10 of the nicest celebrities we’ve met in Japan over the years
Who wowed our reporters the most with sheer friendliness?
Our website has been around for quite a while now, and over the years we’ve even had the opportunity to rub shoulders with famous movie stars and musicians from time to time. Considering we’re known for behavior that some may deem “gross” or “indecent,” it wouldn’t be too shocking if they treated us like the schlubs we admittedly are, but there have been a few who really seemed to shine as genuinely good people.
So, our Japanese language writers would now like to take a moment and give credit where credit’s due to the famous people from Japan, as well as famous people from abroad who visited Japan, who really made a positive impact on us.
When it comes to celebrity interviews, P.K. Sanjun is usually our frontline reporter. As such, he’s met the likes of Will Smith, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Tom Holland, to name a few. But here are the people who made the biggest impression on him.
● Chris Pratt
I’ve interviewed a lot of Hollywood actors, and they’ve all been really nice. I sort of think you need to be in order to make it out there.
But among them, Chris Pratt stood out as a super nice person. When I finished my interview, I was just sitting there feeling awkward, but he took the initiative and said, “Hey! Let’s take a photo together!” It was a god-tier gesture and made me fall in love with the guy.
● Maximum the Ryo-kun
He’s a very private person. You could even say he’s mysterious, and very artistic too. But he’s also an absolute legend and totally down to earth when you talk to him. So much so that I found myself wondering, “Does a celebrity like this actually exist?”
The rest of the band [that he’s in, Maximum the Hormone], were great too. Nao-chan immediately snapped a picture after Ryo-kun shaved my eyebrows. Even though it’d been years since I last interviewed them, Daisuke-kun greeted me with a friendly “Long time no see!”
Of course, Ue-chan, who shyly chatted with me about kendama, was wonderful too. In short, Maximum the Hormone aren’t just great because of their music. They’re a class act as well.
If I ever get another chance to meet Ryo-kun, I want to ask him why he loves [’80s Japanese rock band] Lindberg so much.
Mr. Sato’s been known to do a few interviews in his days as well, including none other than Santa Claus. But what big names managed to out-nice even Ol’ Saint Nick for our star reporter?
● Cunning Takeyama
I’ve met the famous Japanese comedian Cunning Takeyama a few times now, and every time his genuine kindness shines through. His work often involves interacting with the general public in TV segments, so he seems to make a conscious effort to make people feel at ease. That gentle, approachable character he shows the moment he meets someone is something that I aspire to emulate as an adult.
● Shinichiro Azumi
I’ve been invited on his TBS radio show Nichiyo Tengoku a few times. Even though it’s a live broadcast, he went out of his way to look after me because of my lack of experience in this setting. He has a way of completely managing the flow of conversation but never lets it show by drawing stories out of me naturally. It’s the mark of a true professional and made a strong impression on me in the way I could relax and have a natural conversation with him.
You don’t often see Yoshio interviewing famous people, unless it involves a money-making scheme, but he’s often behind the camera at these meet-ups and has interacted with plenty of famous people as well. Here’s who made the biggest impact on him.
● Matt Damon
I was a photographer at an interview with him during the release of Jason Bourne. He might be a world-famous actor, but he didn’t act like it at all and answered every question from P.K. with sincerity. I’ve been present for a lot of celebrity interviews, but Matt Damon was the nicest of them all. It really took me aback how humble someone of his stature could be. He was just a very cool guy.
● Yumi Adachi
I was the photographer when Seiji interviewed her while pretending to be Yngwie Malmsteen. I always thought she had a very elegant fashion sense and way of life, so I was intimidated to meet her, but she turned out to be incredibly friendly and cheerful, exactly like she is on television. While we were standing around waiting, she noticed I had the latest iPhone at the time and said, ‘Wow, it’s got three lenses!” I still have and cherish that phone to this day.
▼ Yumi Adachi and Yngwie Malmsteen (Seiji Nakazawa)
The interviews where Seiji Nakazawa pretended to be Yngwie Malmsteen in an effort to join famous people’s musical projects were always dicey ones. They rarely ended up being actual interviews, and the famous people involved would have had every right to chew us out for making a mockery of the whole process. But it’s also a chance for celebrities to really show how easy-going they can be, as Ahironeko recalls.
● Non
This was our very first Yngwie project, and I was the photographer. The awkward tension in the air was so thick both for us and the people on her side. None of us really knew what was going on.
Considering that, it wouldn’t have been a surprise if she just snapped at us with, “Excuse me… What the hell are you doing?” But she was all smiles the whole time. A true goddess.
Takashi Furusawa is a newer addition to our staff and hasn’t been to as many interviews as the others. But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t had his own brushes with greatness.
● Miki Narahashi
Miki Narahashi is best known as the voice of Misae Nohara in the long-running hit Crayon Shinchan.
But for me, she was also my senpai when I was at voice acting school. I still clearly remember how she always looked out for me, giving me advice and kind encouragement when I had problems.
It was a true honor to have studied under her for two years, and I still cherish that experience to this day.
▼ Nararhashi has played the mother of Shin-chan for the entire run of the series.
As Takashi mentioned, not all of our celebrity encounters come from interviews. Many of our writers have also appeared on TV and radio over the years, where they’ve bumped into famous faces. Go Hatori has a few memories along those lines too.
● Kuroda
I met Kuroda, from the comedy duo Messenger, when we appeared together on a TV show in Osaka in 2014 and I was asked to talk as a spam email expert. I was so nervous that my legs were shaking uncontrollably, but he kept tossing out these perfectly timed, light-hearted jokes that completely eased my tension. He had a way of making everything I said funny and was just a truly kind and thoughtful person. I’m filled with both gratitude and admiration for him.
● First Summer Uika
I met First Summer Uika (a singer, actress, and media personality) while doing voice acting and on some TV sets. She was always very approachable and easy to talk to. It left a big impression on me! One time she even came all the way from her dressing room to where I was working to say hi. I’m such a big fan of hers now that I even have an acrylic standee of her on my desk. I even have a T-shirt with her on it that I’ve kept secret until now.
This certainly isn’t an exhaustive list, but 10 is a nice round number and lets the real cream of the crop rise to the top.
So, if you’re a mega-famous, internationally known movie star, musician, and/or athlete, please apply to have us interview you, and you may just be one of the lucky few to make a future nicest-ever list. Please submit your applications in an orderly fashion, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
Photos ©SoraNews24
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