[L’Arc~en~Ciel means rainbow, and there’re seven colours in a rainbow, so that’s how this theme starts right? (laughs)]
– Well, I suppose we can go about it that way (laughs). For the record, what are the seven colours that make up a rainbow?
[Oh, I don’t know. But strictly speaking, a rainbow doesn’t really have seven colours, does it? There’s a bit more than that, right? There’re some colours that you can’t really pick out with the naked eye, for sure.]
– Is that so? I didn’t know that.
[Then do you know why we say a rainbow has “seven” colours? It’s because there’re seven days in a week!]
– Eeh, is that really true!?
[No idea (smiles).]
– (laughs) By the way, tetsu-san, your favourite colour is red, right?
[Yes, I like red. A long time ago, a fortune-teller told me that my lucky colour was red. Yeah, well, I liked it even before that happened (laughs). I like Char (from Gundam) and I like Asuka (from Evangelion). Both of them have red for their image colour. However, there’s a subtle difference between the reds I like and the reds I hate. It can’t be just any shade of red. For different things sometimes a darker red is better, sometimes a lighter red is better, it varies like that.]
– Specifically, what kind of red do you prefer?
[Let’s see~. For a while I liked the “Fiesta Red” colour from Fender. It’s a bit scarlet-like, tinged with salmon pink. It’s like the colour of sunset, only a little bit lighter. It’s a vintage instrument, made over 30 years ago, so it seems natural for it to have that sunset colour. I really loved that colour, so I blew a lot of money on buying lots of Fiesta Red Fenders.]
– Conversely, which reds don’t you like?
[For a while, I drove a Ferrari, and generally, they’re red, right? But I hate Ferrari red, so I drove a blue one. The official name of that colour was “Blu Tour de France”.]
– Ah, I think I understand what you mean. Now, how about clothing?
[When it comes to clothes, it’s not a problem, I never wear red. Red, well, people’s eyes are drawn to that colour, right? I don’t usually dress so conspicuously. I do have some red casual wear though.]
– What do you think about girls wearing red?
[Let’s see~. The design and the material and things like that matter a lot. It’s kinda hard to say.]
– This is a bit abrupt, but… tetsu-san, what colour is most of your underwear?
[My underwear? Mine’s pretty flashy. Flashy themed. Crazy underwear (laughs). I generally wear boxers, but I have some pink ones, and I have lots where the rubber part is rainbow coloured. The flashier the underwear, the better. ken-chan said something kinda like that, too.]
– I wonder why that is.
[It’s true though, isn’t it? Like, flashy lining for a school uniform! Or something kinda like that. I’m not sure. I have lots of underwear, at least 50 or 60 pairs, probably. I like Paul Smith brand. Lots of times, I’ll think this pair’s cute, that pair’s cute, and buy them.]
– I see. But after all, tetsu-san, when it comes to colour you’re best off being colourful, right?
[No, I think that’s just my public image. Like I said earlier, I never wear flashy clothes. What I wear on stage, those stage outfits are in a completely different category. In a huge, open-air place, the people at the back can’t see much more than a dot, right? On stage, it’s not just the members, but there’s also cameramen and staff running around, so this way they can tell if its a band member or a cameraman. I’m very conscious of that and so that’s why I use lots of colours. Colourful outfits that reflect light easily, and even my hair and makeup. I never dress that way normally (laughs).]
– I see, I see. But, tetsu-san, the colourful look suits you well.
[Hmmm, I guess so. Well, it goes with my character.]
– Just seeing that colourful look cheers one up. Now, is there anything else you can think of that goes with the colour theme……
[Oh, I don’t like colour contacts. I think it’s okay for the stage or for photographs, though. People who wear them all the time are scary. Like, where they going? or something (laughs).]
– tetsu-san, are you the type that prefers solitude or communication?
[I like solitude. I love being alone. Even when I’m alone I don’t get lonely.]
– That’s a bit unexpected. Then, what about meals? It’s lonely to eat alone.
[That’s true. Eating alone doesn’t taste as good. It’s like, I wanna have a conversation to enjoy while I eat. Eating alone, it ends up feeling like I’m just feeding myself. To be honest, going to eat with someone and then saying goodbye right after would be the most fun. But, inviting someone just to eat is kinda bad, somehow. Cause, after that you’re supposed to date, right? Really, it’s better to just eat. That’s a very selfish thing to say, though.]
– I see. Now, these days, there are various forms of communication. Talking in person, or on the phone, or emailing, or writing letters. tetsu-san, which method do you use the most?
[I don’t write letters. I barely even email. I only receive them. I’ll answer one out of every two or three. It’s cause I’m busy. Even just checking email takes a few minutes. Don’t steal my time, I say. The phone too, since I’ll only answer when I’m in a really good mood. If I’m in kind of a bad spot when the phone rings, I won’t answer it. I’ll check who it is and leave it, that’s good enough. Oh, and I don’t like making calls, either. It might not be a good time for me to call, they might be busy, I think of all sorts of things like that and don’t call. So I’m passive about calls, too.]
– Ooh. But, tetsu-san, your image makes you seem as if you’ve always got lots of friends around to have fun with, though.
[Seriously!? Do I look like such a happy person? Well, I’m the type you should call with your voice. That’s why I’ll say things like “She won’t look me in the eye,” or “She doesn’t talk at all,” to a girl’s friends. And then they answer “I guess she’s not good with words,” or “I guess she’s nervous so she’s trying not to talk too much,” and stuff (laughs). I don’t start talking on my own. But if someone talks to me, I’ll talk a lot. I’m a little shy, you see.]
– For example, many people are very clever when it comes to finding things to say at a first meeting, right? Do you ever feel envious of those people?
[No, I never do. I don’t really like talkative people. Though even I think I talk too much sometimes. I basically prefer quieter types of people. You know how some people will walk right into a person’s heart with shoes on at a first meeting(1)? I don’t like those people. Then again some people don’t talk at all, even if you go over to them, and they won’t ever go over to you, I can’t communicate with those people either. It’s a difficult balance. Also, I’m very careful about what I say, myself, since after all, I need to use the proper, polite way of speaking(2). I can’t stand people who go straight to speaking roughly. It’s like, the moment they do that the door to my heart closes halfway, all on its own. Probably, since the 69 in TETSU69 is the year I was born, lots of people look down at me now that they know my real age. In L’Arc~en~Ciel we didn’t make our ages publicly known, so people who were clearly younger than us sucked up to us a lot. So, they strongly resisted the urge to speak roughly. I only forgive that sort of talk among my close friends. Oh, and if someone older speaks to me like that? That’s not a problem at all.]
– I see. That was the hidden meaning of the 69 in TETSU69. This is a very interesting topic. When did this sort of thing start to bother you?
[A long time ago, it didn’t bother me as much. Even if someone was older, I wouldn’t call them ‘san’ (laughs)(3). When I was in high school, I had friends who were two, three years older, so they did the same to me. But when you’re really friends, when you’re truly close enough to have a honest, open communication, age doesn’t matter and you can talk rudely if you want. It doesn’t matter if they’re above or below me. It’s kind of a timing thing, if I see that person as part of my inner circle then it’s OK. But that takes a long time. On the other hand, if it’s someone I want to get to know well in a short time, I’ll work up the courage to talk roughly with them right from the start. It was like that with yukkie (yukihiro). yukkie’s been in this business longer, right? He’s a school year above me too, so I really should have started out speaking politely, but I figured “We’re gonna be in a band together now, so politeness is no good,” and spoke roughly to yukkie. It took courage though, as if I were asking him on a grown-up date.]
– Now, how about communication with fans? I suppose the time you communicate with the fans most is during lives.
[I’m not sure when I started being this way, but I honestly can’t tell how the fans who come to a concert are reacting. In the past, I could judge the audience’s reaction, tell if it was good or bad. But, around the time I went pro, I think I started losing that. Even though it’s our responsibility to give the crowd a good ride. When we do a bad job, we don’t recognize the importance of being told “You guys give a bad ride,” it’s professional negligence. If we’re giving a bad ride and we’re not having a good time playing either, it’s inexcusable to the people who were looking forward to coming to see us. Of course, the fun varies from person to person, I think some people stand up regardless of how much fun they’re having. Lives are where I want to give 100%, present the best of myself.]
– Interviewer : Kikuchi Keisuke
Translated by Natalie Arnold
1. In Japan, one removes one’s shoes before entering a home. Walking in with shoes on is very rude.Go back.
2. The Japanese language has distinct levels of politeness used for addressing different types of people, depending on your position relative to the speaker. For instance, you can’t address a stranger the same way you would a good friend, since that would be rude. Also, you are supposed to be polite to anyone superior to you, in age or in social rank or in anything else.Go back.
3. Calling someone by name, without -san or any other suffix, is exceptionally rude unless you are close friends or family with reason to be so casual. Go back.
– Interviewer : Kikuchi Keisuke
Translated by Natalie Arnold
– Well, I suppose we can go about it that way (laughs). For the record, what are the seven colours that make up a rainbow?
[Oh, I don’t know. But strictly speaking, a rainbow doesn’t really have seven colours, does it? There’s a bit more than that, right? There’re some colours that you can’t really pick out with the naked eye, for sure.]
– Is that so? I didn’t know that.
[Then do you know why we say a rainbow has “seven” colours? It’s because there’re seven days in a week!]
– Eeh, is that really true!?
[No idea (smiles).]
– (laughs) By the way, tetsu-san, your favourite colour is red, right?
[Yes, I like red. A long time ago, a fortune-teller told me that my lucky colour was red. Yeah, well, I liked it even before that happened (laughs). I like Char (from Gundam) and I like Asuka (from Evangelion). Both of them have red for their image colour. However, there’s a subtle difference between the reds I like and the reds I hate. It can’t be just any shade of red. For different things sometimes a darker red is better, sometimes a lighter red is better, it varies like that.]
– Specifically, what kind of red do you prefer?
[Let’s see~. For a while I liked the “Fiesta Red” colour from Fender. It’s a bit scarlet-like, tinged with salmon pink. It’s like the colour of sunset, only a little bit lighter. It’s a vintage instrument, made over 30 years ago, so it seems natural for it to have that sunset colour. I really loved that colour, so I blew a lot of money on buying lots of Fiesta Red Fenders.]
– Conversely, which reds don’t you like?
[For a while, I drove a Ferrari, and generally, they’re red, right? But I hate Ferrari red, so I drove a blue one. The official name of that colour was “Blu Tour de France”.]
– Ah, I think I understand what you mean. Now, how about clothing?
[When it comes to clothes, it’s not a problem, I never wear red. Red, well, people’s eyes are drawn to that colour, right? I don’t usually dress so conspicuously. I do have some red casual wear though.]
– What do you think about girls wearing red?
[Let’s see~. The design and the material and things like that matter a lot. It’s kinda hard to say.]
– This is a bit abrupt, but… tetsu-san, what colour is most of your underwear?
[My underwear? Mine’s pretty flashy. Flashy themed. Crazy underwear (laughs). I generally wear boxers, but I have some pink ones, and I have lots where the rubber part is rainbow coloured. The flashier the underwear, the better. ken-chan said something kinda like that, too.]
– I wonder why that is.
[It’s true though, isn’t it? Like, flashy lining for a school uniform! Or something kinda like that. I’m not sure. I have lots of underwear, at least 50 or 60 pairs, probably. I like Paul Smith brand. Lots of times, I’ll think this pair’s cute, that pair’s cute, and buy them.]
– I see. But after all, tetsu-san, when it comes to colour you’re best off being colourful, right?
[No, I think that’s just my public image. Like I said earlier, I never wear flashy clothes. What I wear on stage, those stage outfits are in a completely different category. In a huge, open-air place, the people at the back can’t see much more than a dot, right? On stage, it’s not just the members, but there’s also cameramen and staff running around, so this way they can tell if its a band member or a cameraman. I’m very conscious of that and so that’s why I use lots of colours. Colourful outfits that reflect light easily, and even my hair and makeup. I never dress that way normally (laughs).]
– I see, I see. But, tetsu-san, the colourful look suits you well.
[Hmmm, I guess so. Well, it goes with my character.]
– Just seeing that colourful look cheers one up. Now, is there anything else you can think of that goes with the colour theme……
[Oh, I don’t like colour contacts. I think it’s okay for the stage or for photographs, though. People who wear them all the time are scary. Like, where they going? or something (laughs).]
– tetsu-san, are you the type that prefers solitude or communication?
[I like solitude. I love being alone. Even when I’m alone I don’t get lonely.]
– That’s a bit unexpected. Then, what about meals? It’s lonely to eat alone.
[That’s true. Eating alone doesn’t taste as good. It’s like, I wanna have a conversation to enjoy while I eat. Eating alone, it ends up feeling like I’m just feeding myself. To be honest, going to eat with someone and then saying goodbye right after would be the most fun. But, inviting someone just to eat is kinda bad, somehow. Cause, after that you’re supposed to date, right? Really, it’s better to just eat. That’s a very selfish thing to say, though.]
– I see. Now, these days, there are various forms of communication. Talking in person, or on the phone, or emailing, or writing letters. tetsu-san, which method do you use the most?
[I don’t write letters. I barely even email. I only receive them. I’ll answer one out of every two or three. It’s cause I’m busy. Even just checking email takes a few minutes. Don’t steal my time, I say. The phone too, since I’ll only answer when I’m in a really good mood. If I’m in kind of a bad spot when the phone rings, I won’t answer it. I’ll check who it is and leave it, that’s good enough. Oh, and I don’t like making calls, either. It might not be a good time for me to call, they might be busy, I think of all sorts of things like that and don’t call. So I’m passive about calls, too.]
– Ooh. But, tetsu-san, your image makes you seem as if you’ve always got lots of friends around to have fun with, though.
[Seriously!? Do I look like such a happy person? Well, I’m the type you should call with your voice. That’s why I’ll say things like “She won’t look me in the eye,” or “She doesn’t talk at all,” to a girl’s friends. And then they answer “I guess she’s not good with words,” or “I guess she’s nervous so she’s trying not to talk too much,” and stuff (laughs). I don’t start talking on my own. But if someone talks to me, I’ll talk a lot. I’m a little shy, you see.]
– For example, many people are very clever when it comes to finding things to say at a first meeting, right? Do you ever feel envious of those people?
[No, I never do. I don’t really like talkative people. Though even I think I talk too much sometimes. I basically prefer quieter types of people. You know how some people will walk right into a person’s heart with shoes on at a first meeting(1)? I don’t like those people. Then again some people don’t talk at all, even if you go over to them, and they won’t ever go over to you, I can’t communicate with those people either. It’s a difficult balance. Also, I’m very careful about what I say, myself, since after all, I need to use the proper, polite way of speaking(2). I can’t stand people who go straight to speaking roughly. It’s like, the moment they do that the door to my heart closes halfway, all on its own. Probably, since the 69 in TETSU69 is the year I was born, lots of people look down at me now that they know my real age. In L’Arc~en~Ciel we didn’t make our ages publicly known, so people who were clearly younger than us sucked up to us a lot. So, they strongly resisted the urge to speak roughly. I only forgive that sort of talk among my close friends. Oh, and if someone older speaks to me like that? That’s not a problem at all.]
– I see. That was the hidden meaning of the 69 in TETSU69. This is a very interesting topic. When did this sort of thing start to bother you?
[A long time ago, it didn’t bother me as much. Even if someone was older, I wouldn’t call them ‘san’ (laughs)(3). When I was in high school, I had friends who were two, three years older, so they did the same to me. But when you’re really friends, when you’re truly close enough to have a honest, open communication, age doesn’t matter and you can talk rudely if you want. It doesn’t matter if they’re above or below me. It’s kind of a timing thing, if I see that person as part of my inner circle then it’s OK. But that takes a long time. On the other hand, if it’s someone I want to get to know well in a short time, I’ll work up the courage to talk roughly with them right from the start. It was like that with yukkie (yukihiro). yukkie’s been in this business longer, right? He’s a school year above me too, so I really should have started out speaking politely, but I figured “We’re gonna be in a band together now, so politeness is no good,” and spoke roughly to yukkie. It took courage though, as if I were asking him on a grown-up date.]
– Now, how about communication with fans? I suppose the time you communicate with the fans most is during lives.
[I’m not sure when I started being this way, but I honestly can’t tell how the fans who come to a concert are reacting. In the past, I could judge the audience’s reaction, tell if it was good or bad. But, around the time I went pro, I think I started losing that. Even though it’s our responsibility to give the crowd a good ride. When we do a bad job, we don’t recognize the importance of being told “You guys give a bad ride,” it’s professional negligence. If we’re giving a bad ride and we’re not having a good time playing either, it’s inexcusable to the people who were looking forward to coming to see us. Of course, the fun varies from person to person, I think some people stand up regardless of how much fun they’re having. Lives are where I want to give 100%, present the best of myself.]
– Interviewer : Kikuchi Keisuke
Translated by Natalie Arnold
1. In Japan, one removes one’s shoes before entering a home. Walking in with shoes on is very rude.Go back.
2. The Japanese language has distinct levels of politeness used for addressing different types of people, depending on your position relative to the speaker. For instance, you can’t address a stranger the same way you would a good friend, since that would be rude. Also, you are supposed to be polite to anyone superior to you, in age or in social rank or in anything else.Go back.
3. Calling someone by name, without -san or any other suffix, is exceptionally rude unless you are close friends or family with reason to be so casual. Go back.
– Interviewer : Kikuchi Keisuke
Translated by Natalie Arnold
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