3 March 2001 morning, I went back to the office (half day work on Saturday).  We met again for lunch.  At that time, we did not know where Tsuyoshi was.  We gathered and tried to guess where he would be, haha, became a detective.  While we were chatting, we got a call from a friend that Tsuyoshi was in Mong Kok, the most crowded place in Hong Kong.  Not kidding?  He was at "The Women Street" shooting.  At once, we took a taxi to Mong Kok.

Believe it or not, we found that we are lucky.  Where was Tsuyoshi in Mong Kok?  "The Women Street" is long.  We went through the subway and just on the street, guess what?  We saw Tsuyoshi (actually the crew) right the way in front of us!  Haha!  It's true!  Even we said, "kidding?"

Anyway, we ran towards them.  We saw that Tsuyoshi was eating a bowl of noodles at the "kitchen", which is just in the front of the shop.  He then tried another bowl of "fake shark fin" (this is not real "shark fin", just a bowl of soup with pork, mushroom, egg, but looks like the real shark fin soup selling in the restaurant.  This is a kind of famous "snack from the street".  Totoro used to eat this a lot, haha!)  There were two tall men as the guards.  They told us that no photos or shooting was allowed, or they would take away the films.  Ok, no photos, to us, just looking at Tsuyoshi was the happiest thing in the world.  We obeyed the "law".  We just stood outside the shop and took a look.

After that, they walked to another place.  Sure we followed the crew.  Tsuyoshi was crowed with the staff and the two guards at the back.  After Tsuyoshi went onto the coach, we waived hands to him and he smiled at us.  On the other hand, the guards really asked two girls for the films.

We decided to follow the crew.  At that moment, we could not stop ourselves.  It may be once in a life time we meet Tsuyoshi in Hong Kong, right?  We don't know when he will come to Hong Kong again (or will he?)  Even if we go to Japan, the possibility to meet him on the street is low.  We could not give up at that moment.  Sorry ne!

We followed the car to another place called "Kowloon City" on the Kowloon side.  Kowloon City is where our old international airport was located and there were lots of famous restaurants.  They went to a famous Chiu Chow restaurant.  It is just a local and small shop but the food tasted good.  (Haha, Totoro like eating ma.  So I know this restaurant well.)

The camera man and his assistant, and other staff went into the shop for preparation.  Actually the shop was close in the afternoon (around 4:00 p.m.).  They turned on the lights again.  Then a group of around 10 people went into the shop acting as the customers in the shop.  We teased that if we could also be the customers?  But we couldn't.  Haha, we said that if it were true, we must be scold by the camera man, or the director, as all the way through our eyes were on Tsuyoshi.  Heehee!

Anyway, we stood outside the shop, even not dare to come close, actually we were standing outside the shop next to this restaurant and looked at the crew in a distance.  Tsuyoshi went out from the coach and took a look.

Maybe he get tired (heard from the newspaper that he started shooting at 9:00 a.m. in the morning!), he would like to take a seat.  However, the crew was still setting up the site in the restaurant, he could not go in.  He kneeled down.  At that moment, we were not facing him, just his "side" (still a far distance away).  All of a sudden, he stood up and turned facing us "face by face" (also a distance, not that lucky that he came up to us).  Guess what we did?  "Baga" enough (I mean "we") we all turned aside!  Haha!  Why?  We don't know.  We just turned aside and not facing Tsuyoshi.  We were afraid of him at that moment!  Even now we cannot explain that.  He stood for a moment, then still he would like to find a seat.  Strange enough, actually he could go back to the coach, which was parking just next to him, but he did not.

Tsuyoshi found a plastic bin, he would like to sit on that.  "No, no, it's dangerous."  We shouted.  The staff also reminded him not to sit on that.  The bin was a hollow!  Be careful!

The shooting started.  Still we just stood outside and looked at them.  The shooting took for more than an hour, then they went back to the hotel.

But before Tsuyoshi went back to the hotel, he went to the LV shop next to the hotel!  He bought a bag and took that with him, then walked back to the hotel.

As the hotel was located in Tsim Sha Tsui, which is another shopping area in Hong Kong, and are crowed with people, especially during weekends.  As a result, though the way from the shop to the hotel was not far, it seemed that we walked for quite some time.  Besides, it was very interesting that many people looked at Tsuyoshi and asked, "who is he?  A star?"  As he was crowed by the staff, the guards, and some photographers taking photos.  Most of the people could not recognize Tsuyoshi right the way (maybe I cannot too), but some Japanese visitors could.  They were happy to find Tsuyoshi and "join the crowd".  As a result, the crowd became bigger and bigger from the LV shop to the hotel lobby.

There were lots of photographers of the newspaper in the lobby, with lots of fans.  The situation was quite "out of control" at that time.  Tsuyoshi and the staff (the guards were standing at his sides) were waiting for the life (why so slow?).  At that moment, a girl ran to Tsuyoshi and asked him to take a letter from her.  The guards told her to go away, however, she still insisted.  The guards started to push her away.  Tsuyoshi was looking at her and the guards.  All of a sudden, he asked the guard to stop and took the letter from the girl.

I was standing about 10 feet away from them that moment and saw the "whole story".  Honestly speaking, I really would like to cry at that moment!  Tsuyoshi was so kind, so nice, so gentle!  He looked really tired on his face at that moment, however, there was no hatred from him!  You know what I would like to express?  Though what the girl did may be annoying, Tsuyoshi understood what she would like to do (just an ordinary fan that would do) and he accepted her letter!  Tsuyoshi, why are you that great!  At that moment, I really would like to clap my hands hard for Tsuyoshi!  I am proud of being his fans.

The lift arrived and Tsuyoshi and the crew went into the lift. Still the photographers took photos.  I was heart-break at that time and said to myself "please let Tsuyoshi go, don't you know he was very tired?"

"What to do next?"  We asked ourselves.  We heard that they would start shooting "Food Fight Special" at Central, Hong Kong side after 6:00 p.m.  We decided to try our luck again.  We took the ferry to Central.  However, we did not know the exact location, we only knew the name of the street, which is very long.

We went up the stairs to the first part of the street.  Nothing happened.  So we said, "let's walk along the street, if nothing happened, we will go home."  (At that time we were really tired.)  Another miracle happened!  We just walked a few steps, then Dulldull said, "see, there are a crowd!"  Yes, many cars crowded at the corner of the street.  So we ran towards them.

We saw Tsuyoshi and Fukata-san getting off from the coach.  However, the photographers of the newspaper would like to take a close shoot at them.  They blocked the road (the roads in Hong Kong are really narrow).  As a result, the police asked the crew to step back and asked the photographers to leave.  But sure they would not.  Then it started raining...... the crew decided to leave first.

Since the crew left, we went to have our dinner.  However, we would like to try again.  Tsuyoshi was in Hong Kong and should return to that street to shoot, we could not leave him.  Heehee.  As a result, we went back after an hour.

They started shooting.  The crew said that "no flash, no flash, while shooting".  As the flash would affect the actors and actresses.  We stood at one side and watched.  All of a sudden, Tsuyoshi and Fukata-san ran out from the back street.  We were surprised!  Haha!

We went to the back of the camera man and looked through the little screen.  Oh, the close-up of our beloved Tsuyoshi!  He was so cute on the screen!  Haha!  We got the best location!  Fukata-san was cute too!  Once she ran towards the camera and nearly kissed on the screen.  She smiled sweetly.

After an hour, the shooting finished and Tsuyoshi and Fukata-san left.  We also left as we were tired after the half day following Tsuyoshi.  We said to ourselves, "we only follow Tsuyoshi but just like we have a fight.  How about Tsuyoshi, he started working early in the morning till the night.  Poor him.
 

My impression on Tsuyoshi - more

The first impression I got is "Yee?  Tsuyoshi is quite different when he is working."  How to say... he is still friendly, he still smiled at his fans.  However, there is seriousness on his face while the camera is shooting at him.  I like him in this way, taking serious to his work.  He is really a profession.  Strange enough, when we saw this, we also respected him and did not come close to him.  We tried to keep a distance from him and did not want to disturb him while he was working.

On the other hand, Tsuyoshi got lots of facial expression.  He was really cute when shooting in the afternoon.  While shooting "Food Fight Special" in the night, Mitsuru-san came back!  Haha!  Tsuyoshi was so attractive.

I went back home at around 12:00 a.m., started working on preparing the "Tsuyoshi in Hong Kong" page.  I was physically tired, but I would like to do something for Tsuyoshi, who is always a hard working guy.  I would like others to know more about him...
 

(To be continued....)
 
 

I am "long-winded" again.... but can't help, kekekekeke...
Thanks!
 

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BY TOTORO