櫻井翔 x 大野智
The Origin of Yama Pair (Yama Combi / 山コンビ)
Q.嵐は山と風に別れる？（リスナーからの質問）：
櫻井「ほんとです」
松本「じゃあどうやって別れます？」
櫻井「いやもう年上の櫻井、大野で上の部分「山」を」
大野「「山」を取っていきたいと思っています」
（嵐音2001年3月1日）
From Arashi’s radio show, March 1, 2001
(Question from the listener): Arashi is divided into yama (mountain) and kaze (wind)?
Sho: Really
Jun: Then, how do [we] break up?
Sho: The upper “yama” part would be with Ohno, the [only] other one older/senior than Sakurai
Ohno: I think [we]’ll take Yama.
Okay, literal translation makes me wince so I feel like explaining the context because I’m having a hard time phrasing it properly without losing context altogether. What Sho is saying is that yama (山) being positioned “above” kaze (風) to make the word Arashi is like seniority (seniors are obviously higher in rank) whether it’s by age or Jimusho entry* so the most senior (older than Sho) is Ohno, and thus he should be above all (yama over kaze = 嵐).
And thus Arashi was divided into Yama and Kaze.
This is a VERY rough translation so anyone who can correct this, please do.
What’s interesting is that eight years later, Sho was asked about what “Yama” means (as used among Arashi fans), and either wasn’t sure or pretended not to know. :D I’ll try and track it down, it was an interview he did in 2009, some TV mag.
eta TV Pia June ‘09, copypasta below and here.
Obviously he doesn’t want it. The youngsters will call Yama Ojisan and Sho will have sleepless nights. (Ohno on the hand doesn’t give a damn)
