ROCKIN' ON JAPAN 2007.05 (Interview)

Interview translated by Teo, from half-banana.

Introduction

The interview started with the interviewer, Komatsu Kaori (小松香里) asking YUI what is her date and place of birth.

She was born in 26th of March, 1987 (or Showa '62), in a town named Koga (古賀). Her family moved to Shinguu (新宮町) before she entered primary school.

YUI can't remember what was the very first memory she had in this world, but she remembers that when she grew slightly older, she caught a little wild boar by mistake. Taking a bug catching net, little YUI saw a puppy-ish animal along the river. She went near the animal and 'bashhh' captured it. She realised that it was a little wild boar after she brought it back. YUI thinks that not many kids managed to capture a wild boar, hence it was a very precious experience.

Another naughty incident by little YUI will be running away from home for the first time. Her grandmother stays very near, so little YUI stuffed a lot of sweets in a backpack, and left her house after saying "itte kima-su!", riding on a tricycle. Some old woman spotted her in front of a supermarket, and questioned YUI's mother. Her mom replied:" I saw it, it seems dangerous." Which means that little YUI was riding uphill, and a lot of big trucks coming downhill. It seemed that back then she was riding towards the wrong direction, used the opposite lane instead. YUI herself admitted she was really naughty back then. She just wanna try how it feels like running away from home without knowing that it is actually a sad thing.

Family.

The interviewer asked whether YUI went to her grandma's house frequently or not.

She answered yes, her grandma has a dog, sometimes YUI will take it for a walk or something. It's name is Gonta, she named it from a commercial song back then.

Family members.

Her family consist of her mom and YUI only. As for her father, he was not around anymore (NOTE: Doesn't mean that he was *ahem*, just...not around ) when YUI was roughly 3 years old. That's why when she moved to Shinguu there were only 2 of them.

Her father.

She doesn't really remember anything about him because she was only 3, not even his face nor voice. On the other hand she was kinda curious what kind of person he is, or whether he is cool/ handsome. It seems that her father likes to sing, her mom too but her mom is kinda shy singing in front of people. YUI said that she never heard of her father's singing voice but she thinks that she kinda inherited his 'loves to sing' gene.

When she started to sing.

YUI said that she started to sing after she realised that she likes to listen to songs. She prefers listening, hence she will remember the song, and sing it out naturally. Yea, by nature (Teo doesn't know how to explain lol). When she was small, she will imagine the scenes based on the lyrics she heard, just like everybody else. From example the song 'Sotsugyou Shasshin' (Graduation Picture) by Matsutoya Yumi, even she was still a little girl, she was able to picture the scene in a classroom with desks, in a sunset, things like that. Mainly because that she listened to it quite often.

YUI's impression of her mother when she was small.

YUI said that since her father is not around anymore, her mom always busy working and seldom around at home. YUI always eat alone adequately (?), nothing special. Something like spaghetti, YUI (I think) will buy these inexpensive stuff and 'cincai' make her own meal (laughs). She will even eat the cabbage in it's entirety (imagining YUI eating a BIG uncooked cabbage while watching TV...).

Speaking of cabbages, when YUI was small, as she was eating the whole cabbage, till the end some broccoli looking thing 'appeared' (I think she means the pith). "Ah there's broccoli inside the cabbage!" YUI: I mistaken it back then (laughs). I was too surprised, "ah it tastes even better! WOW!" as if I discovered something really big. But now think about it, broccoli and cabbage are 2 different things, I was wrong. Even myself made such weird assumptions.

Because of the busyness, YUI also never have the chance to have a vacation.

When she was asked whether she will envy her friends when they told her about their trips, she thinks that as a kid, there must be some 'jealousy' going on. However, if she tells her parent about it, they might feel sad about it. As a child, somehow she knew that she should not say such things, that's why she never mention about it.

Another 'famous' question, her dream when she was in kindergarten

When YUI became secondary school student, she saw her picture book when she was back in nursery school. Everyone's hand prints, plus her own hand print which printed during her birthday. "I missed the time in nursery school~" and brought back all the memories. In the [My dream] section, other girls wrote "Wanted to be a florist" "I want to open a bakery".

But little YUI wrote "I wanted to be that uncle who sells Takoyaki." The people who bakes and sells takoyaki in a van or something. The secondary school YUI wondered what's wrong with little YUI since she can't be a boy and laughed about it. (this is getting confusing)

Then dear YUI changes the subject. YUI: When I was small, I once told my mom "Give me an elder brother" before too (laughs). It's completely impossible yet I didn't really get it back then. It's should be alright if I put 'I wanted to be takoyaki seller', but why I added 'Uncle" in it instead? (laughs) Maybe it was because I saw some uncle making takoyaki alone all the time, kept on making it, all alone, to make us delicious takoyakis. He seems lonely, maybe I included 'uncle' it's because that I had the urge to help him. I really wanna know why I wrote this too (laughs).

What else YUI asked besides asking her mom to give her an elder brother.

YUI: We were watching TV, and there was Sumo wrestling going on. I was really small back then, when I saw the Sumo wrestler, I remembered that I asked "Will milk come out from those boobs?" (laughs) I have said something extraordinary isn't it.“明明是男人，爲什麽？” ("He is a guy, but why?"), that's what I thought back then. Like any other parents, I think they just gave normal answers. I find it very funny about it now I thought about it, seems surreal. "Nah, I don't think that milk will come out from those boobs." They said something like that (laughs).

おっぱい (oppai) normally used by kids to refer breasts (yes I checked dictionary LOL). I kinda 'want' to hear YUI says that word LOL, someday *Runs away*

Primary School

Asked YUI whether she likes study or not back then.

YUI answered that she was not really good in studies, she prefers making things, that's why she likes art classes, where she can make things and draws stuff. She thought of being an artist/ painter back then too simply because that she likes to draw. Sceneries, looking at animals or anything and draw it. When she's free, somehow she will bring around pencil and starts to draw.