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Posted by kitto-nakajima 134 pts Monday, May 31, 2021

Japanese idol's interest in fish attracts government attention (in a good way!)

STAR CONTRIBUTOR

If there's one thing that even the most casual observer of Japanese television can ascertain, it's the love and affection held in equal measure for food and foridols: the country's attractive "jack of all trade" performers and personalities. 

So it goes without saying that it catches exponential attention when the two come together, and such was the case just this past week with the introduction of Motodaka Katsuki, a member of the Johnny & Associates boyband 7 MEN Samurai, as the newest "ikemen (handsome guy) teacher" on the variety program Night Brunch.

Motodaka Katsuki 7 MEN Samurai
Motodaka poses with the Striped Jack he's about to prepare on the show

But what made this time different from ordinary "taste and comment" fare was the uniquely palpable passion and authority Motodaka brought with him. A graduate student at the prestigious Waseda University, the 22-year-old self-studied expert in the art of fish cleaning and preparation has made his culinary arts just as much a part of his entertainment identity as his skills at the electric keyboard. And despite joking that his depth of interest doesn't always hold the attention of his fellow band members, it certainly impressed the co-hosts and their audience.


To additionally celebrate and promote his appearance on the show, Motodaka created a 4-day digital celebration for viewers of his agency's social media sites. Calling it UOUO Days (a pun on the word for fish as well as "to get lost in something,") he hosted two ASMR-inspired sashimi preparation sessions on the Johnny's-exclusive video sharing site ISLAND TV, topped off with a special trip to the Ota Fish Market to prepare an extravagant seafood spread for his fellow members on their YouTube show. 

But the full stomachs and (albeit at times teasing) accolades of his brothers-in-arms weren't the only attention he garnered from his efforts. When fans syndicated an offhand joke he made on his blog about maybe the Japanese Fisheries Ministry being a better career fit for him, the official government social media accounts took notice.

Translation: A Johnnys' Junior wants to enter the Fisheries Ministry? Someone tell us more!

Additional "Night Thoughts" posted to the Ministry's Facebook page thanked him for helping to spread the word about the industry

All in all, with Japan struggling to sit tight through the final gasps of the pandemic, it's nice to hear of people still managing to turn something ordinary and everyday into the exciting and entertaining for the rest of us. Here's to hoping that when this is all finally over we'll still be able to appreciate the simple hobbies of hearth and home as much as Motodaka clearly does.

  1. Johnny's Jr.
  2. 7 MEN Samurai
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