legs either, but he does wish to have a leg rest on aeroplanes, somewhat to the level of the stomach where he can rest his legs. It’d be a nuisance to the person in front to just rest it on the seat, so something standalone would be nice. Sakura said she hopes to have one too. The writer pipped in to say that you can do that, with the table kept in. So they concluded that there isn’t anything they do in particular.
- For “Quiz! Tegomass ni Oshiete” this week, the first question was - “Amatou” (sweet party) refers to someone with a sweet tooth; “Karatou” (salty party) refers to someone who likes salty food, but these are different from the definitions on the dictionary. So what are the true meanings? Tegomass fooled around for a while spoofing the gag from Speed Wagon’s Itoda Jun. Massu then said that come to think of it, to describe people who like sweet or salty stuff as a “party” is weird. They then made a lot of guesses before Massu finally got it right, that it has something to do with alcohol. So “Karatou” refers to people who likes to drink alcohol, and “Amatou” refers to people who likes eating and sweet stuff more than drinking. (T: It’s like, whatever. Sakura: That’s only because you didn’t get it right. M: That’s the dictionary definition? I’ll start using these words to the meaning then. T: Whatever! M: He must be upset. T: Not at all! Whatever! Next!)
- The following question is a riddle (T: Oh man. I quit. Sakura: No you don’t. This is work!) “What flower blooms if you place a fig (ichijiku) in the middle of a plate (sara)?” (T: Dandelion! Sakura: Wrong. But why anyway? T: It’s pretty.) They fooled around again, referencing SMAP’s “Sekai Hitotsu Dake no Hana”, One Direction, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sarah Conner… T: I GOT IT! SAKURA! Sakura: Why? T: You put a word “ku” (ichiji ku) in the middle of “sara” (plate) right? Tegoshi then got really excited saying there’s no need to continue this corner anymore since he’s gotten a riddle right (M: It’s not like I’m particular good at riddles. Sakura: He’s so petty!) Sakura said that’s why she gave the hint that the answer is right in front of them, since she’s Sakura. (M: Oh, that’s what it meant? Sakura: That’s really slow, Masuda san!)

Masuda Takahisa no Master Hits (20 Oct)
- At the opening, he said there was a staff from Master Hits who asked Massu to give him the clothes he didn’t need. As Massu tends to look at the clothes people wear, he noticed that this person always wears clothes of a similar style. He brought him a paper bag of clothes, containing shirts, sweat shirts, pants… it was only after he brought the clothes for him that he realised that he’s probably slightly smaller than the staff and there were a few pieces that the staff couldn’t wear. So those went to another staff. He asked if the staff liked them. The staff apparently gave a happy sign. He’d bring him more again when the chance arises. Massu said he pretty much cleaned out his wardrobe.
- The first listener asked if Massu would prefer abalone or sirloin steak for teppanyaki. (M: Can’t I choose both?) He said he prefers fillet steak over sirloin as it’s less fatty. If it’s between abalone and sirloin, he’d pick abalone. Done medium rare. (M: Oh, you don’t say that for abalone? Fufufu.) He shared an episode he shared previously, of how people tend to say medium rare when they are asked how well they’d like their steaks done. But he prefers his steak slightly more cooked than medium rare, so he said, “Slightly more done than medium rare” and the person replied, “So you’d like it medium” Massu went all red. “Well done”, “medium” and “rare” should have been the most well-known options, but as “medium rare” sounds more stylish, everyone started saying that. He then emphasized that this story was from a long time ago.
- ♪ Yuuyake to Koi to Jitensha ♪
- The second listener asked if Massu uses the new shampoo he buys immediately, or finishes the current bottle before starting on the new one. He replied that he always finishes the current bottle before using a new one. If there are refills available, he refills the shampoo sometimes too, but he basically doesn’t like having 2 shampoos in his bathroom. There are usually just 4 items - shampoo, conditioner, body soap and face wash. He also doesn’t like to leave the shampoo stand wet after bathing, with the backside of the shampoo all damp. So he bought an additional stand to place in between the existing stand and the shampoo, one that was supposed to be good for water drainage. It’s like having mold grow on anti-mold sprays, something you’d think will never get moldy. He also added that he’s learnt a lot from “Sore Dame”, like if you spray hot water all over, the mold bacteria dies; the shower head gets surprisingly moldy, so it’s important to clean it out; the ceiling is also surprisingly dirty. But yeah, he finishes the current bottle before starting on a new one.
- The third listener asked where Massu would sit on the train, if it was empty. He said he used to sit on the corner seat of the long bench of seats, just beside the door. But as he became an adult, he realised that that’s the most popular seat and the seats at the middle are probably less popular, and cleaner. So he’ll either be sitting right in the middle, or be standing. When he stands, he’d be standing in between the 2 doors, as the doors open at different sides every few stations.
- The fourth listener said she really wanted a proper study table, but when she asked her parents for one, they told her she won’t study anyway, and smart people study in the living room. She got upset. What should she do to get them to buy one for her? Is there anything he wants or something he really wanted as a child? He said he really wanted a study table when he was in elementary school, the usual one, where it’s wooden looking, with shelves in front, and a study chair to go along. When he saw his friends with study tables at their homes, he’d think, “I’d have studied a lot harder if I had one.” But his parents didn’t buy one for him too. After he became an adult, he thought he probably wouldn’t have needed that once he became a high school student or something. The period when you really want a study table is surprisingly short. Or maybe she could DIY one herself? He also said it was cute how she got upset when told that she won’t study anyway. If she really thought she would work a lot harder with a study table, she could try asking her parents again. And to please study hard.
- The fifth listener said it was getting cold, and if Massu would like parkas or cardigans on female students, and what Massu liked about uniforms when he was a student. He first wondered if school rules allowed them to wear parkas to school, then said parkas don’t quite match school uniforms, though he did wear one inside the gakuran style uniform for a drama. For girls, he thinks it’d be weird to wear a parka inside the blazer, so cardigans? He shared that, surprisingly, he likes it when girls wear the jerseys for physical education classes under their skirts. Though he hopes they won’t say that he said it was okay, if that’s against their school rules. Wearing parkas would be a little unfashionable, so cardigans!
- The sixth listener said she would be going for an interview for a part time job soon, and asked what to wear for the interview. (M: Don’t you wear suits for these? Too much? As it is not for a full time job?) He suggested a white shirt, black pants and a back pack. (M: No…?) He’s not sure what, but he thinks it’d be a better idea not to show too much personality in the clothes, as that would bring attention to the wrong thing. And it’s best to just wear what people usually would, to the extent that the interviewer doesn’t even remember what they wore. But if he were to go for an interview for a fast food restaurant, for example, he’d wear a tshirt of that restaurant to the interview. Something similar to the uniform of the workplace. He wished her luck for the interview.
- The seventh listener bought a green tartan checkered skirt recently, and asked if Massu likes checkered items and what colour he likes. He said he likes checkered items very much, so of course he likes them on females as well. As he likes checkered items, he checks them out every month.
- ♪ Miso Soup ♪
- For Brain Master this week, the question was which part of the body the word “ponkotsu” (useless/ worthless/ broken down) came from. The answer’s a clenched fist (genkotsu). Apparently there are many explanations for this, but one of it was that somebody heard “genkotsu” wrong and started saying it as “ponkotsu”.
- ♪ Pokoponpekorya ♪