SHINGO NO ITAZURA  1998

 

 

Since young, I love drawing both physically and spiritually.  I was definitely influenced by my parents.  My dad used to love drawing.  I was brought up looking through pictures my dad drew, instead of buying pictorials.  At home, I have lots of picture books of comic characters drew by my dad.  I loved flipping through this books back then.  My dad was good at it.  An art university once scouted him.  But at that time, he met my mum.  He gave up this dream and married her.

 

But my dad couldn’t leave the world of art, and he became a painting businessman.  Coz of his work, there were a lot of rare paintings lying around my house (laugh).  Among these drawings, there were some that I fell in love with and couldn’t let go (laugh).  My mum drew manga and wrote short stories too.  That’s why I thought I should have my own creation too.  It’s all in my DNA so I couldn’t help it (laugh).

 

Since primary school, my art results were good.  But I was different from the rest, and often made my teacher angry.  For example, I would paint the sky yellow.  My teacher told me that’s weird, and I rebutted that its not (laugh).  When I went home I told my dad what happened, and he said if I think it is yellow, it would be yellow.  However this teacher actually sent my drawing to the Yokohama museum for appraisal.

 

After I started this work, drawing became a hobby.  When I told the editor of “Wink Up” that I love drawing, he told me for the next photo session, to go to the back and draw something for him to see.  Hence for the next photo session, I went a few hours earlier to draw.  Though I already have a plan in mind, I spent a lot of time.  I felt touched when I finished it.  Now to think of it, that was my very first major project.  That was around 5 to 6 years ago. Then he told me he would like to publish my illustrations in “Wink Up”.  Really thank you very much.

 

This time round, I revisited the train I drew on 1 year ago.  It was for my SmapxSmap special.  The staff told me I could do anything I like, and asked me what I felt like doing.  I immediately answered, “To draw on something big, in addition the painting can be preserved for a long period”.  The staff even thought of drawing on an airplane.  However, airplane designs change frequently, and paintings on normal trains only last 2 to 3 years.  So we decided on Aomori’s subway train.

 

It was tough working with the local primary school kids.  Since the sxs staff couldn’t help, it was impossible to finish everything within 3 days, without combining forces with these kids.  Thus I sincerely requested them to help.  However, among them, there were people who refused to help (laugh).  I spent so much time thinking of the design, that I was told if I don’t start drawing soon, I wouldn’t have enough time (laugh).  We ran out of paint and had to go shop for it.  I spent a night in a sleeping bag on the train.  There are lots of memories.  I spent a lot of time on the kabuki face on the front of the train.  Yet the next morning the paint faded coz of the morning dew.  At that time I felt hopeless. 

 

After we wrote our names on the train and completed everything, I left for Tokyo without taking a good look at the train.  I kept thinking about it.  I wanted to see the train one more time.  That’s why I said I must come back and take pictures with it for this book.

 

I didn’t have the chance to tell my grandma about this book.

 

Grandma passed away in last year’s summer.  To me, she was a very very important person, a person that I liked very much.  She lived right beside my house.  When I was small, I went to her place to play frequently.  Whenever I said, “see you” before I left, she would grab my hand and said, “Shingo, it’s ok if you can’t do other things, but you must at least do your greetings properly yo”.  She always said this.  These words are engraved in my head and now I’m still following what she said.

 

Grandma looked forward to my “Wink Up” illustrations every month; she was more enthusiastic than anyone else.  At that very very last moment at the hospital, with her last breath, she said, “I want to see Shingo’s drawing”.  My dad went to all the nearby bookstores.  The latest “Wink Up” was available, but those with my illustrations were sold out.  Grandma’s last wish was not granted, and she left.

 

At that time, I was at Aomori drawing on the train.  When I was drawing “Dream”, somehow I started thinking of grandma.  “Grandma told me she loves my drawings.  Wonder how’s her health condition now.”  After this I got to know the time when grandma left was exactly at this moment.

 

The next day after I finished shooting I flew back.  After I arrived at Haneda, I called home.  My dad went, “Come home immediately” and hung up.  I didn’t have the chance to ask him anything.  When I got home, everyone looked normal.  However there was a weird atmosphere.  My dad said in a normal tone, “First of all go to your grandma’s place”.  At this moment I knew that was it.

 

When I went, the funeral was already over; there were people from the neighborhood there.  When grandpa saw me, he started sobbing and telling me that grandma wanted to see my drawings.  The grandma, whom always greeted me with a smile when I went over to play, had become a photo that could never ever move again.

 

Grandma loved to collect orgel.  I would give her 1 as present every year for her birthday.  After she left, I looked at the orgels and found out that she made memos like, “For my Xth birthday, Shingo gave me this.  The design is different from last year’s.  I’m so happy”.  I was touched when I read all these.

 

Before grandma left, our whole family, including our dog, Apple, went to grandma’s place.  That was after grandma’s condition got worse and she just went back from the hospital.  We were told that she must be warded, but grandma wanted to go back.

 

Grandma promised me that she would definitely go to the concert.  I told her, “I would save a seat for you so please wait for me”.  That was the last conversation that we had.

 

The concert grandma promised to watch was last year’s concert at Yokohama stadium.  On that day, I kept my promise and saved a seat for her.  After I told grandpa that, he brought her photo along (laugh).  The seat was empty so people started putting their bags on it.  My family had to tell them that the seat is for a very important person, please leave it empty.

 

After the concert had begun for sometime, I was thinking whether grandma had come.  I turned and looked at that seat.  Grandma was really sitting there!  It was clearly grandma.  She was sitting there normally, looking at me.  The people around her were moving.  Grandma wasn’t moving, so she looked prominent.  For a moment I didn’t know whether it’s true.  I kept turning away and looking again.  She was really sitting there.

 

The next moment, my tears were flowing nonstop.  It was exactly my solo part.  I couldn’t move my body.  But I thought since grandma had come to watch me, I must work hard.  I walked as I sang.  The song ended and it was pitch black.

 

I felt as if I was going to fall.  It was close.  I looked around me and Kimura kun was standing nearby.  I walked to him and whispered into his ear. “N….Now ne…..my grandma who had pa……passed away……had come to watch me ne…….”, I whispered as I cried.  He replied, “Oh, she came!”, supported my shoulder, and sort of dragged and accompanied me to the wing of the stage.

 

The next day, the headline for Nikkan Sports was, “SMAP’s Splitting Up!? Katori Shingo Weeped During The Last Concert” (laugh).  JJ received lots of calls too.  My manager told me, “You can’t tell me the truth right?  Shingo, did you do something wrong?” (laugh).  So this is the truth behind the commotion last year.

 

No matter its before or after her death, this book is for my grandma who had always cared for me.

 

What I loved about art is the freedom when doing it.  I hate rules, I want to ignore them and express myself freely.  I hate it when people say its better to do certain things certain ways.  For other things I can accept advices, but for art, it’s my own sacred castle.  Back in primary school, during lessons or in the middle of tests, I used to draw comics.  At that time, the “humor” in me was developing (laugh).  I couldn’t hear anything around me, and I would be focusing on drawing.

 

If someone tells me, “Do it the way Shingo likes it”, I would surely focus on it.  People really do change into narrow human beings (laugh).  For example, (looking around) there’s a tape with the words “open/close” written on it, beside the curtain.  It spoils the room’s atmosphere (laugh).  Some people will think, “anything’s fine”, but still they dwell on it.  While watching TV alone at home, “This cut is definitely no good”, “For this cm, I would do it this way”, “Yup this is good”.  When reading magazines too.  “This design is a little different right?”

 

What I want to do most from now onwards is design!  For example, SMAP’s CD jacket.  If its impossible, the demo tape’s packaging would be good too (laugh).

 

Next would be to draw on something big again.  I’ve always wanted to do it there.  Yokohama’s Sakuragi Machi’s railroad bridge.  At that place, artists would draw there every night.  It has gradually become a famous sightseeing spot.  I love it.  I wanna draw there someday too.  I don’t know whether it will come true, but I think art is about having dreams.

 

I’ve felt “warmness” from the people around me.  First of all the members.  I’ve always reached sxs studio just in time.  But I was earlier than anyone else.  I took out my drawing kit and started drawing.  Everyone said nothing, but they had a warm “Shingo is working hard” look.  My friends too.  They come to my place often.  “We won’t sleep too, we will accompany you.”  That’s how they supported me (laugh).  Coz of them I had new ideas.  But at the end they always fell asleep and I’m left alone drawing (laugh).

 

I’ve received lots of love from the people around me.  I hope everyone’s heart would be warmed after looking through this book.  This would be the happiest thing for me.

 

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

 

Thank you JJ and my managers for giving me this chance.  You guys always grant my wishes.  Please give me chances from now on too.  I thank you for giving SMAP freedom, but its better to control the other members a bit yo (laugh).

 

My best friends, Shingo’s family.  Those who woke me up when I couldn’t in the morning, whispered into my ear “Hai, another X pieces!” thank you!  All of you have helped a lot, thanks.

 

Oyaji.  Have you seen this? How’s it?  Acknowledge my drawings!  Say they are good!  Try saying it!  Please say it.

 

To brother.  This is your brother’s appearance!  Open your heart as you lead your life.

 

To mum.  If you did not apply to JJ for me, there wouldn’t be this book. Thank you for giving me that first chance.  I love you.

 

To SMAP.  Have you guys seen this?  Surely some of you didn’t.  Friends and relatives told me, “ I want Shingo kun’s drawing”.  Please tell me that too.  I’ve always been drawing SMAP’s connection.

 

Lastly to everyone in this world.  Never forget the feeling of “Freedom”.  Always brings lots of “Love” and “Dreams” with you.  Let’s look at the “Sea” and shout together.  Treat “Nature” “Importantly”!  I really love everyone.  Minna please love in harmony too.