4th Generation members' Team Interview from anan No. 2459 Edition
TEAM A
Q: You guys are the three that can be described as “Soft and Gentle”. Tell us about your memories from the training camp, the colour of the 4th generation, and also the dreams you each hope to fulfil one day.
Inaguma: It’s been a while since it was just the three of us, but it feels so relaxing. It feels like we can be ourselves as fellow 19-year-olds.
Yamakawa: Since we also shared the same room, we have so many memories from after our lessons too… right?
Meguro: Yes, yes. Whenever I was tired from lessons, I was always saved by both of you and your kindness and unwavering strength.
Inaguma: Me too! When I don’t have any confidence and feel down, the two of you would say “That’s not true!”, which encouraged me to do my best until the very end.
Q: From the point of view of you three, what kind of “colour” does the 4th generation have as a team?
Yamakawa: Everyone’s so gentle and cheerful. But at the same time, deep down, they’ve all got really strong minds too.
Meguro: Right. It has the same outer cheerful feel that the vivid red in the 4th generation’s song “Shindafuri” outfit has, but with a hidden passion inside! It really makes me feel like we’re comrades all working toward the same dream.
Inaguma: Even when the practice is tough, being able to sing loudly might also be one of our strengths. I can always feel everyone’s inner strength from their singing voice.
Yamakawa: Since our dance is still lacking in a lot of parts, instead we think, “Let’s at least send out our voices!”
Inaguma: There is passion hidden in that warmth, I guess the red mightis really be the colour of the 4th generation.
Q: If you could go hang out with everyone from the 4th generation, where would you go?
Meguro: I want to go glamping with everyone!
Inaguma & Yamakawa: Kyaa, I want to go♡
Meguro: I feel like everyone would just enjoy themselves however they like. The younger members, Nakagawa and Yamada, would probably go play by the river, I guess?
Yamakawa: The two of them are always out exploring Tokyo together on their days off, so they’re really active. The three of us will be doing BBQ!! Even during the training camp, we ate a lot. I guess (Asai) Konomi would be in charge of grilling the meat. And knowing Konomi, she’d definitely bring her Tamagotchi, so I’d love to play together with everyone..
Inaguma: If everyone in the 4th generation raisedwould raise one (Tamagotchi) together, I wonder how it would turn out?
Yamakawa: …wouldn’t it be rebellious? (laughs)
Meguro: That’s true, we’d probably will forget to take care of it… (laughs) But even if it looks like it’s on the brink of death, I’m sure it will hang on stubbornly and survive!
Q: Even the Tamagotchi will be playing dead (Shindafuri)!? So, who’s the leader that keeps the laid-back 4th generation on track?
Inaguma: It’s definitely Katsumata! She shares videos from lessons with us and always gives encouraging words like, “Let’s do our best…”
Q: Who is the kindest member?
Everyone: Everyone is!
Inaguma: Especially (Sato) Neo. She always goes to talk to whoever is alone. It might be something she does without thinking, but I just want to say, “I see that kindness of yours!” ♡
Yamakawa: Even when I hurt my foot and had to sit in the corner, Neo made me feel at ease in a casual manner. She’s such a warm-hearted person.
Q: Who is the cool member?
Inaguma: Hiiro. Her aura during a performance is really different. I’m always watching through the mirror!
Meguro: Eh, I didn’t know you thought that way about me~ (blush).
Q: It was a conversation full of mutual respect… If the three of you were to perform on stage together someday, what would you want to do?
Inaguma: A unit song like “Jamaica Beer”? Would that be too much of a gap?
Meguro: I definitely want to give it a try! Every day I feel more and more like a member of Sakurazaka46, but it really hit me when we were taught the “I’m from Sakurazaka46!” greeting pose…That feeling is something I could only truly appreciate after making it through that training camp. Let’s always hold on to that memory and the spirit we had when we first started, always.
Yamakawa: That training camp where we almost broke under frustration and anxiety, is what brought us here, encouraging each other and also finding the good in each other. I hope the day comes when we can perform “Jamaica Beer” confidently and stylishly.
Inaguma: Eek~ I wonder if we can do it. Sorry for setting such a high bar…
Meguro & Yamakawa: Ufufufufu♪
❀❀❀
TEAM B
Q: First of all, please share your thoughts on the 9 members of the 4th generation!
Asai: My emotional support. When the nine of us work together, it pushes me to do even more.
Katsumata: There is a sense of security. Recently, I’ve been doing things on my own a bit more, but I still get nervous when I’m alone. When I’m with all nine of them, just seeing their faces makes me feel at ease.
Nakagawa: We praise and give advice to each other, it feels like we are sisters.
Katsumata: Yeah, rather than friends, it feels more like sisters. You can freely speak without holding back
Asai: Since many of us are from different regions, I hope that one day we can visit each other’s hometowns and explore their recommendations.
Katsumata: That sounds interesting. I want to have a girls’ night too!
Nakagawa: We went shopping for casual outfits with a few members before the First Showcase, but next time, I’d love to hang out with all nine of us together.
Q: By the way, who’s the funniest among the nine of you?
Asai: Katsumata really stands out (laugh), maybe because she is from Kansai? There is something in the way she uses her words that makes even ordinary conversation funny.
Nakagawa: Meguro is funny because she is an airhead. Hinaguma too, she is a natural burikko (laughs)
Katsumata: Hina’s true nature still hasn’t been figured out yet (laughs). When I wake up in the morning and open LINE, I’ll see traces of messages she unsent in the middle of the night… She’s hard to pin down.
Q: How about the most energetic person?
Nakagawa: Momo-chan
Katsumata: That’s right, Momo-chan has a lot of stamina.
Asai: For me, it’s probably Chiitan (Nakagawa). She loves talking so much that she jumps into any conversation, and she’s bright and full of energy.
Nakagawa: I will jump in whenever I feel curious.
Katsumata: I have one complaint. She would ask, “What were you talking about?” Then, after I explained, she would go “Oh, just that...” Stop wandering off if the conversation doesn’t catch your attention. (laughs)
Asai: She is really curious about everything (laughs)
Q: Who do you think has the most amazing performance skills?
Asai: During the training camp, Sato, who was the center of “Seijaku no Bouryoku” was really amazing. In just 5 days, she was able to do her own kind of performance, and it leaves a strong impression.
Katsumata: For me, it’s Meguro. Normally, she’s so soft and gentle, but her expressions and poses are always on point. She is really cool that I can watch her perform with any music.
Nakagawa: Yamada Momomi. When we paired up during lessons, she expressed the world of the song just through her expressions. I thought she was really skilled.
Q: So what is something that you three have in common?
Katsumata: I guess…. birds??
Asai: I love parakeets, and I have a parakeet named Nico. I really like their soft, fluffy smell.
Nakagawa: I also used to have a parakeet! I love how their eyes are big and sparkling.
Katsumata: I used to work part-time at a chicken specialty store, and I especially like diced chicken thighs.
Asai: I like Yagen (Chicken breast) cartilage
Q: So is that what you mean by “liking birds”... (laughs)
Three of them: Ahahahaha (laughs)
Asai: I eat it with gratitude for the life it came from.
Q: Since starting activities with the group, what have you been feeling or started to think about?
Asai: Up until now, I preferred one-on-one relationships and didn’t really talk or act in large groups. But now, I feel the benefits of being in a group, being able to hear various opinions and having people look at things from multiple perspectives.
Katsumata: Once we actually started our group activities, I realised that I can do what I do thanks to the support of many people, this includes people other than the members, such as the staff. I want to keep their faces in mind as I go about my activities.
Nakagawa: I still have a long way to go compared to the seniors… I feel the pressure to catch up quickly.
Katsumata: I feel a bit impatient too, but I want each of us to steadily grow, cherish our bond as someone from the same generation, and the nine of us to support each other together.
Nakagawa: What I want to value most are greetings and gratitude.
Asai: Since this is not a work that you do on your own, I want to be considerate of the people around me. I want to be able to give it my all in every single moment, without forgetting the spirit I had when I first started!
❀❀❀
Team C
Q: What kind of presence are the 4th generation members to you?
Yamada: Since I am the youngest, everyone is like a big sister to me.
Sato: To me, everyone is someone I can be my true self around, a presence that makes me feel at ease.
Matsumoto: I’m someone who takes the simple approach, but there are people with whom I can grow and improve. Each of the nine has its own strengths and specialties, and I honestly respect all of them.
Q: Who do you respect most in the 4th generation?
Yamada: For me, it’s Inaguma Hina. She was like me, someone who had no experience in either dancing or singing, and during the training camp, she couldn’t get some things right and cried a lot. But she never gave up, practising alone until late at night… Watching her do her best, I really thought she was amazing.
Sato: It’s really hard to choose, but in the end, I respect everyone. For example, Wakochi (Matsumoto), just watching how she interacts with Buddies during Meet and Greet, you can tell that she is already a professional Idol!
Matsumoto: Eh, what do you mean by that? (laugh)
Sato: I think it is amazing how she can say things that make everyone happy without being awkward or shy. Even though Momo-chan is the youngest, she is very dependable, never complains, and calmly handles everything, which is something I really respect about her.
Matsumoto: I respect everyone, especially Momomin (Yamada), who centered the 4th generation song “Shindafuri”. Whether it was the First Showcase or the MV shoot, she always stood confidently in the center, and I think that gave everyone else the courage to perform with confidence too.
Q: Which 4th-generation member has the biggest gap?
Yamada: Meguro Hiiro! Normally, she is very gentle and fluffy, but when she dances, she is the complete opposite, sharp and powerful. The gap is amazing.
Sato: She is very good at performing and is really cool. When she did the center position for “Jigoujitoku” on stage, I felt so proud thinking like, “Everyone, look at our Hii-chan!”
Matsumoto: For me, it’s Neo. She gives off this impression of being serious, hardworking, and reliable, but her airheaded side is so endearing. She often cracks puns that leave the whole room in silence (laughs).
Sato: My best one is “Let’s take the negi out of negitoro” (Negitoro no negi torou) (laughs)
Q: (laughs) So then, who’s the most spoiled member?
Matsumoto: Nakagawa Chihiro. She’s so innocent and carefree—if you’re sitting down, she’ll just climb right onto your lap. And when you’re eating snacks, she’ll quietly come over and say, “Can I have a bite ♡?” It’s way too cute (laugh).
Yamada: It’s Chihiro for me too.
Sato: If I had to say who might have a spoiled side, it’d be Momo-chan. She’s the one who suggested that we watch a horror movie, but then ended up being the most scared and kept clinging to me. (laugh) Also, she sleeps hugging a stuffed animal! Even during training camp, I remember a stuffed plushie about 40cm tall sticking out of her carry-on bag.
Yamada: It’s a stuffed plushie called Shibano-kun, a Shiba dog from the “Okaeri Sonoda-kun” series, and I bought it at my local shopping mall for 990 yen (laugh).
Q: As you spend your time as a group, what do you want to cherish the most?
Sato: I want to listen to the words from the people around me. Right now, there’s so much to remember that it’s easy to lose sight of everything else around me, but there are seniors, managers, and fellow members giving me great advice. By listening to the words of the people around me, I want to find my way of doing things.
Yamada: For me, it’s about supporting each other. Sakurazaka46 has a lot of members, but I want us to become a group where no one is left behind and everyone supports one another.
Matsumoto: For me, it’s about interacting with the people around us and our fans as individuals, not just as a group. I want to carefully think about what I want to convey and be able to communicate it while keeping the bigger picture in mind. I hope to keep working sincerely, always with gratitude.
Comments
Post a Comment