I don’t wanna feel Blue anymore...
* Name: Kato Shigeaki (加藤成亮 => 加藤シゲアキ
* Nickname: Shige, Sensei (members started calling him that when he published his first book)
* Birthday: 1987.7.11
* Zodiac sign: Cancer
* Blood Type: A
* Birthplace: Hiroshima
* Education: Aoyama Gakuin (Middle School to University)
* Siblings: None
* Height: 175cm
* Weight: ~60kg
* Band colour: Green
MOREChildhood
Kato Shigeaki was born in Hiroshima in summer 1987. The baby's name was chosen through stroke count. Apparently the kanji in "Shigeaki" are hard to read correctly which is partly the reason why later in life he simplified the writing of his name by abandoning the kanji. Apparently as a baby Shigeaki didn't cry much and was well-behaved. Right after he was born the Kato family moved to Osaka.
According to his parents little Shigeaki learned to walk and talk early. As he entered kindergarten he also learned a great new skill - kissing. He say he would kiss all the kids around him without discrimination even though he didn't have anyone he liked in particular.
In elementary Shigeaki became a rascal. Or so he claims. He often participated in milk drinking contests and laughing contests and did other "stupid things". However, after grade 3 the Kato family moved to Tokyo. He was able to get into a good school though he says is was probably just luck. It seems like at that time many of his future interests budded. In grade 5 during the art lesson the children were asked to imitate Katsushika Hokusai's ukiyo-e masterpiece "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji" and Shigeaki got a special award for it. In grade 6 he used his father's typewriter to write stories. Also at the end of grade 6 Shigeaki got really interested in photography. He took lots of pictures at various events and organized them, it was a big success and a crowning glory of elementary school.
There were also other, less successful activities. From around the second half of kindergarten Shigeaki was practicing Shorinji Kempo. At first the place he went to was too strict and he didn't like it but later his family moved and the new place was nice so he got green belt faster than anyone else in his group. But they moved again and there wasn't any dojo near so he's given up on it. He also tried to learn piano in kindergarten because he wanted to play the popular songs but for of course he was made to play classics so he got bored with it very soon. Yet he didn't have the will to say he didn't want it and only stopped playing by grade 6. He says he was really bad at it though, even after 8 years.
Shige always had good relationship with his parents. He says he could talk to his mother about anything, they never had any secrets from each other. He really respects his father and talks with him a lot too. Shige claims he didn't cause his parents any trouble and his rebellious age lasted for a few days so his parents probably didn't even notice.
Entering JE and NEWS
Shigeaki liked SMAP so in fourth grade of elementary school with the help of his Mum he sent his resume to Johnny's Jimusho. Apparently he didn't really expect to be accepted and the answer didn't come. But two years later, as he came home from school his mother told him that Johnny's Jimusho had called and invited him to an audition the next day.
Shigeaki came well-prepared. He'd read somewhere that Johnny personally attends all auditions but most kids don't know who he is. At some point he introduces himself and watches the kids reaction, he doesn't like it when kids change their attitude when he reveals himself. When Shige came to an audition and Johnny introduced himself he did his best to hide his excitement. We'll never know if his strategy worked but at any rate out of the 50 kids who came to the audition that day only 2 passed and Kato was one of them.
Thus Shigeaki entered the agency in April 1999 at the age of 11. His career was developing fast and soon he appeared on TV shows was allowed to hold a microphone. He also backdanced for his senpai and appeared in Arashi's debut PV in the same year. However, at the time he was in grade 6 which meant the middle school entrance exams were approaching. Realizing his job was reducing his learning time and affected his chances of getting into a good school he did something pretty bold - called Johnny and asked for a delay which Johnny okayed. Shige says since he missed out on studying he was only able to get into his second choice school but it was still a very prestigious one. After he was accepted he went back to Johnnys after about a half-year break.
2001 was a good year for Kato Shigeaki. First of all, early in the year Koyama Keiichiro joined Johnnys and was immediately paired up with Kato. This was the beginning of a lifetime friendship and partnership. Also along with Masuda he was casted in a popular school drama "3 nen B gumi Kinpachi Sensei" though his character had more significance.
Kato was put in several temporary units but in Autumn 2001 Koichi Domoto participated in a project for a TV show where he had to produce a Johnny's Jr. group with 6 members and Shige became one of them. The group was named J-Support, later renamed K.K.Kity. Keiichiro Koyama became the leader since he was the oldest while Shige became the vice-leader for obvious reasons. The group was quite privileged, they backdanced for Kinki Kids and Koichi even wrote a song for them which they performed at Kinki Kids' Tokyo Dome concert and at TV shows.
K.K.Kity. and K.K.K.
While initially the members were on more or less equal terms, later on half of them became main vocalists while the other half mainly danced. The former half - K.K.K. (Koyama, Kato, Kusano) was becoming more and more privileged. In January 2003 the three of them became a part of permanent cast of the kids' show called Ya-Ya-yah. Obviously they had less attention than Ya-Ya-yah members but it still was a weekly show and they also got to perform on Music Station even before debut.
K.K.K. with Ya-Ya-yah on Music Station 2003.06.06
Basically, you can say everything was going well for Kato Shigeaki. He thought of himself as an 'elite'. His best friend was the leader, Kusano was a great singer and dancer and the three of them got along and functioned well. So when in September 2003 K.K.K. were included in NEWS he thought he'd nailed it. However, the reality was more harsh.
NEWS originally had 9 members. Most of the spotlight went to YamaPi, then there were Nishikido and Uchi who already got some recognition through Kanjani8 while Koyama established himself as an MC. There was also this new kid Tegoshi who barely entered the agency but was great at singing. All of a sudden Shige felt like he wasn't very elite anymore, that maybe all of his achievements up until then were mere luck. The first year was really hard. Shige felt like a dead weight and wondered if he should quit. The band wasn't doing very well too. In 3 years it lost 3 members and was temporarily suspended. This became a turning point for Kato and for the band. While NEWS didn't exist, Tegoshi and Masuda debuted as Tegomass, Yamashita Tomohisa went solo, while Nishikido performed with Kanjani8. Shige and Koyama felt stranded. Up until then the K.K.K. stuck together but without Kusano Hironori they didn't have the vocals skills or confidence to do anything as a duo. But it was also the time for the members to realize that the band is important to them and perhaps nobody felt it more than Shige. He accepted the fact that he was one of the least popular members but he loved his job and he loved NEWS and those feelings were stronger so he wanted to continue no matter what.
"Hey, Massu, how come even the little shit is ahead of us? I don't feel very elite anymore. Massu? Great, he's next to YamaPi now and I'm in the third row. Alone T_T."
Shige knew he didn't have Tegoshi's vocals, Masuda's dancing skills or Koyama's prowess at MCs. That's why he decided he should concentrate on things only he could do. He got a column in a magazine where he wrote essays on various topics and realized people were interested. Later when he got really interested in professional photography he also got a page in Wink Up where he could show some of his photographs and write about them. He's been doing that for more than 5 years now. Apart from that the band's popularity was on the rise and the teamwork between the members also improved a lot. However, Shige came to be seen as a sloppy and comical character and he was often bullied by other members. Of course it was just fooling around but it didn't exactly help to raise his already low popularity.
In 2011 NEWS had almost no activities as a band. Shige was restless. He came to the agency trying to figure out what he could do as Kato Shigeaki. But he didn't just want to promote himself, he wanted to do something for NEWS, something only he could do. In the end it was decided that he should write a novel. He was given a two-month deadline so he shunned himself inside his apartment and wrote. However, shortly before the book's announcement two memebers left the band, the band's future was uncertain and once again Shige felt lost. Tegomass could still continue to perform as a duo but he was afraid he would never get to sing and stand on stage again. Even Koyama had a job as a newscaster. But thankfully all four members wanted to keep continuing as NEWS and began to plan their return with a newfound passion.
Shige's book came out in early 2012 and was quite a success. Thus Kato Shigeaki became the first man in Johnnys to release a novel. He also decided to change the writing of his name to katakana. Partly so everyone would be able to read it and partly to mark his intent to open a new page on his career and become a better person.
Kato Shigeaki and his 1st novel, "Pink and Grey"
Later that year NEWS made a comeback as four and Shige couldn't be happier. It felt like a new beginning and he faced the future with a newfound confidence. Finally all his efforts paid off and his popularity began to rise. Well, that and the fact that he keeps getting hotter by the day. He was now able to show new sides of himself finally shedding his ever-aloof awkward character. Well, mostly.
Shige likes appearing in dramas and plays, loves working on his books and have individual activities but he still says NEWS is his everything.
Career&Hobbies
Shige has a gazillion hobbies. Like, seriously. He loves fishing and photography and cooking and even gardening. He also plays guitar. Not to mention he's a legit novelist. But let's not get ahead of things.
Shige plays guitar and composes. He wrote music and lyrics to almost all of his solo songs as well as some of his fellow members' songs. The sad thing is though that some of those songs like Over (sung by Tegoshi) or Road (sung by YamaPi) aren't even listed anywhere as if they never existed. Shige can't compete with Tegoshi's vocals or Masuda's dancing but his solo songs make up for it with a special atmosphere, his individuality shines through.
At the time when Shige debuted he'd set out a big aim - that by the time he turns 25 he's going to appear in a prime-time drama. He even told himself that if that doesn't happen, he'll quit. In the end he turned 25 and didn't make it. But he didn't quit either. However, Shige got to appear in quite a lot of dramas and films having the most acting experience among the members. In 2008 he staged a one-man show "Konnan Yattte Mimashita" which consisted of 20 short stories which he had written himself and since 2009 he also participated in various stage plays.
Shige loves art and has a great taste for it. He reads a lot, watches a lot of films and likes to visit museums. Lately he's really into ukiyo-e so he's been buying some famous works and hung them in his place.
Shige loved to write from an early age. Even as a child he made up stories and wrote them down. The strange thing is he claims his language grades were really bad. His Japanese teachers must have been quite surprised. In the Winter of 2005 Shige began to write in his blog on J-web and saw that response was good. Then he got a column in a magazine to write his essays and around 2008 he decided it would be good to try and write a novel one day. He got the opportunity in 2011 while the band was on hiatus and has been releasing one book a year since then. He draws inspiration from his own experience and other people's as well as books and films. He says one day he wants to see his own section in bookstores.
Shige's 3 novels in a bookstore. Still a long way to go to fill up a section.
But Shige isn't only artistic, he's actually very skilled with his hands. He says it must be hereditary since his grandmother was a beautician, his aunt is an illustrator and his mother gave up her job to make hats.
Shige really likes fishing. He also knows how to fillet and cook fish once it's caught. While he says fish is his speciality he can cook a lot more than that. Lately he's been growing some herbs on his veranda. Also his friend from the country has been sending him lots of plums every year and at first he made liquor but since he doesn't drink much he began to pickle the plums (umeboshi).
Another one of Shige's passions is photography. He owns many cameras and even a dark room. While he began to be interested in it since grade 6 it really took off around 2006 when he brought his first professional camera. Since then he's been getting better at it and he got his own corner in Wink Up called PhotoShigenic. He also likes taking pictures on stage during NEWS concerts.
Shige isn't really what you'd call athletic. He's an indoors type and isn't good with team sports especially involving a ball which came as quite a disadvantage since NEWS had a very sportsy image right from the start. But he does enjoy less competitive activities such as jogging or snowboarding. Like other members he goes to the gym and recently began to practice pilates.
These are just the most prominent of Shige's interests and there are many more. For example, he used to collect cacti and since he loves flowers says he wants to learn flower arranging someday. During a 2009 tour he was charged with coordinating the stage outfits which he managed pretty well. He also used to do some of his members' hair, Tegoshi's especially.
Personality
The first thing anyone says when asked about Shige is that he's smart. But rather than that I think he's someone you can actually call an intellectual. He reads a lot and he really enjoys learning. He knows a lot but he doesn't flaunt it. Shige is resourceful and at meetings he's usually the one to offer most ideas. He's got a Law degree too even if he claims he had chosen it just because it sounds cool.
Another thing everyone knows about Shige is that he's mature. If you look at the old videos especially you'll notice it. Not only did Shige look older than Tegomass (which he still does) he also acted older. His interests and hobbies are not very characteristic of his age and he seems to get along with older people. He always seemed as old as Koyama while Tegoshi used to call him Aniki despite the fact that he's only 4 months younger. He himself says he always seems to look about 3 years older than he really is. It also happens that many of his characters in films and dramas are several years older.
While maturity seems like a good thing other members often complain that he's like a grandpa - too serious, grumpy and gets tired easily. But that's just teasing. In reality they say he's very sensible, level-headed and can always look at things objectively so they may ask him for advice. And sometimes Shige remembers he's actually as young as Tegoshi and joins him to pulls some pranks on Koyama.
Shige is quite individualistic but unlike Massu he tries to express it through his performance and activities rather than looks. He always wanted to stand out and be noticed and if you look at pre-debut videos he often said that he wanted to get a chance to show his personal appeal and things like that. By the way, Shige is left-handed and proud of it even though he often bitches about how inconvenient it is. Well, Shige generally bitches a lot. But, you know, with Shige I don't find it annoying, more like endearing. He sometimes may sound harsh when talking to Koyama or Tegoshi but that's just his way of showing his love. Both of them say that if NEWS were a family Shige would be the father, the strict but loving type. He's actually pretty shy too.
While being skillful Shige is also quite clumsy, he often loses or breaks things. However, the members say Shige is very reliable and always keeps his promises.
Shige is smart and capable but he really lacks self-confidence. Though he was always striving to prove his worth and receive acclaim he also admits that he actually hated himself for a long time. But instead of giving up he used this feeling of being inferior and it became something that drove him forwards and made him work harder. He's constantly trying to improve whether it's singing or acting or keeping in shape. In the last couple of years he's been steadily building up the confidence but he is still very self-critical. Sometimes he's very hard on himself but this also gave way to some excellent sarcastic humour.
If Tegoshi Yuya became known as the ultimate idol Shige is often seen as the opposite - an unlikely idol who makes pickled plums and isn't keen on fanservice. He might never get that popular but that's ok. Because he's found his own way and there will always be those who love his honesty, wit and dedication.
@темы: NEWS., Shige is my spirit animal