Kojima Nagisa interview from BUBKA June 2023 edition
Q: What kind of kid were you?
Up until kindergarten I was a really shy kid and wouldn’t talk to anyone besides my family. And then in kindergarten after I started liking idols, I managed to socialize with various people.
Q: Please tell us the first idol you like!
It’s Watanabe Mayu from AKB48, I like her so much that I impersonated her by singing and dancing in kindergarten. I remember back then that because everyone likes AKB48, we just ended up dancing together naturally.
Q: Did you play piano from kindergarten up until you joined Sakurazaka46?
It’s not like I stopped playing because I’m now a member. I joined Sakurazaka46 after I already stopped playing.
Q: But either way you still played it for a long time, right?
No no, I skipped the lesson quite a lot of times too (laughs).
Q: How long did you play in a day?
Since I appeared in contests up until 5th grade, that time I didn't really mind about the time and just played until I’m satisfied. Then since I looked up to my brother, I took the middle school entrance exam, and then from 6th grade I started to part ways with piano and only play it when I like to. That’s why I’m actually not that much of a serious pianist (laughs).
Q: Well, it left that kind of impression because you played piano in the middle of the snow in your vlog, and you also performed it in “Omotenashikai”.
Around me, there are kids that show up in much bigger contests, that’s why I’m not really that amazing.
Q: Since you have this image of a cheerful kid, are you already the mood maker type even before this?
It’s not like I’m the mood maker type, it’s just that my personality has not changed ever since elementary school. I’m quite energetic, always talking, and would smile often, that’s why I think everyone around me would see me to have the bright kid image.
Q: So it’s not like you become gloomy once you get home.
On the contrary I’m noisier at home (laughs).
Q: Please tell us how you knew about Sakurazaka46 or Keyakizaka46!
I do watch Keyakizaka46 when they appear on music programs, I also bought their concert DVDs, but I don’t really remember what made me like them. Since I like all kinds of idols, my focus was spread out among them.
Q: And then you were also drawn to Sakurazaka46’s charm?
When I want to convey my opinion, I have this personality where I’m quite the strong-willed kid and would be pushy with what I think is best. Though my friends around me understood that I don’t want to bend what I think is right, this trait of mine is also what caused me to have a heated argument with the teacher once. That time, for the first time ever I skipped school because I didn't want to go there. At the time when I was left alone at home, I heard “Nobody’s fault” that was in the playlist. When I listened to it, it made me feel better in an instant, and that made me think that I can go to school tomorrow. It’s because I listened to Sakurazaka46's song that I can take a step to become an adult.
Q: Please tell us the reason you want to take Sakurazaka46’s audition!
Nogizaka46 and Hinatazaka46 opened their auditions and my friend said, “Why don’t you give it a try?”, but since I was just a fan, I can’t even imagine myself becoming an idol. Since I’m a 2nd year high school student, I have to study for the university entrance exam, that’s why I didn’t enter the auditions. Though it’s not like I dislike studying, but I started to think “What is it that I really want to do?”. So when I found out that Sakurazaka46 is opening an audition, I consulted about it with my mom by telling her that “this will be the first and last time”, I entered the audition.
Q: Did your parents agree to it?
During the document screening, I did not talk about it except to my mom. But during the time for the second online screening round, my dad also just got back home, and after I talked to him about it, he was really opposed to it. My father has told me many times that he wants me to be a civil servant or a system engineer that has a stable income and one where I won’t lose my job, I also used to think the same. Though he scolded me quite badly, after that I wrote a letter to him to convey my feelings, and he let me join the audition until the final screening. When I passed the audition, my father was the one that was the happiest about the news.
Q: How did you feel when you stand in front of the fans in “Omotenashikai”?
In the opening I played piano by myself, and I was afraid with that, but when the performance start and the light shines onto me, I can hear the cheering from everyone even through the ear monitor, and that managed to ease me up and made me think “I’ll be fine since there are Buddies that are this warm for me, let’s give it my all and enjoy each second of it”. I managed to overcome both the nervousness and fear, and that made me realize what made someone an idol is because there are fans that are there for them.
Q: Please tell us what song that left an impression on you on the “Omotenashikai” performance.
“BAN” was the one that left the most impression on me. Since we learned it in the training camp, we have practiced that song for the longest, and for the 3rd generation we are always with “BAN” ever since we passed the audition until “Omotenashikai”. Since we also feel like the fans are putting their expectations on us, that’s why I think I have to overcome that obstacle. After the performance was over, the sound of applause just wouldn’t stop. I was wondering if that was their answer and I was happy by that.
Q: What kind of idol do you want to be?
Since I still don’t have any clear goals, I think it’d be nice if I can decide what kind of idol I want to be after about a year experiencing all kinds of things. For now I don’t have anything I set my mind to, and just have a wide perspective on things and I want to challenge various things.
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