their seatbelts, and drove toward the front gates to give security their last minute instructions. Moments later, they were cruising through their little rural community, passing large farms and dairies. Mr. Niigata had chosen this area for the farmhouse to give Aomori a quiet life when they weren’t touring. He’d taken them from their families before most of them reached puberty and promised their parents that he would look after them and give them the best life possible. Mr. Niigata had made good on the promises time and time again.
Takumijo didn’t know how his life would have turned out had he not auditioned that cold winter’s day over fifteen years ago. At the rate he’d been going, he would have probably ended up in jail or dead. Unlike the others, he had come from a poor family where his parents struggled to eke out a living as sharecroppers. He had two older brothers and two older sisters and no one paid attention to him since he was the baby and considered nonessential since he wasn’t old enough to help out in the fields. He’d made it a point to stay in school just to prove to them that he did matter.
His best friend in the world was a neighbor boy named Osamu Nakaumura. Osamu was just a year older than him, but didn’t mind Takumijo hanging out with him. Osamu’s family was fishermen and sold fish at the market. The handsome young man had always inspired for greater things so it didn’t surprise Takumijo when Osamu announced he wanted to be an actor and make a lot of money when he grew up. At the time, Takumijo didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life, so Osamu would force him into performing skits with him along the piers where they hung out after school. They even performed at the elementary school that they attended, but it wasn’t until Takumijo was forced to join the school choir that someone discovered he could carry a tune and could memorize music. He smiled, remembering his first performance. They’d dressed him up like a girl in a kabuki skit and he’d received a standing ovation for his performance. He remembered Osamu rushing up to him and giving him the biggest, warmest hug he’d ever gotten, along with his congratulations. Two years later, Osamu heard the news about a new entertainment company coming to town looking for singers and encouraged Takumijo to audition. He remembered being on stage and about to perform when he noticed this stern-looking Japanese man in the audience sitting front row center. Takumijo was pretty smart even at ten and figured out that the man was Goro Niigata, the owner of the company. So he poured out his heart in a Japanese stage song he and Osamu had rehearsed. He didn’t know if it was the song or the fact that he’d stared Mr. Niigata in the eyes while performing that had gotten him the contract, but he owed the chance to Osamu, who still stuck by him to this day.
Takumijo’s family had no problem signing over his guardianship to the rich Japanese man, since it meant one less mouth to feed.
Osamu got his big break around the same time when he auditioned for a Japanese drama sponsored by a production company in Osaka. His family gave up guardianship to that company for Osamu, and they kept in touch with each other before ending up in the same junior and senior high school after Mr. Niigata bought the farmhouse. But life during those times had been anything but simple. Mr. Niigata had signed on three more young boys and bunked them all together in one gigantic dorm room before acquiring the farmhouse. Takumijo didn’t know what to make of them since they’d come from different cities all over Japan. This meant their dialects were different and communicating with them was hard at first.
One of them, Satoshi Hayashi, had actually grown up in the United States and could speak perfect English.
The one named Yori Morioka had a pretty face and looked like a girl. He was a year older, so Mr. Niigata had made him their leader.
Takumijo soon got
Takumijo didn’t know how his life would have turned out had he not auditioned that cold winter’s day over fifteen years ago. At the rate he’d been going, he would have probably ended up in jail or dead. Unlike the others, he had come from a poor family where his parents struggled to eke out a living as sharecroppers. He had two older brothers and two older sisters and no one paid attention to him since he was the baby and considered nonessential since he wasn’t old enough to help out in the fields. He’d made it a point to stay in school just to prove to them that he did matter.
His best friend in the world was a neighbor boy named Osamu Nakaumura. Osamu was just a year older than him, but didn’t mind Takumijo hanging out with him. Osamu’s family was fishermen and sold fish at the market. The handsome young man had always inspired for greater things so it didn’t surprise Takumijo when Osamu announced he wanted to be an actor and make a lot of money when he grew up. At the time, Takumijo didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life, so Osamu would force him into performing skits with him along the piers where they hung out after school. They even performed at the elementary school that they attended, but it wasn’t until Takumijo was forced to join the school choir that someone discovered he could carry a tune and could memorize music. He smiled, remembering his first performance. They’d dressed him up like a girl in a kabuki skit and he’d received a standing ovation for his performance. He remembered Osamu rushing up to him and giving him the biggest, warmest hug he’d ever gotten, along with his congratulations. Two years later, Osamu heard the news about a new entertainment company coming to town looking for singers and encouraged Takumijo to audition. He remembered being on stage and about to perform when he noticed this stern-looking Japanese man in the audience sitting front row center. Takumijo was pretty smart even at ten and figured out that the man was Goro Niigata, the owner of the company. So he poured out his heart in a Japanese stage song he and Osamu had rehearsed. He didn’t know if it was the song or the fact that he’d stared Mr. Niigata in the eyes while performing that had gotten him the contract, but he owed the chance to Osamu, who still stuck by him to this day.
Takumijo’s family had no problem signing over his guardianship to the rich Japanese man, since it meant one less mouth to feed.
Osamu got his big break around the same time when he auditioned for a Japanese drama sponsored by a production company in Osaka. His family gave up guardianship to that company for Osamu, and they kept in touch with each other before ending up in the same junior and senior high school after Mr. Niigata bought the farmhouse. But life during those times had been anything but simple. Mr. Niigata had signed on three more young boys and bunked them all together in one gigantic dorm room before acquiring the farmhouse. Takumijo didn’t know what to make of them since they’d come from different cities all over Japan. This meant their dialects were different and communicating with them was hard at first.
One of them, Satoshi Hayashi, had actually grown up in the United States and could speak perfect English.
The one named Yori Morioka had a pretty face and looked like a girl. He was a year older, so Mr. Niigata had made him their leader.
Takumijo soon got
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