Fujiyoshi Karin x Yamasaki Ten Interview from TOKYO POP LINE (26th February 2019)

 “Everything is new, it’s fun” “I’m glad she could act like a 1st grade middle schooler”

――When you decided to join Keyakizaka46, how was the reaction around you?

Fujiyoshi: My friends said that they were going to miss when I was going to Tokyo. My parents were expecting a lot, so there was a great pressure. But I don’t feel like I’m under pressure at all.

――They are cheering for you.

Fujiyoshi: That’s right. But it looks like it’s the opposite (laughs). But they’re kind. I keep in touch with them everyday, we talk about work, we talk about the future, we talk about lots of things.

――How it was for Yamasaki-san?

Yamasaki: My surroundings were pretty noisy, my seniors came to see my in my classroom, there were such things. I asked the other members if it was the same for them, but the reactions were completely different, there were schools where nothing happened, and others were pretty noisy, and I thought this difference for each areas was interesting.

Fujiyoshi: For me, there was no noise at all. Maybe I didn’t notice…… Do our point of view match? (laughs)

Yamasaki: (laughs)

――What do you mean (laughs) But weren’t your friends lonely?

Fujiyoshi: They were. They even made me a farewell party.

Yamasaki: I got a farewell party too. But we did it quit a while ago, and my coming to Tokyo was postponed, so I don’t remember it very well. It was a normal sleepover though. (laughs)
――Now that you joined the group and your activities started, have you done something that was fun or interesting?

Fujiyoshi: In 2nd gen, there are only people with strong characters, in the waiting time for shootings, many of them can’t stand still, it’s amazing.

――Doesn’t Fujiyoshi-san join that circle?

Fujiyoshi: I just watch girls like Ten (Yamasaki), Matsuda-chan (Rina) and Hikaru (Morita) being noisy and having fun.

――So Yamasaki-san is on the noisy side.

Yamasaki: I don’t want to be in that side. But my body moves on its own……

Fujiyoshi: (laughs)

Yamasaki: Usually, I like to be alone. But, in shootings, since they’re very fun and refreshing, I get excited.

Fujiyoshi: It’s amazing. It’s too powerful, I can’t keep up with it (laughs) . But, it’s nice to see her acting like a 1st grade middle schooler. At first, I was a little worried, because the way she talked was too mature. It would be dangerous if she’s already mature at this age. But, surprisingly, I saw her childlike side, and then I thought “Ah, she’s really a middle schooler”.

Yamasaki: Onee-chan.

Fujiyoshi: Yeah, I am. (laughs)
Picked as a center for the Omitatekai
The 2nd gen who felt the sense of unity when crying

――In December, you stepped on the stage for the first time in the Omitatekai.

Yamasaki: It was fun, right? You looked like having much fun.

Fujiyoshi: It was really fun. (laughs)

――Fujiyoshi-san served as the center for “Silent Majority”, how you felt when you were appointed as center?

Fujiyoshi: At first I disliked it, but because they asked me to, I tried my best, and when we practiced it I thought the other member will do it better than me. But because it was my first time stepping on the stage as a 2nd gen, I thought people wouldn’t accept me if I failed, so it would be better if it wasn’t me.

――Originally you didn’t felt like “I’d like to be center”?

Fujiyoshi: Rather than being a center, I would like to play an active role in the group. I want people to say that 2nd gen as a whole is amazing, so I was thinking it would be better if don’t stand out. But once there was a time when everyone practiced together while crying, at that time everyone encouraged me, so I thought that everyone had the same feeling of “I want to make 2nd gen succeed as a whole”.

Yamasaki: That’s right.

Fujiyoshi: Is that so?

Yamasaki: That’s right.

Fujiyoshi: I’m glad. (laughs)

――How was it to actually perform on a stage?

Fujiyoshi: I don’t know if it was because I was too nervous, but I lost my memory and I don’t remember that much. But, when I saw the recording, I thought that I could have done a slightly better performance.

Yamasaki: I don’t remember too. I have this strong feeling of having lots of fun, but I don’t remember at all. I remember the handshake event, but I don’t remember the talk on the stage.

Fujiyoshi: But your talk was good, Ten.

Yamasaki: It was good? Thank you.

――By the way, do Yamazaki-san wish to be center?

Yamasaki: Until I entered, I thought so much of wanting to become one, but now, my way of thinking has changed a bit. Isn’t it unique to able to stand as a center in a idol group? In this group, you don’t do activities only as a center, so I think it’s better to be one once than never at all. But I don’t know what will happen…… Until now, Hirate-san has always been the center, so I wonder how the fans would react if someone else became the center, that’s how I feel.

The youngest in Sakamichi Series at 13 years old
Close with the other members, “I’m not being treated as a little sister at all”

――Yamasaki-san is the youngest in the Sakamichi Group, are you treated as such by the older 2nd gen members?

Yamasaki: (waved her hands in front of her face)

Fujiyoshi: (laughs)

Yamasaki: I don’t feel like I’m being treated as a little sister at all. Rather, it looks like we’re the same age. And there many older members that aren’t very mature.

Fujiyoshi: It feels like everyone is the same age.

Yamasaki: That’s why it’s very easy to communicate with each other, there’s no uncomfortable feeling because of our age gap.

――That’s good. Do the 2nd gen get along well?

Yamasaki: We’re pretty close, right?

Fujiyoshi: We’re very close.

――Do you even go out in private?

Yamasaki: We do it, we do it. Since I like secondhand clothes, I went to find them with Seki Yumiko. We’re very close, so I also went to her home to play. She’s my ideal type, I want to get along with her, even if we’re silent, when I’m with her I feel like it’s fun, and I think that’s the peak friendship. When I’m with her, I’m usually silently relaxing and doing nothing, but that time is also fun.

Fujiyoshi: For me, I’m particularly good friends with Matsudaira-chan (Riko) and (Takemoto) Yui. Both of them are pretty different of each other. Because Matsudaira-chan is 20 years old, she’s pretty calm, she’s the type of friend that calms you down, Yui is just noisy. There are rare times when I’m in high tension, when that happens, I go to where Yui is. (laughs)

I’d want them to think “I’m glad the 2nd gen came in”

――Lastly, please tell us what kind of member you would like to become in Keyakizaka46 from now on.

Fujiyoshi: Because the 2nd gen just joined, we’re not essential in Keyakizaka46, but I want people to think “It feels strange if we don’t have this girl in Keyakizaka”. Not like “I am Karin!!!” in a superior kind of way, but I think it would be great if I could be someone necessary for the group-- or rather, to become a presence where the group feels strange without me there.

Yamasaki: The 1st gen made what Keyakizaka46 is today, I wondered if we could even enter that circle, but then we did the Omitatekai, and then I thought for a little that it would be nice if people think “I’m glad that the 2nd gen came in”. As a new member, I want to be someone who can contribute to Keyakizaka46. So that many people came to like this group, I think it’s necessary to have more and more people know about us. Because there are many songs that appeal to young people rather than adults, I think they would listen to it. But i’d like adults to listen to it too. Like the song releasing this time, “Kuroi Hitsuji”, too. It’d be great if we can be that kind of group, so I want to become a member who can play an active position in the group.

---

source (and pictures!)
translated by maimonimo
QC by toomuchidea