“Be” is Tana, Kota, Shinsuke & Okada’s photobook from 2014. It includes a 50-question …well, questionnaire, which each guy filled out. I’ve done my level best to translate it but in a few cases I either can’t read their writing or can’t interpret what they mean. If someone better at this than me thinks they could fill in some blanks (or supply any corrections!) than lemme know and I’ll try to get a better shot of whichever page you’d like to work from.



I’m going to bold the question, then put each guy’s answer in succession, divided from the english translation (such as it is) with “//”. My own notes are marked in brackets with **, and if I’m not sure about something it has a bunch of question marks next to it:



1. 普段, 周囲からなんと呼ばれていますか？ What do (people) usually call you?

Tana: タナ・逸材・エース // Tana. Itsuzai. Ace. (** Itsuzai, outstanding talent, is Tana’s sorta nickname, the way King of Strong Style is Shin’s…it could also translate to ‘phenom’)

Kota: いぶし // Ibushi

Shinsuke: しんちゃん // Shin-chan. (**Ishii and a few other people do actually call him this… the -chan suffix is a very familiar one and, as I understand it, kind of a singsongy diminutive kinda thing. I about hit the floor the first time I heard somebody call him Shin-chan lol)

Okada: オカダさん // Okada-san



2. 子供のころはなん呼ばれていますか？ What were you called as a child?

Tana: たなちょ // Tana-cho (** this suffix I’d never heard before! It’s apparently 'a diminutive suffix indicating a person, intended either endearingly or disparagingly.’ Oh, Tana. The more you know. lol)

Kota: いぶ // Ibu

Shinsuke: しんちゃん // Shin-chan

Okada: かず君 // Kazu-kun (** -kun would be used by an equal or a superior)





3. 子供のころの将来の夢は? What was your childhood dream?

Tana: プロ野球選手 // Pro baseball player

Kota: プロレスラー // Pro wrestler

Shinsuke: 忍 // Ninja (**this would have been a bitch to figure out if I didn’t already know he wanted to be a ninja as a child lol)

Okada: 作曲家 // Composer





4. 一番好きな場所を教えて下さい? Tell (us) the place you like the most?

Tana: リング // (the) ring (** Tana loves his job lol)

Kota: 家 // Home

Shinsuke: 海 // the ocean

Okada: 家 // Home





5. 今, 一番行ってみたい国はどこですか？ Which country do you want to go to the most?

Tana: ハワイ // Hawaii

Kota: 日本が。。。です。 // (**homebody Kota seems to be expressing that he’d as soon stay in Japan, thanks. I always knew he had more sense than Shinsuke does)

Shinsuke: チベットうへん // Tibet (** you have no idea how long it took me to realize that was a チ, holy shit. I’m still not sure if う is う or if it’s actually ラ, but he definitely wants to go somewhere in Tibet.)

Okada: クロアチア // Croatia





6. 好きな言葉はなんですか？ What’s your favourite word (phrase)?

Tana: 全力 // Zenryoku (** “all one’s power (strength, energy, efforts); one’s utmost”)

Kota: 快楽 // Pleasure

Shinsuke: YeaOh // (** he answers a few times with YeaOh, and if you don’t know what he means by YeaOh…stop only watching WWE. :P)

Okada: 金 // Money





7. 朝起きて最初にすることは？ What do you do first when you get up in the morning?

Tana: 眼鏡をかける // Put on glasses (** oh, just fuck me up, professor Tana. Sorry @kazuchika.)

Kota: 顔を洗う // Wash my face

Shinsuke: 海チェック // Check the ocean (**he means, check the surfing conditions)

Okada: 時言十を見る // (** I’m only mostly sure I’ve written this right and if I did, I think, that he means see if it’s ten o'clock)





8. 家に帰ってにすることは？ What do you do when you get home?

Tana: 手洗い. うがい. // Wash my hands. Gargle (rinse my mouth)

Kota: 手洗い. うがい. // (**exact same answer as Tana gave!)

Shinsuke: 決まってない // (** assuming I’m reading right, he hasn’t decided yet)

Okada: 着替える // Change my clothes





9. 1日で100億円を使わなければなりません。 何に使いますか？ You have to spend 100 billion yen in one day. What do you spend it on?

Tana: 自分のジムを作る // Build my own gym

Kota: ばらまく // (** This would either be, to hand it out freely or to spend it recklessly and tbh why not both?)

Shinsuke: 海外逃亡 // Escape overseas (** literally, like, flee overseas. I guess he has, now. This made me extremely sad for some reason)

Okada: 外道さんにあげる // Give it to Gedo (**lmao)





10. 1年のうち、 一番よく食べるものはなんでか？ In a year, what do you eat most?

Tana: ツナ缶 // Canned tuna

Kota: ハンバーグ // Hamburger(s)

Shinsuke: 赤ワイン // Red wine (** for god’s sake, sensei)

Okada: 肉 // Meat





11. 人生最後の日、 何を食べますか？ What (would you) eat on the last day of your life?

Tana: 白米 // White rice

Kota: おかし // Sweets

Shinsuke: 家のご飯 // (** I think, he says a homecooked meal?)

Okada: タコス // Tacos (**I could make a joke about him cannibalizing YOSHI-HASHI, but I won’t)







12. 嫌いな食べ物はなんですか？ What food do you dislike?

Tana: ねぎまのねぎ // (** onion-based dishes? Dude, me too)

Kota: ウニ生カキ。 イクラ // Sea urchins, live(?) oysters, salted salmon roe

Shinsuke: うなぎ // Eel

Okada: トマト // Tomato(s) (**edit/update figured it out!)







13. これまでに食べたことがないけれど、 食べてみたいもの。 What (food) have you never tried before that you’d like to?

Tana: ワニ肉 // (** either crocodile meat or shark meat)

Kota: マンモスの肉 // Mammoth meat (** jesus christ, Kota lol)

Shinsuke: 食べたことないから知らない // I don’t know because I’ve never tried it (**…really?? Really.)

Okada: なし // (** This could be several varieties of pear, or he might be saying he doesn’t have something he’d like to try. I can’t imagine he couldn’t find a pear if he wanted to so more likely the later)





14. 好きなアーティストは？ Who’s your favourite (musical) artist?

Tana: // ファンキー加藤 (**I deserve a metal for this one istg, the only non-english spelled answer is Funky Kato)

Kota: ケツメイシ // Ketsumeishi (** a pop/hip hop group)

Shinsuke: MJなど // Michael Jackson

Okada: スティング // Sting





15. 最初に行ったコンサートは？ What was your first concert?

Tana: THE HIGH-LOWS

Kota: 記憶なし！ // I don’t remember!

Shinsuke: ブルーハーツ ハイキックス ツアー // Blue Hearts - High Kicks tour

Okada: 兄のコンサート // My brother’s concert (**I didn’t even know he had a brother lol)





16. 気分を上げたい時に聴きたい音楽は？ What music do you listen to when you want to cheer up?

Tana: TEN FEET 「風」 ※これを聴いこ ベンチプレス190kg成功したから // “Kaze” by TEN FEET (** his postscript here is that he was listening to it when he successfully bench-pressed 190kg lol)

Kota: ゴールデーン・ ????? // the first part is golden, I think, and the second part is illegible

Shinsuke: MJなど // Michael Jackson

Okada: ハッピーノファレル・ウィリアムス // “Happy” - Pharrell Williams (**Kazu and Shinsuke were in the Japanese version of the video for this lol)





17. まったりしたい時に聴きたい音楽は？What music do you listen to when you want to relax?

Tana: 仮面ライダー主題歌全般 // (** something from a Kamen Rider film..the whole theme song, I think)

Kota: ミスチル // Mr. Children (** another Japanese band)

Shinsuke: MJなど // Michael Jackson

Okada: イングリッミュマンインニューヨークノスティング // “Englishman in New York” - Sting





18. 好きな映画を3つ教えて下さい。 Please tell (us) three movies you like.

Tana: 仮面ライダーちちち 「パラダイズ・ロスト」 / 魔女の宅急便 // (**he definitely names a Kamen Rider film but I have no idea what it is, “Paradise Lost” and Kiki’s Delivery Service)

Kota: なし // (** without? Kota doesn’t have one)

Shinsuke: Karate Kid, Rocky, Black Rain

Okada: 千と千尋の神隠し (あれとあれ?) // (**The first one is definitely Spirited Away, but, I can’t quite work out the second)





19. もし1力月休みをもらえるとしたら、 何をしますか？ If you could take a one month break, what would you do?

Tana: トレーニング // Training

Kota: 家で休む // Rest at home

Shinsuke: どこかへ // “To somewhere,” meaning he’d go away somewhere. (** *head in hands* Ok, some absolutely lovely person provided what this meant, and I answered the ask v. gratefully but I did so on private so I’d know they saw it - and my dumb ass neglected to actually copy/paste their name when I did it. B-something, I thought it was blurb-something but god only knows. So now the ask is gone and I’m at a loss as to who it was. Pls contact again and I’ll absolutely rectify the lapse -_- )

Okada: 旅行 // Travel





20. もし、 1年間休みをもらえるとしたら、 何をしますか？ If you could take a one year break, what would you do?

Tana: 暴飲暴食 + トレーニング = 体重 // (** Tana’s simple equation appears to be, “Eating and drinking too much + Training = Weight gain”)

Kota: 肉体改造 // 'Physical remodeling’

Shinsuke: どこかへ // Again, ‘To somewhere’ (**again, sorry - damnit tumblr, who builds a social media site w/ no way to keep track of sent or received messages?!)

Okada: 旅 // Travel





21. ストレス発散方法を教えて下さい。 Tell (us) how you relieve stress.

Tana: 買い物♪ // Shopping♪

Kota: ゲーム // Game (**I assume he means video games)

Shinsuke: 海 // Ocean

Okada: 家でゴロゴロ // Idling around at home





22. 初恋はいつですか？ When was your first love?

Tana: 中学1年生 // First year of middle school

Kota: 幼稚園 // Kindergarten

Shinsuke: 幼稚園 // Kindergarten

Okada: 小学1年生 // First year of primary school





23. 好きな女性のタイプは？ What type of woman do you like?

Tana: 見た目がきついタイプの人 /// ??? (** I’m sure this is what it says but I’m not sure what it means. Types that look intense/formidable/determined/tight/strong?)

Kota: フィーリングの合う人 // (** People with feeling?)

Shinsuke: 気分で変わる // It changes with my mood

Okada: 金持ち // Rich ones





24. こんな男性に憧れる！ という人を教えて下さい。 I’m pretty sure they were saying here, “I admire such a man! Please tell (us) who?” as in what person or qualities in a person they either admire in others or try to emulate or both.

Tana: 自分より人を優先できる人 // Someone who can put others before themselves.

Kota: 努力してる人 // Someone who is striving

Shinsuke: 黒帯でミョートボーダー // (**I cannot for the life of me parse the katakana here, but it’s very similiar to that in a later question which has to do with surfing, so I think he means expert surfers.)

Okada: オレ // (* I’m pretty sure Kazu has just spelled out 俺 in katakana….his answer is, 'me’)







25. 今までの人生で最高のモテキはいつですか？ What was the best moteki in your life? (I’m gonna have to glean this by context because moteki could either be an innocent question about a manga series, or, literally asking when they were getting, pardon my francais, the most ass. THE MOST ROMANTIC ATTENTION, ahem.)

Tana: 生まれてからずっと （笑) // Always, since I was born lol

Kota: 19~20 // (**presumably he means when he was 19-20 years old)

Shinsuke: 知らない // I don’t know (** the hell you don’t, sensei)

Okada: いつも // Always





26. 好きな女性の仕草は？ **This one is a little tricky (literally, 'what is your favourite woman’s gesture?’)…woman’s bearing, or mannerism, I guess it’s sort of a varient on what’d make them notice a woman, maybe?

Tana: 目 // Eye(s) (**Tana’s answer here and Shinsuke’s non-answer below is why I’m not quite certain what the context actually is here)

Kota: 笑顔 // Smile

Shinsuke: 人による // ??? (edit/update: I think….I think. That what he says here is ‘it depends on the person’ as in, different things draw his eye depending on what that person is like.)

Okada: 笑顔 // Smile





27. 捨てられなくて困つているものは？ What is troubling because you can’t throw it away?

Tana: 服 // Clothing (** I assume he means he has too many clothes, not that he wants to roam freely naked through the streets, tbh when he wants to do that he just does it, from what I’ve seen)

Kota: 手紙 // Letter(s)

Shinsuke: コスチューム // Costume (** his ring gear?)

Okada: 外道さん // Gedo (** I swear to god, Kazu)





28. ご自分の癖はなんだと思いますか？ What do you think is your habit?

Tana: あとかたずけをしない // ???? (** something about not doing it later but I’m not sure about ‘it’. Maybe he’s talking about procrastination. If かたずけ is just some kana form of 片付ける than he means he doens’t pick up after himself)

Kota: なるほど // ????

Shinsuke: すぐどこかへ 行く // ????

Okada: 鼻をすする // To sniffle/sniff (**THANK YOU FOR BEING CLEAR, KAZUCHIKA, EVERYBODY ELSE COULD LEARN A THING OR TWO FROM YOU)





29. 何フェチですか？ What is your fetish? (**hoo boy!!! I think, by Tana’s answer, that this might be somewhat less holy-shit than it sounds and might have a slightly vanilla-i-er translation like, what do you really notice about people you find attractive)

Tana: 目 // Eyes(s) (** Unless there’s such a thing as an eye fetish this was what made me reckon it had more to do with the feature you notice about ppl you find attractive)

Kota: 足 // Feet/Legs

Shinsuke: 人による // (**edit/update: Pretty sure this means, again, depends on the person.)

Okada: におい // Scent





30. 弱点を教えて下さい。 Tell (us) your weakness.

Tana: なし // Without (**The Ace has no weaknesses)

Kota: せま。。所 // Narrow/confined spaces

Shinsuke: かえる // (** This is either some kind of imponderable philosophical statement about returning or leaving or changing…oooor he’s deathly afraid of frogs. I’m not sure which.)

Okada: お酒 // Alcohol





31. 座右の銘は？ What’s your motto?

Tana: 全力 // Zenryoku (“all one’s power (strength, emergy, efforts); one’s utmost”)

Kota: なし // Without

Shinsuke: YeaOh

Okada: 特にありません // Nothing in particular (** When Kazu has 3 things to say, this is always the third thing)





32. 電話派？ メール派？ I think…this is asking whether they prefer to communicate by phone or mail. Which may well mean email.

Tana: メール派 // Mail

Kota: 電話 // Phone

Shinsuke: メール返ない派 // (** I think sensei’s throwing down for team never-replies-to-emails)

Okada: メール // Mail





33. 今、 一日に送る携帯メールは何通ですか？ How many 'mobile mails’ (emails? Texts?) do you send in a day?

Tana: 5~10通 // 5-10

Kota: 5~10通くらい // Around 5-10

Shinsuke: 希に // Rare/few/seldom

Okada: 50通くらい // Around 5





34. コレクションしているものはありますか？ Do you have collection(s)?

Tana: クロムハーツ・仮面ライダーフィギア // Chrome Hearts, Kamen Rider figure(s)

Kota: なし // Without

Shinsuke: マグネット (お土産系) // Magnets (souvenir-type) (** I just want to say this was a hell of a fucking amazing guess on my part)

Okada: サングラス // Sunglasses





35. 香水はつけてますか？ つけているなら何をつけてますか？ Do you wear perfume (uh, I’m assuming they mean collogne but hell if they wanna wear perfume that’s their business and I support 'em 100%)? If so, what kind?

Tana: つけていないです // I don’t wear it

Kota: スティル // Still (**I think…which…uhh appears to be a Jennifer Lopez thing?)

Shinsuke: つけ て ない // I don’t wear it

Okada: エルメス // Hermès





36. 寝るときの格好は？ What do you wear to bed?

Tana: 上向き // (**….ok look. I don’t know…why he answered this with “pointing up; pointing upward; upturn; uptrend; upward tendency“ and I’m not going to think about it anymore, either. Maybe I misinterpreted his writing. Maybe he means he never sleeps. Ok? Ok. That way nobody’s going to hell.)

Kota: 夏, 全裸, 冬, パジャマ // In summer, nothing. In winter, pajamas. (** @breadclubrising I’m so sorry, deep breaths)

Shinsuke: YeaOh // (**….for god’s sake. FOR GOD’S SAKE.)

Okada: Tシャツとハーフパンツ // T-shirt and half pants (**I uh, dunno what half pants are. shorts? Anyway thank you again Kazu for being clear and wearing clothes to bed, Kazuchika is SLEEPOVER SAFE, people)





37. 睡眠は平均何時取りますか？ How long do you sleep on average?

Tana: 4~6時間 // 4-6 hours

Kota: 5~8時間 // 5-8 hours

Shinsuke: 7時間 // Seven hours

Okada: 6時間 // Six hours





38. 自分の好きなところを教えて下さい。 Tell (us) what you like.

Tana: いつでも笑えるところ // ???? (** update/edit I’m pretty sure that Tana’s saying he likes to be made to laugh, or to make other people laugh)

Kota: ?????? // (** this MIGHT say 反応 , which would be ‘reaction/response’)

Shinsuke: 受け入れる ///// ????????????? (** edit/update!!!! 受け入れる, ukeireru, is “to accept; to receive; to agree​” so make of that what you will. Being accepted, maybe, or receiving?)

Okada: 優しい // Tenderness/gentleness/kindness





39. 自分の嫌いなところを教えて下さい。 Tell (us) what you dislike.

Tana: くせっ毛 // Unruly/messy/frizzy hair (**edit/update 癖っ毛! I had confused 毛 for mo.)

Kota: 忘れやすい // (** forgetfulness?)

Shinsuke: なし // without (** I guess he likes everything)

Okada: 優しい // Tenderness/gentleness/kindness (**Make up your mind, Kazuchika)





40. 両親のどちらに似ていますか？ Which of your parents do you take after / resemble?

Tana: 母 // Mother

Kota: 母 // Mother

Shinsuke: 母 // Mother

Okada: 母親 // Mother

41. 近々始めたいと思っていることがあれば教えて下さい。 (my best guess on this is “What would you like to start doing soon” as in, maybe learn to do, or take up as a hobby? Or maybe just, what are you gonna do when you’re through filling out this stupid quiz)

Tana: エステ // Beauty salon (** presumably he means going)

Kota: なし // without

Shinsuke: ショートボード // (** OK!! This is some kind of surfing. It’s very similiar to the string of katakana I can’t parse after the question about the person they admire, so, maybe he spelled it wrong once and that’s why I can’t figure it out?)

Okada: ゴルフ // Golf





42. コスバレをすることになりました。 何に扮しますか？ (You) decide to do a cosplay. Who do (you) imitate?

Tana: 三国志の孫策 // (**I’m not familiar with this but it’s something like, Records of the Three Kingdoms, and a character called Sonsaku, I think)

Kota: したくないです // (** He’s either saying he doesn’t want to or he can’t decide)

Shinsuke: 木 // (**….I believe sensei has opted to dress up like a tree. And a very fine tree he would be, too. I’d climb him. Er, sit under him. Er…you know what, forget I said anything.)

Okada: ふなっしー // (** google it you will not be disappointed lol)





43. プライベートでよく出没するエリアはどこですか？ (another mouthful, but, I think, “Where can you often be found in private”)

Tana: 代官山・自由が丘・二子玉川 // Daikanyama, Jiyūgaoka, Futakotamagawa (** all places in Tokyo)

Kota: 家の近く // Close to home

Shinsuke: 教えない // (** I think he’s refusing to say, which is probably for the best considering people have some trouble with boundaries.)

Okada: 銀座 // Ginza (** a shopping district in Tokyo)





44. カバンにいつも入れているものは？ What do you always put in your bag?

Tana: ドライヤー、 プロテイン、 3DS // (hair) Dryer, protein (powder), 3DS

Kota: カバンを持ち歩…???? // (** I can’t read this)

Shinsuke: 応急セット // “Emergency/first aid set” (** presumably either a first-aid kit or an emergency set of uh, clothes)

Okada: トランプ // Playing cards





45. 今、 一番会いたい人は？ Currently, who do you most want to meet?

Tana: ショーン・マイケルス // Shawn Michaels

Kota: 小学校の 同級生 // Primary school classmates (**edit/update O snap that’s it, his old schoolmates from gradeschool lol.

Shinsuke: 教えない // (** I guess he doesn’t have someone)

Okada: ライバル // Rival…competition (** keep talking like that and you’re gonna have two months of squash matches against enhancement talent, Kazu)





46. 好きな色は？ What’s your favourite colour?

Tana: 白, グレー, ネイビー // White, grey, navy

Kota: 白, 青, 黒 // White, blue, black

Shinsuke: 色々 // Various colours

Okada: 金 // Gold





47. カラオケの十八番は？ I think this is asking about their go-to karaoke song.

Tana: 銀河鉄道999 // Galaxy Express 999 (** is an anime, presumably a song from it)

Kota: ないは // (** he doesn’t seem to have one)

Shinsuke: 恋人も濡れる街角 // (** I’m not sure what this translates to, exactly, but it’s something about lovers getting wet on street corners and I’m not even gonna speculate. But it’s by Masatoshi Nakamura and if you’re curious, here you go https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrMIFVi83xM …it might actually be the one he sings on the one CHAOS dvd, not sure, I’d have to find the clip again)

Okada: 歩いて帰ろう // (** It’s something about walking home, by Kazuyoshi Saito and it’s catchy as fuck https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEoyzisgokw )





48. 相手の遅刻。 何分まで待てる？ The other person (or opponent?) is late. How long will you wait?

Tana: 30分 // 30 minutes

Kota: 30分 // 30 minutes

Shinsuke: 自分 も 遅刻する // I’d be late, too (**edit/update lol. What the answer must have been suddenly occurred to me at 8:00 in the goddamn morning, having not slept yet)

Okada: 1時間 // An hour





49. 今、 一番ほしいものはなんですか？ Now, what do you want most?

Tana: アウデイのR8 // Audi R8 (**Top Gear boys comin’ through with supplying wtf that is, thanks guys. It’s a fancy car.)

Kota: 家 // Home

Shinsuke: サーフボード // Surfboard

Okada: 休み // Rest (or holiday)





50. この写真集はどんな存在ですか？ Why does this photo album exist? (**I think. It could be, what kind of photobook is this? P. much all around I have no idea what this question is about and the answers all entirely escape me because they don’t seem to synch up with anything I can understand about the question…)

Tana: 夢のまた夢 // (**Dream within a dream?)

Kota: 楽しみです // (** I’m enjoying it? I look forward to it?)

Shinsuke: 偽りの中邑真輔 // (something about….fake Shinsuke Nakamura, or lies about Shinsuke Nakamura)

Okada: 特別な存在 // (** special person?)

