Shinjiro Atae made his debut in 2005 as the youngest member of the mixed gender performance group AAA (“Triple A”). From then until his hiatus at the end of 2020, he had been hustling hard for 15 years, but there was also a negative side to him that one would never have guessed considering his glamorous appearance on stage; one that filled him with self-distaste.
In his first book, “EVERY LIFE IS CORRECT, BUT INCORRECT”, which was released on August 23rd, he writes about having a positive attitude, which stems from his personal realization of mental health and its importance while studying abroad in LA as a way to challenge himself to grow as a person. The book is full of honest words that come from a place of truth.
In this article, we report on a lecture held to commemorate the release of the new book, which was attended by young employees of Avex. In addition to the interview after the lecture, we present an inspirational message from this now universally recognized “positive guy”.
I Know How It Feels and Can Speak On It
Because I Had a Negative Side Myself
Atae joined Avex at the age of 14 as a member of AAA, one of the most popular mixed-gender performance groups in Japan, and debuted with the single “BLOOD on FIRE” at the age of sixteen. After that he created many hits with the group and even released his first solo album in 2016. In 2021, he established the brand 446 (DOUBLE FOUR SIX) to express his own vision on lifestyle. As one can see, he has a wide-range of activity.
From the outside, his career as an artist seems to be smooth sailing. However, not many people know that Atae once had a negative outlook on things, often times thinking, “there is no way I can do this” or, “I am not needed in this group”.
The turning point in his life came at the age of twenty-seven, when he started his solo career after his group activities had settled down. He moved to LA to study abroad, which he had always wanted to do, and was influenced by the way the locals valued mental health.
He describes his experience in “EVERY LIFE IS CORRECT, BUT INCORRECT”, which was released on August 23rd. The lecture for young people was held at the Avex headquarters.
It was attended by people in their teens and early twenties. In the first half of the lecture, Atae answered the moderator's questions while touching on the contents of the book.
"I have been active in the entertainment industry since I was younger than most of you, and there was a long period of time when I was mentally depressed. When I turned twenty-seven, I wanted to change that, so I went to LA to study and attended a university in California for the first 2 years. I fell in love with life in LA, so I got a visa and am still living there. As many people at Avex know well, I used to complain a lot, compare myself to others, and generally tended to be negative. What changed me was my encounters in LA and the idea of mental health."
In his book, Atae writes about his time in LA and the positive outlook he gained from that experience, which he describes as a "rebirth". He writes openly, touching on things such as "the bible of life" that can be used in any situation, and some behind the scenes episodes from his days in AAA as well as childhood experiences (more details will be given in the interview after the lecture).
During the Q&A in the latter half of the session, a variety of questions and concerns were posed to Atae, ranging from work to private matters. He responded to each of them with words that only he could use because he had, in a sense, "gone to the limits of negativity". During the session, some participants were even moved to tears in response to their own struggles as well as Atae’s words.
"You can't stay positive all the time, so don’t expect to be able to. Once I started to accept that I was being negative, it became easier for me. If I can acknowledge that and look at myself objectively, I think I can see how I truly feel."
His words have surely reached deep into the hearts of the participants and will continue to support them in the future.
The Unwavering True-to-self
Mindset Found in LA
After the lecture, Atae was asked to reflect once again on his experience in LA and the changes in himself.
"About a year in after I moved to LA, I happened to meet someone who was successful in the coaching world, and I was really impressed by his thinking process. I had never really had an idea of what kind of person I wanted to be, but when I was exposed to his mindset, I genuinely thought it was amazing. I went to many places with him, met many people, and experienced many things, and it really broadened my horizons."
One of the things that really resonated with Atae was a “YES mindset.”
"That person really didn’t care about the small stuff. He thinks of everything as “YES, not NO.” I used to think in terms of NO in my life, such as “I can't do that,” or “I shouldn't do this,” but he told me, “Try to change all of that to YES.” I was really lucky that this person cared so much about me. And since people like him are surrounded by people with similar mindsets, it was also great that I made a lot of friends."
This encounter was major for Atae. Not only for his time in LA, but for his life as a whole. He says "Without this encounter and more I wouldn't be where I am today, and I wouldn't have published my book."
Once Atae had become so-called “reborn”, others began to take notice.
"The people that I first met when I moved to LA were especially surprised. They said, “You've changed so much!” My friends in Japan who knew me when I was struggling also said the same thing, and I think the people at Avex who have known me since my debut must have realized the change as well. I am so grateful for the encounters I had in LA, because I was able to grow so much in fact, that I didn't know people could change this much."
When he was in Japan, Atae was generally friendly with everyone, even in business relationships, but his tendency to express his opinions clearly sometimes led him to use strong words.
"That part of my personality really suited living in The States. Over there, you have to be strong to survive, so I thought, “This feels so liberating.” But after coaching and studying mental health, I looked at myself living back in Japan objectively and realized I was actually very selfish at times. Since then, I have become more flexible than before, and I think it is significant that I am now able to be open to other people's opinions."
His change in mental attitude also affected his career.
"In the past, I tended to be irritated by everything, but now, as the title of the book says, I approach everything with the notion that I am not necessarily the only one who is right about everything. When I was able to throw away my unwanted pride, life became easier. At the same time, I know that I am here now because of my past experiences, so I can accept that it’s all okay."
In today's lecture, Atae gave precise answers to the questions in a gentle tone of voice, almost as if he knew the questions beforehand. This is because his answers were based on his own experience, in other words, based on his past self.
"This brought back memories of when I first came to Tokyo at the age of fourteen. The struggle of having ideals but not being able to make it work right away is something we all go through. But you should experience that kind of thing. The conflicts you feel now will no doubt be useful in the future. Personally, I wish more people would talk about the importance of mental health. I think it would make life easier for young people and I hope it would help them find ways to enjoy their lives."
What Atae has gained from his experience in LA is a mindset that never wavers, no matter what opinions are flying around or what happens to him. Now, he says, he is consulted more and more in his private life.
"I have so many things I want to do, and life is too short. I mean both my hobbies and work. I would like to be an artist again someday. There are some things I am able to understand, now that I have left the industry. I still know how much I enjoyed the space that singing and dancing gave me, so I would like to do that again at some point. I am also interested in mental health and business, so I would like to share more and more stories like this one without being shy. I don't want to impose the ideas I gained in America on anyone, but I think that if there is someone who can look objectively at the good things in The Sates and the good things in Japan, they should spread them, and I would be happy if that were me."
"I want to do what I enjoy doing in my own way, without expecting too much from others." says Atae. Atae is a man with charm, who understands both the artists' and the staff's points of view. At the same time, through this lecture and interview, one could even envision him serving as a consultant to Avex artists in the near future.
"Please set up a room at Avex called “The Atae Consultation Room!”" he said with a laugh.
In that moment, Atae was filled with a positivity and radiance that would not have been imaginable years ago.
Shinjiro Atae