2014/09/19
Cheeky Parade interviews celebrities! Vol.4 Lou Oshiba edition
The 9 girl idol group, Cheeky Parade will hold the last show of their Japan tour in New York in October.
Chikipa is going overseas to hold the final show of their tour in New York. Before they took such an unprecedented step as an idol group, an interview project was launched, “Before the NY show, let’s learn the secret of overseas expansion from people who work all over the world!!! Cheeky Parade, learn about Japanese culture!”
The members of Cheeky Parade then became journalists and interviewed celebrities who play an active role globally in their own field while representing Japan.
Sekine: We Cheeky Parade will be holding a live show in New York in October. We started the project to talk with people who play an active role globally! We would like to interview Lou Oshiba san and learn from you today! Nice to meet you. Thank you for your time.
Lou Oshiba: Nice to meet you too. Thank you for having me! When are you going to NY?
Sekine: In October! We will hold a show there as the final stop on the tour!
Lou Oshiba: I see. That means the audience are be almost all foreigners! That’s wonderful!
Sekine: Thank you. Our album that was released in June is titled “Together,” so we were so looking forward to seeing you today!
Lou Oshiba: Seriously? Lol. Do you know about “Together”? Let’s go together!
Chikipa members: Of course we know!!
Sekine: Why did you start what you do now?
Lou Oshiba: I started it because I loved it. I think my job can bring people emotion, excitement and dreams.
Nagai: I see! I think we can learn English from you today! Lol
Mizorogi: What made you decide to do what you do now?
Lou Oshiba: When I was in kindergarten, I was chosen to perform at a school play. I couldn’t sleep at all the night before but when my name was announced after the performance, the audience burst into applause. I felt chicken skin, I mean, goose bumps and it felt so good!
Chikipa members: Chicken skin… We were expecting that!! Lol.
Sekine: Did you have any struggles during your career?
Lou Oshiba: In my 20s, I was working part time and doing this job. So, I think it was a struggle.
Nagai: What was your turning point?
Lou Oshiba: When I was 34, I started to appear on nationwide TV networks often. Then people started to notice me on the street, too.
Sekine: What keeps you going?
Lou Oshiba: I think the fact that I always challenge myself and seek new opportunities keeps me going. I’ve started doing my blog and started Sado 8 years ago and now have the certificate of grand master. Perseverance brings success! Keep showing new activities to the fans to keep them entertained. I think my challenge-seeking spirit has held me up all these years.
Sekine: We are holding the final show of the tour in New York. What do you think the differences are between Japan and the US?
Lou Oshiba: Of course, the language and food are completely different. However, people are the same at the end of the day I think. I went on a wandering journey to Europe when I was young. This experience made me grow more than anything else. I hope Chikipa girls grow step by step from opportunities in overseas.
Chikipa members: Thank you very much!
Lou Oshiba: When you go overseas, you will experience love from a lot of people. Many people supported me in Europe by giving me rides, letting me stay at their house and feeding me. I want you girls to feel those kind of experiences.
Sekine: Yes! We will try!
Nagai: By the way, I heard that when you tell scary stories with a mix of Japanese and English, it’s not scary at all. Can you tell us a scary story? Lol.
Lou Oshiba: That is Yabukarabo, a stick from the bushes (it means unexpected request in English) and Nemimi ni mizu, water from nemimi (it means complete surprise) !
Chikipa members: Yay!!
Nagai: I wanted to hear you say that!
Lou Oshiba: (with deep tone of voice) One summer day, I was walking in the dark of night. Suddenly, a crow landed on my head…
Watanabe: It doesn’t sound scary at all! Lol. Did you just make up that story?
Lou Oshiba: Of course!
Sekine: Thank you for doing this on such short notice! By the way, is it true that you listened to our song “Together”?
Lou Oshiba: Yes I like it. It has a nice tempo and the “together!” in the chorus is very catchy.
Sekine: Thank you!!
Lou Oshiba: It is truly important that you guys are making forays overseas! So I wish you Chekipa girls good luck!
Chikipa members: Yes, we will try hard!
Chikipa is going overseas to hold the final show of their tour in New York. Before they took such an unprecedented step as an idol group, an interview project was launched, “Before the NY show, let’s learn the secret of overseas expansion from people who work all over the world!!! Cheeky Parade, learn about Japanese culture!”
The members of Cheeky Parade then became journalists and interviewed celebrities who play an active role globally in their own field while representing Japan.
★ ★ ★
Cheeky Parade leader Sekine together with Watanabe, Mizorogi and Nagai went to interview Lou Oshiba, whose name is a synonym for speaking with a mix of Japanese and English. He is also a grand master in sado (Japanese art of tea ceremony) and practices traditional Japanese culture so he can introduce it to the world.
Sekine: We Cheeky Parade will be holding a live show in New York in October. We started the project to talk with people who play an active role globally! We would like to interview Lou Oshiba san and learn from you today! Nice to meet you. Thank you for your time.
Lou Oshiba: Nice to meet you too. Thank you for having me! When are you going to NY?
Sekine: In October! We will hold a show there as the final stop on the tour!
Lou Oshiba: I see. That means the audience are be almost all foreigners! That’s wonderful!
Sekine: Thank you. Our album that was released in June is titled “Together,” so we were so looking forward to seeing you today!
Lou Oshiba: Seriously? Lol. Do you know about “Together”? Let’s go together!
Chikipa members: Of course we know!!
Sekine: Why did you start what you do now?
Lou Oshiba: I started it because I loved it. I think my job can bring people emotion, excitement and dreams.
Nagai: I see! I think we can learn English from you today! Lol
Mizorogi: What made you decide to do what you do now?
Lou Oshiba: When I was in kindergarten, I was chosen to perform at a school play. I couldn’t sleep at all the night before but when my name was announced after the performance, the audience burst into applause. I felt chicken skin, I mean, goose bumps and it felt so good!
Chikipa members: Chicken skin… We were expecting that!! Lol.
Sekine: Did you have any struggles during your career?
Lou Oshiba: In my 20s, I was working part time and doing this job. So, I think it was a struggle.
Nagai: What was your turning point?
Lou Oshiba: When I was 34, I started to appear on nationwide TV networks often. Then people started to notice me on the street, too.
Sekine: What keeps you going?
Lou Oshiba: I think the fact that I always challenge myself and seek new opportunities keeps me going. I’ve started doing my blog and started Sado 8 years ago and now have the certificate of grand master. Perseverance brings success! Keep showing new activities to the fans to keep them entertained. I think my challenge-seeking spirit has held me up all these years.
Sekine: We are holding the final show of the tour in New York. What do you think the differences are between Japan and the US?
Lou Oshiba: Of course, the language and food are completely different. However, people are the same at the end of the day I think. I went on a wandering journey to Europe when I was young. This experience made me grow more than anything else. I hope Chikipa girls grow step by step from opportunities in overseas.
Chikipa members: Thank you very much!
Lou Oshiba: When you go overseas, you will experience love from a lot of people. Many people supported me in Europe by giving me rides, letting me stay at their house and feeding me. I want you girls to feel those kind of experiences.
Sekine: Yes! We will try!
Nagai: By the way, I heard that when you tell scary stories with a mix of Japanese and English, it’s not scary at all. Can you tell us a scary story? Lol.
Lou Oshiba: That is Yabukarabo, a stick from the bushes (it means unexpected request in English) and Nemimi ni mizu, water from nemimi (it means complete surprise) !
Chikipa members: Yay!!
Nagai: I wanted to hear you say that!
Lou Oshiba: (with deep tone of voice) One summer day, I was walking in the dark of night. Suddenly, a crow landed on my head…
Watanabe: It doesn’t sound scary at all! Lol. Did you just make up that story?
Lou Oshiba: Of course!
Sekine: Thank you for doing this on such short notice! By the way, is it true that you listened to our song “Together”?
Lou Oshiba: Yes I like it. It has a nice tempo and the “together!” in the chorus is very catchy.
Sekine: Thank you!!
Lou Oshiba: It is truly important that you guys are making forays overseas! So I wish you Chekipa girls good luck!
Chikipa members: Yes, we will try hard!
■Lou Oshiba Profile
Born in Shinjuku in 1954. He’s active as a popular character with the unique speaking method that mixes Jananese and English together. He is not only a TV talent, but because of singing the song “MOTTAINAI, that was played on NHK Minna nouta in 2007, he has taken on the role as an environmental activist and cleans the area around the base of Mt. Fuji. His hobbies are killifish and loach hunting, ink painting and sado (he is a grand master in enshuryu.) He is also an affiliate professor at Yamano Collage of Aesthetics.
https://ameblo.jp/lou-oshiba/