Serialization Update! Sho Ayakoji’s “Monohon no Stare* and Tough Guy” Buyuuden (story about the “Monohon no Stare* and Tough Guy”) he met in the entertainment industry.
Part 5 "GLAY" TAKURO (Part 2)

Laughing and crying at TAKURO’s superb karaoke
TAKURO is “everyone’s big brother. When our tour was over, he used to invite our members to a “thank-you party. At one of the party, I got into a fight with one of the members. I told him a lie that was so lame that I couldn’t forgive him, so I punched him at TAKURO’s house.
I was so angry with him that I thought it was the first time I had ever done that. He took me to another room and scolded me quietly and sternly. Even when I told him that it was his fault, he would get angry without question, saying, “But still, what is the meaning of hitting a member of the team? That was more than 20 years ago.
I am not an emotional guy by nature. I just give off that impression, but in my private life I am the type of person who doesn’t depend on family, friends, or love. I’m more of a “thin …… me! I’m so bewildered.
I’m not the type of person to get upset or hurt when someone says something to me, but when TAKURO gets mad at me, I get upset and say, “No, no, no! I get upset. If you can’t take care of your fans and members, you’re not a rock ‘n’ roller! I’m really adamant about that. I thought I was saying, “I’m just saying that because I care about them! I meant it as “I said it because I care about them!
I still cherish those words. Even so, Mr. Takuro was kind to me. There is no heroism in taking pleasure in lecturing in front of everyone. It was kindness to take him to another room. He values everyone’s pride. There is no sense of trying to be the best, no sense of trying to take the initiative.
I felt that this is what a real king is like. I think of myself as an absolute leader, but the dancers were arguing with me today (laughs). (Laughs.) “Commander, that’s not what you said the other day! (Laughs).
Songs that even Kishidan fans would not sing…
Looking back now, there are many times when I desperately wanted to be like TAKURO.
Come to think of it, in 2003, when we held the first “Kishidan Expo,” I organized a trip for the launch. The staff and I were talking about how we wanted to go to a hot spring together, and I said, “Okay, I’ll pay for everything ! I’ll pay for everything! I’ll pay for the whole thing! We rented out a hot spring hotel and chartered two large buses to accommodate the 100 people we expected to gather.
At the drinking party, everyone said, “Let’s go! But when we opened the door, the manager of …… said , “About three people, including the costume designer, said they wanted to go, but all the staff couldn’t make it because they were all working on other projects. I was so excited. The manager himself said, “I can’t go either. ……” “What? In the end, all the members did not attend.
In the end, all the members could not attend. I finally realized, “Maybe it was …… my own self-importance,” and I was hurt and depressed.
Then, TAKURO heard about it and said, “Ayakoji, you seem to be having fun,
I heard you are planning something fun. Can I go?
I was very embarrassed, but I was happy. I was very embarrassed, but I was happy.
Then he said, “You’re coming too, Mr. TAKURO? and we ended up going to a hot spring with about 15 people. Perhaps trying to cheer me up, TAKURO took the initiative and sang karaoke for me. He sang a song that even Kishidan fans probably wouldn’t sing, an extremely intense song that he sang while dancing as fast as he could. ……
I cried with laughter. I thought to myself, “I should pay more attention to my surroundings and be more mindful. I couldn’t do that, and that’s why I ended up like this. But TAKURO is the one who doesn’t leave such people alone.
What can you do when your friends are weak? When a friend is in a good mood, it’s okay to leave him alone. When they are feeling a little down, TAKURO is the one who comes to you before anyone else. A person in that position, the king of the rock world, does it. Of course, he is not only helping me. I think there are a tremendous number of people who are proud to say, “I am the best friend of TAKURO. By the way, I think so too (laughs).
The paid version of FRIDAY Subs contains the full text of the first five installments of the “Takeyuden of ‘Monohon no Stare* and Tough Guys’ Sho Ayakoji Met in the Entertainment World,” as well as illustrations newly drawn by Sho Ayakoji.
He talks about the greatness of the “two great senders,” his marriage to Seri Iwahori who acted as his cupid, the day he was saved by TAKURO Junior, Hakodate where TERU’s pose exploded, the greatness of GLAY which he reconfirmed at the Tokyo Dome show with LUNA SEA, and other secret stories.
Illustrations and text by: Sho Ayakoji