Mori Masako Interview on Josei Seven 3/19/2015 (Translation)
So, here’s a translation of the link I posted a few days ago. I think someone else did it already, but I’ve just finished it so meh. Better not let it go to waste. lol. It’s my first time translating a written piece (reading Japanese is not my strongest suit), so of course, there might be a few mistakes. Just let me know if there’s any part that’s a bit difficult to understand. If you want to share or use this translation elsewhere (other than reblogging), inform me first.
So, here’s Taka’s mom talking about him and his brothers.
Mori Masako on Her Musician Eldest Son’s Marriage: “It Seems Like It’s Happening Soon.”
This year, singer Mori Masako (56) will be celebrating her 43rdyear (in the entertainment industry) since her debut. Mori decided to quit singing after her marriage in 1986; she gave birth to three sons. When her divorce was finalized in 2005, she decided to pursue her career once again.
At present, her eldest son (26) works actively as a vocalist in a rock band. Her second son (25) is involved in a private business, while her youngest (26) is also a rock band vocalist.
Mori maintains a good relationship with her children. Compared to other parents, she is more strict. For example, whenever they eat dinner together, the children would get their chopsticks in order of birth after their father got his. Even up to now, the younger brothers still use polite speech when talking to their older brother: “What would you like to drink, Big Brother?,” “What would you like to do?”
“As the only child, my parents doted on me so much. So, the way I raised my children was probably just a reflection of how my parents looked after me. When my children grew up and became members of the society, they had to get used to relationships based on hierarchy. I thought if I teach them these things from an early age, they would feel more natural about it.”
Her three sons are already living on their own, so Mori only lives with her mother now. But, Mori constantly keeps in touch with her children through phone calls and text messages. The other day, she received a phone call from her eldest son when he got back from America. “Mom, I caught a flu.”
“’He got a high fever, so I told him to put some cold compress under his armpit and use gauze on the joints of his feet.’” He remembered, ‘Oh, it’s just like what Mom used to tell me when I was a kid.’ It seems like he followed what I told him. That incident made me think of his childhood, but there were also some situations which made me realize he’s no longer a young boy. When we went out for dinner, he took care of everything –from the reservation to the payment. When it was time to settle the bill, he said, ‘Mom, I need to go to the restroom for a while’ and got up his seat.”
“We talked a lot about our music and he wouldn’t stop asking me questions such as, ”What would your next song be like?’ or ‘Which song do you like from our album?’ But, because our music genres are way too different and I couldn’t understand it at all, I would just give a random response like, ‘Ah, you know the third track from the top? I think it sounds cool.’ He knew right away. ‘Mom, you haven’t listened to it, have you?’” (laughs)
“We also look after one another. ‘Please be mindful of your throat, especially as the season changes,’ or ‘If you don’t have a balanced diet, your immune system would weaken.’”
The eldest soon never neglected his mothe, just like when he said, “I’ll be the one to support my mother.” His band is currently doing very well and even held a live performance at Budokan in 2010. The band’s new album, which came out recently, also ranked number 1 on the Oricon chart.
Mori always monitors her children’s activities; she even walked when she went to her son’s concert. The audience saw her sitting in the VIP area during her eldest son’s concert at Budokan. The eldest son took that chance to express his gratitude to his parents while on stage: “Dad, Mom, thank you!”
“It feels like it was just yesterday when I was on stage at Budokan for the last concert of my third-year-high-school-girl trio before our disbandment, and now my son has already performed there, too. Rather than pride, my happiness as a mother felt greater seeing that my son has grown up into a decent man year after year. He’s not only good to me, but also to my mother and the people around him. He’s a thoughtful person. Well, he loves women… (laughs) He loves people. That makes me happy.”
That eldest son will be a 27-year-old man soon –the same age his mom decided to get married.
“(His marriage) seems like it’s happening soon. I told him, ‘But, I’m not looking forward to taking care of a grandchild; I already have so much on my plate.”
Over the past ten years, Mori never once reunited with her former husband, but her sons would always visit him during the Obon Festival or New Year’s Day. Their parent-children relationship became stronger after they managed to overcome many obstacles due to some complicated family matters. The eldest son even expressed his feelings towards his parents through the song “Nobody’s Home.”
“I made my child go through many painful memories during our divorce, but I’m glad that he grew up without losing sense of what’s right. I always tell him, ‘Don’t worry about me; just do what you want to do.’ I would be happy if my sons would be able to achieve their dreams.”
Aww… such a sweet interview.
I think Taka’s mom only made that comment because the interviewer talked about how Taka is already at the age when his mom got married. So, she was like, “Yeah, it seems like it’s gonna happen soon, no?” To be honest, I don’t think he’s getting married anytime soon. Not unless he knocks up some groupie girl or something (his girlfriend, maybe). lol.But, if his mom says she thinks he’s getting married soon, then he’s probably in a steady relationship, and his mama knows about and approves of it.
So, his brothers call him “oniisan,” huh? I’ve always wanted to know how they address each other (In Japan, you can tell a lot about people’s relationships through the way they call each other.). “Oniisan” is a little too formal, I think, so it’s probably only when they’re in front of their parents. Haha. I imagined it’s more like “aniki” or something. Fits rockstars better. ^_^
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