Fujiyoshi Karin x Morita Hikaru x Yamasaki Ten interview in B.L.T January 2021

 

I'd like to ask the three of you who are acting as the Center in Sakurazaka46’s first single about your various thoughts. First of all, I'd like to ask you about your honest feelings about being in the position of Center.

Hikaru: I think that the fans have various thoughts and opinions about the new system where the three of us share the position of Center for the songs in the single, and I also think about various things, but... I'd like to perform as the center of the songs in my own way. I read the fan letters sent through the mobame app and handwritten ones, and I feel like I’m only receiving their feelings of support now. I'd like to express what only I can do, and I think there are also expressions that can be born from it, so I'd like to focus on that.

Karin: I didn't have a sense of 'I'm a Center, so this is what I have to do'. Oh, but I guess that might have been in the back of my mind somewhere!? Of course, I wanted to make it something good, but… (Thinking for a bit) Hm~, perhaps I looked at it a little objectively. When I was told that I will be a Center, there was a part of me that saw it as something like, “So, will they see a different feeling from (Morita) Hikaru’s Center? That sounds interesting”.

That feeling from that time still hasn’t changed much. But… The period of filming the music video (MV) was quite hurried, and it was difficult for me to switch my feelings. The schedule was that after filming the MV for the song I centered, we were to film the MV for (Yamasaki) Ten’s centered song, but for some reason I continued to drag out the atmosphere of my song. No, it’s not dragging out… Eh, how should I say it?

There are some actors who say that when they are continuing with their work, they can't seem to completely get rid of their previous roles. I guess it's similar to that feeling...?

Karin: No, no, it’s not something that great. It’s really different… But, I feel like I still have a feeling in me that I can't really put into words.

I see, I get what you are trying to say. What about you, Yamasaki-san?

Ten: Actually, since I’m standing in the middle in the performance, it’s not that I’m unaware of (my position as Center), but I feel very helped with how I am sharing this with Hikaru and Karin. I think it would be very difficult if I were to carry the group on my back all by myself. But this time it’s been shared between the 3 of us, and if more and more members took the Center position in the future, we would be able to share our feelings with each other. 

Personally, I think that these things are going to be important. This time, I didn't feel a sense of loneliness in the song where I acted as Center, or rather, I felt that we were supporting each other because the song has strong elements of "everyone" and "friends". I was told by the members too, “You don’t have to worry about what to do. You can do it freely”, so I feel like I was allowed to express myself honestly and freely (laughs).

Hikaru: I’m also reassured that my genmates, Karin-chan and Ten-chan, are Centers. When I saw their performances as Centers with distinctive personalities, I thought “Ten-chan looks like she’s having fun”, and that Karin-chan’s song comes across as Karin-like. It’s because I could feel their individuality so much that I could express myself in the song "Nobody's fault", and my desire to show a different part of myself in each song has grown.

Karin: When I saw Hikaru in “Nobody’s fault” performance (in Keyakizaka46’s Last Live), my heart skipped a beat for a moment. I felt like “This is the expression she showed!?”, and I was able to see a new side of her.

Certainly, Morita's bold expression was impressive. Did it come naturally?

Hikaru: That’s right… It wasn’t like I was thinking “I’m gonna show this expression!” (laughs). Also, "Nobody's fault" has a free dance part, so I'm thinking of changing the choreography every time I perform it according to the theme I receive.

They say that people in the position of Center, leader, or a leading role feel lonely. But from what I've heard so far, it doesn't seem to be that way in this case - does it?

Ten: It may be different depending on the song...

Karin: I might feel a little (lonely). Ten’s song really feels like “everyone”, or rather, there’s a real sense of a “team”, but in my (centered song) the protagonist stood strong by herself at the beginning.

Ten: But I think the charm of Sakurazaka is that we can show you so many different colors like that. I think it would be great if we could expand the possibilities with more than just one color.

I felt those new possibilities in the unit songs "Concentration" and "Kaleidoscope" of Keyakizaka46

Ten: Yes, I heard from (Saito) Fuyuka-san and Takahiro-sensei that last live’s “Concentration” has become a hot topic, and it made me very happy. The song itself was from about a year ago, but it has been a long while since we sang or danced it. In the last live version, elements of the choreography of the seniors who had graduated during this time were incorporated and the formation was changed for 5 people, and as it was a full-length performance, it was quite difficult to remember the choreography. But… hearing that everyone likes this song made me glad (laughs)

Yamasaki-san, you have been polishing your performance since the online live in July, haven’t you?

Ten: I used to keep it inside, or in the shadows. But now my mindset has changed to that I should show those feelings on stage, so I wonder if my way of seeing things has changed, too.

So that kind of "evolution" happened. I have high expectations for your performance as Sakurazaka46.

Ten: It makes me happy to hear you say that. There are songs in Sakurazaka that seem to be connected with Keyakizaka’s world view, and there are new tunes, songs and melodies that we’ve never really had before. So, I struggled with the difficulty of singing some songs, but my voice training teacher helped me.... Since each song has a really different color like that, we may look like a different group for each of them, so I also wonder if it could betray your expectations in a good way. But it's not about us showing you "this is the color of this song”; it's about the freedom for different people to perceive the music and see the colors differently. We want to express something that makes you feel how interesting it is.

It's been two years since you joined the group as 2nd generation members of Keyakizaka46. I imagine that through what you’ve experienced and developed during this time, you’ve been able to feel the fun and joy of expression, leaving the interpretation to the viewer… What do you think?

Karin: I experienced MV filming in Keyakizaka46 as well, but there is a big difference in the experience I gained from filming this time. At first I heard that the protagonist of my song “stood strong by themselves”, but it’s almost the exact opposite in the finished lyrics, and I had a hard time switching between the two in my mind. Then I talked with the director and Takahiro-sensei many times, and thought about what I should do. Even so, it was difficult to put that initial idea behind me, so when I felt confused and said “I can’t do this”, the director told me, “You don’t have to think too much about it”. After that, I carefully studied the lyrics so that I could understand the protagonist, and I managed to do it somehow.

Hikaru: We made “Nobody’s Fault” while we were still active as Keyakizaka, so it was difficult and very hard for me. So, in the beginning, I had the feeling that there were some traces of Keyaki mixed in with it. But there is also a part of me that feels it wasn’t like that. In any case, it felt like while I was thinking that I wanted to properly understand the protagonist, we were moving toward Keyaki’s last live and Sakurazaka’s start.

It must have been nerve-wracking and heart-wrenching to know that you can't cut corners on either.

Karin: At the last live, I was able to switch my feelings, but now instead... I feel very strongly like “the only one left behind in Keyaki”. Among the 2nd generation members, I often talk with members like Tamura Hono, but I felt that Hono has put her feelings behind her quite a bit. When I heard that, I needlessly ended up thinking, “So I’m the only one--”. Even though I was able to switch away from those feelings so quickly at the time of last live, while shooting Sakurazaka’s MV and such, I gradually felt like… Maybe Keyaki’s music matches me so much, and that is why I'm the only one left behind now, that's my honest feeling.

Thank you for sharing your honest thoughts. What about you, Morita-san?

Hikaru: Hm~ Maybe everyone has their own feelings toward Keyaki. It’s only a little over a month since we became Sakurazaka, so I think it’s okay to have such feelings. It’s not backward-looking, and I think it’s because we have feelings for Keyaki, that we will be empowered to create good works in Sakurazaka.... So I think it’s okay to have such feelings.

The 5 years of Keyakizaka46 is why the future of Sakurazaka46 will be born indeed. I think that also comes through in the philosophy of what Yamasaki Ten-san has said in the crown program “Soko Magattara, Sakurazaka?”, “so we can evolve, rather than change”.

Hikaru: There are still times where I feel like “Sakurazaka46(= Keyakizaka46)”

I'm sure that will change naturally over time. The consciousness, the feelings.

Hikaru: I think so too. In fact, we are trying new tunes that we haven’t had before for Sakurazaka’s coupling songs. I can experience things I couldn't do in Keyaki, so more than before I can say “We've become Sakurazaka now”.

I see. Do the 3 of you talk about the group together?

Karin: We talk a lot more than before, but maybe not with just the three of us… (laughs)

Hikaru: I’d love to. Karin-chan, don’t you often talk about it with Inoue (Rina)?

Karin: Yeah… But, recently I feel like I talk to everyone just as much.

Did your relationship with the 1st generation members change? According to Koike Minami-san, she wants to mingle more.

Hikaru: I’m very happy to hear her say that, and I know very well that the atmosphere of the group is becoming brighter and better. But as a junior, in the end there is a feeling that we have to be polite to our seniors… But I don't want it to feel like there’s a wall between us, so it would be ideal if we could work closely with smiles while respecting each other.

Meanwhile, I heard that recently Yamasaki-san called Koike-san “Miichan”.

Ten: Yes, during the rehearsal period for the last live, I often received sweets from Koike-san, and then she told me “Call me ‘Miichan’”, so I’ve been calling her that. I don’t usually like to eat sweet things, but for some reason during the rehearsal period I’ve taken a liking to it. And so, from Miichan, Sugai (Yuuka)-san, (Watanabe) Rika-san, my manager… various people have blessed me with sweets from time to time (laughs). Ah, even from Karin! But I’ve been trying not to eat sweets recently.

Koike-san was feeling a bit lonely about that. She also said, “I will always be a special candy store for Ten-chan~” (laughs).

Ten: Really? I’m happy to know that (laughs).

I'm often impressed by the calmness and atmosphere that’s uncharacteristic of the youngest, but the stories with sweets were heartwarming (laughs).

Ten: People often tell me “You are a calm person”, but I’m usually noisy with the members, and I would be absorbed in the “Mud Ball Kit” I received from the Sawabe Award for 4~5 hours… (laughs).

I’m very relieved to hear that (laughs). However, considering that in the first half of the year you couldn’t do as you wanted due to the self-restraint period for COVID, I wonder if it’s also a “scream of joy” how busy you’ve been since July.

Karin: Yes, there’s a sense of fulfillment because I’m getting to experience a lot of things. It’s fun to be invited for magazine photoshoots like this too, so I’m feeling very happy...

Thank you for being considerate (laughs).

Karin: No- It’s the truth! I enjoy it in a good way. Recordings and shooting MVs are not just fun; they also require me to think about various things, and I have to be very focused to be able to express myself convincingly...

I see, I get your point. Also… I personally get the impression that you’ve gotten used to doing interviews.

Hikaru: But I find it difficult to put my thoughts and feelings into the right words. I don’t want to say something that I didn’t mean (which may be misinterpreted). 

Karin: Yeah, I get it.

Hikaru: Right? It happens doesn’t it?

Have you ever had words extracted from an interview article that caused people to speculate on it?

Hikaru: There were times in the past when I wanted to say something like this, but I thought it might have been interpreted differently, and I felt how difficult it was to choose the right words. So when someone asks, “How do you feel?”, I would end up thinking a lot about it. Of course I want to express my true feelings, and that's why I want to express them in words that are convincing. But if I put it in a bland way, I feel like I’m lying to myself… which is what troubles me sometimes. But I’d be happy if not only those who support the group, but also the fans who support me individually, could understand that I really do want to express things accurately in my own words.

Karin: When someone asks me something I haven't fully processed yet, I can’t answer properly, or rather… I don’t want to deceive myself or lie. In that case, I think perhaps it's more honest to not put it into words, but… That's the kind of thinking I want people to understand.

I have taken your thoughts to heart. With that in mind, I'd like for you to put your thoughts into words under the theme of "living together". It's a bit vague, though.

Ten: That’s a very difficult theme...

Hikaru: For me… each one of us has our own strengths and weaknesses, and when I'm nervous to try something for the first time, I feel supported and encouraged by the members around me when they reach out to me, like saying "Do your best”. It makes me realize that I am not alone.

Ten: To put it plainly, I often feel that way during a live performance. When I make eye contact or physical contact with other members, I guess it makes me think that “We are here together”.

Karin: Right… like Hikaru said, I feel grateful for the members when I am trying to do something that I think I’m not good at. For example, when I can't speak well on shows, the 2nd generation members would speak a lot on my behalf, and I think about how glad I am that they’re here (laughs).

Ten: And… I felt like we weren’t fully focused on the last live rehearsals at the start, partly because it was in parallel with Sakurazaka activities. But after we all had a discussion around Takahiro-san, the stage director, and Sugai-san and pulled ourselves together, saying “Let’s make proper preparations”, I felt a strong togetherness with everyone. It’s at that time that I felt that we are living together.

Hikaru: However, on a regular basis, I always think about how glad I am to have met all the members. Since I can't do anything by myself ⋯⋯⋯

So you support and complement each other. Are your relationship values adding up or multiplying?

Ten: I think depending on the combination of members, it could be addition or multiplication. That said, it’s not always a plus for everyone, and there are cases where it becomes ±0. But I think that is also a part of the group’s distinctive characteristic, and I think that if there is no minus, you can't create the concept of plus, and that's why we'll be stronger when we're united. It would be great if we could show this through our activities, so that people will think that part of us is also what makes us an interesting group.

Karin: Everyone knows that I’m a free person, and in a good way let me loose, but they also care about me, so I feel very comfortable. Though I may be nothing but a nuisance for them… (laughs)

Ten: Nope. You’re not a nuisance.

Karin: Because it feels very good to me.

Ten: Well, glad to hear that (laughs).

I can tell that you understand each other (laughs). Yamasaki-san, when do you get the feeling that “They understand me, they get me”?

Ten: Let’s see… When I was interviewed a while ago, I thought a lot about a question… I wasn’t able to put it well into words, but (Watanabe) Risa-san quickly followed up with, “Ten-chan has a lot of thoughts, but it's hard to put them into words, isn't it?”. I thought “Oh~ she gets what I’m thinking about~”, and at the same time, I thought that she really was paying close attention to me.

What about Morita-san?

Hikaru: Hm~ I wonder if they understand?

Ten: But Marina (Matsuda Rina) is often with you, and from my observation I feel that she perhaps understands you the most.

Hikaru: Ah, you may have a point (laughs). She supports me so much I wonder if she knows everything about me, and how do I put it… she protects me. I’m very grateful that she knows what I’m not good at. All the members help each other like that every day, and I think it's difficult to become one in everything we do without knowing each other, so I want to continue to understand everyone more and more.

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Translation: toomuchidea

QC: Cirrus

Raw: kiryu