Shigeaki Kato of the popular group "NEWS" appeared on Tetsuko Kuroyanagi's long-running talk show "Tetsuko's Room" (TV Asahi) on March 27th, where he spoke about his feelings towards "NEWS" and other topics.
NEWS is celebrating its 23rd year this year. Originally, there were nine members, but in 2020, the group was reduced to three: Kato, Koyama Keiichiro, and Masuda Takahisa. Each time a member graduates, they struggle with the idea of making it the last time, but also the desire to respect each member's feelings, wondering whether they should continue, or whether ending the group would actually preserve the beautiful memories of the group.
Kato said, "Ultimately, three members remained who wanted to continue," and added, "The biggest factor was the support from our fans." "We exist because of our fans, so we united our hearts and made a fresh start."
They will celebrate their 25th anniversary in 2028. "It may just be that we've been active for a long time, but I hope we can convey to the next generation who look up to us the joy of continuing," he says.
The three members are "on good terms." They discuss various things and sometimes disagree, but they said, "By going through those experiences, we can always look towards the future, so I think we're all heading in the same direction."
Kato is also active as a novelist. She has been nominated for the Naoki Prize twice. Although she doesn't often hear it directly from others, she says that other members have heard comments like, "That's amazing!"
