Interview with Koshi Inaba (by Sachiko Akawa) - Part 2
Minna, O-MA-TA-SE-SHI-MA-SHI-TA.

(continued from Part 1)


S: When did you start experiencing the happiness or perhaps also the inconvenience of being recognized in public?
K: ....itsu nan darou. I can't remember the first time I got asked "Sign shitte kudasai".
S: Did you establish a signature already?
K: During school years, some classmates and I did some thinking about that. "Kore wa dou?" "Iin jyanee no?". And my signature was established (laugh).
S: When did you feel that you gradually had more and more fans?
K: Album-wise, must be around 1990's "RISKY". But I've never had problems in which suddenly there's a loud "KYAAAAAA!!!" on the street, not even to today.
S: Was that quite a 'hot season' for you?
K: I think those were the time when my feet were not on the ground. Eee, we debut in 1988, then around 1990 to 1991, I was probably walking around like this (hand slanted to one side). Perhaps I got quite puffed up with vanity.
S: Because "I'm a sell-out musician"?
K: Also because somehow I was quite popular with the ladies. In our situation, the type of success is quite different. We don't need to care about what the society thinks to be able to sell out. We could still have so much freedom. At night, we could go for drinks with the girls and they all understand this situation very well.
S: Not too bad at all (laugh).
K: Not too bad at all. 'It's a good thing that I left Okayama'. That must be what I felt when I was having fun back then (laugh).
S: Ahahaha. Do you like alcohol?
K: I don't mind it, but I can't drink much. So I'd make a terrible drinking companion ne.
S: What if someone said to you "Let's go BBQ party"?
K: Aaa, I can't go.
S: How about "Let's go to Go-kon"? (Go-kon= a pre-arranged meeting of equivalent numbers of guys and girls, usually from different companies, in search for future spouses... at least that's what the original purpose was. Most sought-after gokon in Japan is with the Suchi-san or stewardess)
K: That sounds like fun, but I can't go.
S: Have you been invited to Go-kon?
K: I wanted to, but I never got invited (laugh).
S: If somehow you could go, would you?
K: I would go to a Go-kon (laugh).
S: So dubious (laugh).


S: I heard you like riding on motorcycle.
K: After a long time off the bike, today I finally rode it here. Last year, I had absolutely no time for that.
S: Didn't you just recently got your license?
K: First I completely had no interest in it. But about 7 years ago, the engineer who worked for us, suddenly started to come to work on a big bike. Sometimes I would get a ride on the bike too. It was so much fun. So gradually I was taken with it (laugh).
S: Again you were taken by something (laugh).
K: I went to the driving class first thing in the morning, daaaaato plowed through it and got the license. I had no idea that while I was going through the exam, my pictures were taken by magazines. At that time, so that the hem of my trousers didn't get in my way, they were shoved into my socks.
S: Hohoohooo (laugh).
K: They took my pictures in such pose (laugh).
S: Ahahahaha.
K: But they were really sugoii. I totally had no idea that my pictures were being taken.
S: That's becoz you were paying attention to more important things. So do you get lonely if you don't get to ride your bike?
K: Iya, becoz it's no more than just an interest to me. When we go to America for work, on my day-off, I would go to bikers' place.
S: 'Babababababaaaa tte'.
K: Iya, becoz it's not like we were motorcycle-gang. We were more like grown-up style, 'buuuuu tte'.
S: Are you not a speed-demon?
K: Zenzen. I do zigzag between cars though.
S: Abunai! Don't do that, please.
K: Hai. I give up from now on (laugh).
S: You are so obidient. The easily taken by the drift Inaba-san from B'z... So until when would you like to keep doing your B'z activities?
K: Until when... Since our debut, we never discussed or decided about this, always just kono mama... I suppose it's becoz there are still heaps of interesting stuffs that we can do from now on.



Even though this is a short one, I hope you enjoy!! I think Akawa Sachiko asked interesting questions. She should interview Tak too and get him talking!!


[edit]
The cover of B'z new single "Ai No Bakudan", released date March 9, 2005.

【収録曲】
01.愛のバクダン　/ Ai no Bakudan
02.Fever
03.甘く優しい微熱 / Amaku Yasashii Binetsu

初回限定特典（初回限定盤のみ収録） First press bonus
「愛のバクダン」 Ai no Bakudan
・カラオケ・ヴァージョン / Karaoke version
・ギターソロ・レス・ヴァージョン / guitar solo-less(?)version
・ギター譜付き / guitar score

	hisho 2005-01-31 11:13 pm UTC (link)
	just wanted to tell you that I added you to my friends ^-^ I was looking around on you homepage and saw that you've got a lj and B'z are one of my favourite bands and so... ^^; *reads interview*

	keen_on_all 2005-02-01 03:16 am UTC (link)
	Heiii, I'm glad you found this, unfortunately I don't do too many B'z related entries lately. There are heaps more at the memories though, if you'd like to check. Thanks for commenting! *added back*

	(Anonymous) 2005-02-01 02:47 pm UTC (link)
	I was looking forward to Part 2, Keenie. Thanks. I hope he stops zigzaging between cars - especially in Tokyo! Kate

	(Anonymous) 2005-02-01 03:26 pm UTC (link)
	haha~ puffed up with vanity :p i think he said something similar on one MS performance ne? =) arigato keen!! i'm gonna see if i got the hem-of-my-trousers-in-my-socks photos ^^y tamashii

	aneki 2005-02-01 07:49 pm UTC (link)
	haha, what a "cute" kind of interview. I can totally imagine Koko smiling his niko-niko smile while answering those questions. Yeah, very interesting questions, that is what I think, too !

	ktulu117 2005-02-02 05:08 am UTC (link)
	the picture didn't load, but is this the event that spawned those Koshi-in-helmet pictures? I seem to remember the pants tucked into the socks. "easily taken by the drift" makes me think "go with the flow." and that new single cover looks like it was drawn by kindergarteners! I am recalling something Georgeazz 2k3 once said... PS - I'm not typing this from Nebraska!

	keen_on_all 2005-02-02 09:40 am UTC (link)
	So are you meeting the two important grils in NP or what? But enjoy the sun while you're there!!!

	ktulu117 2005-02-05 06:36 am UTC (link)
	tomorrow...they will be mine!