Hideaki Takizawa in Las Vegas

The 10 first of june 2006, he was the boss during 2 months and even if the show is almost over, Takizawa Hideaki visits Las Vegas to study shows though his days are really beasy. Looking towards the future, he found new motivations everywhere in this city full of shows. This is a two days report on Takizawa Hideaki who started to work on "One! -the history of Tackey-".

9.30AM.
To do the make-up and dressing for the shooting he has to go to the first floor of the hotel. To the appointed hour Takizawa arrives. An orange juice in one hand, while listening to the staff who explain the program of the shootings of the day, he nods the head. During the make-up which started right away, he talks about his impressions on the show he saw the previous night, "KA". He also talks about the mistakes in his show's dialogues and other parts. "You can't do anything against mistakes. The problem is how you deal with it later." The day before he also went to shops of magic with Juniors. "The Juniors were amazed i was touched" he says with the look of a big brother. He also bought some material of magic. "In the show this time it is like "he is doing magic !", the truth is that it is a magic table... what is that (laugh)". After laughing, he speaks of magic with passion.

"Once, there was a time when i announced on stage the many magic tricks that i was supposed to do but there were a lot of reactions like "You should rather dance or talk !". (laugh) Of course, the concerts where i sing, danse and talk are very funny too but i want to show something special. How to say this... What you call fantasy. I have liked Disneyland's atmosphere for a long time, the moment when you step into the fair, the total change relatively to the every day life, i like this atmosphere. This is why i want to make people feel this kind of atmosphere that is different from the ordinary in my show too."
The make-up and dressing are over, the photoshoot starts in the main street of Las Vegas. Without saying it we know that Las Vegas is the centre of entertainment. The originality shows up on the fronts, each hotel has a theater and a concept of their own, the tourists from all over the world visiting the city come here to watch the shows every night.

"It's the third or fourth time that i come to Las vegas. When i come here it makes me think that this is an amazing town. Especially when you have a job like mine, you get a lot of stimuation for achieving a show. Having a private theater that matches the content of the show, that is great. Since the theatre was done for the show only, the installations, the length of the stage, the decoration of the entry, everything until the curtains open is matched to the subject of the show."

The point of view of Takizawa on the show is different from the one of people in general. He doesn't watch the content but watching the parts concerning the lights, the installations, the structure of the theater, all of this, more than anything else, becomes learning. "Even in a show where the content is severly criticized, when i see it, there are many things to learn. I really think that one day it would be good to do a "Johnny's Theater"." says Takizawa.
We ask him : "Not a Takizawa Theater ?"
And he answers : "It's not for me yet" and laughs.
While we walk in the city of Las Vegas he whispers : "One day, i'd like to have a house in Las Vegas".

"When i'm visiting this town, it always stimualtes me. And i love being stimulated more than anything else" he says.
"The first time that i went to Las Vegas, i was first surprised by the flashiness of the lightings. In Japan when it's 11PM, the lights of the town disappear little by little whereas in Las Vegas there is this atmosphere that seems to say "It starts now !". I love this environment, there is always vivacity, it's energetic. Las Vegas is famous for its casinos but even I, who go to see a lot of shows and don't go the casinos, have enough fun. ...that's it, it's a city that looks like a video game center for adults."
During the photoshoot the rain that was falling doesn't stop. He takes a break at noon in a japanese restaurant in a place a little away from town. After asking for some Tenzaru soba, he doesn't forget to order the soft shrimps and the crab sushi that he adores. There he talks with the staff from the photoshoot of what he has done when he was in Hawaii in private just before coming to Las Vegas. This time the first day he arrived in Las Vegas, in order to get rid of the jet lag, the staff brought him to the rollercoaster. And two times one after the other.

"I love rollercoasters so it's ok but Kawai (from ABC) hate that, he resisted frantically. i wanted to give him some courage so he got in half forcibly"

In Hawaii, he also tried sky diving. He started saying : "It's not frightening at all. It's a really really good feeling. That's it, on the day off, i want to do sky-diving in Vegas !", and then to the staff who really dislike the rollercoaster he added with a mischievous face : "Let's have a ride !" (As a sequel, during the day off along with several juniors, he dashed in a several types of rollercoaster tour. Within the members he took with him, the rumor says that Kawai was also there.)
As the meal finishes the rain takes a lull too, we get into the bus, to go to the next photographing spot. In the moving car he doesn't take a nap, nothing but watching the scenery throught the windows as if he was eating into it. Saying "what is this ?" or "i want to go there". His interest of Vegas hasn't ran out.
"About foreign countries, when you go there the first time you want to go back again at once. I was really happy to be able to come to Vegas just after my trip to Hawaii. But before, i tried it in a tv show "0 night 5 days world travel". That, i don't want to do it again (laughs). In the middle the staff was about to collapse, it was a really hard trip. This time, since the main purpose is to learn by watching shows, body and soul are at ease."
The place of the shooting, "Neon Boneyard" couldn't be used, but the neon board with a good feeling were gathered in a facility. While getting off the bus he says "it's a good place", he got into the mood really quickly.
At that moment getting with the Juniors, at once it became a lively scene. The fact that they just co-played in "Takizawa Enbujou", and the strength of the gentle mood that Takizawa carries, brings a harmonious atmosphere to the scene. Kawai brought a video camera, and a private movie is being filmed here and there, and directing it minutely like a real director is Takizawa. When he's not doing the photographing, he takes the camera of Kawai and says to Tsukada "express your feelings with a backward somersault ! you have to show this loose mood." and other absurd pretense. "Loose backward somersault ? ok !" says Tsukada answering Takizawa's request, the communication with his sempai being so enjoyable. While asking "Let's jump with the ABC and take a pic at that time !", actually he was the only one not jumping... etc... Takizawa the prank kid. While checking the monitor of the digital camera seeing them so happy and laughing is really pleasant.
Then the juniors started taking two shots pics with Takizawa. "Wa~ taking a pic with Takizawa. It's the dream inside the dream !" They were all somewhat excited. For them Takizawa is someone above the clouds. Watching them being openly happy Takizawa smiled feeling a little awkward.
Watching the cameraman taking pics of the juniors, concerning still photographing, he speaks again of his secret aspirations.
"When i was young, i hated to be taken on photo. To act in a drama or in a show, or to sing a song in a music show i could understand all that but i didn't know what to express on pictures. Lately i became accustomed to it. I want to have a photobook someday. The place of the shooting, the cameraman, the stylist, hair make, design, content... a photobook where i would decide for everything."

Part 1 ./. Part 2 ./. Part 3 ./. Part 4

photos © masakiaiba.net
©2006 mabo