Tsuchida Teruyuki Interview in BUBKA "Soko Magattara, Sakurazaka?" special (June 2024 edition)

 

Tamura stands on reflex (Jouken Hansha de Tamura Tatsu)

Q It’s been three years since we talked for a BRODY feature, and it’s been three and a half years since the show was renewed. How does Tsuchida-san see the current Sakurazaka46 members?

Tsuchida: They haven't really changed much from before. These past eight years, we would meet twice a month, so I couldn’t feel any dramatic changes from them. But well, there are moments where I look back and think, “This girl is speaking more than before”; but there is no way a person could dramatically change in two weeks. If that happens, then Sawabe and I would make fun of them like crazy already (laughs).

Q I feel that the viewers have been saying that “SokoSaku” is becoming funnier in the past two years.

Tsuchida: As someone who’s a part of it, it actually still feels the same as before. It's the homeground for the members, so I hope that they can relax– in a good way, show themselves just as they are, and have fun. Whether it is interesting or not also depends on the planning, and I think that they are slowly becoming professionals who understand what the staff wants and are able to take action on it. As for me, I have been enjoying it since the beginning.

Q When I interviewed you for BRODY last time, we talked about how interesting it would be to see members like Kousaka Marino-san and Moriya Rena-san standing out more and more.

Tsuchida: Isn’t it because the staff came up with episodes that heavily featured each individual? When they have a character of their own, it becomes easier to show themselves, and just like how they created a nice “Marino-sama” character for Kousaka, anything could work when they have a character of their own.

Q I have the impression that among the three Sakamichi shows, “SokoSaku” has the most episodes that heavily feature the members.

Tsuchida: All three shows are created by the same production company, but the staff who make the planning for each show are different, so although they have similar pace, I think they try not to overlap in the details? I don’t know it either, though! (laughs). Well, I do think that all three shows have member feature episodes.

Q When the show was renewed, it was in October 2020, right in the middle of COVID pandemic. And so everyone is divided with an acrylic board, but it finally disappeared in the past year. Yamasaki Ten-san said that having them removed has been a very big deal.

Tsuchida: If the girls who are working on the show think that way, then it must’ve been big indeed. I found it more convenient (laughs). It must have been hard for the staff, but it was fun to be able to see each member’s house, accessories, and private clothes [when they do online recording]. I did the recording while thinking of things like, “So this is the outfit that she chose for appearing on TV” or “So this is the prettiest place in her home”.

Q And different from when you are in the studio, the number of people is smaller.

Tsuchida: That’s right, there were a lot of members who naturally ended up getting featured. When we are in a studio, there are so many people that some members would end up not getting to talk. But that doesn’t mean they can look bored. Honosu (Tamura Hono) said “To enjoy the show” before. That is something very important, and it’s best to show the people watching TV that members are having fun. And something that’s amazing about Honosu is her athletic abilities and reflexes. She would stand up faster than anyone when something funny happens! (laughs)

Q Now that you mention it, it really seemed that way (laughs).

Tsuchida: And then after her, girls like Ten-chan, Takemoto, Inoue, or Matsuda would stand up; I don’t think the staff notices this, but even in the aired episode, when the scene changed, Honosu would be the only one standing up (laughs) That girl is really quick to move.

Q To think that her volleyball experience is applied there (laughs). Yamasaki-san herself also looked like she was truly having fun during the filming.

Tsuchida: She really does. It’s really nice how she looks like she’s having fun! That’s what a professional looks like! I tend to get tired quickly and look dead. Sawabe, who appears in a lot of different shows, even said that SokoSaku recording is the most exhausting (laughs). The recording is very long for a 30 minute show, so I think that it must be difficult for the members too.

Until the day your chance comes (Chance ga kuru, Sono Hi Made)

Q It was also memorable how you gave Matsuda Rina-san’s conduct high praise in our previous interview.

Tsuchida: The 2nd gen in particular has a lot of members who actively try to liven things up, and they also take the initiative to say background comments, which is really good. Karin-chan may seem shy at first glance, but when you bring her to the conversation, she would answer with a smile. It feels that we are creating the show while bringing out each members’ personality. But I still feel that Kousaka’s voice isn’t loud enough (laughs).We create the show not just with the senbatsu members but everyone in Sakurazaka as a whole, and as the number of the members grew they got positioned further from the MCs; Other than Kousaka there are also other members who speak in small voices, so I want them to learn more diaphragmatic breathing.

Q It’s also been more than a year since the 3rd generation joined, and their characters are starting to be established.

Tsuchida: That’s right. Like how Odakura is the next young lady character following Sugai and CEO Yumiko, how Mukai is an innocent girl who’s laughing all the time; and how she’s quick to cry is also funny, Matono has both a cute and cool side and seems that she’ll grow to be a charming woman, Murayama herself normally looks cool? and a bit clumsy; but when she’s performing she’s incredibly expressive and I take her as the type that gets “possessed”, and Ishimori would always 100% give a cute smile whenever she’s shot on the big screen! She really made me go, “She’s such an idol~”.

Q Murai (Yu)-san’s unexpected character has bloomed too.

Tsuchida: When I thought that she might be an ordinary cute girl, she gradually turned out to be a crazy girl, in a good way (laughs). It’s really nice how she shows a charm that is unexpected from how she looks.

Q When I think of when Yamashita Shizuki-san made her first appearance, her gap since then has been amazing as well.

Tsuchida: I think that that girl is someone who, in a good way, has the mindset of “I am who I am, regardless of my surroundings”; It’s nice how she’s not a try-hard. Her natural behaviour, which doesn’t seem to be something calculated, is very attractive. Also, her lack of athletic ability is unthinkable from someone with a high level of dancing skill (laughs).

Q That gap sure is nice (laughs).

Tsuchida: If I keep babbling about them, there will be no end to it, so I will talk about Taniguchi, Enriko, Kojima, and Nakashima next time (laughs). I think that the senior members are creating an atmosphere where the 3rd gen members can show off their individuality; and while of course there are still members who are feeling unsure on what to do,the adults are creating a place where they can step forward to, a place where they can shine, so I want to tell them “Take it slow!”. Their chance will come, so until then, I hope that they can learn from their cool seniors.

Q And among the 1st gen members, Saito Fuyuka-san has also established a unique position.

Tsuchida: “Saito-san from Tokyo”, isn’t it? (laughs)

Q The representative of the average (laughs).

Tsuchida: Saito seems to be having fun, but there are only three 1st gen members left, so while I know that this is just how it is, I still hope that all of the Buddies can burn “the Sakurazaka46 that only exists in the present” in their memories.

Becoming more and more drawn (BAN BAN Kokoro hikarete)

Q Tsuchida-san, you come and visit Sakurazaka46’s concerts too, right?

Tsuchida: I go when my schedule allows it. And like, the concert in ZOZO Marine was crazy, wasn’t it? It was unbelievably good. It made me think that they have truly become “Sakurazaka46”. They perform Keyakizaka songs sometimes too, like at some member’s graduation concerts, and while of course the crowd gets excited, it doesn’t feel like the Keyakizaka songs are a stand-out like they were in the past. Instead, their individuality, strength, and coolness as Sakura have finally caught up, and I think that’s really great. It feels like the seeds that were planted by leading members like Sugai, Risa, and Kobayashi have finally bloomed in full. In a good way, they don't feel like Keyakizaka46 at all anymore. They have truly become Sakurazaka46, and when I think of that I become deeply moved.

Q They certainly established what a Sakurazaka concert is like.

Tsuchida: That’s right. Speaking of which, I saw an internet news article about “Akimoto Yasushi produced idols ranked by people under 19” and Sakurazaka ranked 1st. When I wondered, “Eh, not Nogizaka46?”, they turned out to be ranked 2nd while 3rd was Keyakizaka46. It made me go, “Whoa!”.

Q I certainly feel that their recognition among the public is slowly climbing up.

Tsuchida: I think it’s good that they are not orthodox and they don’t overlap with other groups. Nogizaka46 are the pretty older girls in their senior year of high school that everyone admires, Hinatazaka46 are the lively and cute first year that everyone loves, and when they were Keyakizaka46 they are the second year girls who didn’t go to school much, but as Sakurazaka46, they recently started going again and started to enjoy school life, which gives them a cool image. I don’t really know though (laughs).

Q And Yamasaki-san is an example of that. And she is graduating from high school this spring. You can feel the passage of time.

Tsuchida: It’s a shock. To think that Ten-chan, who was in the first year of middle school, is now graduating high school. She was the youngest member by far, but now that Kojima, Taniguchi, and Enriko who are her age have come in; There are also members a year younger than her, Mukai and Matono. The 3rd gen are distinguishing themselves more and more at their concerts, and I hope that they can use that momentum to show their individualities more and more in the show as well. If that happens, I think the seniors will become more competitive and raise their gear. The same goes with the show, they have the opportunity to have their own show, so it’s okay if they make mistakes. I want everyone to grow while making mistakes.

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Raw: kiryu

Translator: tmi

QC: meg