[TRANS] Part 3. AERA 12/25 TOHOSHINKI This is the place where we should be. The phrase, “O-ka-e-ri”, deeply touched our hearts.

MS: I assume that previously you made plans based on some “period of time” in the immediate future and until the end of the period, you completed this and that. From now on, unless you make the “period of time” yourselves, you need to be on the “never-ending journey”. How do you make plans for TOHOSHINKI, solo activities for Yunho and Changmin?
YH: I think about things and my life in 10 years span at a time. People says that the trends of fashion make a circuit of 10 years. We celebrated our 10th anniversary since our debut in Japan in 2015. This is the same year when we halted our activities. And at that time, I thought about how I should be in the next 10 years and I took notes.
MS: What did you write there?
YH: “I will continue to be TOHOSHINKI” and “I will do my best to make everyone feels that it is a good thing for them to continue to love TOHOSHINKI.” I wrote these things down.

CM: Since I was little, I am not the type who makes a specific plan or sets a time limit to do something. Depending on the moment, I like to do things that I am interested in or I focus to do things that I need to do immediately.
MS: Well then, what are you interested in now?
CM: Speaking of work, of course, I am interested in live concert. How can I perform the best to make all our fans happy? In private, I wish to cultivate myself to acquire wider knowledge. It is not because that I want to show off that I am knowledgeable but rather I wish to be someone who is highly intelligent but the person does not need to tell you that he is smart or show you proof of his achievements or being arrogant. His brilliance and common sense speak himself. So in these days, I read books in a wide range of genres, such as cooking, philosophy, and essays.
MS: I heard that you are a bookworm to begin with.
CM: In old days, I forced myself to read books. But during these two years, I learned that reading makes me happy. It has become my routine to read books. The next book that I plan to read is "Elegance of Language" by Lee Ki-Joo. It is about that language is an important factor to reveal one’s dignity. It is shibui (note).
YH: Wow, its really shibui.

Note: Shibui from Oxford dictionary
The author James Michener defines shibui as ‘acerbic good taste’, and indeed it comes from the word shibushi, which means a sour or astringent taste, and is still employed as an adjective to describe the taste of sour fruit or bitter tea. Shibui could be used to describe something that is old-fashioned but appealing (although probably not to a teenage girl). This word can also be used to describe a scowling face or miser-like behavior, but in an aesthetic sense it refers to something that is charming precisely because it is understated and low key.

MS: Which book is your most favorite, Yunho-san?
YH: What? Me? I am the type to learn not from a book but from my experience (laugh). Of course, I study too. I study about design and directing stage. In the past, when I saw the Rainbow Bridge, I just thought, “The night view is beautiful. Ah, I am in Japan now.”, but these days, “There are people who are working in this beautiful night view.” “The shape of that building is interesting.” Something like that, I could catch many things in my eyes, and sometimes I am surprised by myself having such ability.
MS: Do you mean that you have matured?
YH: No, it is just like “Oh, you noticed it, Yunho” that is all (laugh).
CM: Yes, he has still a long way to go (laugh).

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