Which Juice=Juice member cries when she sees balloons?

We tackle Juice=Juice, an idol group under Hello! Project. They've just released their latest single 'Jidanda Dance / Feel! Kanjiru yo' on the 26th of April! We'll be having a close-up look at Juice=Juice!

- Last year, you completed your 225-show tour, and your first Budokan performance was also a great success. The other day, you announced that you'd have an overseas tour. Could you please tell us about your future goals?

Miyamoto Karin: When I checked out the videos of our Budokan performance, I found so many things that were lacking. Our facial expressions, singing, dancing, everything was still lacking. So I want to focus on improving those first. We can always go higher with our singing and dancing, so we have to keep up honing our performances.

Takagi Sayuki: I had vocal cord nodules, and immediately underwent surgery the day after we had finished our Budokan performance. I think that I have to study how to bring out my voice, and I'm currently in the midst of tackling it as through discussions with our vocal coach.

Miyazaki Yuka: I'm also focusing on voice training! our vocal coach told me 'I'll fix you up this year!' And I told him that I'd like to do so too. I immediately went and reviewed everything with my coach, from my vocalisation and whatever else. But I had no place to test things out, and I was unable to sing when we were rehearsing for our livehouse tour from February. By changing things, I wasn't able to sing well even when I wanted to. I ended up being at my very worst. I had no idea what to do, so I consulted my coach and we thought together about how to deal with it. That's when singing started becoming fun again!

Takagi: I've always intended to go for voice training, but there are a lot of things that I don't really understand. I'm glad to be praised for for my good singing. But I'll be thinking lots and lots about how to get better, starting from my vocalisation. Partly since there are parts of me that I personally have yet to acknowledge. It'd be great if I could enjoy singing because of that. It's tough though. (laughs)

Uemura Akari: I'd like to increase my repertoire of facial expressions. There are times when I feel a bit spent in the middle of concerts, so I'd like to be careful about how I appear on-screen. I'm not good at playing for the camera, and when the cameras turn to me in the middle of a concert, I'll be watching the audience, not the camera.

Kanazawa Tomoko: I'm fascinated by feminine seductiveness. So my goal for the year is to refine my sexiness and seductiveness. We've always thought that we'd be a group where each and every member puts forward their own forte. So I thought about what I'd use as a weapon. I haven't found anything so far, and I'm feeling the pressure to work hard at everything.

Miyamoto: Also, I'd like to cherish the feelings and passion I experience at every concert. I think that it's important to to enchant the audience with our passion at times when they can only watch Juice=Juice. We might face language barriers when we go abroad, but the excitement and heat of concerts is something that's common all over the world!

Kanazawa: For overseas artistes and actresses, even if you don't understand what they're saying, you can feel it through their eyes and gestures when you watch dramas, movies, or music videos. So I'll build up my femininity so that I can make overseas fans feel that way too.

The weird tastes of Juice=Juice (excerpt from Big One Girls 023 - July 2014)

--By the way, between all of you, who's the most gluttonous?

Miyamoto: I can really eat if I seriously put my mind to it. (laughs). I'm amazing when it comes to buffets. I can eat anything besides celery. But when I point out how delicious something is, the members get doubtful though...

Takagi: That's not it! Your sense of taste is weird! Even when we had to eat a can of silkworms as a penalty game, [Miyamoto] ate it like it was nothing. She said that it was unexpectedly delicious.

Miyamoto: Delicious..... Hmm. I'd still prefer it to celery.

Takagi:  I'd completely take celery over that! (laughs)

--This is going off-topic, but would you be completely fine on that variety show staple - penalty games where you have to eat weird dishes?

Miyamoto: At penalty games, I don't really react in an entertaining way. I'll just mention, say, how bitter the tea was. (laughs)

Kanazawa: In a way, good-for-nothing. (laughs).

Juice=Juice Miyamoto Karin 'I am an angel'

We have a direct face-off with Juice=Juice, a Hello! Project idol group that just released their new single 'Jidanda Dance / Feel! Kanjiru yo' on the 26th of April.

Firstly, please introduce yourself to the readers! Tell us something about yourself that you would like the readers to pay attention to!

Miyamoto Karin: I often say this myself - I am an 'angel'.

Takagi Sayuki: Hey, stop that~

Miyazaki Yuka: Are you all right? This is our first time working with this publication... (anxious look on her face)

Miyamoto: It's all right! I'm in this to bring smiles to the faces of lots of people. I'd like to become a person who can heal those around me just by being there. So, I'd like to further refine my cuteness! Please keep an eye on me, to see how much I'll grow from now on!

Kanazawa Tomoko: I want you to watch how I move my hips while I'm dancing. My goal for the year is to polish my seductiveness. So I'm studying up on how to move and swing my hips. I'm working on increasing the range of my hip motions. So I hope you won't take your eyes off me at concerts.

Miyazaki Yuka: I often get told that I'm a vixen. So I'd like to treasure that 'cute and cunning' genre that I find myself in!

Takagi: I love singing, so I want to become good enough that I'll be acknowledged even by myself. At the moment, I'm not at the level where anyone listening to me would say that I'm good, so I should try to learn more things. I'd like to grow in that way, so I hope that people will observe that.

Uemura: I'm currently growing out my bangs, so I want you to observe that! Pay attention to my bangs!

H!P Battle without Honour and Humanity - S/mileage x Juice=Juice (Top Yell Sept 2013)

♣♣♣

What impression did you have of Miyamoto-san when she was in the Eggs?

Fukuda: She was really tiny when she joined us, like someone's little sister, and she was super cute. The both of us really liked strawberries, so I gave her my 'Strawberry Soul' T-shirt.

Miyamoto: I've worn that T-shirt so much that those words have faded. It's currently in my loft at home!

Takeuchi-san, you were in the H!P Kenshuusei until 2011, so your tenure overlapped, didn't it?

Takeuchi: Karin is one year my junior, and joined the H!P Eggs about half a year after me, so she was the closest to me. We acted together in plays, and we had many opportunities to sing together at concerts and recitals during our tenure as Kenshuusei. Back then, she was way smaller than me, but now she's overtaken me......

Miyamoto: Am I taller?

Takeuchi: You are, you are~

Miyamoto: No way. How many centimeters are you?

Takeuchi: 154cm?

Miyamoto: We're about the same.

Fukuda: No, I'm sure that Take-chan's 153 cm (laughs).

Takeuchi: Well, it's not that different though (laughs).

♣♣♣

Besides her height, in what other ways has [Miyamoto-san] grown?

Takeuchi: Karin's been good at singing ever since she joined the Kenshuusei, so I lose to her in that!

Miyamoto: But when I joined the Eggs, Takeuchi-san's dancing looked super energetic, and she was really quick at remembering the dance moves, so I really admired her. She'd have them properly remembered by the time the next lesson rolled around, and she'd be telling us how to do it.

Fukuda: Take-chan's getting self-conscious (laughs).

♣♣♣

Takagi Sayuki and Miyamoto Karin Talk Event in Kawasaki

Managed to catch a Juice=Juice talk event on the 24th of August at Kawasaki on my recent trip to Japan. Sayuki and Karin-chan were there to promote their upcoming single 'Dream Road - Kokoro ga Odoridashiteru - / KEEP ON Josho Shiko / Ashita Yaro wa Baka Yaro'.

Not willing to preorder something that I couldn't collect, I was stuck behind a crowd of about two hundred people who had preordered. From my vantage point, I could only see Sayuki and Karin-chan's heads, floating above a sea of heads.

Promoting their new songs
♪ Sayuki highlighted Karin-chan's Michael Jackson-esque dancing in KEEP ON Josho Shiko
♪ Sayuki stressed on the 'Bakayaro' as she mentioned 'Ashita Yaro wa Baka Yaro'
♪ Sayuki commented on how quiet the audience was. Karin-chan opined that her fans tend to be the quiet types.

Fan questions

Q. As an only child, which Juice=Juice member would Karin-chan like to have as a sister?

Karin:  Nope, nada, not a single one of them. If I was forced to picked one, I'd pick Uemuu as my younger sister.

♪ Sayuki wouldn't want any of the members either - she gets along well enough with her younger sister
♪ For an older sister, Sayuki definitely wouldn't want KanaTomo. By elimination, it'd have to be Yuka then.

Idol Frontline 2015: Messages to Berryz Kobo (Takagi Sayuki)

Following on from the interviews with Berryz, we have a small selection of active Hello! members giving their thoughts about Berryz. Last time we had Okai-chan, Maro, and Fuku-chan. We wrap up this part of the mook with an interview with Juice=Juice's monkey. I don't normally associate her with being a BeriWota, but Sayubee's always struck me as being a thoughtful young woman, so please enjoy what she has to say.

Juice=Juice Takagi Sayuki

• How did you feel when you found out that Berryz would be entering an indefinite hiatus?
'When I heard about their "Indefinite hiatus", I couldn't believe it, and it took some time even though I understood the words. Even though there are lots and lots more things I'd like to learn from them...... Thinking that, since then, I started to treasure the time rehearsing with Berryz Kobo-san, the time we stand on-stage together. Even though I still can't imagine a Hello! Project without Berryz Kobo-san, I'd like to burn the memories in my mind so that I don't regret it later'

• Where do you think the charms of the group Berryz Kobo lie?
'I'm sure there must have been lots of trying times, and times when they wanted to quit. There was also a change in the number of members, but the 7 members of the current Berryz Kobo-san, the 7 of them continued on this one path. I think that it's amazing to have 7 companions with whom you can talk about stories from 13 years ago. Those bonds make an appearance in their MCs and performances, they truly are a wonderful group.'

• Who is your oshimen in Berryz Kobo?
'Sugaya Risako-san. Ever since Juice=Juice and Berryz Kobo-san did a Naruchika tour, she's given me advice, we've messed around, we've become friends. Even though she's such an amazing person, unpretentiously, she was friendly to me, she's really a kind person. Her power of expression, singing, looks...... the things I've learned from Sugaya-san are endless. I love her'

• What Berryz Kobo song do you particularly like?
'"VERY BEAUTY". Firstly, I love the lyrics. Berryz Kobo-san have this image of having lots of unique songs, but singing this really simple, cute song suddenly changes that image, it really makes my heart skip a beat. I prefer listening to Berryz Kobo-san singing it over myself singing it. I wish we could have sung it together'

• Please tell us about a concert or event where Berryz Kobo left an impression on you
'Naruchika 2013 Autumn Berryz Kobo x Juice=Juice'. Going through that tour, I was able to come upon even more of Berryz Kobo's allure. We got to talk with them, watch them on-stage, stand on-stage with them, there really were lots of things that we felt and we learnt, and I'm sure that there were things that we were able to learn by following Berryz Kobo-san's example. Even while we were rehearsing, Berryz Kobo-san were always with us and we could feel how high-level they were, and when we got to do MCs together during the real performance, it was really cool how Berryz Kobo-san could converse while reading the mood, and I think that since the 7 of them have always been together, they're able to read the mood and know "Who'll speak here" in that way. They're so cool, I'd like Juice=Juice to catch up soon'

• To you, what sort of existence is Berryz Kobo?
'A presence that's close yet distant'. I think they're unreachable. I think that even after 10 years, our current selves won't reach Berryz Kobo-san's performance and power. Depending on the song, the change in the form of their power immediately hits you. They're unreachable, but I now treasure that I could learn by watching them up-close, and I'd like to make even a small part of that my own'

• Is there anything that you learnt from Berryz Kobo or that left an influence on you?
'Even though the way they dance and sing and their heights were all over the place, it's really amazing how the immediately come together where it counts, that burst of power is really something, it always moves me. I'd like it if Juice=Juice could do that too, and be able to bring out our power as a group with a bang!!! Simply said, there isn't anything I can do that is mine, but I learned from them'

• Please tell us about a memory or episode with Berryz Kobo
'This is obviously from "Naruchika", but it made me happier than anything when we kept in contact after Naruchika ended, and got to talk...... I had lots of serious discussions with Shimizu Saki-san, and as well as performance-related matters, I was also taught about a lot of important things as a person, such as how to give greetings'

• Please give a message for Berryz Kobo
'Up to then, I'd always thought on the lines of "Just like the air we breathe, Berryz Kobo will always be around". The sudden announcement gave me a shock, and it hasn't hit me yet. Honestly, I want to watch more and more of Berryz Kobo-san's performances, I'd like to rely on Berryz Kobo-san's presence. But, for that to no longer be the case...... And so, burning the performances of the 7 members of Berryz Kobo-san into our minds, we'll take up the wonderful history of Hello! Project that Berryz Kobo-san have taught us, and picking up the responsibility, we'll do our best'

2015 HinaFes Blog Relay - #25 Takagi Sayuki

The blog relay moves from Yamaki Risa to H!P's monkey, Sarubee,

(Original blog post in Japanese)

Well then、

The blog relay came around to me from Country Girls’ Yamaki Risa-chan。

I read Yamaki-chan’s blog post。
Thank youーーー ♡♡

Yamaki-chan’s really cute。

She thinks about Country Girls with everything she’s got、

With Inaba Manaka-chan, the two of them think about various things concerning the other members、

Both Yamaki-chan、 and Manaka-chan、
Have personally come to me to discuss things。

Yamaki-chan is like Country Girls’ older sister、 she thinks tenderly about everyone。

I love Yamaki-chan’s really adorable face when she laughs！！♡

H!P Summer 2014 KOREZO: Share it if you like it (Part VI - 17 Aug)

For the KOREZO! performances held during the current Hello! Con (Summer 2014), there's a corner where the girls can bring up photos they want to highlight. A  Facebook page has been set up, entitled 'Hello! Pro Ki ni Ittara Share'. (H!P Share it if you like it).

Here's a selection of what piqued my interest. As the page says, if you like any of these photos, then 'Like' and 'Share' them on Facebook. Links are in the first line below the photo, the post titles.

If you missed them - Part I (12, 19 & 26 July), Part II (27 July), Part III (2 Aug), Part IV (3 Aug), Part V (9 & 16 Aug)

Photograph from　℃-ute　Yajima Maimi
The １st photo has already been uploaded on the Facebook page
It's Berryz Kobo's Kumai-chan with the Eiffel Tower。
Kumai-chan said 「The Eiffel Tower is a tough challenger」、
But 『Kumai-chan、 you've beat the Eiffel Tower』
This photograph that has come to light serves as evidence。
That is the 2nd photo。
As you can see、 she has the Eiffel Tower contained within the palms of her hands。

Photograph from　Morning Musume。’14　Sayashi Riho
My treasure is this special bath poster、
That I got from when Morning Musume。’14's Fukumura Mizuki-chan appeared on the cover of a magazine。
You can grasp her marshmallow skin by looking at this photo！
Getting to touch the skin of the original、Fuku-chan herself
Is a special right accorded only to me。
I'm not going to hand it over to anyone （lol）

H!P Summer 2014 KOREZO: Share it if you like it (Part IV - 3 Aug)

For the KOREZO! performances held during the current Hello! Con (Summer 2014), there's a corner where the girls can bring up photos they want to highlight. A  Facebook page has been set up, entitled 'Hello! Pro Ki ni Ittara Share'. (H!P Share it if you like it).

Here's a selection of what piqued my interest. As the page says, if you like any of these photos, then 'Like' and 'Share' them on Facebook. Links are in the first line below the photo, the post titles.

If you missed them - Part I (12, 19 & 26 July), Part II (27 July), Part III (2 Aug)

【KOREZO！Takagi Sayuki】
Photograph from Juice=juice Miyazaki Yuka
Taken on an aeroplane、 this photo shows Takagi Sayuki messing around with the children sitting in the seats in front of her、 wanting to befriend them。
She was getting no response to her questions、  and this was taken just as she was trying to lure them in with a banana-shaped pouch。
She couldn't befriend them in the end、 but on the return flight, a child picked up some 「sweets」 she dropped、 and they were happy when they were told 「You can have them！」。
Miyazaki's statement:「Such a happy child」。

H!P Summer 2014 KOREZO: Share it if you like it (Part I - 12, 19 & 26 July)

For the KOREZO! performances held during the current Hello! Con (Summer 2014), there's a corner where the girls can highlight photos taken during the tour. A  Facebook page has been set up, entitled 'Hello! Pro Ki ni Ittara Share'. (H!P Share it if you like it).

Here's a selection of what piqued my interest. As the page says, if you like any of these photos, then 'Like' and 'Share' them on Facebook. Links are in the first line below the photo, the post titles.

【KOREZO！ Okai-chanNeru！？】
Photograph from ℃-ute Nakajima Saki
Backstage at Nakano Sunplaza、 there's a sofa that can fit ２ people、 and that's become the place where Okai Chisato always takes a nap。
Once、 when Okai was intending to take nap、 it just so happened that Hagiwara was already sleeping there、 and this photo shows the conduct of Okai, who wanted to sleep no matter what。
At the table where they normally fix up their make up、 she messily swept out the stuff that was on it、 and after making some space、 she just slept like that。
By the way、 the light bulb just above her stomach gets so hot to the extent that touching it will give you burns、 so it's a pretty thrill-seeking sleeping form。 It might help out for dieting・・・ but everyone, please do not copy this！！

Sayubee's Admiration

More subtitles, different form.
Please turn on the closed caption function to view the translations please.

From last year's Summer Hello! Con, Sayuki answers a question about respectable senpai.

Quitting and graduating

Reina put up a brief announcement on her blog:
http://ameblo.jp/tanakareina-blog/entry-11810873314.html　

I'm quitting ＬｏＶｅｎｄｏЯ。

With that mere sentence, she brings us this weighty news. 

Very much like Reina - no frills, no explanations, no room for misunderstanding - just a single sentence.

Also of note: A blog post by Takagi Sayuki, posted earlier on the same day

http://ameblo.jp/juicejuice-official/entry-11810504175.html

Today I、 Takagi Sayuki have something important to say。
I love Tanaka Reina-san、 and I thought I'd work hard in order to become a person like Tanaka-san。
However、as of today, I will be graduating from being a Tanaka-san oshi。
And Tanaka-san、 thank you very much for everything up to now。
There were a lot of times、 when I was able to do my best thanks to Tanaka-san。
From now on、 as I'm a senpai, I'll work hard in order to become a presence that will be admired。

Could this be related to Reina's cryptic announcement? Only time will tell.

*cough*probablyAprilFool's*cough*

EDIT: Also, see this post from Sato Masaki

http://ameblo.jp/morningmusume-10ki/entry-11810982314.html

Translation of relevant bits:

And please listen


Masaki
Actually


Tanasa-tann？ Tanaka-san


I despiーーーse her


Sato Masaki





（please read the portion which follows after once it's past midnight）

H!P Blog Relay #23

{Riding on a horse from Sato Masaki, we have the baby monkey of the juice}

Takagi Sayuki - 19th March

The relay blog got passed to me yesterday from Morning Musume。'14's Sato Masaki-chanーっ♬

When I looked at Masa-king's blog、
She had a 2 shot with Tanaka Reina-sanーーー(꒪⌓꒪)

I'm jealousー（ ;  ; ）

Sayuki wants to see her tooooo (T ^ T)




Masa-king、
She talks a lot、is playful、 she holds hands。（lol）

That's how we are ♡ lol


Rightっ。

「Recently、 something that moved me」
That is itーーー、、♡


When I wrote my blog post yesterday、 going to watch my younger sister's primary school graduation ceremony、 seeing the great efforts my sister had made、 I was moved。（ ;  ; ）

You know、 the younger sister in Sayuki's mind、 despite being younger by 2 years、 seeing her mix in with everyone at school and enjoying herself working hard from long ago、 time seemed to burn slowlyーーーand、 it arrived。。

When my younger sister entered primary school、 Sayuki was in primary 5th、

「Sayuki has to protect her！！」

I thought、 I was really worried、 and I'd often check out my sister's class during breaks。。

When Sayuki graduated、 though I was worried since my sister had to do her best on her own、

When I looked at my sister at her graduation ceremony yesterday、 surrounded by lots of friends、 they seemed to be having fun chats punctuated with shrieks、

Ahー。 It turned out okay even without Sayuki。 She can't be a baby forever。

I thought。

Weーll。。 She's grown big。。。

Saying that makes me feel a wee bit of loneliness、 looking at her development、

It was really moving。。


Right。（lol）




And next will beー…？？？

I'm passing on the baton to Kumai Yurina-san ♡♡

Kumai-san、
I talked to her for the first time when we were doing the Naruchika tour…



And！！
Unexpectedly、

Actually、there's something that Sayuki will alーーーways remember。♡

When Sayuki was in primary 6th、 I joined the Hello! Pro Egg and at my first Hello! Con、 I was sitting at the cheering section、 and Kumai-san was sitting next to me、 and when Sayuki was pounding with nervousness、

「Your legs are slender ♡ How nice～」
And、 she told me thatー(*ฅ́˘ฅ̀*)♬

I was so glad。。♡
And that's why I remember itっ*ଘ(੭*ˊᵕˋ)੭* ੈ✩‧₊˚ 


Kumai-san the very kinーーーd oneesan、 what is something that moved you recently？？？♡

[Alternative translation on blog!project here]

{Sarubee uses so much onomatopoeia, not a fan. We'll see what Kumai-chan, aiming to be the Sky Tree of the idol world, has to say.}