#yuzu kato

[zegalba]

Yuzu Kato: Borrowing from the Tiger's Majesty (2022)

[holespoles]

Yuzu Kato

'Borrowing from the Tiger's Majesty'.

かとうゆず 「虎の威を借る」

[sissettasinclair]

Yuzu Kato

'Borrowing from the Tiger's Majesty'.

かとうゆず 「虎の威を借る」

[foundationhq]

As you login to a work computer at Site-φ’s main base, you notice a new notification in your SCiPNET inbox. As the computer renders the splash image at a snail's pace, you squint at the title. The Phi-thon? It turns out to be a monthly newsletter... but what catches your eye is the announcement of a new member for THE BROKEN SCALES OF THEMIS.

𝑴𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒉𝒍𝒚 𝑺𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝑴𝒆𝒏𝒖

The monthly menu for March, as curated by CHEF DE CUISINE Fulgence Carême, will be available for a limited time alongside the regular menu with meat, fish, vegetarian, as well as vegan options for our staff.

BREAKFAST (6AM - 10:30 AM)

Sausage Royale Croissant Roll with cheddar cheese, beef sausage patty, two strips bacon, fried egg. Garnished with dill and parsley. With spiced ketchup to taste.

Salmon Belly Royale Croissant Roll with wild salmon, crème fraîche, spinach and collard green hollandaise, topped with ikura-style salmon roe and salmon skin cracklings.

Mushroom Royale Croissant Roll (V) with grilled portobello, cremini, and king oyster mushrooms, crispy shallots, onion jam, and a herby rosemary sauce.

LUNCH (12 PM - 5 PM)

Cheese & Leek Croquettes with yukon gold potatoes, confit pearl onions, and black garlic chips.

Soft-shell Crab Tempura Burger with deep-fried whole soft-shell crab, pickled cabbage, sorrel, arugula, iceberg lettuce, ponzu vinaigrette or parmesan mayo. Comes with old bay fries.

Heirloom Tomato Preserve Flatbread (V) with arkansas traveler, aunt ruby's german green, hillbilly, and purple calabash varieties. Comes with olive oil and balsamic vinegar dip.

DINNER (5 PM - CLOSE)

Slow-roasted Pistachio Lamb with mint and pistachio crusted lamb leg, roasted cauliflower and new potatoes, horseradish cream, and truffle-infused gravy.

Pan-seared Yuzu Scallops with hazelnuts, clementine slices, and yuzu beurre blanc sauce. Comes with a light slaw salad.

Crispy Hen-of-the-Woods Mushroom Platter (V) with a medley of grilled wild mushrooms, artichokes, asparagus, and quinoa-wild rice pilaf. Garnished with walnuts and vegan pesto.

DESSERT Fresh seasonal berries with Chai-spiced Clotted Cream with strawberries, blueberries, currants, blackberries, and gooseberries. Chai spice contains clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and ginger.

Coffee Caramel Frozen Brazo de Mercedes with blended coffee ice cream, peanuts, cashews, and warm caramel sauce.

Vegan Raspberry Coconut Mousse Parfait (V) with silken tofu, agave syrup, raspberries, and layered with vegan dark chocolate cookie crumble, and topped with roasted coconut shavings.

𝑾𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝑾𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈

All personnel please be advised that there is a WEATHER WARNING in effect from 0100 to 2400 on March 29th; heavy cloud cover is expected to sock in during the early hours, accompanied shortly by freezing rain and sleet. Blizzard conditions should be in full force before 0500. Barring direct orders from Site Director Osterholz or, if applicable, MTFC 𝑆𝑀𝑂𝑂𝑇𝐻 𝑂𝑃𝐸𝑅𝐴𝑇𝑂𝑅, any unnecessary outdoor activities should be curtailed. Remain indoors. Do not be alarmed when blinds are lowered and locked in position; this is normal procedure at Site-φ in the case of extreme weather. There is nothing to see in the snow. You are not missing out.

𝑪𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒏𝒖𝒕𝒔 𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒏 𝒂 𝑺𝒊𝒕𝒆-𝑨𝒑𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒆

by SECURITY CAPTAIN J. Kato

How about that forecast, Site-φ! In honor of what’s probably going to be the last blizzard of the spring (don’t hold me to that, I’m no meteorologist! :D) Site Security will be hosting a bonfire at the campground the evening of March 28th. Come get cozy before the storm hits! BYOTTB (Bring Your Own Things* To Burn). *Adhering to all regulations re: flammable substances and safe use of the communal campground, found under Hazardous Materials (Reg. F-451) and Outdoor Recreation (Regs. C-10 through -14) in the Personnel Handbook.

RSVP! →

📍 all muses are welcome to attend this open event, taking place at the on-site campground on the evening of March 28th. These threads may be written whenever you like before the act closes, so long as they are dated to that time! several bonfires will be set and maintained by site-φ security personnel from nightfall to midnight. hot chocolate and non-alcoholic cider will be available; muses are welcome to bring food and/or shredder-ready paperwork, photographs of regrets, evidence of wrongdoings, unwanted papercrafts, and disappointing research to burn. there is also an optional interactive roll for a random [𝙲𝙻𝙰𝚂𝚂𝙸𝙵𝙸𝙴𝙳] element!

𝑭𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒌𝒊𝒆'𝒔 (𝑰𝒏)𝑭𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝑭𝒊𝒔𝒉

Following several hospitalizations linked to the most recent serving of Frankie’s Famous Fish last month, all waivers have been destroyed and future shipments of “fish” scratched from the order. Anyone who sees or smells “fish” should report this to Site Security. Site Administration would like to stress and remind personnel not to try Frankie’s Famous Fish at the cafeteria; do not believe the rumors the dish gives you powers if you survive. If anyone has seen Frankie, inform him that the HR Department and Director Osterholz desires a meeting. Immediately.

𝑫𝒆𝒇𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆 𝑺𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒓 & 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒃𝒂𝒕 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑨𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕

The Security Department will continue to offer self-defense and weapons handling classes. Additionally, Op. 𝐷𝑌𝐼𝑁𝐺 𝐵𝑅𝐸𝐸𝐷 has been ordered to conduct combat readiness assessments on all members of MTF Chi-00. When asked for comment, he replied: “That so?” and stated that they should “Be on time.” Requests for elaboration were met with a smile, precisely one nod, and what may have been a laugh. Additional, remedial seminars can be arranged with Captain Kato in advance of your assessment.

BOOK A TIME! →

𝐿𝑎𝑏 𝐴𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠

Lab spaces may still be booked through the Head of Research at Site-φ. Please let them know what you intend to research, and be advised that lab space is in slightly shorter than usual supply due to “a Newt-related incident.” Newt, who is a good dog, does not understand what this could be referring to. Neither does anyone else who was in the lab at the alleged time of the incident. Head of research insists that Newt “knows what he did.”

SUBMIT A REQUEST! →

📍 players are welcome to request a lab space for their researchers by contacting rp mgmt. please note that requesting a space as a themis member would immediately jump the line of the other scientists at the site. some themis researchers, depending on their prestige, may be given a full team of lab assistants to aid in their noble pursuit to secure, contain, and protect.

𝑾𝒂𝒍𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑪𝒍𝒖𝒃 𝑺𝒊𝒈𝒏-𝑼𝒑𝒔

The Walking Club, a group of highly-intelligent pack of dogs, is looking for new members! remember — DON’T WALK ALONE. That is a formal directive, not a request. Joining the Walking Club is especially critical given the WEATHER WARNING soon to be in effect; any personnel who need to move between site buildings while the WARNING is active must contact the Walking Club. The correct way to contact the Walking Club is to step through the nearest door, close it behind you,* and whistle as loud as possible. If you are not a good whistler, that is okay! There is no such thing as a bad whistle if you put your heart into it! The Walking Club will still hear you and arrive shortly. *If Newt has chosen you as his walking buddy, you are advised to brace yourself against the door before whistling, to prevent injury.

𝑺𝒊𝒕𝒆-φ 𝑱𝒐𝒃 𝑩𝒐𝒂𝒓𝒅

The following “odd jobs,” which are in no way “odd” or “unusual,” are currently available, on an as-available, non-urgent basis, personnel schedules permitting. Consider being a Site-φ neighbor and lend a hand if you can!

GROW-LIGHT GARDEN ASSISTANT posted by HEAD GARDENER S. Oz Do you appreciate site-acceptable greenery? Do you feel “well”? Do you enjoy communing with the earth, unto which our mortal flesh will someday return, if we are lucky? Join the Grow-Light Garden Staff! BRING: your own garden-ready gloves and/or knee pads. DO NOT BRING: negative energies. Seriously. Do not. For everyone's sakes. EDIT: This position has been filled.

SUPPORT ARCHIVIST posted by HEAD LIBRARIAN and ARCHIVIST Dr. W. Zai While Junior Archivist M. Leitner recovers from unwise choices as regards his seafood intake, the Site-φ archives are in need of additional hands. These hands will, ideally, be experienced in standard archival procedures. EDIT: This position has been filled.

CONTACT NOW! →

📍 players are welcome to pick up supplemental odd jobs during their time at site-φ. you can pick up an odd job by contacting rp mgmt. however, please note that these listings are first-come, first-serve, and muses may be fired from their position if they are unable to fulfill the job’s requirements (posting a monthly prompt). however, these positions may also reveal more of site-φ’s mysteries. there is also an optional interactive roll for a random [𝙲𝙻𝙰𝚂𝚂𝙸𝙵𝙸𝙴𝙳] element!

𝑫𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝑶𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒛'𝒔 𝑨𝒅𝒗𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝑨𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕

𝑹𝑬: 𝑭𝑹𝑨𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑵𝑰𝒁𝑨𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵

by DIRECTOR B. Osterholz

Good evening. It has been brought to my attention that our new additions here at Site-φ may be in need of a reminder as to the appropriateness of fraternization among personnel at this highly clandestine installation. To reiterate what was stated during onboarding and in the welcome brochure: “making eyes,” “canoodling,” and/or “partaking in the horizontal tango” with fellow staff members is not allowed at Site-φ. As you all know, the nature of our work demands absolute dedication and focus. Surely any rumors of anyone engaging in such acts on-site are, indeed, no more than crass rumors to razz the newcomers.

𝑺𝒊𝒕𝒆-φ 𝑩𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔, 𝑨𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑪𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔

Due to the sheer number of staff here at Site-φ, acknowledgments in the Phi-thon are through user submission. Thank you for celebrating your fellow Phi-thons.

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑃ℎ𝑖-𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑛 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑖𝑠ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎… 𝐻𝐴𝑃𝑃𝑌 𝐵𝐼𝑅𝑇𝐻𝐷𝐴𝑌! JUNIOR ENGINEER K. MADDOW, March 4th Happy b-day, K!!! Engi life is the best life! Couldn’t have made that particle blaster without ya! See you at Holly’s, a round on us! — Your pals at Engineering. ASSISTANT RESEARCHER C. VATYA, March 13th The Site-φ Researcher will be 50 this year. Thank you for all your hard work, encouragement, and good humor. From all of us in the 'Pataphysics Wing of Research and Development, we wish our fellow a happy birthday. WELLNESS COUNSELOR J. Oyuun, March 20th “The best gift you could possibly give me is to attend your mandatory wellness assessment. Anything more extravagant would, in fact, be inappropriate, given the nature of our strictly counselor-to-client relationship. But I also wouldn’t say no to more crayons or holographic stickers from that one place in Hōuston…”

MTF CHI-00 OPERATIVE 52 PICKUP, March 20th Happy birthday. From a secret admirer.

If you’d like to announce or contribute to our monthly newsletter, contact the Phi-thon via SCiPNET. →

📍 players are welcome to guest write or submit an in-character announcement for the monthly newsletter by contacting rp mgmt! reach out to us for more details.

Please enjoy a complimentary All You Can Brunch Buffet Ticket from us at the Phi-thon. Please note these tickets are valid for one person for one-time use. As Director Osterholz has advised in previous Phi-thon issues, ticket trading is not permitted on Site-φ.

📌 OOC GUIDELINES & HINTS!

These listings are supplemental features for enhancing your experience immersing into Site-φ’s world. Feel free to interact in any shape or form, be it directly or indirectly referencing them for open and closed starters, pager chats, self-paras... and even doing TTRPG rolls, or conversing with the NPCs 1-on-1! Based on your muse’s movements, new information, features, and subplots may be unlocked as these plot points develop. This game is responsive to you; your actions will directly affect the environment. All in all, however you wish to spend your time at Site-φ, we hope that it'll be a fun and memorable experience!

[lovelydeliciouscollective]

Yuzu Kato

[hoodie-prince-kid]

. https://www.tumblr.com/zegalba/760097228170936320/yuzu-kato-borrowing-from-the-tigers-majesty?source=share

Cannoli

Vshshsha awwww

[bokuaosubs]

B.L.T. August 2023: Ito Yuzu, Kanazawa Ami, Hagiwara Kokoka & Hayasaki Suzuki interviews

Ito Yuzu's part:

"The reason why I auditioned is because I love idols. I was still job-hunting so, naturally, I was a bit unsure, but I couldn't give up and I decided to give this a try, first and foremost.

I love Nogizaka46-san. Both in junior and senior high school, I played volleyball, but truth be told, I'm not that good at sports (laughs).

I have been doing classical ballet for five years but, after all, dancing is difficult. I am not a leader-like person, but as the eldest, I want to be someone who can support everyone. I am also the tallest!"

Kanazawa Ami's part:

"I have always loved idols and I've tried auditioning several times before, but I failed....... This was the first dream I truly had for myself, which is the reason why I took part in this audition.

I love all of the members of the Sakamichi group, but the one I love the most is Kato Shiho-san (from Hinatazaka46).

Now that I've passed the audition, I want to make this an idol group that everyone will want to support, for a long time to come. That's why I'm more passionate than I've ever been, right now! I'm on fire, burning with passion brighter than ever before!"

Hagiwara Kokoka's part:

"I really like idols, especially groups such as Nogizaka46-san and ≠ME-san. I wanted to go [beyond being] on the side of the audience, to be more than a viewer. I also wanted to change myself, which doesn't always come easy.

What I want to do, as an idol, is hold many concerts! I want to take part in a dome tour or something (laughs). Personally, I also want to cook in a variety show. I have zero experience in cooking (laughs). I've tried making cookies by myself once before, but they didn't taste good (laughs)."

Hayasaki Suzuki's part:

"The reason why I decided to audition was because I liked idols, and admittedly, I was influenced by my friends who were doing their best, trying out for different jobs, too.

I happened to fall in love with idols merely by chance. I remember that when I was in first grade, I saw an idol performing in a park and fell for her. I started following and supporting her group, watching over them until the very day when they broke up.

I hope we can find something unique to us, too, without being too limited by our concept. I may have no experience in singing and dancing, but I'll do my best!"

[from BLT's August 2023 issue, featuring BokuAo.]

[TL by: yuzuiro]

[pixelmason]

Yuzu Kato, Borrowing from the Tiger’s Majesty

[psychodramajp]

Twitter News Roundup [April 5 - 11]

Twitter News Roundup [April 5 – 11]

Please have a look at the news of 2021, week 14! (more…)

[holespoles]

Yuzu Kato "Keep it warm"

かとうゆず「『温めておきました』和紙/岩絵具/水干絵具/胡粉/金泥雲母」

[nimium-amatrix-ingenii-sui]

Life imitates art ["Borrowing from the Tiger's Majesty" by Yuzu Kato]

Efeso, Turquía

[yuzusorbet]

This is a report from the representative director of the Ice Rink Sendai, Mr Matsuhiko Kato, on the Ice Rink Sendai homepage. (translated by Shuko Doyle) Original: http://icerink-sendai.net/donation2018 --------------------

We have received a donation from Mr Hanyu.

To our customers,

Thank you very much for always using ‘Ice Rink Sendai’ and supporting us.

I would like to report that we have received a large donation from Mr Yuzuru Hanyu.  Mr Hanyu previously made frequent donations to us as well, for which I am beyond words in gratitude. Mr Hanyu loves his hometown Sendai deeply and also cares for ‘Ice Rink Sendai’ very much. Here I express my sincere appreciation for what he has done for us.

As for the donation we received, respecting Mr Hanyu’s wish, we are going to think about the useful way of using this money so that everyone can use our facility comfortably. 

We wish for Mr Hanyu’s further success and everyone’s good health.

The donation we received from Mr Hanyu this time : 1,695,739 Yen (15,336 USD) The grand total of the donations from Mr Hanyu : 27,008,514 Yen (244,265 USD)

Representative director, Matsuhiko Kato, Ltd Kato Shokai

------------------------

A note from Shuko in YHIFG: This is the donation Yuzu made to Ice Rink Sendai only; it does not include his donations for the recovery of the disaster-affected areas. I know that Yuzu never expects his generous donations (and his continued support) to be made public or discussed about by people. However, I saw this being tweeted by many, so I wanted to share the report with you.

[batangtamad]

Michidure Limited (Manga)

Genres: Yaoi, Drama

Status: Completed

Author: Roca Kato

Favorite Characters: Saku Akabane, and Yuzuki

Favorite Chapters: Chapter 4, and Chapter 6

Plot Synopsis: "If you can't change my mind in three months… die with me."

Saku, a college student, hears news that the orphanage he grew up in going out of operation. He goes to the president of the company purchasing the orphanage to negotiate with him directly. The president agrees to rethink the deal under one condition… that being "meet my son and change his mind"!? Leo, his son, is smart and handsome but has a pretty troubled personality… Saku is instantly picked on and rough-handled… Where will this life-risking negotiation between the worst opponent imaginable go?

Damn, I cried! Yuzu made me cry. The story is good. It's cute, hilarious, and there are twists, and drama. The ending is okay. It would have been better if their confession was more wholesome. It is also a good thing Leo didn't proceed with his plan to commit suicide. I read some comments saying the ending was bad because of what Leo said. I think Leo is just joking. He meant to stay with me forever. That's also why I said the ending would have been better if the confession was more wholesome.

Mr. Tsukishiro, Leo's dad is so hilarious. He is the cause of the misunderstanding. He acted differently with his sons because he wanted them to see him as cool. He even let other people, especially strangers, talk to his son, Leo, which is a terrible idea. But he is not that really bad. He just doesn't know how to express himself to his sons. Still, he is cool and at the same time he is hilarious, sweet, and really loves and is proud of his sons.

I want a sequel about Leo and Saku dating lives together and about Mr. Tsukishiro and Yaginuma. Also, I want more chapters about Yuzuki.

[kimonobeat]

aiko bon “Profile Interview” Chapter 6 (1/3)

My DJ days to my debut: In order to sing professionally

aiko opened the doors to a professional career as an artist, all while living a full life as a DJ. Though she still felt very passionate about singing, multiple challenges awaited her.

(Thank you parasmichael for the commission!)

ーDid you start up your music activities in earnest once you graduated from junior college with the hopes of becoming a professional?

aiko: Yeah, I wrote songs and did concerts.

ーWere you solo then? Or were you in a band?

aiko: I was never in any bands after graduating. I did everything solo. My friends helped out when I held concerts, though.

ーDid you have any part-time jobs?

aiko: Yes. I had a part-time job as a DJ that I’d had since I was in music school. I kept working there even after I graduated.

ーWhat got you started as a radio DJ?

aiko: There was this producer from FM OSAKA who came to see me every now and then when I was in the “Teens Music Festival”. He gave me his business card back  then. I got a phone call from him about half a year later where he invited me to go get a coffee with him. I went; I was totally stoked. “We’re doing an audition for our radio program,” he told me when I got there. “Why don’t you try out?” I panicked at that but then we got to talking, and he was like, “Go on, just try and chit-chat.” There was an actual DJ thereーthey were doing an audition to find someone to pair him up with. That DJ was this super professional, amazing guy named Yaguchi Kiyoharu. For my audition, I put on “Primal” by ORIGINAL LOVE and did a track-by-track introduction. Every time I talked, the studio standing outside the window would chuckle.

ーDid you say something funny?

aiko: Nah, I don’t remember saying anything funny at all. I was a total amateurーso I guess that must’ve been kinda funny. (laughs) I had zero clue what a radio DJ was supposed to be like and it was my very first radio audition. Not to mention, I never went to school for that. I was just talking as myself. The next day, I got a phone call saying they decided to put me on the program. The only thing I managed to say was, “WHAT!?”

ーYou’ve loved and listened to the radio since you were a little kid though. Maybe you were an ‘amateur’, but I’m sure you must’ve picked up on some key points.

aiko: Maybe you’re right… I really did listen to the radio a lot. As a kid, it didn’t matter if I was super duper playful and bubbly at school. When I got home I’d hole myself up in my room and listen to the radio. Sometimes I thought about the things I’d do if I were a DJ while I listened along. I also used to leave these really long messages on my friends’ answering machines of me talking like I was a DJ. I even added commercials in the middleーI’d go, “Chara Cha-chara, Cha-cha-cha!” like a commercial jingle. (laughs)

ーSo what kind of radio show did you do for your celebration-worthy first job as a DJ?

aiko: It was a music program called “Count Down Kansai TOP40” that ran on Mondays from 3 to 5 AM. I introduced top 40 songs on that week’s charts, and between songs I’d read postcards from my listeners or talk about artist information. Basically, an abbreviated version of another show that played on different weekday from 12 to 8 PM about the top 100. I had originally auditioned to be the assistant for the super long 12-8 PM program, but since I did such a great job chatting them up, they thought I’d be a better fit for the late-night sister program.

ーBut I’m sure you must’ve felt like there was a lot of pressure on you having to talk all by yourself as a brand new DJ, didn’t you?

aiko: It was really tough at first. We recorded ahead of time during the very beginning, but that was hard too. They’d get mad but I had no idea what they were mad at me for, although I do now. I’d just talk in circles, and sometimes I’d do that one thing no DJ is ever supposed to do: say, “Uhh… Uhh…” (laughs wryly) So at the beginning, I would cry because I was upset the entire time, and then I’d go home.

ーDid you ever have guests on the show?

aiko: Yes I did. The show just kept changing and changing, so before long we started having guests on the show. We recorded the guest segments every week in the afternoon because our show aired so late at night, so quite a few different people joined us. My very first guests were Kato Hisashi and Rolly from 21st Century Stars. I was super nervous because I used to really love THE COLLECTORS, though. Oh, and Eguchi Yosuke, and Chii (Moritaka Chisato). But separately because this was before they got married, of course. (laughs) We also had Nakatani Miki right after she’d debuted, GLAY, and Bonnie Pink. Oh, and Yuzuーthey really gave our conversation an honest effort. I thought Yagucchan (Yaguchi Mari) from Momusu was cute in the purest sense of the word, too.

ーDid you also go by “aiko” when you were a DJ?

aiko: Yeah, written in English letters like it is now. I can’t remember if it was all uppercase or lowercase though. I’ve never tried to come up with another name, I just thought I’d keep using ‘aiko’ forever. When I was on the radio I’d always say, “This is your DJ aiko. Thanks for tuning in.” I carried personal business cards for the radio station that said “FM OSAKA aiko Count Down Kansai TOP40” with me pretty much all the time, which I was constantly trading with promoters. (laughs)

ーDid you find it interesting to listen to your guests talk as the interviewer?

aiko: I did sometimes, but… well… Most of the time I found myself thinking, “Wow, they’re a nice person” whenever I met somebody instead of, “That’s interesting.” There were also a lot other things that I found difficult about it. Like, I would accidentally end up talking about myself. The people coming on the show are artists, right? I wanted to be a singer too, so I’d start talking about the things I did because I wanted to be a singer. Oftentimes there’d be these sobering moments where they’d say, “Enough talking about yourself, get your guest to talk.” Some people talked about things that had a lasting impact on me though, like right around the time I’d written an indies release and said, “Recording is always a blast!” Hamazaki Takashi (formerly of Flying Kids) said, “It gets to be tough after your 3rd release, so you’d better prepare yourself. It’s tough. This is the only time it’ll be fun for you.” I was like, “What, seriously!?” I was so dismayed when he said that. I still enjoy recording to this day. If I ever see him again, I’d like to tell him that I still have fun recording. (laughs) So yeah, I had all kinds of people on the show. I learned a lot.

ーI’m sure it wasn’t all fun and games, though. Was it ever just a big pain?

aiko: Oh, pleeeenty of times. (laughs) It got to be pretty exhausting when everyone was in the middle of promoting something. My schedule would get so crazy; some people didn’t even talk. (laughs) That was pretty rough. I thought I’d just be talking about singles and albums. I think you get your point across with magazines because only so much of it makes it into print. There’s like… room to breathe, you know? You can talk about dumb stuff, but there’s also space to talk about music. And you can re-read it as needed.

ーYou can’t really do that with radio though, can you?

aiko: Right. If you’ve got 10 minutes on air, then you either do or don’t leave an impression on the people listening during those 10 minutes. “Wow, there’s this one phrase in the chorus of the 3rd song that’s really great!” You can say that, but it’s hard for the people listening to the radio to understand. If I had to describe it, I’d say the concept was for the guests to have a little bit of fun, forget all about promoting for a moment and talk about something dumb, and play a good amount of music.

ーA balance between moderately laid-back, and moderately musical.

aiko: Yeah, yeah. It depends on the artist, but there were definitely people who wanted to make sure we talked. Some people looked at the cue sheets I made and say, “Mind if we change this? Do you mind asking me about the concept behind my album here?” That’s fine for all the die-hard fans, but it doesn’t hold much weight for all the new people tuning in, you  know? They wanna hear you talk about normal and familiar stuff. That’s why I think it’s important to go from talking about that to, “Why don’t we listen to your CD?”

ーThat’s true. You have no idea exactly who’s listening.

aiko: That’s why I’m pretty no-nonsense and honest when I give my thoughts on an album I’ve heard. Let’s say I had someone who played music on the show. I’d say, “You know, I really get the feeling you were pretty violent and rowdy making this album compared to your previous ones.” Thenーcome to find outーthey think that’s a good thing! “That’s interesting. You nailed it,” they tell me. Our talk ends up turning into something totally different from the usual, something even their fans didn’t expect. Occasionally that would get people talking even though they wouldn’t normally talk much. Of course, some people won’t talk either way. That used to made me cry. (laughs) Every now and then you get funny people who ignore everything during the talk segment and just talk your ear off, though.

ーDid you ever get really nervous because you had an artist you really liked on the show as a guest?

aiko: Oh yes. I was when I had Kato from The Collectors as a guest. And most definitely with KAN. I felt something end inside of me when KAN came on the show as a guest. I thought for a moment there, “Oh man, my life is over.” I turned into such a wuss.

ーYou liked him so much that it got in the way of being a DJ?

aiko: I just couldn’t do it. Honestly, at first it didn’t matter who it wasーpart of me felt like it was really presumptuous of me to interject with my opinion about someone’s music. Things that are good aren’t  just ‘good’, you know? Radio is one of those things where you’ve gotta have something you wanna say, though, so I try to say something. I’m the kind of person who gets more and more long-winded the more I try to get something across. I was so incredibly nervous that I kind of wanted them to send me home. In fact, I was so nervous that I still remember the clothes I was wearingーI was wearing a flared gingham check skirt, a MILK blouse, and some Vivian boots… My nervousness was through the roof. I thought I was gonna die. (laughs)

ーWere you able to talk to KAN like you did with all your other guests?

aiko: Yeah, I was. I couldn’t handle it though. KAN is one of those people who could talk about anything you throw his way. The whole time I was thinking to myself, “What was I thinking about just now? Oh god, what do I do?” I’d be fine doing it now, though. ...No wait, I’m just saying that because he’s not here. I bet I’d still probably be totally hopeless if I were to meet him again now. (laughs)

ーDid KAN ever come back as a guest after that?

aiko: He was a guest on the show about 4 times. I was also introduced to him in his dressing room when I went to his concert once. We talked a little bit then. He had me on his television show once as well. I’ve met him about 10 times now but I still act exactly the same as when I met him for the first time. I can’t bring myself to say hi, I can’t tell jokes. I’m just like, “Oh, excuse me, excuse me, yes, yes.” I think KAN already knows just how fundamentally lame I can be sometimes, though. I think he sort of forgives me for being so flustered and silent the first time we met.

ーI bet you listened to all kinds of music while you were DJ-ing!

aiko: I did! Up until that point I only listened to what I liked. But then I started listening to the “TOP40” every week and also made sure to listen to my guests’ new releases.

ーHow long did you end up doing the radio show before your debut?

aiko: I started doing “Count Down Kansai TOP 40” and “Poppin' Tengoku MUSIC Stadium” when I was in junior college. “Young Young MUSIC MAX” started just a little bit before I released my indies album “astral box”. It was the sister show to a radio program that had both musicians and comedians on it called “Young Town”. I introduced music on that program too, but I also had a guest segment, a jokes segment, and a segment called “aiko’s Path to OSJ Hall!”.

ーWas it like an “I’ve got my eyes on Osakajo Hall!” kind of thing, or?

aiko: Yeah, exactly. “What should aiko do to sing at Osakajo Hall? I’m gonna work hard until I get there!” I was just sort of a running joke at first. Then they actually said I could sing in this event called the “Young Town Festival”. When I sang “DO YOU THINK ABOUT ME?” at Osakajo Hall, the faces of all the staff members from when I did the “Path to OSJ Hall!” segment came to mind. And I remembered what people wrote on the postcards they sent in. I remember thinking, “Wow, I actually stood on stage at Osakajo Hall!!!” I was in a huge hurry right before the event started thoughーI was like, “Oh my god, I’m gonna be late!”

ーYou were late to your big moment?

aiko: Yeah. I was so nervous I accidentally overslept. So then I called my dad in tears: “Dad, what do I do now!?” He decided to pick me up in his car but we were in SUCH a hurry and I was feeling so hopeless, I just wailed in the car. “Don’t cry! This is all your fault!” my dad said. And I was like, “...Okay.” Even though I ended up being an hour late, they were still just rehearsing so everything was fine in the end. I honestly had no idea what I would’ve done, though. That’s the absolute only time I’ve ever been late before or after. The other blessing in disguise was that I’d made sure to prepare the clothes I was gonna wear at the event the night beforeーan orange T-shirt and navy blue sweatpants. That orange T-shirt was the same one I wore in the music video for “Naki Mushi”. (laughs) I didn’t have a stylist back then, so I wore clothes over and over again.

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[live-long-and-pasta]

Yuzu Kato

'Borrowing from the Tiger's Majesty'.

かとうゆず「虎の威を借る」

[lafoxtriel]

May birthdaycharas list

 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | ☆ | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12

02. Kato Haru (Fugou Keiji: Balance:UNLIMITED) 2020

04.  Izaya Orihara (Drrr!)

05. Toshiro Hijikata (Gintama)

05. Kyoya Hibari (KHR!)

05. Monkey D. Luffy (ONE PIECE!)

05. Gon Freecss (Hunter x Hunter)

05. May (Guilty Gear)

05. Deidara (NARUTO)

05. Takashi Morinozuka (OHSHC)

06. Karin Kurosaki (BLEACH)

06. Yuzu Kurosaki (BLEACH)

07. Ggio Vega (BLEACH) 2020

07. Melissa (Kamigami no Asobi: Ludere deorum)

10. Shinji Hirako (BLEACH)

10. Jin Bubaigawara (BnHA)

11. Kaoru Kaidou (PoT)

13. Neito Monoma (BnHA)

15. Shouta Kazehaya (Kimi ni Todoke)

15. Saki Nikaido (Zombieland Saga) 2020

17. Norway (APH)

25. Yaya Yuiki (Shugo Chara!)

28. Konata Izumi (Lucky Star)

28. Lambo Bovino (KHR!)

30. Yuuga Aoyama (BnHA)

30. Kiyoshi Date (Sket Dance)

It is quite a long list but only 2 characters truly inspire me atm <3

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