Throughout the month of January 2019, MTV solicited fan questions for ONE OK ROCK via Twitter. 100 questions were selected and answered on a special program aired in February. Here is a translation of those 100 questions and Taka’s answers to them.
001. Which overseas artist would you like to perform or collaborate with?
Taka: Michael Jackson.
002. Which artist are you most curious about right now?
ONE OK ROCK.
003. Of all the countries you’ve been to so far, which is your favorite?
America, Los Angeles.
004. Which local food did you think, “This is delicious!”?
Pizza in Italy.
005. Tell us which sake and brand you like recently!
For sake, I guess it would be kimotozukuri.
006. Of all the songs you’ve composed, which is your favorite?
Whatever song that has not yet made it into the world and has not yet been completed.
007. Do you have a favorite music video?
If I had to choose, My Chemical Romance’s Welcome to the Black Parade.
008. “It’s unexpected, but I actually like this song…” What song would that be?
Uh… Hibari Misora’s Aisansan.
009. What’s your favorite type of girl?
Someone who would let me be free.
010. What gesture by the opposite sex startles you?
I wonder what. Simple, normal body touches, for example.
011. Who is the biggest eater among the band members?
Uh… Tomoya.
012. Who is the most selfish among the band members?
Me.
013. Who is the most easily moved to tears among the band members?
Hmm… Tomoya.
014. Who’s got the most fashion sense1?
The most fashion sense… Either me or Ryota.
015. Which bandmate’s bad habit would you want to correct?
Ryota’s habit of immediately sitting on top of people’s belongings.
016. Of the band members, who’s got the worst drunken behavior?
No one really, but I guess maybe Ryota if he got really drunk.
017. What peculiar behavior has a band member displayed recently?
It’s more like Ryota’s always weird, so I wouldn’t say “recently.”
018. Of the band members, who’s the most popular with the girls?
Everyone’s a different type… It’s probably Toru, as expected.
019. What side of a band member have you thought is cool recently?
Toru’s become abnormally nice since turning 30. I feel that sort of coolness of having become an adult from him.
020. When do you feel that you are glad these are your band members?
When we always share the same feelings during times of difficulty or in times of happiness.
021. If you were to represent ONE OK ROCK as a color?
Purple and gold. Gold in the sense that we want to shine like light, and purple because in general we’re always frustrated.
022. What would you want to be if you were to be reborn?
I’d like to be myself again.
023. Which band member would you want to be reborn as?
Tomoya! He’s seemingly really similar to me but has the opposite personality. I’d like to feel what it’s like to have that level of concentration where you can be so immersed in one thing.
024. If you were to change your part, which would you want to try?
Drummer.
025. I can’t imagine living without this! What would that be?
As expected, I guess that would be music.
026. If you were to liken yourself to an animal?
Liken myself to an animal… A monkey!
027. If you could become invisible for just an hour, what would you do?
If you’re invisible then that means you’d give yourself away if you wore clothes, right? Then I guess I’d walk outside naked.
028. If OOR were to hold a festival, who would you invite first?
We played together at Tokyo Dome too, but rather than “the very first,” I guess bands like coldrain, Crossfaith, or SiM… We’re close so I guess those guys first.
029. If the world were to be destroyed tomorrow, what would you do?
Search out the people whom I need to tell “thank you” and “I love you,” and then in the end, I’d like to die after eating miso soup, white rice, and pickled vegetables2.
030. What if your child told you they wanted to do music in a band?
I’d keep them away from it.3
031. Dogs or cats?
Dogs.
032. Rice or bread?
Rice.
033. Bamboo shoots or mushrooms?
Bamboo shoots.
034. If you were to go out, would you go to the mountains or the ocean?
Hmm… Mountains.
035. If you were to go on a trip, would you go to a southern country or go see the aurora?
Southern country.
036. Soba or udon?
Soba.
037. What do you like in your onigiri?
Umm… Kombu.4
038. Do you prefer red or white wine?
I like both… Maybe red?
039. On the airplane, are you the type who sleeps or watches movies?
I watch movies.
040. Are you the type who wants to take the lead or do you want to be spoiled?
It depends on the timing and situation, but I guess I’d want to take the lead.
041. What was the first CD you bought?
hide’s Pink Spider.
042. What was the song of your youth during your school days?
Umm… Ryoko Shinohara’s Itoshisa to Setsunasa to Kokorozuyosa to. Yeah, I really liked that.
043. What song has gotten you through tough times the most?
Umm, Mr. Children’s Tomorrow never knows.
044. What song do you want to listen to when you’re heartbroken?
Yuki no Hana. The one by Mika Nakashima.
045. What’s one song you’d want to listen to on Valentine’s Day?
Valentine’s Day, right? I don’t know why but maybe something like Last Christmas.
046. What’s your specialty song during karaoke?
Hanaregumi’s Shinkokyuu.
047. When do melodies and lyrics come to you?
No specific time, really. Kind of like always and at any time. Yeah.
048. English or Japanese lyrics, which is easier to write?
Definitely Japanese.
049. Which Western song has influenced you?
The first Western song I ever covered was by Good Charlotte, so I guess a song by Good Charlotte.
050. What song do you recommend the most right now?
Just one song, right? Then I guess ONE OK ROCK’s song called Wasted Nights. Yeah.
051. What would you like to ask fans?
What I’d want to ask fans? “What do you think of ONE OK ROCK?”
052. What club activities did you do during your school days?
I was in the soccer club.
053. How many Metallica shirts do you have?5
I probably have about 30.
054. What are you no longer able to do like before now that you’ve turned 30?
There’s a lot of things. I threw out my back for the first time. That really surprised me.
055. What’s the secret to singing ONE OK ROCK songs during karaoke?
Have fun, I’d say.
056. Is there anything that you can’t let go of or throw away?
I don’t think there’s anything. I throw away a lot of things.
057. If you were to cook for the band members, what would you make?
I think I often make hot pot, as can be expected, since it’s simple.
058. When you’re overseas, what do you think is good about Japan?6
The food is really good. And I also realize how amazing a country Japan is.
059. Tell us one thing you’re proud of about your hometown.
I guess the fact that a 5-minute walk from home and you’re in the city.
060. Make an acrostic from “MTV.”
M: Matomari ga aru you de (seems to be coherent)
T: Chitto mo nai (but isn’t in the least)
V: Violence rocker
How’s that?
061. What do you hold dear when doing band activities?
Conversely, I think about ONE OK ROCK and all the people involved.
062. Are there any artists you’re good friends with?
Shibuya from SUPER BEAVER, so like Buyan… Masato7… They’re the ones I see most often. Yeah.
063. What is your treasure?
I guess this voice that I received from my parents.
064. What are you most curious about recently?
Will the album sell well? I suppose I’m curious about that.
065. What’s the most expensive thing you recently purchased?
Furniture! A desk.
066. What movie have you watched recently that moved8 you?
Bohemian Rhapsody.
067. What’s your favorite motto?
Be true to yourself.
068. Do you have any special skills or tricks?
My hands are abnormally flexible. They’re so soft and pliable. Really flexible… They even go to the side.9
069. Tell us the meaning of the tattoo on your arm.
This is a quote from Mother Teresa:
Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words because they will become actions. Watch your actions for they become habits. Watch your habits they become your character and finally watch your character because it will ultimately become your destiny.10
When I saw this quote, I intuitively thought it was great.
070. What is “ONE OK ROCK” to you?
Umm… A place where I can grow.
071. What is the concept of the new album?
It’s pretty timely with Bohemian Rhapsody right now, but even before the movie was announced, Queen was a theme, and also things like Disney and musicals.
072. Which is your favorite song on the new album?
My favorite… I guess it would be Wasted Nights.11
073. What’s something that was difficult during the recording of the new album?
As usual, I really struggled with the recording of the vocals.
074. What’s the meaning behind the cover art of Eye of the Storm?
I felt something that was close to ONE OK ROCK’s current situation from his12 art. It’s shiny but also has some roughness to it. I thought his art really matched with the beginning of our second chapter so I sent him an offer and had him draw it for us.
075. Do you discuss the cover art with the band members every time and then decide on it?
This was entirely my own judgement and bias. I was the one who decided it.13
076. Tell us the feelings you put into “Stand Out Fit In.”
Since moving our base to America, I’ve studied the various differences that as Asians we perceive. It’s my wish to have those differences expressed not in a negative way, but it would be nice if they could become positive, and the theme is to value your individuality.
077. What’s your favorite phrase from the new album?
“With my head high, my~”14 probably.
078. If you were to represent the new album with a single kanji character?
動 (dou; motion). “Ugoku” (to move).
079. In what situation do you want people to listen to the album?
I’d want people listen to it with the volume turned up.
080. Is there a city you can’t wait to go on tour at?
Each place is unique so I’m looking forward to all of them.
081. Which band do you want to perform with the most right now?15
Maroon 5. Their concerts are really cool.
082. Up until now, which artist’s concert has left the biggest impression on you?
I remember being really moved when I saw RADWIMPS on a certain tour.
083. Which of your concerts has left the most impact on you?
For better or worse, the first time we went to America on Warped Tour and there were only about four people in the audience… That really left an impression.
084. Is there anything you are particular about regarding the stage production?
We search the best we can for the best way to make the songs we created and the band to look cool.
085. Is there a song that gets you pumped up when you sing it live?
You know, it’s kind of half and half. There are parts where I have to hold back or where I have kick it up a notch so it’s possible that I might not actually be pumped up.
086. How do you decide the color of your mic?
It depends on my mood at the time.
087. What was your most embarrassing moment during a concert?
This always happens, but it’s pretty embarrassing that it’s always the lyrics to the new songs that I mess up on.
088. What do you think is different when performing overseas compared to Japan?
Definitely the audience. Also the atmosphere of the place. Japanese audiences are quiet and it’s quite apparent that they’ve come to listen. Overseas, I get the strong feeling that it’s more like they’ve come to let loose.
089. What is necessary to surpass Japan and fight on the world stage?
Hmm… I wonder what it could be. Confidence, motivation, and perseverance.
090. What country do you want to try holding a concert at?
We’ve surprisingly not yet been to Spain. I want to go to Spain.
091. What’s your aspiration for this year16?
Eh… I want to become the eye of the storm.
092. What are you looking forward to in 2019?
We’ll once again be able to see ONE OK ROCK fans from around the world on our world tour, so I’m really looking forward to that.
093. What’s something you want to try challenging as the four members of ONE OK ROCK?
To become stronger than before as ONE OK ROCK.
094. What music genre do you want to try challenging?
Eh? Rap. No, t-that could be a lie.
095. What do you want the most right now?
Unlimited stamina.
096. What will you be doing 10 years from now?
Well, it could be that we slow down on our band activities a bit.17
097. What do you want to eat for your last supper?
White rice, miso soup, and pickled vegetables.
098. What project do you want to try out on MTV?
I want to do something that you wouldn’t be able to broadcast.
099. What’s your prediction for the name of the new imperial era?
Written as 建てる (tateru) and 和 (wa), “健和 (kenwa).” Either that or 健安 (kenan). “安 (an)” as in “安心 (anshin),” either of the two, I think.18
100. Tell us what your dream from now on is.
Umm… As always, we’ll continue to hungrily keep at it. Yeah.
