Weekly Oricon article 2, Part 1
Tatu's Holiday in Japan: What No One Wrote Of
This is a document following the five days that Tatu spent in Japan. Our reporter has written about everything he heard and saw, from an objective stance. There was some bafflingly inconsistent behaviour, but the events reported here are not scandals, just the "Tatu sensation" that stirred up the whole of Japan.
June 25th
The uproar merchants Tatu, who made their way through the early summer rain on their first visit to Japan on June 25th, exerted an overwhelming influence over us all.
On that day, Tatu arrived at 10:30 on an Aeroflot flight. The question that the reporters assembled at Narita Airport were asking each other was "Is Yulia bra-less?" She was wearing a black camisole, so one couldn't see without looking closely, but she was definitely bra-less. A reporter from one of the sports tabloids lamented, "I was going to use the headline 'Tatu arrive in Japan without bras' if it had been obvious that she wasn't wearing one."
Nevertheless, at Narita, the media were more excited than the fans. The press was not represented by the sports tabloids alone; there were also reporters from the society sections of such mainstream papers and news agencies as the Asahi Shimbun, the Yomiuri Shimbun, the Mainichi Shimbun, the Sankei Shimbun and Kyodo News. Of the TV companies, NTV, which had been overtaken somewhat by Fuji TV in terms of its reports on Tatu, was trying to catch up. In the space reserved for the news bureaux, 8 cameras were following Tatu.
After they left Narita Airport at 11, Tatu headed for the Hotel New Otani in Kioi-cho, where they were to stay. I don't know whether Tatu asked themselves whether the two motorbikes that followed their car were "Japanese paparazzi", but (because they are Russian) they seem to have been surprised at being followed by paparazzi bikes in this way.
Tatu had a rest after arriving at their hotel after 12, and then went to Shibuya sometime after 2. They went window shopping at such shops as 109. Ordinary shoppers were delighted by the sudden appearance of Tatu. However, the reporters present said "We couldn't take any pictures because the security in the area was strict."
In the evening, it was time for the long-awaited sushi. Lena had continually said "When I get to Japan, the first thing I want to do is eat sushi", so her dream came true. In that sense, given that she ate real sushi, which was the biggest aim of this trip to Japan, did that mean that all the goals for the trip were achieved at that point?
June 26th
The 26th was the day for interviews. Although this was their first visit to Japan, no press conference had been arranged, and limits had been placed on the interviews with them that were permitted. In the morning, I got calls from reporters from several weekly magazines.
"I heard that they were in Shibuya yesterday. I don't suppose there are any photographs?" "The gossip shows showed them eating sushi; I wonder who did the report?" I didn't care, but felt like saying "Ask Universal!"
In the afternoon there was the interview with Weekly Oricon and some music magazines. In addition, they responded to requests for interviews from some gossip shows. In the interviews, they showed their willfulness, asking reporters up to five times "Is this the last question?"
That morning, the Yomiuri Shimbun ran a story about the filming of the video on its society pages, under the headline "Metropolitan Police Department Issues Warning", so there was a deluge of enquiries. In the evening, Kyodo News ran such reports as "Shiba Park & Zojoji Temple Refuse Permission to Film"
June 27th
And so we come to the day that shook Japan. The 27th. This was the day of their sole performance on a music programme. I had heard that they would be going into the studio at 5. During the day, I met reporters from various sports tabloids and weekly magazines; naturally, one of the topics of conversation was Tatu... Actually, that was the only subject of the conversation. "It would be really funny if they actually showed their tits, though, wouldn't it?" "My company has set two videos to record the programme tonight." "Two?" "So that we can take one of the videos out immediately if anything happens."
The general atmosphere was that everyone was expecting something to happen. The staff member from Universal who was in charge of promoting them looked nervous as s/he said "Please stop it. At any rate, we want it to be over as soon as possible."
A little after 5, I heard from a reporter on a sports tabloid that Tatu had entered TV Asahi's Toyocho studio without incident.
I got to the studio just after 7:30. "Their rehearsal - how was it?" "It was just fine. They sang and there were no problems", said the Universal representative. A dozen or so Universal staff were crammed into the studio and the atmosphere was imposing. "Just an hour and a half to go. I wish it was already over", whispered one of the Universal promotions people.
"What about Ivan (Tatu's producer Ivan Shapovalov)?" "It doesn't look like he's come to the studio. Apparently he's back at the hotel." "Oh, well that's good, isn't it? He won't be able to stick his nose in much." "Well, from that perspective..."
This idle conversation continued.
8 o'clock. The programme started. The performers were introduced, group by group, and Tatu came on last. They were wearing tartan skirts and unbuttoned shirts... Excitement welled up in the green room. Or rather, we were riveted to the TV screen. "They are going to take off their tops." They were due to perform at 8:30. Time seemed to be passing awfully slowly. Just then, the room began to be abuzz with chatter. All the Universal staff who had been there until then had disappeared. "?" 8:20. The green room began to get noisy. We could tell from the atmosphere that something was afoot. Furthermore, everyone was frantic. It was not the kind of atmosphere or situation in which one could ask anyone anything. What on earth had happened?
A little after 8:30. The subtitle on the TV screen said "Tatu will be on shortly" and there was a commercial break. Everyone had disappeared from around the TV. When the adverts ended, it was Thee Michelle Gun Elephant who appeared.
The order of performance has changed... Just then, my phone announced that I had an e-mail. "Michelle just said 'We're doing this live, OK'; what's going on?" It was from a reporter on a sports tabloid who was watching the show on TV.
To be honest, I hadn't a clue what was going on even though I was there.
At 8:45, we saw Yulia getting into a lift, having changed back into her ordinary clothes. On the TV, Tamori was saying "They say they don't want to appear." and "You'll still be on time if you come now." He couldn't hide his desperation regarding this unexpected situation.
This sudden refusal to perform was unprecedented. A sports tabloid reporter rang my mobile. "What's up?" "I don't know. All that's certain is that they've gone home." The sports papers changed their articles for the next day because of this sudden refusal to perform by Tatu. Those who were at the studios were journalists who write TV-related articles, and those who rang me were music reporters who were watching TV back at their offices. "I don't know the details, but it seems that somehow Ivan phoned them and gave them some kind of order."
"Lena seemed to want to sing, but it seems that Yulia kept refusing to go on." "Tatu wouldn't come out of the dressing room and wouldn't negotiate. When they did come out, they had changed into their normal clothes." "Yulia was eating popcorn with a nonchalant air."... The snippets of information came in one after the other, but there was still nothing about the reason why they suddenly refused to appear. "What happened?" "No idea. Hell, I can't even talk about it right now." One of the promotion staff from Universal was fuming. However, what had become clear was that Yulia had refused to perform after taking the phonecall from Ivan.
9:15. I get a phonecall from the Tokyo Sports paper, which had written about Tatu continuously since before their debut. "You've got to write about the true facts behind this incident." "The true facts? I don't know what they are?" "I don't suppose you could dig around and find out?" "Whatever happens, I'll be in touch later."
All the relevant people from Universal went back to their head office, to discuss how they were going to deal with the situation. An oppressive atmosphere hung heavy over them. One of the promotions staff muttered to himself continually "Stupid bitches!" I rang another of the promotions people from a taxi and said "Given this situation, there's no chance of the event tomorrow (at Zepp Tokyo) taking place, is there?" "Whatever happens, as a representative of Universal, you'll have to make a comment to the media."
11 o'clock. I got a phonecall from a director at a TV station. "It was terrible about TV Asahi, wasn't it?" "I wouldn't describe it as terrible. But I can't find out what's going on." "Actually, when they were refusing to perform, I was interviewing Ivan." "What?! So you were at the hotel?" "Yeah."
I was astounded. Apparently, in front of this director, Ivan had phoned Tatu and ordered them to "Get back here now!" According to the director, Ivan, who was watching the programme, had suddenly said "What are those (swimsuit-like) outfits they're wearing?!"; yelling "It's not what we were told!" and "It's different from their image. This won't work as promotion," he phoned Tatu.
It's questionable to what degree Ivan's words about "It's not what we were told!" and "This won't work as promotion!" reveal his true intent, but it's certain that these are the facts about what happened at the hotel. But why did he arrange an interview with a TV station for that time? Besides, thinking rationally, it was weird that Ivan phoned during a break in the recording. Tatu returned to the hotel at 9:30. Yulia was the first to visit Ivan's room.
"Welcome back." "I didn't want to go on from the very beginning. I'm glad we didn't perform."
Naturally, this conversation was in Russian. I don't know whether the Japanese translation is correct, but apparently they had this kind of conversation.
However, they had gone through the rehearsals that day just fine and there had been a meeting at the TV station beforehand to discuss the format of the programme (which Ivan claimed not to have heard about), so really he shouldn't be able to say "I didn't know". At the very least, I felt Yulia's words and actions were inconsistent. Apparently, Ivan even said, "I didn't force them to come back. It was Tatu themselves that decided to come back." But was that actually true? If nothing else, there were reports that Lena protested that, "I wanted to sing." and tried to persuade Yulia and their manager.
I've also heard that, "What was clear there was that for Yulia, as producer, Ivan's word is law. I felt a certain stubbornness in Yulia." At the end of the day, it seems that both Lena's and Yulia's will was broken. After that, Lena said "We always think the same." But who benefited from this sudden refusal to perform? Some say that, "It was used as PR for Tatu" but surely it was clear that nobody profited from this?
Let us return to the details of the incident. It was 11:45 when the draft of the "Apology" that Universal submitted to the media was completed. I received it by e-mail from Universal. When I then told one of the promotions people what I'd heard from the director about what happened at the hotel, s/he was lost for words. This was because Ivan had arranged the interview without consulting Universal. "Ivan accepted it off his own bat."
It was around midnight when Universal's "Apology" was faxed to the media. Immediately afterwards, the cancellation of the gathering for fans at Zepp Tokyo was formally decided.
Even after this, I received phonecalls from some sports tabloid reporters. "I've heard a rumour that they're going to go back to Russia today (the 28th)..." "No, surely not." "Well, are they going to shoot the video on Sunday?" "It looks like Ivan hasn't given up yet." "So where will they shoot it?" "It looks like they haven't given up hope of doing it in Ginza. And they'll probably go to the Imperial Palace."
1 in the morning. The articles say "Sudden refusal to perform", but the topics of conversation have moved on to "Going back to Russia" and "The video shoot". Incidentally, it was gone 2 by the time I finished writing my piece for Tokyo Sports.
---
Weekly Oricon article 2, Part 2
June 28th
8 in the morning. My mobile rang. It was a reporter from a sports tabloid. "I'm on my way to Narita Airport right now. Do you think they'll go home today?" "I don't think so." At 9 o'clock, there was another call, this time from a reporter on a weekly magazine. "It says in the Sports Nippon that they're going home today..." "It's probably a good idea to have a camera there, just in case, but I don't think they'll go back today." Talk of their "return to Russia" spread, based on the assessment that the event at Zepp Tokyo had been cancelled, so the video shoot was probably off as well, which meant that there was "no longer any meaning in their being in Japan".
12 noon. I received a phonecall from a reporter on a sports tabloid who was staking out the Hotel New Otani. "They aren't moving." "I'm thinking about going to Zepp Tokyo in a minute." "To do what? It's been cancelled." "I'm just going to see if there's anything going on."
3 o'clock. I had arranged to meet a number of reporters at the ANA Hotel Tokyo, and we exchanged information while eating.
This was because Universal had already washed its hands of its responsibility for taking care of the artists. With their sudden refusal to perform on Music Station, Universal seemed to have lost all faith in Tatu. With this, they had become like kites that had had their strings cut. They weren't so much "Tatu" as "Tako (kite)".
"Incidentally, how was it at Zepp?" "There was a male fan dressed like Tatu. And there were two TV stations there." That evening, TV Asahi sent a statement from the producer of Music Station to various media companies and Tatu fever flared up once more.
June 29th
From the morning onwards, the phone didn't stop ringing with calls from sports tabloids and weekly magazines. It was difficult for me to reply to them, but Ivan was the only one calling the shots with regard to Tatu, so there was nothing we could do.
8 o'clock. I had a phonecall from a women's magazine. "People are saying that they're going to go home..." "All you can do is send a camera to the airport in case."
9 o'clock. A phonecall from a sports tabloid reporter. "I just got to the Hotel New Otani and reporters from the Tokyo Chunichi and the Tokyo Sports newspapers were already hanging around the lobby."
9:40. Rumours were flying that "Tatu have left from the car park in the hotel basement" and all the reporters hanging around the hotel dashed outside immediately. It was impossible to ascertain what was going on. However, there was also unconfirmed information that someone had seen Ivan going out alone. All the reporters were like headless chickens: "Perhaps he's gone to Narita Airport?" "At any rate, let's go to Narita." To a man, all the reporters who had been staking out the hotel headed for Narita. However, Tatu did not appear.
1 o'clock. I went to Shibuya on some other business. While I was there, the phone rang. It was an informant who wasn't from a sports tabloid. "It looks like they're headed for Ginza. I wonder if they'll shoot their video?" "It's Ginza!" I hailed a taxi and hopped in. "Take me to Ginza, please." Just then, I had a phonecall from an insider at TV Asahi. "It seems that Fuji TV has arranged a press conference. And apparently they're going to be live on NTV at 6." What on earth was going on? As I was telling the taxi driver to hurry up, a reporter from a sports tabloid rang me. "They've just come out of a karaoke box. Sukiyabashi is in chaos. It looks like they're going back to their hotel." I was on my way to Ginza from Roppongi Avenue, but I hastily ordered the driver to turn at Tamaike and go to the New Otani. We were just approaching Akasaka Mitsuke. The phone rang again. "They got out at Niju Bridge at the Imperial Palace and are taking a stroll." "What?! Niju Bridge? Driver, go there!"
I felt as though the situation I'd experienced in Moscow (at Red Square) was happening all over again in Japan. 2 o'clock. I caught up with Tatu at Niju Bridge. And when I did, Ivan appeared right before my eyes. I had to ask him what was going on. I called "Ivan!" Ivan saw my face and came over to shook hands with me.
However, words failed me... Even though I want to chat, I'm not good at speaking English. When, unthinkingly, I said to a sports tabloid reporter standing near me when I spoke to Ivan "Is there anyone here who speaks English?" the answer was "No..." At that very moment, they dispersed. How depressing! There was nothing that I could do, so I just said a few hello's. However, it seemed like he'd said that they were going to do the press conference.
Even NHK (the national broadcaster - like the BBC) had been to report on their visit to Ginza and Niju Bridge. In addition, because of Tatu's "Ginza stroll", the established practice of pedestrianising Ginza had been cancelled for the day. This was unprecedented. The Metropolitan Police Department explained that "It was because it looked like it would rain," but the sun was shining. It was 28 degrees Celsius and Tatu themselves said that, "the weather's nice so we decided to go out." It seemed that Tatu had even run rings around the powerful Metropolitan Police Department. Moreover, the taxi that Tatu got into was guarded (escorted?) by 5 police cars. Was the talk of arresting them just a bluff by the Metropolitan Police Department?
Apparently, they went into a karaoke box in Ginza and sang "All The Things She Said" in front of all the reporters. Ivan is supposed to have said that TV Asahi's Music Station "didn't suit their image. It was useless as PR." So did singing at karaoke and having it recorded for TV suit their image, then? It's a struggle to understand how this could be so.
So, what of the explanatory press conference? In fact, Ivan himself negotiated with the TV companies. Apparently, Fuji TV was the one that accepted his requests. The station's morning information programme Toku Da Ne! organised the venue. It was also unprecedented that "Universal (which invited them) were ignoring them, so Fuji TV held a press conference for them." This was because press conferences cost money (apparently Fuji TV paid for the venue and covered all the other costs.) Whatever the case, even if Ivan had said he wanted to hold a press conference to explain, there was no way that Universal would have organised one for him. You can guarantee that what went through their heads was "If he's going to explain anything, he ought to explain it to us first of all. That's the correct way. There's not really much that he can explain." Ultimately, however, it seems that Ivan didn't contact them asking for a press conference.
4 o'clock. After their walk, Tatu returned to their hotel. Lena went to her room, but Yulia went to a restaurant in the hotel, saying , "I'm hungry".
5:30. The threesome head off to NTV, Ivan leading the way, in order to appear on the live programme Shinso Hodo (True Reports) Bankisha! at 6. From the programme, we gathered that another reason for cancelling their appearance on Music Station was that "we weren't allowed to film the video in Ginza." The part where Yulia said "Why should we go on the programme and sing if they won't let us film in Ginza?" was broadcast. So was the truth behind their sudden refusal to perform a reason that no one could understand? Ultimately, we didn't understand the truth behind their appearance on Bankisha! either.
7:30. The press conference began at the Hotel New Otani. Ivan's invitation to "Ask anything you like" was met with a barrage of critical questions. Ivan's statements changed constantly. Tatu's replies were also filled with inconsistencies. The reporters were particularly enraged by Yulia's assertion that "We don't feel we've done anything wrong. So there's no need for us to apologise and there's no need for anyone to apologise to us."
The press conference lasted an hour. What on earth was it all about? It may have been the product of the deviation from the normal path by Tatu, the kite with its strings cut.
So what was this trip to Japan all about? The girls said that "It was a great success", but was that just bravado?
Let us just focus on what we can say. Tatu's popularity should be based on their musicality. That's how they were able to create an album that has sold more than a million copies. It may be the case that "their scandalous image sells records", but I didn't want them to forget that what their fans want more than their ability to generate headlines through scandals is "music". "We've had enough! Just go home!" This was the true reaction on the part of reporters who were misled and given the runaround by Tatu.
That night, after the press conference, Tatu were once again ecstatically absorbed in karaoke.
Did they have fun in Japan? Tatu left the hotel at 9 o'clock on the 30th and went separately to the departure gate. They told us nothing at the airport, walking fast with lowered gaze as they left Japan.
Translation by Lenochka0.
|
