---- Recording just ended, but were there any episodes?
The snare drum in the studio broke and threw us into a panic. We'd just finished exactly one song when the snare completely broke. The studio's snare had a better sound for what we wanted than my own, but it broke.

---- So what did you do after that?
Somehow I made the sound with my own snare and overcame it.

---- Your favorite artist?
Dream Theater

---- What was the trigger for you joining a band?
I was invited by my friends. I was playing drums by myself, but unknown to me, it seems that group had the conversation "Let's do it!"

---- In the beginning, what was your reason for choosing the drums?
When I watched my favorite band Jun Sky Walkers, before I knew it all I watched were the drums, and then somehow it seems I just did it. (LOL)

---- What was your trigger for doing visual kei?
When I joined my previous band, it was visual kei. Until then I didn't care about visual kei at all.

---- What was your impression the first time you saw yourself in makeup?
If I remember correctly, I said, "Wow~!" I think I was probably excited.

---- It's an earthquake! What will you take as you flee?
As many of my valuables as I can carry. Things like my wallet, my bank book, and my hanko. (hanko = an official stamp used instead of signatures on important documents)

---- That's practical.
It's because my blood type is A. (LOL) After that I'd probably take a lot of underpants. (LOL)

---- A memory of childhood?
The island's fish was delicious. My hometown is Sadogashima. It's an island so the sushi at the kaiten-zushi shops (conveyor belt sushi bars) are much better than here. (Tokyo) It's that delicious. When I return to the island everything is delicious so it's great.

---- So when you go back to your hometown, the first thing is fish?
That's right. But me, I'm a meat man. (LOL) But when I go back, I definitely eat fish.

---- What did you want to be when you were a child?
A ninja. I don't remember, but when I was sorting through my room there was a kindergarten anthology. When I looked at it everyone else had written "When I grow up, I'm going to be this and that," but I'd written "When I grow up, I'm going to be a ninja." (LOL)

---- When do you feel like you've become an adult?
I don't get carried away in emotions... It's doing things at your own pace, right? (LOL)

---- On the other hand, when do you feel you're still a child?
Once in a while I do get carried away by my emotions.

---- Do you cry?
It's not that. But inside my heart I'm thinking, "THAT BASTARD!" (LOL)

---- Something you'd like to try to ask the other members?
The thing I'd like to ask is for everyone to go drinking together when there's time.

---- Your biggest failure in concert?
It's making mistakes in the songs we're performing. I haven't made such a huge mistake in Versailles, but in my previous band, I made a mistake and had to start over.

---- Is there a food that makes you say, "This is a masterpiece!"
A motsunabe (meat hot pot) dish called "Yoshizuki." I had it for the first time at a restaurant in Ebisu but anyway it was really tasty. But I've only eaten motsunabe here. (LOL)

---- Conversely, is there a dish that makes you say, "How can anyone eat this!
" It's oysters! I can't see that as food. No matter how it's prepared it's bad.

---- Is there a food you've been addicted to recently?
No.

---- It seems you don't have much interest in "things about eating." (LOL)
That's true. I really prefer drinking. (LOL)

---- What do you think is the thing at which you're unbeatable?
Loving Dream Theater.

---- Is there a weak point that's especially bad?
It's getting pushed into intensity. When that happens it's not that I'm an intense kind of person. It's okay if that kind of person gets into it on their own with that kind of person, but that way of being like, "I'm gonna make you get into it too!" is sort of...

---- It's bad to say things like, "let's go crazy together!"?
It's just that everyone has their own way of enjoying themselves, don't they? So leave me alone.

---- So you don't like to be interfered with?
That's how I feel.

---- What do you wear on your days off?
Just underwear.

---- You spend all day like that?
No, it's just when I'm in the house. I don't go outside like that.

---- How do you spend your days off?
It's drinking from morning. But I'm not off that much. If there was a day off, that's what I'd like to do, sort of.

---- What's the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?
Drink water.

---- What do you always do before you go to sleep?
Drink alcohol. (LOL)

---- What is your way of relieving stress?
Again, alcohol. (LOL)

---- What's a small pleasure that only you feel?
Drinking at the end of the day.

---- ...umm, you're not drinking alcohol all day long?
No no, that's just on my days off. Normally it's only right before I go to sleep.

---- Do you have any weaknesses besides alcohol?
Not really. But it makes me more cheerful than usual. I'm the type that really has fun when drinking. But when I'm pushed into intensity I get angry. (LOL)

---- About how much do you drink?
Lately there hasn't been much time so I don't drink until I'm wasted. But I used to drink around a liter of Nihonshu. (LOL)

---- When you go drinking, is it a wild party with everyone? Or is it just 2 or 3 people quietly chatting?
It's the latter. Posing like an image of cool men. (LOL)

---- What do people call you?
They call me various things. Among the members it's Yuki-kun. Our guitarist Teru-kun has various ways of calling me. Sometimes it's nicknames, sometimes he makes "Yuki" really long. Like, "Big older brother Yuki." (LOL) I don't really get it.

---- The words you're happiest to hear from a girl?
"Your drumming is the best (heart)"

---- Are there any problems with things you don't yet understand about girls?
.....there aren't any.

---- So you know girls through and through?
Umm... well... No no no, I'm still just a little boy. (LOL)

---- The words you're happiest to hear from a boy?
"Your drumming is the best, dude!"

---- Are there a lot of male fans?
There are a lot for Versailles.

---- And there are a lot of foreign fans.
That's right. I think that's Versailles's strength. Sex and nationality don't matter.

---- When did you decide to make a living with music?
The first time I felt it strongly was when I joined Versailles. For a long time I'd wanted to make a living as a drummer, but when I joined Versailles I had a sort of conviction that "We can do it!"

---- What do you do when you're lonely?
Friends and alcohol.

---- Alcohol again... (LOL)
Yes. As long as there's alcohol and meat, there's nothing to complain about. (LOL)

---- What's the most expensive thing you've ever bought?
A car. Lately I haven't been driving it. When I'm behind the drumset, it looks like a car's machinery. (LOL)

---- When do you feel calmest during the day, and what are you doing then?
Alcohol at the end of the day. There's not a day that alcohol doesn't cross my lips. (LOL)

---- Something that makes you glad for having joined a band?
Meeting many people.

---- Have you met anybody impressive?
Not too long ago I did a concert together with Shuse-san. (Former La'cryma Christi bassist, at the 8/30 "Red Carpet Day" concert.) Shuse-san let me play his original songs... That was inspirational. AND we went drinking together.

---- Is there anyone you'd like to meet?
It's Dream Theater's drummer-san!

---- What would you do if you met him?
...I'd probably cry. (LOL) When I went to see their Japanese performance once, I had a seat 5th row from the front on the very side. When the members came out on the nearby catwalk all I did was yell "MIKE~~~!!!" and it was really emotional and I shook his hand. I was already wailing then. (LOL) Even now when I go to see Dream Theater's concerts I have the feeling of someone who should be standing in the first row among the fans.

---- You're a passionate fan, aren't you.
Yes~ (*happy*)

---- Something that has surprised you about being in a band?
I've always had this kind of lifestyle so there's nothing in particular. I do things at my own pace. (LOL)

---- What have you been absorbed in (addicted to) lately?
An anime called "Claymore." It's on in the middle of the night but I'm really into it. I watch it without missing a week. (LOL)

---- Something that has made you glad recently?
Doing a concert with Shuse-san.

---- Something that made you embarrassed recently?
Being undressed by Kamijo-san in the middle of an uchiage. (LOL)

---- What's something fun about touring?
A gourmet tour. In Hokkaido I ate an oyako-don (rice topped with chicken and eggs) with salmon and salmon roe. That was incredibly good.

---- On the other hand, what's troublesome about touring?
It's hard when I can't have my alcohol at the end of the day. Can't do it when driving. (*tears*)

---- Please tell us if there was an episode on tour.
From Osaka to Fukuoka, we drove forever at night on nothing but dark roads and it was tiring. When the concert ended we left and arrived in the morning. Then another concert. That was rough.

---- Please tell us your principles for staying vigorous.
Support from fans. Letters and presents, and calling my name a lot at concerts. That makes me happy.

---- Is there a present that made an impression on you?
I thought this fan really understood. Drummers go through shoes and socks like crazy. So I was really happy when this fan gave me around 10 pairs of socks.

---- Please give a message to Alive readers.
Please listen to "Lyrical Sympathy" which went on sale on 10/31 and come to our concerts.