When you both entered Municipal Funabashi High School, I believe it was around the time that the school was starting to be recognized as a strong school. Why did you choose Ichifuna out of all the other high schools?

I was approached by around 10 high schools, but I decided to go to Ichifuna because I could cycle to school (laughs). My house was close enough to see the Ichifuna grounds.

I had received offers from several high schools, but the reason I chose Ichifuna was because I could cycle to school.

They overlap! The second half of the episode will leave a stronger impression!

Because Hide-san always says it first. Please use both (laughs).

Yes (laughs). So you were both promising players who were invited to play at several schools. So, when you joined the soccer club, what was your impression of the Ichifuna uniform?

Actually, I wore the Admiral uniform in junior high school, so I was able to accept it easily. I had a strong attachment to it.

When we joined, Ichifuna was just starting to become known throughout Chiba Prefecture as a strong team. The "blue" color of Ichifuna was just starting to become known nationwide. So, when I joined the soccer club and saw Hide and the other seniors doing well, I started to think, "The blue uniform is cool."

Originally, Admiral was associated with strong teams, including the England national team. We may not have been considered that strong yet, but gradually we became better known, and we won the Inter-High School Championships, and that's when fame was first engraved on the uniform. "The blue Admiral we wore when we won." Of course, we were proud to wear it, but I think the way people looked at us changed even more than that.

Just by seeing the blue Admiral, you knew it was Ichifuna.

If you know soccer, when you see the canary yellow, you think "That's Teikyo," and when you see the blue and yellow stripes, you think "That's Kunimi," and you go, "Wow." We were able to become that kind of presence. I think this was the time when we were able to build a foundation for making Ichifuna's "blue" known.

I see. So that was the starting point for the strong Ichifuna team.

That's very important, and in the past, there were stories of even national team players from other countries being intimidated when they faced the Brazilian canary-yellow uniform. So we wanted people to think that blue = Ichifune = strong! Naturally, we ourselves took pride in putting it on. When we put it on, it brought out our fighting spirit. You could even say that we were raised by the uniform.

As Ichifuna's "blue" gradually became more popular, what kind of clothing did they wear during regular practice, rather than during games?

Although we were provided with training wear, it wasn't enough, so I had to prepare my own. There were no set rules, so it was completely up to me. I could practice in whatever uniform I wanted.

...I see. I only wore Admiral though.

Ah, that's not fair (laughs).

...No, no. It was Admiral from the time I rode my bike to school. It was Admiral from good morning to good night. It's a given.

Wow, that's impressive (laughs).

Thank you (laughs). As a member of a strong school, you must have played in many games wearing the Admiral uniform, but what would you say was the most memorable moment?

For me, it would have to be the final of the Inter-High School Championships, which we won, and the final of the High School Championships, which we lost. I was wearing the blue Admiral jersey at those times. Although we lost in the championships, the experience of standing on the sacred ground of the National Stadium in the final was irreplaceable, and I still consider it a treasure to me.

Hide, when you were a third-year student, you wore the number 5 jersey.

Yeah, I did have it on.

I was wearing the number 2 and playing right back. Hide was a sweeper and would give instructions from behind. Cut to the right! Cut to the left! Head it! And I was the one who followed his instructions. ...In other words, the division of roles hasn't changed at all even now.

That's true. It's just that the position of manzai has shifted to the left side (laughs).

That's right. We've been through the same thing (laughs). Well, based on that experience, my image of Admiral is that of a "senior." It's proof that I've overcome hardships together with my senior and fought in many matches.

That's wonderful. It's a symbol of memories, and also the origin of your current relationship.

Yes! Admiral is the origin of penalties!

Hide-san, it seems you brought your Ichifuna uniform from back then with you today, thank you very much!

Yes, this is the white away uniform. It's a little dirty though (laughs).

Ah, this brings back memories! Hide-san's number 12! It's the one Hide-san wore when he was a second-year student when I was a first-year student. I remember it.

That's right. Speaking of Ichifuna, there's the "blue" one for home use... but I gave the blue one to my girlfriend at the time...

That story brings back fond memories! (laughs) But it turns out that white is actually rarer than blue.

It's certainly quite rare! Even now, the simple design is still cool.

Yes, that's right. I like this shadow-like triangular pattern, the pyramid shadow. I don't think any other schools wear it.

Admiral has been using innovative designs since then, and as you know, they are currently the uniform supplier for Jubilo Iwata. Today we brought with us the 2022 season model. What are your impressions of it?

It's beautiful! I like this yellow line. Oh? If you look closely, it looks similar to the one worn by the England national team when Kevin Keegan was on the team.

Yes, it incorporates designs from that time. The camouflage pattern is based on the shapes of the British Isles and Shizuoka Prefecture.

Wow! That's so stylish! I think the design has a unique sense of intricate craftsmanship that's unique to Japan. The slightly retro feel is also great.

Thank you! I think you wear a lot of different sportswear on your shows, but do you have any particular preferences when it comes to choosing your clothing?

I do care about the overall shape. I like clothes that fit my body well and look cool when I wear them. They're easy to move in, and if I get a little lazy and my belly starts to stick out, it's obvious, so I don't get lazy (laughs). I like to wear clothes that make me look slim, and then I move around under the false impression that I look cool.

I think comfort is the most important thing. Even if the design is good, if it's not comfortable to wear, it'll just end up collecting dust in your closet. Also, I like designs that aren't influenced by trends too much. I think traditional designs are good, and I want to wear them for as long as possible, regardless of trends.

Finally, could you tell us your thoughts on the Admiral clothing you're wearing today?

It's so comfortable! It fits well and is warm.

そう！　カッコイイと思います。スタイルがよく見えますしね。

スポーツを愛する本格派のお二人に気に入っていただけたようで嬉しいです。では、これからも機会があればAdmiralのウェアを着用してみてください！

もちろんです！　もうね、相方にはAdmiralのタトゥーを入れさせますから！

そうそう。この胸のところにね、こう……って、ちょっと待って！（笑）