Chiko nya SAGA~

You told us "We want to meet the real Chiko!", so we've decided to do a photoshoot of Saga together with his idol dog, Chiko-chan. The day we did the photoshoot was a cold winter day and it seemed like it could start raining at any time. But despite his old age (16 years old!), the pictures we took show him strolling & playing around cheerfully with Saga-kun! During the interview, we asked about "how he met with Chiko" and "comfort". You can really feel the affection Saga-kun bears toward Chiko!!




---Please tell us about how your first met with Chiko.

He was brought home when I was in my last few years of elementary school. At that time dogs weren't allowed in my house, so even though I wanted to keep a dog, I kept being told "No way!" and gave up on that. But one day, my old man who was the most opposed to it, came home with one. It seems that someone he knew was giving away 3 pups and was looking for a safe home for them. Therefore, my dad went and picked a completely black dog who was so docile he almost seemed dead. This dog who made him feel weak from the moment he saw him and who gave him the feeling he had to bring him to a safe home, that was Chiko. When I came back from school, somehow I had the feeling that there was a dog at home. I thought it could have been my younger brother, but no matter what I had the feeling there was a dog (laugh). Then when I saw this completely black dog, I was surprised like "What the hell is that!?".

---Who gave him the name Chiko?

At that time, my grandmother who passed away used to live with us. She had a cat whose name was Chiko. Even though this cat was no longer here, she still seemed to be attached to her, so when she saw the dog who'd just come, she said "I'm going to call this dog Chiko" (laugh).

---But, Chiko is a male, right?
That's right. I was worried, and Chiko too (laugh). But 1 month after we started to call him Chiko, he seemed to have understood that he was Chiko.

---What are Chiko's strong points?
Actually, he's a big coward, so he'd be defeated even by a chihuahua. He's even scared of cats when we go out for a stroll, so he's truly weak. But, he's strong only when he's at home, on his territory. He stands up against the gas repairman or the old salespersons. Also, his will to live is strong. Even until now, he's always had lots of energy to play with me, it's amazing. On top of that, he's a crossbreed.

---Saga-kun, you take good care of him, don't you?

Of course, I do. At home, everybody's got a job and leaves relatively early in the morning, so I give him breakfast, I give him water, and if I didn't have to take Chiko out for bathroom, I'd never go outside. And if I never went outside, Chiko couldn't go to the bathroom, so I never go past certain time.

[TRANSLATOR'S NOTE: Can't read the next question/answer on the scan here so will fix it as soon as I buy the magazine.]

---The cause of Saga's lateness was Chiko, right (laugh)?

That's right. My CHIKOKU's CHI-KO is Chiko (laugh).1

---Do you have any memories with Chiko?

Chiko has seen many different people who I've become related to during my life. Like friends, or high school sweethearts. He knows the people I've encountered better than anyone else. And at night, I really can't see him when it's dark. I think I must have stepped on his tail or kicked him accidentally about 100 times.

---What do you do when you step on him?

I'm instantly worried. But even then, he doesn't bark. He's tolerant. He does that "Please get off of me" expression and stares at me without moving. He's a brave dog.

---Conversely, Saga-kun isn't afraid of anything, right?

A long time ago, I was quite fierce. Until I was about 4 years old, I aimed for the throat of people who came to visit us. One time, I didn't bite, but I suddenly jumped onto a friend, it was problematic. By the way, when I was a kid I ate the cat's food.

---Really? How is it like?

Cat food? It's delicious. When my grandmother was preparing food for the cat, she also prepared some for me, and I'd eat it.

---So it wasn't cat food but neko-manma2?

That's right. Like katsubushi on rice, it was simple but it was surprisingly good. I got addicted.

---When you're with Chiko, what kind of person do you become?

When we're together, I turn into a dog too. Like dogs do, we eat meals together. If we don't take meals at the same time, Chiko looks so lonely, when I look at him I feel like he's telling me "You should eat too". He won't eat until I start eating too, so he must think "This guy is great.".

---At this time, does Saga-kun eat dog food too?

No way! Of course I eat human food (laugh). But, Chiko can read the situation. If I'm so tired I'm falling asleep, he comes closer.

---Do you talk to Chiko?

I usually do. I talk to him with bad words, as if I were talking to a friend, I tell him various things.

---You don't baby-talk to him?

I don't! Once I tried to do it when no one was around, but it was kinda awkward and I felt like he was telling me "Don't talk to me like that". But when I talk to him, he makes a nice face and he listens, so it's truly comforting. We've been together for 16 years, so I often feel like he's a person. When I complain to him, or when I tell him about the things I want to do, he understands. Me and Chiko's bounds aren't like those between a master and a pet, I think they're close to bounds between two persons.

---What kind of things do you tell him?

"This idol is cute uh?", this sort of stupid things (laugh). Also, we watched U2's LIVE DVD together. He comes near when I watch TV. When he sees another dog, he puts his nose against the screen. And when he sees food too, it piques his interest. He can't smell it but he probably understands that it looks delicious.

---Is he docile?

Generally, he's docile. He likes girls for sure. When a girls comes over, he comes closer on his own free will.

---On that point, is he like his owner?

This, I'm not going to tell (laugh)!

---What kind of presence does Chiko have to Saga-kun?

If Chiko wasn't here, I wouldn't write songs. And I think because Chiko has been here until now, I've been peaceful and relaxed, so I've come up with great songs. If Chiko wasn't there, I have a feeling I'd write nothing but boring, monotone songs. I've also composed some songs while I was out with Chiko for a stroll in the park, so to me, Chiko truly has a huge presence.

---Concretly, what songs are you talking about?

Almost all the songs I did on "VANDALIZE". The serene songs like "the beautiful name", "Waterfall" and "Subaru" were all created while I was strumming my guitar with Chiko around. But when I'm composing noisy songs, because the guitar is very loud, he runs away (laugh).

---Chiko can be seen on a lot of Saga-kun's things, right?

That's right! He can be seen on a lot of alice nine.'s stuff (laugh). Because now, he's even been on our merchandise. T-shirt, mugcups, picks. I sent a picture I'd taken of him with my keitai to our designer and got those things made. Lately, I've even been getting fan letters, not addressed to me, but to Chiko. I reiceved presents and when I opened them, they weren't for me, but dog food for Chiko (laugh). But I'm grateful for those things. I want to do my best so he lives until 20 years.

---With that said, how is the tour going?
This time, we put together a setlist that drastically changed the flow we've had until now. Even in small livehouses, we want to stress on the mood, so we're doing fewer MCs. The order in which we wanted to play the songs from "VANDALIZE" was very different, so before the tour, we created 2 setlist patterns. We alternated them between each live, but by the time the 5th live ended, we were already fed up, so now we're quickly trying to think of a 3rd pattern. We replaced the songs that weren't very successful even up to now during this tour, but this time the 3rd pattern drastically changes the flow of the live so [TRANSLATOR'S NOTE: And once again I can't read because of the scan. Will fix as soon as I get the magazine.]
During "the beautiful name", even though I thought the audience would leap and jump and keep time to the music, this time I'm happy if everyone enjoys themselves freely. Even thought it was decided that people should move a lot during harder songs and stay in place and listen during melodious songs, we wanted to change this, and we wanted people to move freely and uninteruptedly during the live.

---That's what you said in our last interview.

That's right. Basically it's a good feeling when everyone can be themselves.

---There are 15 lives left, isn't it?

I think we're still going to change after this. It's amazing. We're already different presently. I hope you're looking forward.