Senior Rat (52) once took the world by storm with his song “Roppongi – GIROPPON”, known for its unique lyrics “Popopo, popopo”. In the 17 years since his breakthrough, he has continued to support his family on the strength of his light footwork and lovable character, saying, “I will go anywhere as long as there is demand. Precious images] See photos of Rat Senpai (52) when he was 17 and 19 years old, when hardships were constant. He was able to do so because the power of the “ippatsu” that he hit as an ippatsu-ya was so immense. You never know where life will take you. Writer Mifu Yoshikawa takes a closer look at the bizarre life of Rat Senpai, a man who makes you feel that way.
A father who cannot stop playing with women and borrowing money
Rat Senpai spent his boyhood in Okayama in an “extremely poor” family. The apartment complex where he lived had only two Japanese-style rooms and no color TV. While his mother worked diligently at a factory, blackening her nose to the point of blackening it, to help the struggling family finances, his father, he recalls, was a man who could not stop playing with women and borrowing money. He was a no-good man, and just a dick. He was a womanizer and would hang out with women. He dressed up and spent a lot at the bar, gambled, and was always in debt ……. Me, my father, and his mistress went on many trips. In junior high school, he was fascinated by “THE BLUE HEARTS,” a band that sang about rebellion against society. From then until the age of 30, he continued to pursue his dream of making it big with a band. Even amidst all this, his father’s debauchery continued. When I was in high school, debt collectors came not only to our house but also to my grandmother’s house, and they took all the money we had in the house, demanding that we pay back the 2 million yen this week. I was a naughty kid myself, so I can’t count the number of times my mother and I would go over to the mistress’s house where my father was staying and get into a big fight. I’m sure it was tough on my mother, but it couldn’t be helped; that’s the kind of man she chose.”
Paying off his father’s debts with the money he earned from “Pop Pop.
After giving up his dream of being in a band at the age of 30, Rat Senpai went to work for a video production company. He started a stable job for his wife, whom he met in high school, but at the age of 35, he got his big break with “Roppongi – GIROPPON”. At one time, his monthly income was as high as 12 million yen. With the large amount of money in his pocket, Rat Senpai decided to settle his relationship with his father, with whom he still had a feud. When “Roppongi – GIROPPON” sold well, I cleared all the debts my father had made and put my stamp on it, saying that I would never see him again. It was an insulated relationship. That’s why I haven’t seen or called him once since 2008. Once, when I did a one-man event in Hiroshima, he came to my dressing room, but I refused to see him. I have no intention of meeting him. Seventeen years later, he continues to travel around the country on weekends and holidays for business. In December, the season for year-end parties, his schedule is so packed that he sometimes has no time off. Senior Rat laughs, “I rarely appear on TV anymore, but I feed my family with just ‘Poppo. Even if one can say that one-hit wonders are “one-hit wonders,” there must be those who can continue to make money and those who cannot. When we asked him why he was able to continue to earn money without interruption, he told us, “People who hit it big and got stuck in a corner disappeared. People who hit it big and get stuck in a high position will disappear, but people who don’t have that kind of attitude can keep making a living with a single shot, which is interesting. Even Dandy Sakano built his house with “Ghetto! Dandy Sakano also built a house with “GETS!” ◆◆◆◆ For a more detailed interview with senior Nezumi, including the untold backstory of “Roppongi – GIROPPON,” the secret behind his trademark permed hair, and the backstage of the entertainment world and the changing times he saw during his breakthrough, please click here to read the full interview. #1 “The highest monthly income was 12 million yen, but now “I drink alcohol and sleep on weekdays. Senior Rat (52) talks about his boyhood memories of his “shitty father” who insulated him by paying off his debts with “Pop Pop”” #3 “I was invited to a VIP room at a hotel with a model egg… 17 years ago, I won with “Pop Pop”. Senior Rat (52), who got his big break, talks about “the past and present of the entertainment industry”.
Bunshun Online Editorial Department