Jang Keun-suk speaks during the press conference for his "2011 THE CRI SHOW in Tokyo Dome - THE BEGINNING" at the Tokyo Dome in Japan on November 25, 2011. [Tree J. Company]

"I hope you get to enjoy your time with Geun-jjang in Japan as much as you can!" The star who played innocent even at a press conference in Japan on November 25, was none other than Jang Keun-suk. He had held his first fan meeting in the country three years ago, when he was just getting to make his name known through his role as Eun-ho in KBS TV series "Hwang Jini," although he did not receive a lot of attention. Yet in just three years, he succeeded in captivating numerous fans in Japan with a brand of his own which without question is different from the first generation of Hallyu stars such as Bae Yong-joon, Lee Byung-hun and Ryu Si-won. This is probably why he had the confidence to name his latest show "2011 THE CRI SHOW in Tokyo Dome - THE BEGINNING" with 'cri' deriving from 'critical.' Below are excerpts from the press conference for the 45,000-seater concert which Jang Keun-suk, the 'prince of Asia,' called a 'new beginning' instead of the peak of his career.

You're getting to perform at the Tokyo Dome in just three years of holding your first fan meeting in Japan back in 2008. How does it feel?
Jang Keun-suk: I had wondered when I'd get to stand on the stage of Tokyo Dome when I couldn't even fill up the 2,000 seats at the venue of my fan meeting event three years ago. Because getting to stand at the Tokyo Dome is symbolic for artists in Japan. It's actually something I had dreamt of since I was in middle school so I'm a bit scared that I achieved it faster than I expected.

I heard you're the type that needs to lead gatherings if there's more than five people at it [laugh] so I think this concert will be even more exhilarating for you.
Jang: I think I have the blood of an emcee within me. [laughs] People usually feel awkward around new people and wait till they get close but I personally didn't like the time it took for that to happen. So it's not that I want to be at the center of attention but I lead with the thought of 'Let's all have fun together.' I definitely have a knack for knowing how to have fun wherever I am. [laughs] And it's true that I'm in charge of 'Chocoball' right now but I couldn't help it because Kim Heechul (of Super Junior) has left for the military. [laughs] Anyway, I am nervous about this show but I'm also excited and pumped up because of the thought that I should have fun.

Jang Keun-suk poses during the press conference for his "2011 THE CRI SHOW in Tokyo Dome - THE BEGINNING" held at the Tokyo Dome in Japan on November 25, 2011. [Tree J. Company]

Is there anything you've prepared in particular for the show?
Jang: The venue I'll be at is huge so I came up with a lot of elements which would allow me to get closer to the audience who will be on the second and third floors, including mobilizing two cranes that are over 20 meters tall and setting up a bridge over 50 meters long which will run from the main stage to the protruding stage. I also plan to race its grounds once on a bicycle and meet eye to eye with the audience on the third floor by using a hot air device. Thanks to having invested 4.8 billion won into just this show, I'm eating only ramen these days. [laughs]

You'll have a variety of guests take part in your show this time though instead of being in it alone like you did for three hours in your last tour in October.
Jang: I think I should start by telling you the differences between my arena tours and this show. The arena tours were about how I become a prince after entering an imaginary castle but my Tokyo Dome tour is about the prince I want to be and the castle I want to live in. And I invited some guests this time because if it were my castle, I think it would have a club where parties would take place everyday. So Joosuc, who I've been close with since I was young, and Verbal Jint, whom I cast myself because he's an artist I really like, will appear on it. Park Shin-hye will appear to in order to arouse people's memory of SBS TV series "He's Beautiful" which triggered my popularity.

Is there a particular reason that you sing only your songs at your shows?
Jang: A very simple reason and it's that I alone have sung over 40 songs. [laughs] I tried coming up with a schedule for how I'd sing these songs I recorded for the soundtracks of movies and dramas and realized it would take close to two to three hours to sing just those. Of course I have the option to sing a favorite song but I think it's important that this show is also composed of songs that I've sung. I love my songs. [laughs]

Why do you think you're popular in Japan?
Jang: A lot of my fans said they're curious about me because they can't predict what I'll do next. And a lot of people also said it's because it's hard to define me as being of a certain type of person. I say unexpected things instead of doing things in the way the public expects me to and I guess they see me as being of more than just a single type of person. Even at press conferences, I'll say things that'll trouble my fans or reporters but be funny so I think it's made my Japanese fans also think, 'We haven't seen a guy like this before.' There may have been moments that looked risky but I just couldn't find the fun in acting in predictable ways. That's why I set my goal as being as honest as I can as long as I don't do damage to or harm anyone and that ended up getting good response. You'll see my face here and there when you go into the city. I'm Geun-jjang! [laughs]

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10 아시아 Reporter : Hwang Hyo-Jin seventeen@
10 아시아 Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@
10 아시아 Editor : Jang Kyung-Jin three@
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