Interpreter/Translator/Writer Stacy Smith (Kumamoto-ken CIR, 2000-03) presents WIT Life, a periodic series about aspects of Japanese culture such as art, film, food and language. Stacy starts her day by watching Fujisankei’s newscast in Japanese, and here she offers some interesting tidbits and trends along with her own observations.
Most of my interpreting jobs take place in conference rooms and courtrooms, but every now and then I get a fun gig that makes me realize how lucky I am to do what I do. This happened in March when I had the chance to work with the global pop sensation J01, a Japanese boy band formed in 2019. Its 11 members were selected by viewers during a live broadcast of a reality competition show that had 6000 contestants. New York was one stop on their first world tour, which concluded with the group’s first performance at the Tokyo Dome. While in town J01 performed two shows at the Brooklyn Bowl, and I interpreted for them at promotional appearances at outlets like Teen Vogue, Pandora and Good Day New York.
This year J01 celebrates its five-year anniversary, as its debut single and first album came out in 2020. To mark this milestone, last month the group released its first greatest hits album called Be Classic. It features five new songs including the titular song, a banger that samples Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. It’s one of those tunes that’s difficult to get out of your head once you hear it, and the choreography is pretty unforgettable too. I wasn’t well versed in boy bands before spending time with J01, and I came away with a profound respect for how hard they work to make all of their complicated dance moves look so easy.
J01 not only has a terrific sound, but are also known for their generous philanthropic activity. In the past they participated in fundraising events for the Great East Japan Earthquake and helped to promote Covid vaccination efforts. This week they took part in the Japanese Heritage Night celebration at Dodger Stadium, where they presented a $50,000 check to the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation to support ongoing wildfire relief efforts. I’m excited to see what the next five years bring for this fantastic group!
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