Fujiyoshi Karin interview in ExTaishu July 2023 edition

 

Q Right now (at the time of the interview) the 3rd TOUR is still on-going, but is there any difference from last year’s tour?

Karin: Personally, my state of mind is different from last year. This time I felt cheerful all the time, and I was able to enjoy it. Though I don’t know why.

Q Did you go through difficulties last year?

Karin: How should I say this… there were places where it’s difficult for my feelings to catch up too. But perhaps I was finally able to understand how to switch my feelings per song, as that didn’t happen in this tour. I think that being able to work outside has become a positive influence on me.

Q What did you feel when you were able to hear the voices of the fans again, after a long while?

Karin: It made me nostalgic, like, “this is what a concert is”. I think that now they can raise their voices again, both the fans and us have a different way of raising the excitement. It made me happy to be able to tell that the fans are having fun. Maybe because of that, I was able to feel cheerful all the time.

Q Which part from the tour setlist left an impression on you, Fujiyoshi-san?

Karin: The tour this time is to promote the 5th single “Sakurazuki”, and it started from Ozono (Rei)-chan centered “Cool” and ended with Moriya (Rena)-chan centered “Sakurazuki”, the two new centers took the lead. I am enjoying those new sceneries. I also like the dance track before “Cool”. Even when she was just standing there, Ozono-chan has already become a work of art, don’t you think?

Q Uemura Rina-san said that one of the charms of a Sakurazaka46 concert is how many dance tracks there are.

Karin: Personally, I like dance tracks. There is a dance track with six members, and each member has a choreography that suits their personality, which makes it fun to watch. Though I’m also appearing there (laughs).

Q Speaking of “Sakurazuki”, I was surprised with Fujiyoshi-san’s performance in the song’s first performance on a music show. I think you have a wonderful expressive ability.

Karin: Thank you very much. I’m not the type that thinks deeply about it, I just simply like “Sakurazuki”s lyrics and listened to it many times (laughs).

Q It’s difficult to interpret, or rather, isn’t there the “world-view of the MV” in which the MV expands the lyrics? Is your expression different from the MV and live performances in music shows or concerts?

Karin: Yes. The MV has its own expressions, and so do the music shows and concerts. I perform while keeping that in mind.

Q How much do you think about your sense of unity with the other members?

Karin: I think I’m the kind of person who doesn’t think much about it, “for better or worse”. However when you have this number of members, there are times when you don't have the same opinion, right? I don’t want to change my way of thinking, so personally, I’m thinking of doing things the way I like.

Q But you go along with the fundamental things.

Karin: Of course.

Q The part where Fujiyoshi-san danced by yourself on the center stage during “Naze Koi wo Shitekonakattan Darou?” was great. It’s a song that has been performed many times before, but I feel a different charm from it this time.

Karin: “NazeKoi” has a different production for each concert, and so my performance changes too. Personally, I’m the type that enjoys changes like that, so I always look forward to performing it.

Q Do you feel sad that it doesn’t have the strings this time?

Karin: I don’t feel sad about it (laughs).

Q Personally, I also like concerts where the feelings felt at the time are conveyed as words, but when I watched this year’s Sakurazaka46 tour, I thought that “words are unnecessary”, particularly when it comes to Fujiyoshi-san’s expressions. I thought that it’s fine if expressions are able to convey so much already.

Karin: I’m happy to receive such an opinion. Sakurazaka46 has a lot of members who are poor talkers, so I think that it’s conveyed better through performances instead of words.

Q Fujiyoshi-san, do you also think of yourself as a poor talker?

Karin: I’m really bad at it. I get worried every time I’m having an interview (laughs).

Q I have interviewed you many times already, but I am always grateful with how you always give an honest answer.

Karin: For real?

Q You might be bad at putting things into words, but I hope that you can have confidence in the words you give when answering interviews.

Karin: Thank you very much (laughs).

Q Seki Yumiko-san had her graduation ceremony in the middle of the tour, at Fukuoka performance (30th April). On Seki-san’s last SokoSaku recording, it was said that they had to wait for Fujiyoshi-san “to stop crying” before taking group pictures together.

Karin: On that day, it fully sunk into me that “She’s actually graduating”. I felt sad about it. But there were other girls other than me who also cried (laughs).

Q I’m sure that it must have hit you during the graduation ceremony as well.

Karin: She’s my genmate after all, so I got emotional. It made me not want to send off anyone ever again.

Q All 8 2nd generation members performed “Guuzen no Kotae” together.

Karin: When I watched Seki-chan centered “Guuzen no Kotae” in “BACKS LIVE!!”, I thought that I’d like to see it again. Seki-chan is a caring person, so I thought it wouldn’t be good if she refrained from it out of consideration for “Guuzen no Kotae” that is centered by me [in tour setlist]. So I contacted her, saying, “I want to see Seki-chan’s “Guuzen no Kotae” again”. Seki-chan said, “If Karin thinks that way, then I want to do “Guuzen no Kotae”, and it’s included in the [graduation ceremony] setlist. I think that Seki-chan’s personality is packed in this exchange of ours, and I’m glad that we were able to make it happen.

Q Speaking of “Guuzen no Kotae”, 3rd gen’s Odakura Reina said that the MV was what turned her into a Sakurazaka46 fan. She said that she learned certain emotions from looking at Fujiyoshi-san’s expression.

Karin: Before I met 3rd gen-chan, the staff already told me about it, it made me really happy.

Q And moreover, the reason why Odakura-san took the audition was because Fujiyoshi-san said “Idol is… something I still don’t understand” in the audition CM. Did you just say what you thought at the moment?

Karin: That’s right. I was able to discuss it with the staff members, and then it became that sentence. I truly don’t understand.

Q You could have made it less direct, but you didn’t.

Karin: I’m bad at that kind of thing (laughs).

Q You still don't understand what an idol is even now?

Karin: I have no idea, I don’t know if I will ever understand it…

Q Please tell us your impression of the 3rd generation members.

Karin: I think that they are very cheerful. There’s a lot of girls who have always liked idols, so it feels like there are fangirls coming to our dressing room (laughs). Perhaps you can say that they are assertive, but they quickly familiarize themselves with the 1st gen and 2nd gen members. I feel that our dressing room has become even more cheerful.

Q Is it different from when 2nd gen members first entered?

Karin: Completely different. 2nd gen has a lot of shy members, and there are only a small number of members who can take initiative. There are a lot of 3rd gen members who reach out to us, so it’s very helpful for someone shy like me (laughs).

Q Does Odakura-san also speak to you?

Karin: Yes. Because she’s always excited (laughs). It cheered me up as well. It also makes me happy how she would praise me after the concert, like, “You were really great today!”.

Q I think that after the renaming, for a moment you were all looking for Sakurazaka46’s color. Personally, I think that it has been established during last year’s tour, but what does Fujiyoshi-san think about it?

Karin: As we do our activities as Sakurazaka46, I feel that the fanbase has changed. I sometimes wonder if we have become a group that resonates with that fanbase. And when people ask us what kind of group we are, we both know and don't know. On the contrary, how do you see us?

Q I don’t think there is a simple way like “it’s this” to say it.

Karin: But I feel that the members no longer have to drive to look for Sakurazaka46’s color. Though I don’t know if it’s because they have found it.

Q A stadium concert has been decided on 25th - 26th November at ZOZO Marine Stadium, hasn't it?

Karin: I’ll do my best.

Q Do you feel sad about the announcement of W-KEYAKI FES dissolution?

Karin: I don't feel that sad. Because I’m the type of person who likes to take on new things.

Q What a positive way of thinking.

Karin: People might take me as someone heartless (laughs). I think that we’ll be able to do new productions in ZOZO Marine Stadium, so I’m already looking forward to it.

Q You appeared on a drama in “Azatokute Nani ga Warui no?” until this March, do you want to do acting again in the future?

Karin: Yes. I’d like to do my best in acting as well in 2023. I’d like to be able to do other outside jobs other than acting, but right now my vector is directed toward acting.

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Raw: anon

Translation: tmi

QC: reiscar