Fujiyoshi Karin & Yamasaki Ten interview in SWITCH June 2026 Edition
Q This year’s ”5th YEAR ANNIVERSARY LIVE” has become a concert with the biggest scale in Sakurazaka46’s history, first can you tell us how you were feeling right before the show during the D-day?
Fujiyoshi Karin: Ten-chan, didn’t you… what was it again? The vice captain announcement. How was it?
Yamasaki Ten: Uh, rather than that “Samidare Yo” performance was especially scary for me. (※On the day of the concert, “Samidare Yo" performance starts with Yamasaki Ten’s solo singing, with a new arrangement. ) All I could think about was regarding that. I wasn’t afraid at all regarding the vice captain announcement. Since it’s already been decided anyway, it’s not like I can do anything about that. But I’m really scared of performing “Samidare Yo”... they made time for voice training for me right up until the last minute.
Other than that, there are also so many things I had to do that I didn’t know where I should start first. I would write it all, think about that, remembering that… my head was about to explode there. That’s why for the first day, I was really concentrating on every little thing, and without realizing it my time to enjoy National Stadium ended just like that, so that’s why on the second day I tried to make myself enjoy it more.
Fujiyoshi: For me… I want to treat this concert as one of my milestones, so the times I spend with the members, the members that’s beside me in between songs, or the members that I met eyes with, I want to make sure to pay attention to each little thing. And that’s just not with the members, but also when my eyes meet with the fans, I want to dance while paying attention to my surroundings at the time. Though I was really nervous, looking back now I feel like I managed to make it as one of my turning points, so I’m happy with that.
Q Can I ask what nuance does Fujiyoshi-san mean by milestone?
Fujiyoshi: I’ve been with Sakurazaka46 this whole time—once I did this, and then the next single will be released, and then we’ll do this, and next we’ll do that…—up until now it’s always been like that. So like, ummm, my mind never really had a time to slow down.
Yamasaki: Yeah, we don’t, right?
Fujiyoshi: And so like, this time, I just wanted to take my time to celebrate Sakurazaka46’s fifth anniversary. Because it feels like I just finished the first part of this journey. Well, that’s just how I see it. Since I also thought it’d be nice if I can do something different from what I’ve done before, I also thought that I need to think about what can I do to make everyone know more about Sakurazaka46.
Q The only members who have spent the full five years of Sakurazaka46 are just the 2nd generation, that’s why the 2nd generation’s song “Aozora ga Mieru Made” you performed this time felt like a performance that’s filled with each of the member’s emotions.
Yamasaki: Well, how’s it for Karin-chan?
Fujiyoshi: Come on… to be honest I’m embarrassed…
Yamasaki: I get you!! (laughs) I also thought me and Karin-chan felt the same. So um, to put it simply, the 2nd generation felt “fleeting”, didn't we? If we compare it with the 3rd or 4th generation, our remaining time together just feels more limited, so I understand her feelings.
Fujiyoshi: Yeah, since we’ve been together for so many years. Well, lately there are times where it’s just the 2nd generation together, right? Like when we were filming for YouTube, or like “let’s do this together with the 2nd generation this time!”, something like that… and those are, like, making me feel so embarrassed…
Yamasaki: Since we don’t really get a chance to do that, maybe we are just not used to it. But lately, we have a lot of opportunities to gather as 2nd generation together.
Fujiyoshi: Ah… it’s too embarrassing…
Yamasaki: In the first place there’s a lot of members that aren’t really good with getting together in a group. It was more like everyone enjoying their own things.
Fujiyoshi: But, it’s unexpected from you. I thought you are the type that’d enjoy that.
Yamasaki: No, no, it’s fun! I do enjoy it but like… how should I say it? It’s not like it really moved me to the point of crying (laughs).
Fujiyoshi: Yeah, it kinda makes you uneasy, no?
Yamasaki: Like siblings… or maybe sisters? Yeah, we are more like that.
Fujiyoshi: Ahh, yeah, it does feel more like a family.
Yamasaki: Since we usually just fool around, if we see each other cry at the stage, like, we just aren’t used to that, so that makes us nervous. Well, maybe, since everyone’s different. Our personalities are just that different, right?
Fujiyoshi: And there are members that actually teared up.
Yamasaki: There’s a lot! At the back stage once the song ends, (Takemoto) Yui-chan, (Moriya) rena-chan and (Ozono) Rei, the three of them were talking like “I cried so much~” and “Don’t make me cry anymore~”
Fujiyoshi: Cute.
Yamasaki: Seeing that, it made me think that the 2nd generation is really wholesome.
Q So for the two of you, after going through those two days, can you give us some examples of the emotional highs or the moments that really moved you?
Yamasaki: For me, it was Yui-chan’s dance track. (※There was a dance track where all the members danced a choreography that was made by the 2nd generation’s Takemoto Yui)
Fujiyoshi: Oh, I get you.
Yamasaki: Of course, being able to dance a choreography that was made by Yui-chan really made me happy. She thought up the choreo for all the members herself, and I saw her giving out her best behind the scenes for that, so that made me think that Yui-chan is really really cool. And the way things went, me and Karin-chan got the chance to dance a lot, even during rehearsals Yui-chan would tell us “I’ll leave it to both of you, okay?” and “I’m sure if it’s you guys you can pull it off”. It really made me happy.
Fujiyoshi: For me, it was the 4th generation’s “Mamoribito” (※Mamoribito was originally a song that’s performed by the 3rd generation, but at this concert the 4th generation performed it) and “Kougen”. Right now I’m really expecting a lot of things from the 4th generation, I think they will be key figures that will keep Sakurazaka46 going in the future. I have high hopes for them with those feelings in mind. Since the 4th generation has their own unique appeal, their “Mamoribito” performance also has a different vibe from the 3rd generation, so I’m happy that I can see a new side from this song’s performance.
Q On the first day during the encore, it was announced that Yamasaki-san was appointed as Sakurazaka46’s new vice captain. Along with the voice of cheerings, there were also a lot of shocked voices coming from the venue.
Yamasaki: Maybe because they thought the vice captain would be a 3rd generation? (laughs).
Fujiyoshi: But, I always thought it has to be you. Even before becoming vice captain you are always beside Matsuda (Rina, the current captain) to help her out, and you are always so cheerful… Matsuda is also the cheerful type but you just have a different kind of cheerful, and you are someone who helps lift up everyone in Sakurazaka46. I’m grateful for that.
Yamasaki: I’m happy to hear that. But you know, what’s funny is, when I announced to the others that I will become vice captain, even though everyone was telling me “Let’s do our best together~” or “I’m happy that Ten-san is the vice captain”, only Karin-chan said “It’s funny that Ten-chan is the vice captain! I can’t imagine it!” and laughed at me! But I thought it really is just like her to say that.
Fujiyoshi: I mean, when you announce that you are going to be the vice captain to the members, you are saying so cheerfully as if it was a prank.
Yamasaki: Ahahahaha!
Fujiyoshi: She just came in with a voice so loud as if she’s gonna do a stand-up comedy, it surprised me.
Yamasaki: You’re right, I didn’t say it like it was a serious thing.
Fujiyoshi: Yeah, not at all. Usually, in situations like that the mood would get pretty serious right? So that’s why I thought that it was funny.
Q From Yamasaki-san's perspective, what kind of presence is the captain Matsuda Rina?
Yamasaki: She has a really, really big presence. She’s a truly indispensable presence for Sakurazaka46. I think that if Matsuda isn’t here, Sakurazaka46 won’t come this far. Even on our own variety show, she really helped us all out, she also appears in outside shows more than the others, she’s the girl that helped get Sakurazaka46 out into the world. Even for the MCs at concerts, she would take the initiative to do it and always do a great job at it, and she also always communicated with the staff to make sure everything runs smoothly.
No matter how tired or exhausted she is, she always works harder than everyone, yet she always keeps a smile on her face, since she is someone who contributes to the group more than anyone else, on the contrary she does so much that it makes me worry. Like, it is okay for her to whine sometimes. So that’s why, I just assumed since I’m her genmate there sure is something that I can do to support her, so I try my best to always be near her as much as I can. Well, since when I’m with her it’s fun anyways (laughs), I also really love her as a friend as well, but as a fellow member I really respect her a lot.
Q If you consider this fifth anniversary as one of your milestones, what kind of future do you envision for Sakurazaka46?
Yamasaki: I still have a lot of things I want to do and want to make come true. We also haven't been able to do dome tours, there are also people from all around Japan asking us to go to their places such as Hokkaido or Okinawa someday, so there’s a lot of places I still want to visit. And also, I want to be able to perform at “Kouhaku” again, and also I want us to become an artist that can win Japan Record Award… but, while I’m happy that our venue has got bigger and more people are getting to know our name, I believe what’s truly difficult is continuing to be loved in the long run.
I believe it is our duty as the 2nd generation to thoroughly pass on everything we know and can teach to our juniors, and devote our efforts to helping them grow into even more capable individuals. I want to work even harder in those areas in the future.
Fujiyoshi: There are also some things I want to realize as a Sakurazaka46 member, but the things I wanted to do the most have been said by Ten-chan. I just wish that Sakurazaka46 can keep going even in the future. There will be a time when all of us 2nd generation graduate, right?
Even when that happens, I want Sakurazaka46’s momentum to never be put out, and I’d be happy if the group can go to a lot of places, even when we get much much older… even when we became grandmothers, I’d be happy if Sakurazaka46 can keep going strong. I’d like to continue to do my best as well in the future, so that I can be a foundation for that.
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