The oath of Sakurazaka46’s Vice Captain Matsuda Rina… To leap forward with unity (Sakamichi's Tuesday 19th January 2021 column in Nikkan Sports
Sakurazaka46’s Matsuda Rina (21), who will be taking her role as vice captain starting from this month, reveals her oath. With her unique background as a former bank employee, she is active with her cheerful assertiveness and politeness. Together with her senior Sugai Yuuka (25) who will be continuing her captain role, she is a new key person who will lead Sakurazaka46, which was renamed and reborn last year.
She and Sugai were told by staff about the appointment on being a vice captain. “I didn’t feel it right away, but since I’m the type of person who accepts everything, I thought that I just have to do what I had to do”, she recalled. When the announcement was once again made in front of the members, she was congratulated by her fellow 2nd generation members.
“They said things like ‘Congrats’, ‘I’m happy for you’, ‘I’ll follow you’. As a Vice Captain, first of all I’m the type that thinks that I have to be perfect, but Takemoto (Yui) said ‘You don’t have to think that you have to be perfect’, so I thought that it’s okay for me to stay as it is.”
She was also congratulated by the fans during meet & greet (online talk event). “A lot of people told me, ‘It’s okay for Matsuri-chan (Matsuda) to be as you are like usual’ or ‘It’s okay to take it easy and be as you’ve always been’. It truly makes me happy, and it made me feel warm”, she gratefully said.
In middle school she was the vice captain of her volleyball club, as well as the vice president of the student council. In high school, she was the captain of her dance club. “"When I was trying to unite the club and thought I couldn't do it, I was the type who was afraid to share it with everyone.”, so she revealed.
In variety shows such as TV Tokyo’s “Soko Magattara, Sakurazaka?”, she has become a mood maker with her cheerful assertiveness. “Every time I watch the aired episode, I always lose confidence like ‘I shouldn’t have said it there~’, but the fans praised my background chatter, and it made me realize that I shouldn’t stop”, she said. “The show staff also encouraged me, saying ‘Please speak out more’, so I’ll do my best even though I’m still not good at it”.
After graduating from high school, she worked at a bank and served as a teller. She also said that her politeness is also largely influenced by her family. “My parents have always been free-spirited, they never got mad at me no matter how bad my test scores were, but they always told me to do my homework and submit my work properly”, she revealed. Even after entering the group, her father would call and repeatedly tell her, “You have to do things like greeting and answering people properly”. “Rather than about the work, they told me more about basic human qualities. I think I have very good parents," she said.
Sakurazaka46 was renamed from Keyakizaka46 last October and restarted again. “Perhaps it’s a change of heart, perhaps it’s a fresh start. I don’t think that we can climb the slope unless everyone is united”, she said firmly. “I’d like to make this year the year where Sakurazaka46 makes a big leap forward. I talk a lot with the 2nd generation members, so I want to communicate more actively and deeply with the 1st generation members and staff. I hope that we all can face the same direction, and play an active role in various fields”. Her crisp and clear tone is a sign of her determination as the vice captain.
Matsuda Rina, born on October 13th 1999 in Miyazaki. In August 2018 she passed the “Joint Sakamichi audition. In November of the same year she joined Keyakizaka46 as a 2nd generation member. 159.5 cm . Blood type: O.
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Translated by toomuchidea
QC SatoneShichi
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