Ohayo SMAP!
April.26-April.30,1999

April.26(Mon):
Ah, this week is already the beginning of Golden Week. (Translator's note: For some reasons, there are many national holidays in Japan from the end of April to early May that is called Golden Week.) The latest traveling trend is "Cheap, Far and Long" which means travel cheap to far place for long stay. There is some discount airlines, too. However, I study this in my TV show "Special Order Research 2000X", that the most of airlines are not making any profit. In order to make profit, they have to cut down the service such as in-flight meals and even candies. There are many of those airlines which operate with the minimum cost. Well, depending on the season, there is some day-trip package tours to Hokkaido(Northern part of Japan). I don't like day-trip which makes me tired. Ah, I like driving, I mean a car. I think it was last year. I got a day off and went to my friend's family home in the countryside of Japan. I know it is not common to visit friend's hometown and family. (laughing) I might have been a little impudent but I was curious about the area, so I went. I drove to Yamagata which is in the Tohoku area of Japan. (Northern part of Honshu Island.) It was about 350 km from Tokyo. Yeah.

April.27(Tue):
Have you all made the plan for Golden Week? Well, we don't have any off even during Golden Week.(laughing) Rather, we have to work because the rest of the people are off. If I have vacation, I would like to go to Okinawa. Ah, this is about my friends again.(laughing) I have some friends who have vacation homes in Ishigaki. Oh, it will be nice to have a vacation home in a southern island and live an easy life in the future... Well, "the future" will be a very far away. Um, but, I really long for having a vacation home by the sea where a nice breeze comes in and the weather is warm. Well, it will be nice to have a long vacation...some extended day-offs. But, we have the regular shows. We can't get a long vacation. Ah, taking a long vacation is still the dream. I wish to take a long day-offs and go to some southern islands.

April.28(Wed):
For the last two days, I have been talking about traveling and vacation home...I guess I am just talking about all kinds of things. Well, When it comes to Okinawa, I was into Okinawa for while. Of course, there are many other nice places in Japan. Ah, I like Kyoto very much. I like historical Japanese inns in Kyoto. I have been to many of these inns. Um. Among those historical Japanese inns, many of them are expensive and classy, Tawaraya and Hiiragiya are real traditional Japanese inns. These are quite nice. Spending 2-3 days at the Japanese inn is really nice. In that sense, I am really Japanese. Also, when I talk about Kyoto, the food is great, especially eating heated bean curd for breakfast in Kyoto is really nice. Um. Kyoto is famous for heated bean curd. Usually, heated bean curd is served for dinner. But when I go to one of those Japanese inns in Kyoto, they serve heated bean curd for breakfast. I think that is quite nice.

April.29(Thu):
Hi, This week, I am talking about travel. To tell you the truth, traveling got to be the traveling to overseas. This was not carried out but I wanted to go to the ice hotel in Sweden this year. It was my goal of this year. Mr. Shiro Sano, an actor, told me about this hotel. It is often introduced on TV, too. In Scandinavia, there is a hotel built with ice cubes. You have to sleep in a sleeping bag when you stay there. Everything, such as a table and a cup, are made from ice. The hotel is open till late-March. Although I have a little time after filming the movie, I don't think I can go this year. Um. I wish to go to the ice hotel if I have a time around the end of the year. Usually, people will not want to go to a hotel built with ice cubes. But, I want to go because it is like a fairy tale, kind a romantic...It will take over 14 hours to go there by airplane. It is a long trip, but I wish to do this adventure if I have a time around the end of the year.

April.30(Fri):
I have been talking about travel this week. Because of our business, traveling is not easy without being noticed by people.(laughing) Um...You know, many people in Japanese entertainment business go to Hawaii. But, as soon as they landed, there are reporters from Japanese morning shows and afternoon shows. Also, there are only Japanese tourists in Hawaii. I don't understand why they go there.(laughing) Basically, I go to the places where not many Japanese go. In case of Bali, where I went to this New Year, many Japanese tourists go there. But, if you go to the inland part or the mountain part of Bali, there are not any Japanese tourists. I aim to go to these kinds of places. Well, I shouldn't worry so much, but it is my vacation. I want be free from any attentions from people. I go to vacation to be myself. Let's go places where there are not many Japanese, everyone! Traveling is a private thing. Um, Really. In order to let my mind free, I should go to place where nobody can notice me.(laughing) I wish to travel to find those kind of places. U. Well, I will keep going to these super secret trips.

Ohayo SMAP