This GRAPH feature ran in the mid-2000s. Takarasiennes would be given categories to pick their ‘Top 3′ for. Kiriya’s ran in the September issue.
Honest Choice! (In 2006 too!) – Pick your best 3: Kiriya Hiromu
Choice! – What do you eat most often during a show?
#1: Kiri-salad
It’s a salad with harusame noodles, edible seaweed, Japanese yam, onions, carrots, and a Ponzu flavored vinaigrette dressing on it. There had been something being sold like it, and so I requested one of the staff at the cast kitchen to make it for me. It’s really smooth and goes down very well, so it’s easy to eat, which makes it perfect for during intermissions or right after performances, when I don’t have very long.
#2: Horse-meat sashimi
Horse-meat sashimi is really good on the throat, so during the run of a show I’ll make sure to have it on hand at home. Eating it makes my throat feel better at once. To be honest, I’d rather eat it in the dressing room, but that wouldn’t really work (laughs), so I have it in the evening at home after the show ends.
#3: Banana juice
I often drink the banana juice they have at the cast kitchen. It’s easy and provides a lot of energy, and it’s really filling as well (laughs), so often I’ll drink it while I’m in the middle of changing my makeup. If my stomach gets empty it’ll start growling, but I can keep that from happening with the banana juice, so I never go without it during a show (laughs).
Choice! – What are your favorite tragedies?
#1 – The Hunchback of Notre Dame
This is the story of the ugly bellringer for the cathedral of Notre Dame, Quasimodo, who falls in love with the beautiful dancer, Esmeralda. I can’t really explain how sad the atmosphere is, but I can really feel how deep Quasimodo’s love for Esmeralda is… My first encounter with this story was as a ballet, but the French musical adaptation had a big impression on me, and I was able to perform one of the songs from it in a dinner show.
#2 – Manon
And once again, I saw this first as a ballet. I especially like the ballet by the Royal Ballet in England. The joyful pas de deux (couple dance) between Manon and her lover des Grieux as they confirm their love for each other, and later the painful pas de deux after they run away together, are so good. No matter how many times I watch it, seeing how far the two of them fall makes my heart break.
#3 – Titus Andronicus
This is a tragedy Shakespeare wrote. A lot of people are killed in it, and it’s pretty brutal, but it’s a story that really makes you think about how violent people can be, and also how much people can love each other.
Choice! – Your favorite home appliances
#1: Kerosene heater
I really recommend this! I bought mine last winter, but the amount of warmth is completely different to the air conditioning system I had been using before. And my electricity costs have gone down by a third (laughs). Refilling the kerosene is a little bit of an issue, but in the model I’m using, I don’t have to actually invert the tank to get it set up, so it’s convenient and I don’t have to get my hands dirty (laughs).
#2: Vacuum cleaner
Recently I’ve decided that my cordless vacuum cleaner isn’t powerful enough, so I bought a corded one instead. Of course the cord gets in the way a little, but I think power is the most important thing in a vacuum. Also, my favorite feature of this one is that there’s a foot lever on the suction opening that makes it change to a narrow one. Thanks to that, it’s made it a lot more fun to clean in the little spaces.
#3: Pillow sized electric cushion
I’ve loved using this since last winter. I started because they became really popular in the Moon Troupe dressing room, and if my middle is warm, it helps the blood flow and warms up the whole body. I really fell in love with it, so I bought another one to use at home (laughs).