Ridiculous Question

[imthelonely-one.livejournal.com]

I know the boys used to say they still ride the train, etc. But do they still? I mean, Ohno said in Hanamaru Cafe that he's never had a problem with girls following or bothering him (which made him a little sad), but that was a few years ago.

Nino DID say fairly recently (last year, I think?) that he still takes the train, and when the interviewer asked if girls approach him, he said they DO but he doesn't have a problem with it. "Are you Nino?" "Yeah, I am. What are you going to do about it?"

Surely with them becoming more popular, it might be a problem now? I know it's happened with HSJ, crazy fangirls harassing and stalking the members, etc. I'd hate for anything like that to happen to them. I think it's fine to approach them politely, but sadly a lot of girls don't seem to be able to do that.

Anyways, do you think they've stopped taking it already?

Comments

[ida-lawliet.livejournal.com]

I've wondered the same thing. I hope they do, so I can accidentally bump in to Aiba on my way to school. *-*

Seriously though, I have no idea if they still do. So I guess this was quite an useless comment. XD

[imthelonely-one.livejournal.com]

No no, it's fine! I meant for this to be sort of a discussion in any case. It's fine if you don't actually know the answer! I hope so too! It would be awesome to be on the same train as one of them.

[(Anonymous)]

My friend (who has no real interest in Arashi aside from variety shows) have said that she has seen Nino on the train a couple of times but he always had a hat on and music on or would be playing games so she just kindly tries not to stare too hard at him. Personally, I have never seen him on the train though.

[imthelonely-one.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think Leader is the only one that doesn't wear hats/glasses to disguise himself. That's pretty awesome though, she lives in Tokyo, I guess? And yeah, he seems the type to play his DS on the train.

[dilimanista.livejournal.com]

Seriously? Kyaaaaa. That's two in a million shot. I would be happy just to see him in person. Ü

[cassyclim8.livejournal.com]

wow your friend saw him not only once but a couple of times!!

[swtlilazngrl21.livejournal.com]

they still do. i don't think it's all the time though, but every now and then they do. my sister saw aiba at station when she was transferring, and one of my friends said her boyfriend saw jun on a train on his way to work. both these occasions were in the end of 2009. :D

most of the time their work starts from early in the morning and ends until late at night, so i'm pretty sure they are driven in cars on those occasions. but i think when the trains aren't that crowded, there is a definite possibility you can bump into them. :)

hope that helps!

[imthelonely-one.livejournal.com]

The chances are far too slim anyways! I don't want to stalk them or anything, but it's nice to dream of a meeting by chance, you know?

[ohsyojdub.livejournal.com]

For that alone, I'd be happy to live in Japan. XD

[schweetmisery.livejournal.com]

Ditto~

[swtlilazngrl21.livejournal.com]

okay, it is confirmed. they do take trains still because i'm pretty sure i saw nino today on one lol.

[imthelonely-one.livejournal.com]

NO WAY! what train? i don't want to sound super creepy, but it was in tokyo, right? DETAILS PLEASE!

[swtlilazngrl21.livejournal.com]

haha well i don't want to give too many details away because there are a lot of stalkers out there lol. but yeah it was in tokyo and during the middle of the day so the train wasn't too crowded. i could see him clearly sitting across from me. XD at first i didn't think it was him, i was doubting myself thinking "nooo, it couldn't be" because his face was kind of hidden behind his hat and glasses. but then i started watching him and his mannerisms and there's no way i could have been mistaken. it was him. and this wasn't like i just saw him for a second, i was trying to figure out if it was him for like 20 min lol.

he was very much into his video game hahaha of course. he wasn't really wearing anything flashy so he didn't stand out and that's probably why no one noticed. we even got off at the same stop and the way he walked resembled nino. he was very thin and not too tall so i'm pretty sure it was him. he walks pretty fast though! he was either in a hurry or he didn't want anyone to notice him lol. but it was kind of cute though because on the way up the stairs he kind of tripped a little. it made me smile. :) oh nino. lol

they are normal! they take the train! hahah.

[imthelonely-one.livejournal.com]

AWW that's great! no one else seemed to notice? btw is there a difference between the train and subway in tokyo? i don't live there so i'm not sure.. i find the whole thing really confusing, and i'm moving there soon for school. :(

[swtlilazngrl21.livejournal.com]

yeah no one noticed. i think because on the train, no one really looks at each other's faces. and usually i fall asleep like everyone else while commuting. but i definitely had to double take today because i had to know if it was him for sure. also he was really covered up, with the hat and glasses and all, and he had a big puffy jacket on, i mean it is winter after all. i just wish i had enough courage to go up and ask him if it was him so i could talk to him haha. but i didn't want him to think i was crazy so i left it at that lol.

and yeah there's a difference between the train and subway. i usually say the train for both unless someone asks me specifically, but then i usually say metro (subway) or JR (train). metro lines are underground and JR lines have platforms that are outside. but they all pretty much connect to each other and at times you use both to get to your destination. so i guess that's where it can get confusing.

[kegom.livejournal.com]

You know I've wondered about the whole "fangirls harrassing them at the train station" thing too. I always assumed that they were still taking the train occasionally, because the members of V6 (who're three years their seniors) also do; but then V6 have always been more or less low-key (they're popular, but I don't think their faces and names are as widely known as Arashi's today) while Arashi's had that huge rise in popularity in the last two years, so things might be different for them. Especially since I've also heard about bands (not Johnny's, but I live in a city with a few fairly well-known teenie-idol bands) being harrassed and stalked and stuff.

I wonder though, whether Arashi's fanbase might act (and react) differently than those of HSJ (or other teenie bands)? After all, the articles on their popularity always mention how people of all ages are their fans, while I would guess that HSJ mostly has fans who're roughly their age. (Not that they don't have older or younger fans, of course, but they seem to be pitched more towards the teenie-market than other age-groups.) The HSJ fanbase on general might have less restraint towards their idols both because they're young (and the frontal cortex isn't as fully developed yet, which leads to injudicious decisions, or so my professor for mental development tells me) and because their idol group is around their own age, which makes approaching them easier. (Arashi are, after all, in their twenties and might be approached with more respect by younger fans.)

[aegistheia.livejournal.com]

Great observation! I was thing the same of the fanbase composition as well. (To be fair, the prefrontal cortex isn't really developed until mid-twenties, so a majority of Arashi's fans would also fall into that category, or so my prof tells me too :D)

That, or they respect Arashi differently.

Arashi do mention male harassers, though... XD (E-even if it was a few years ago, it was still A+++ LOL.)

[sallyteukie.livejournal.com]

I have nothing to say since i am not living in JAPAN , rofl.
But I do have this question in mind thank you for asking.

[godsgirl7.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure most of them drive these days. Like, I think a lot of times they're picked up in a company vehicle for work, and they have their own cars for the rest of the time, except for Ohno, probably, who, last I heard still doesn't have his license. XD

[(Anonymous)]

Its not that recent, But from Nino's Nikki Or Jun's Journal entries
I remember reading about them commenting on that fans should
be more graceful in the trains after concerts. So i guess they take trains
too, since they were able to comment about that.
But talking about recent, maybe not that often?

[(Anonymous)]

i think this was from that incident when they had their concert in nagoya and they took the train going back,,, fans became uncontrollable and nino and jun expressed their disappointment... so after that i guess fans learned their lesson

[shokim.livejournal.com]

I was very disappointed with the fans after the recent Nagoya concert as well. [attended Day 1]

The fans were pushing those of us who were already in a jam-packed train and it was horrifying peak hour traffic on a Saturday night @11pm!! Uncontrollable is an understatement!

Many of them were Taiwanese and Mainland Chinese fans who should learn to behave!! (train driver saw my distressed face through the glass from behind his controls...) >___<'

[ladynakuru.livejournal.com]

TOTALLY not answering the question, but I truly laughed out loud when I read Nino's reply. HAHAHAHAHAHAH Cheeky little boy. XD

But idk about fangirls harassing them, but for some reason, I have this image that Arashi fangirls aren't really INTENSE. Like, we'd totally fawn on them, but we'd respect them enough to know when to stop? Idk why, but that's just the image I have hahaha

[(Anonymous)]

Just wanted to throw it out there... in Japan, there are really, really intense fans. Some are so possessive that Johnny even knows them by name, and deals with them directly. There's a reason why Johnny has a "no-dating" policy (at least in the public eye) for his boys.

[ladynakuru.livejournal.com]

Not only in Japan..heard of some really awkward Korean fans

[imthelonely-one.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know. It's like, there are less of them there, but they're crazier. Why do you think they have a no dating policy? For the safety of the boys/their girlfriends? I guess I can imagine some crazed fan finding out Jun had a girlfriend and beating her up or something.

[cassyclim8.livejournal.com]

lol that comment of Nino made me laugh too! i can just imagine him.

[ashmauve.livejournal.com]

hmmm its kinda weird, i think arashi take trains quite often, esp ohno lol. but ive seldom heard abt them being harassed by fans. but koreans are crazy, some even wait outside their company just to see em once, alright stalkers lol.
but i wonder why huge grp of fans seldom chase arashi arnd, lol thou its troublesome, but i secretly hope ppl notice them since theyre so popular now hahaha. so they'll have the SUPER IDOL image. hahaha

[imthelonely-one.livejournal.com]

i wonder why korean fans are so crazy? im sure not all of them are, but they sure have a bad reputation.

[lovestormbaby.livejournal.com]

i heard from my friend who is a tohoshinki fan that the korean fans would just sleep outside the houses even in winter!
i don't think japanese fans are that extreme since arashi members often say that fans often greet them like "double parka!" or "ah! it's nino" that kind of thing.
i wish i live in japan and have a chance to meet them >.

[tinshiee.livejournal.com]

im actually not a japanese citizen livng in japan or to make it short, i dont have any blood related japanese.. so i dont really have any "experiences" like your friends and you guys do! but it would be an honor.
for that question, its not ridiculous. cause i know many fangirls would be glad to see them personal. i mean in a train!!~ KYAAA!~
well, i guess when they're going to other places, they might take those trains (esp. in tokyo). but yes, if its a drama shoots that is always at morning, i think they use vans? just like some vids of them.

hope this helps.! :)

[scooter1203.livejournal.com]

This is a really interesting discussion. I'm so used to American stars and crazy, spooky fans that I would never have thought Arashi would be catching the trains since they're so popular! Must be a wonderful society to have people show that much respect and consideration for others.

[imthelonely-one.livejournal.com]

I agree, although it's like that in NYC too. I always see celebs on the street, and people know who they are but don't really approach/bother them, and if they do, it's almost always polite. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule, as I'm sure there are in Japan, too.

[dawnite.livejournal.com]

thx for posting this qns~ this was a interesting topic.
didn't expect ppl to be able to see them on trains~
well, like many have mentioned, i do agree that arashi fans are respectful to arashi:)
and im happy they take trains! if i could ever see them:D
happy birthday to sho-chan tomorrow!

[oviparous.livejournal.com]

while i am surprised that the boys still take trains, actually there may be some logical reasons:

1) i've never driven in tokyo before (heck, i don't have a licence at all) but i have taken taxis in tokyo. i would say driving in tokyo is a bitch because of all the traffic lights. even past midnight when the streets are quiet, you stop so frequently. it's frustrating.

2) people in japan are generally really environmentally-conscious, despite the number of people who smoke. (that said, smoking is often done in specified areas, so it's really controlled.) i would not put it past them to not drive because of carbon emissions.

3) trains generally move much faster than road traffic. the system really wins hands-down, so it may be an issue of "I want to get to my destination fast" vs "I want to get to my destination without people recognising me".

4) taxis are really more expensive than having your own car, so if you have your own car (which i presume they do) the psychology involved in taking a taxi may just discourage you from hopping on one.

5) normally it's their managers who pick them up from work, but i wouldn't be surprised if managers end work the same time as Arashi does, so it's just fair that the managers get to lead their own lives as well and stop driving Arashi around after-hours. they've got their rights too :P

[yaon1101.livejournal.com]

I agree with some of the comments about how most likely they do take trains once in a while and other time they drive (or are driven) around.
I actually did see Aiba on a train once. I was so surprised!!! It wasn't a packed train or anything and it was kind of funny because I was sitting right in front of him >< He was kind of disguised so I didn't bother him.(though I think he notice I recognized him :P) I was just happy I actually got to see him ^0^