Mukai Itoha interview in BLT April 2026 Edition

 

Q The 14th single ‘The Growing Up Train’ is soon to be released and you have been selected as a member for the title track. How are you feeling about it?

Itoha: For me… whether I’m in the senbatsu or the BACKS, my feelings and the level of passion I put into working hard don’t change regardless of my position. My goal is always to surpass my previous self and I hope that by doing so I can contribute something to the group, that mindset hasn’t really changed since I first joined. However, the fact that the fourth generation members joined us has been a huge deal for me. There are quite a few girls who are very gutsy and they look so composed even right before a live performance. 

Since I tend to get nervous easily, I feel like I need to become a more reliable person for the fourth generation members to look up to. Even though we are close in age, because they have experiences like working part time or going to university, how should I put it… since they have seen more of the real world, I feel like they are more mature than I am. I often talk with the other third generation members about it, saying “Weren’t we way more messy during our first year!?”. In that way the existence of our juniors has become a source of inspiration for us.

Q Actually, I had the impression that the third generation members have been very solid and reliable since the moment you joined.

Itoha: Really~!? But I think the third generation members are a gathering of people who are quite awkward individually, so I sometimes wonder if there are parts of us that are difficult to convey to others. Though Itoha finds that awkwardness to be something lovely (laughs), but it’s interesting how even though the ages are close, the ‘colour’ of the fourth generation members is completely different.

Q Indeed, each generation has its own distinct colour, doesn’t it? So, according to several third generation members, Mukai-san is something of a ‘mood maker’.

Itoha: Hahaha! Urm~, it’s actually a bit embarrassing to hear that said out loud (laughs). But the reason I’m able to be my usual laughing self is because I’m together with the other third generation members. It’s because of that sense of security, ‘it’s okay to goof off this much’ or ‘it’s okay to laugh this loudly’.

QIt has been a full three years since the third generation members joined, hasn’t it? Do you feel like you have ‘become an adult’?

Itoha: I wonder if I have…? But I do think I have become stronger. I am not sure if I’ve grown, but I feel like I can look at things from a broader perspective, or rather I have started thinking more about the future. A big part of that is from working alongside my seniors and watching them lead by example. There were so many things I learned like “Oh, so in this kind of situation, it’s better to do it this way”.

I’m not very good at consulting others, I never really talked about my worries with my fellow generation members, the staff or even my family. But at some point, it just popped into my head, “Maybe I will try talking to a senior member”. I feel like things changed a little after that. I had heard that talking to people or writing your worries down helps, so I actually tried talking to someone… and I feel like that was the catalyst that allowed me to become stronger.

Q By the way, who are the seniors…?

Itoha: They are Ozono Rei-san and Takemoto Yui-san. I had been talking to them about my worries as a member for quite a while but starting around December of last year (25’), I began talking to them about much deeper, personal things. Just the other day, Chuke (Takemoto)-san and I went out for yakiniku and got into deep conversation, both of us ended up getting all teary eyed and we were just sobbing while grilling the meat (laughs).

Q Do you not consult with your fellow third generation members?

Itoha: I don’t think I have ever talked about private worries with them… While I do talk with third generation members about things regarding the group, I feel hesitant to bring up heavy topics when we are in such a fun atmosphere. Most of all, being with everyone is so much fun that it actually makes me forget I was even worried about anything. Also, the third generation members notice whenever I’m feeling down. That is something that we could notice from one another, and we would mumble a few kind words to cheer each other on. And when I got home, I might get a casual message after I get home saying something like “Let’s go grab a meal soon”. 

People might think the third generation members are very close to each other, but we actually have just the right amount of distance. Whenever someone feels lonely, it’s a fellow third generation member who reaches out a hand. It feels a bit odd saying it myself, but I think we have a great relationship (laughs). I love the time I spend with everyone in the third generation, but when it comes to sitting down and talking about myself, that’s for my seniors—-.

Q Ozono-san and Mukai-san share the commonality of both being middle children, right?

Itoha: That’s why I’ve actually talked with Rei-san before about how we are somehow similar. It feels like our way of looking at things and the way we think,”In this situation, this is what I’d want to do” are very similar.

As for Chuke-san, she is running even further ahead of me, she gives me advice like,”I’ve had that experience too, so maybe it’s better if you try this”. There are also times when she talks to me on the same level. Even regarding performances, if I’m stuck or confused, she notices and will go ask the dancers for me. She truly has a broad perspective, if I haven’t fully memorized a dance move and I’m looking confused, she will ask, “Want to try it one more time?” and dance along with me... She is always looking at the big picture.

Watching her lead by example makes her look so grand to me… I respect her from the bottom of my heart and I hope I can become a senior like Chuke-san someday. I’m still not there at all though (※ Takemoto Yui’s graduation was announced a few days after this).

Q I guess you finally saw where you headed.

Itoha: For a long time I could only see what was right in front of me and I think I was just desperately trying to survive ‘the now’. Before joining Sakurazaka46, my world was small mostly around home and school and I struggled within it, sometimes feeling a sense of suffocation.

When I joined the group and my world suddenly expanded, I had moments where I thought “What on earth should I do?!”. But I learned that because the world is so wide and full of different people, there are people there to help you. Until I was about 17 years old, I felt like I had to live through life all on my own. However in Sakurazaka46, there are so many people who stay by my side when I’m feeling down or who are as emotionally affected by what happened to me.

Meeting the members, the staff and the fans this way made me truly realize that ‘being kind is a powerful thing’. It’s been a three year journey that has made me want to be a kind person from the bottom of my heart.

Q I think that is a wonderful realization.

Itoha: I feel more joy and a greater sense of accomplishment when I can be of help or useful to someone else, rather than just doing something for myself. My fellow members and even Chuke-san tell me “I think it’s okay for you to think about yourself more” but I hate the idea of becoming selfish… It’s quite difficult. However I intend to face the challenge of figuring out who I truly want to be.

Q How about the performance aspect?

Itoha: Specifically in the MV for ‘The Growing Up Train’, the use of microphone stands left a strong impression. There were dancers and band members playing instruments which expressed a sense of being an ‘idol group standing on stage’ and it felt fresh to be in a space that wasn’t just us. Also wearing the same costume throughout the entire song is rare for a Sakurazaka46 MV. There are a lot of smiles overall and I think it really fits the bright feel of the song.

Plus there is a scene where (Fujiyoshi) Karin-san walks past me to the front and in that moment I felt “Ah… she’s so cool”. It was a feeling I didn’t want to add any other words to, I think that raw emotion was the most real. My stand-by position and Karin-san were close to each other, so we talked a lot during downtime on the filming day and she spent a lot of time with me. But the moment the music started and it was time for the real take, her ‘switch’ flipped instantly and that was just so cool!

However I feel like my own mindset toward performing has also changed. Before, I used to struggle and wonder “Is this the correct answer?”. But ever since TAKAHIRO-sensei told me “It’s fine for each person to find their own interpretation and express that”, I’ve been able to share a sense of unity with the other members while also thinking “I want to express it this way here” and I’ve started letting those feelings out naturally during the song. Looking at the members around me, they were all letting their emotions out in the moment and I realized “Ah, so it’s okay to be free”.

In one song, there is a choreography where I hug a senior member and she was crying. When I saw those tears… my heart was deeply moved. I’m the type of person who tries to hold back my tears during a performance but I thought “It’s okay to release my emotions in the moment, that might be how the song actually reaches the fan’s hearts”. During the “Shinzanmono” period and the 7th single (Shouninyokkyu) era, I sometimes cried during performances and since then I have been trying to suppress myself.

I used to stay reserved and think “I hope I don’t stand out too much…” but when my heart trembled seeing that senior’s tears, I felt that if you hold back, what you want to convey won’t get across. Music is received differently depending on the listener, right? I think emotions change depending on the listener’s situation or state of mind, so I believe the feelings I hold in each moment will surely reach at least one person among the Buddies.

Since I started thinking that way and releasing my thoughts, live performances have become more fun and I’ve come to love them even more. Fans have also started telling me more often “I love this part of Ito-chan in this song” which makes performing even more enjoyable. Even when I watch the footage, I see myself dancing freely and think “Wow I’m so alive!” (laughs). That change happened a little over a year ago, and it’s been fun ever since.

Q That was a difficult time for you physically, wasn’t it? You had to sit out the Tokyo performances of the 3rd Generation Live and faced various other challenges.

Itoha: After I got injured for a while, I couldn’t even reply when the other members reached out to me, I just didn’t have the energy to do anything. I even thought to myself “Maybe I should just quit…” but when it was decided that I could participate in the Osaka performances on a limited basis, I saw a little bit of light and gradually began restarting my individual practice.

Still, when it actually came time to stand on stage, I was honestly terrified. However once I performed, rather than fear, I felt from the bottom of my heart “Ah this is where I wanted to stand. The time I spend doing a live performance as an idol is definitely when I am happiest”.

The staff took great care of me, so I’m doing fine now and I feel like that experience actually made me stronger than I was before. Now I want to challenge myself more with jobs outside of the group and I’m also thinking I’d like to try doing radio. Regardless of whether I’m suited for it or not, I feel like I will never be able to break out of my shell unless I take action myself… Since my goal for this year is to challenge myself with many things, I feel like I want to take on every chance I get.

Q Were you originally a negative person?

Itoha: Yes. But I wasn’t the type who could let it out through self-deprecating humour like (Matono) Mio (who is both her genmates as well as someone her age). When I first joined, I felt like “I don’t have anything to offer,” but I also knew from experience that having just one bright person in a room can change the whole atmosphere.

So I thought “In that case I will always stay bright, that way maybe I can change the mood of the place someday” and I started making an effort to smile. Then as I mentioned earlier, the 3rd generation members are the ones who noticed. They told me “You are always smiling exactly when we need someone to smile. We love that about you, Itoha”. Hearing that made me so happy that I’ve been spreading brightness and smiles ever since (laughs).

Q You have met some wonderful people, haven’t you?

Itoha: I truly think so, and that’s not just my fellow generation members, but the senior members and the 4th generation members too. Among the 4th generation, I’ve become really close with (Matsumoto) Wako, partly because she reminds me of my older sister. We go out to eat frequently and she even comes over to my house. She calls me ‘Ito-chan’, but the other 4th generation members also say things like “I want to go out to eat too~” or “When is it my turn?”. Just the other day while I was talking with Chii-tan (Nakagawa Chihiro), a bunch of 4th generation members gathered around us… I’m so happy to be surrounded by such kind and cute girls (laugh).

---

Raw & translation: Tree

QC: tmi