Interview Now - SCANDAL MAMI -（2/3）

2017.03.09

There are comments coming from people in all kinds of locations, which has been a lovely surprise!

ab: Last year's headlining European tour "SCANDAL TOUR 2016 'YELLOW' IN EUROPE" is still fresh in the memory, but since then you have had lots of gigs overseas. What do you most look forward to when you travel abroad?

SCANDAL MAMI

Trying the local food. That’s a topic that we have to speak about! Just before we went to Taiwan, everyone was talking about the shaved ice at "Ice Monster," so we all wanted to go and try one. Basically, we are all really into food.

Sometimes when we have spare time, we like to go out and find a music store. I've been to Turkey before, but seeing rows of music stores in the cities selling traditional instruments and the role they play in people's lives was something that surprised me. Here we have the shakuhachi (flute) and shamisen (lute), but in Japan we don't have many opportunities to actually come into contact with those kinds of instruments. So I was really impressed by that. Even young people could sing old nursery rhymes and folk songs off the top of their heads.

ab: People overseas seem to enjoy music with their entire bodies! You've performed in lots of places throughout Asia, including Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Are there any places you are interested in or would like to visit?

Yeah, I love Thailand! And I love Thai food. Last time we were in Thailand while we were receiving media coverage, all the staff was out riding elephants! I thought to "I want to ride an elephant!" (lol)!.

ab: Maybe the next time you perform in Thailand, we'll get to see you riding an elephant on social media or on your blog (lol)!

Haha! Yeah, maybe!

ab: It seems that you get a lot of comments from overseas on your official YouTube channel and on your twitter page!

Yeah, there are loads! And on Instagram, too! There are comments from Asia, Europe, America and South America, so it seems like they are coming from people in all kinds of locations, which is a lovely surprise! When I see the locations, it make me so happy to think that people are listening to the tracks in those parts of the world!

ab: Do you have any unforgettable experiences or interesting stories from your performances overseas?

Oh, there's been lots of stuff (lol)! I think that when it comes to the experiences abroad, people tend to place importance on taking time to rest. During their lunch break, they make sure to rest properly or some might even return home to see their family. It was at one of those times that we got to a venue and the stage wasn't quite ready. Of course everyone works hard and does their job, it's just that there is a slightly different approach (compared to Japan).

ab: You must have been a little worried! Did they manage to get it set up in time?

It was all done in time. You know the saying "When in Rome…," so we went along with it and I think that kind of culture is so lovely. In Japan, we often get a bit agitated and fidgety, so I think it would be wonderful if we could take some time to ourselves, place more value on resting, and really cherish our families more.

ab: Yeah, definitely! If it's alright, we'd like to shift the topic from overseas travel to Fukuoka. Is there anything you look forward to when you visit?

I like the Fukuoka night life and the atmosphere around Nakasu. In Tokyo, or Nagoya, which is where I'm originally from, it's hard to find yatai (food stalls) where you can eat stuff like ramen or gyoza dumplings on the spot. That's why I'm really into "yatai culture" and street food. Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya have quite a different feeling to Fukuoka. I like Fukuoka's urban vibe, I find it very exciting.

ab: If that's the kind of food you're into, take a look at asianbeat's "Fukuoka Ramen MAP (>> Click HERE!)," where we introduce lots of yatai and great places to find ramen! Your nationwide tour "SCANDAL no 47 Todofuken Tour" will include 53 performances and is about to get under way in Kumamoto on March 11th! How are you feeling about it?

I am looking forward to it so so much! We all wanted to do something huge, so we can't wait for this "SCANDAL no 47 Todofuken Tour" to get going. We've done events and promos in Gifu, Kochi, Miyazaki, and Saga, but haven't headlined a show in any of those prefectures yet so I can't wait to do it! The tour will last from March to July and the seasons change during that time. So we'll adapt our set list so that it suits both Spring and Summer. We have 36 songs to choose from, I wonder how we will put the running order together! It's going to be super fun!