We Still Subbing

  I graduated from the University of Kitakyushu this spring. After joining Sakurazaka46 in 2023, I have been commuting to school 1,000 kilometers one way by plane. Balancing my studies with idol activities in Tokyo has been hard, but I was able to overcome it with the mindset of never giving up on doing my best. During high school, there was a period of time where I didn’t feel like doing my best. I quit the brass band, which I’ve been doing as a club activity for three years in middle school, just after one month. It’s a school where everyone is doing their studies and club activities at such a high level, so maybe I couldn’t keep up. I decided to focus on my studies after that, and when the university entrance exam was coming up, I would take the first train at 5 AM and go to school to study alone. I don’t want to feel awkward with my friends because of the exams, so I wouldn’t even tell them about the results of my mock exams. Even if they asked me, I would just say “Maybe I got...

She, who has the image of being the leader of the 3rd generation members, talked about her own potential after facing the past year. — I feel that the 3rd generation members have become even closer because of the “3rd Generation Concert” (Held at Yoyogi 1st Gymnasium on September 12th-13th and Osaka Jo Hall on October 8th-9th), but what do you think? Yuzuki: That’s right! This past year, there are members who have been doing activities as a part of senbatsu, and in turn, the other members were active as a BACKS member. Through those separate activities, each of us felt like the others had grown in various ways. Personally, I really love “BACKS LIVE!!” and I often come to watch them, thinking how cool they are every time. On the other hand, the BACKS member also said to me “I watched you on this music show the other day, you were amazing.” So when we were told about the “3rd Generation Concert”, after doing our own activities while seeing each others’ growth, I thought “So we can do a c...

  How Each of Them Will Come into Bloom It has been a year since the Sakurazaka46 3rd generation members passed their auditions. The blossoming individuality of the eleven members is bringing new life to the group. The sensational girls are forging their own trajectory of growth. — It’s been a year since the eleven of you first met each other as members of Sakurazaka46’s 3rd generation. Now, I’d like you to talk about the future while looking back at the past and also the present. First of all, shall we start with talking about which members have changed from their initial impression or shown you a new side of theirs while spending time together? Mukai: I wonder… Surprisingly, we still have the same vibes from when we first met, so I think there are only a few members who have changed their impressions by a lot. Yamashita: That’s right… Everyone already showed their true colors from the beginning, so I feel like we’ve barely changed. Murai: It’s just that we were divided into two g...

Nakashima Yuzuki and Mukai Itoha from Sakurazaka46’s third generation. Nakashima is a 20 year old girl from Oita who looks more mature than her age and has a dignified and cool vibe. Mukai, from Hiroshima, who has just turned 17, gives off a younger sister-like aura with her innocent facial expression and friendly smile. The two of them who are totally different from their birthplaces, ages, and personalities are just like the moon and sun. However, as the dialogue begins, it’s clear as to why we invited the both of them. We asked various questions such as how were they raised and why did they want to become idols? What kind of relationships do they have within the third generation members? What do you like about each other? What do you have in mind while doing your activities as Sakurazaka46 members? And with those questions, the two threads are entangled beautifully to form a big ribbon which symbolizes their strong bond. Their sibling-like relationship Nakashima & Mukai: (After ...