Watanabe Rika's interview with BUBKA (23rd April 2022)

 


“Original Brioche” made by Watanabe Rika. “The dough inside is so fluffy...it's a very delicious bread!”


The original brioche made by Watanabe Rika, a former member of the idol group Sakurazaka46 (Keyakizaka46), was sold at "Maison Landemaine" in Akasaka, Tokyo, on April 16 and 17. Before the store's opening, Watanabe spoke passionately about her passion for the original brioche and her “love of bread" in an interview.

Watanabe began her speech by saying, "I have loved bread for a long time and have always wanted to make my own bread someday, so I am very happy that my dream has come true.


About the bread she made, “It's a brioche, but the dough inside is very fluffy, and there is fermented butter and granulated sugar on top. It's very tasty!" Watanabe said, appealing with the brioche in her hand.

She described her feelings when she received the offer to make this project, “I was very happy to be able to hold this event thanks to the cooperation of Maison Landemaine and a lot of other people. There were several breads I wanted to make, including white bread, but I really loved Maison Landemaine 's brioche, so I came up with the idea and discussed it with the bakery staff," she explained.


This special event was held for two days only. When asked about the name of the store, she replied, "It's 'Pe-chan's Bakery(laughs)” but, I call it "Pe-kery" for short (laughs) I really like this name." she said with a shy smile.

There was a lot of response from her family and the members that they wanted to go, and it has been a long time since she had a direct event with her fans. “It has been two and a half years since I have had a chance to talk directly with the fans. And I've been wanting to meet them for a long time, so I'm really happy to finally be able to do so!”


She also prepared a special handwritten message for this event. “I drew a picture on the message card and expressed my gratitude. I have illustrations that I often draw, so I included them. I wrote about 1,000 (cards)... I wrote every day, and it took me about two weeks (laughs) . I sometimes made mistakes as well (laughs). But that's not included (laughs)," she said, revealing her passion for the event and her preparations for it.


In closing, she said for the fans, "I am planning a second event, and there are other things I want to do besides bread. With the bread event as the starting point, I would like to do other varieties of activities as well. If we can do it by the end of this year...I still feel like this is just the first step. I would like to open a store or something of that sort as well (laughs). I would love to meet people from all over the country! I'm also interested in foreign breads, so I'd like to go and study breads from around the world!”


Watanabe Rika also sent a message about Watanabe Risa's graduation.

She also touched on the graduation of Watanabe Risa, with whom she had shared many years of hardship and joys as a member of the same group. "Risa-chan and I are good friends and have worked hard together, so I want to say to thank her for her hard work," she said, showing her appreciation. Incidentally, she also recalled the "incident" at her last appearance on their regular TV program. “I received a pie in the face for the first time. It wasn't very sweet, and what I imagined was sweet whipped cream, but it was not too sweet...it was delicious (laughs).”

Watanabe Rika, known for her love of bread, has high goals, and this event is just the first step. Expectations are high for her future activities.


Watanabe Rika

Watanabe Rika is a first generation member of Keyakizaka 46 and a former member of Sakurazaka 46. As a model, she is a former exclusive model for "Ray" and a model for "LARME".

Watanabe Rika Instagram

https://instagram.com/watanabe.rika.official/


Maison Landemaine

An artisan boulangerie/pâtisserie started in Paris in 2007 by Ishikawa Yoshimi, a baker and businesswoman, and Rodolphe Landemaine, also a businessman and patissier. Using high-quality, carefully selected, and seasonal ingredients, they strive to create breads that are not only delicious, but also gentle on the body and soul. Since its opening in Paris in 2007, the Croissant Français has been the signature product of Maison Landemaine, selling 5,000pcs daily in France. In 2020, they opened the 100% plant-based Land&Monkeys.

https://www.maisonlandemainejapon.com

---

Translation: ariadne32391

QC: tmi


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