CROSS GENE's Takuya Opens Up About His Experience Living In Korea For 6 Years

In a recent interview, CROSS GENE’s Takuya shared his honest thoughts about his life in Korea for the past six years.

Takuya debuted as a member of CROSS GENE in 2012, but he had already experienced celebrity life in Japan before his debut. In 2008, he received a special award at the Junon Superboy Contest held in Japan, and he moved to Korea in 2010 to become an idol.

When describing his first impression of Korea in an interview with TopStarNews, Takuya recalled, “When I first came to Korea, it was snowing. It was so cold and unfamiliar. That day, I went to eat dinner with employees from my agency, and I ate kimchi fried rice. It was so spicy. That was the most memorable [moment of my arrival].”

Takuya, who had no knowledge of the Korean language at the time, studied Korean with a teacher hired by his agency for almost a year. Then, as he continued to study by himself, he slowly became able to converse with the people around him and naturally adjusted to life in Korea.

The idol shared that his favorite aspect of Korean culture was “affection.” He explained, “Should I refer to it as the hyung-dongsaeng [older brother-younger brother] culture? I like that. In Japan, unless you’re family, you don’t call each other hyung or noona [older sister]. However, in Korea, people affectionately call each other “our hyung,” “our noona,” or “my dongsaeng.” I like the fact that you can be that close to each other even if you’re not family.”

When asked about how things have changed since his debut, Takuya replied, “Six years isn’t a short time. During that time, I gained a lot of experience and matured with age. I have become more open-minded. Originally, I was a little shy and timid, but living in a foreign country has made me change a lot.”

Takuya also opened up about a time when he struggled emotionally. “In the early days of our debut, our group underwent a change in members, and I had a hard time back then,” he confessed. “At that time, I was the leader and not [Shin] Won Ho, and there were many things that didn’t go the way I hoped. I think that’s why I felt that way.”

The CROSS GENE member then talked about his positive approach to overcoming such struggles. He said, “No matter what happens, it’s my life, so I just try to enjoy it. There are going to be both good and bad times. I’m a bit open-minded in that sense.”

Takuya went on to reveal that his personal motto is “I live in today.” He explained, “The future is important, but I still think that I need to live happily in the present in order to enjoy a good future without regret.”

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