Just before their last concert, the words conveyed to 「Ｂｅｒｒｙｚ Kobo」 by Tsunku♂ who lost his voice were…

Diagnosed with laryngeal cancer in February last year、 Tsunku♂ had been undergoing treatment。

Attending the school entrance ceremony of Kinki University on the ４th of April, his confession that「My vocal cords were removed、 I lost my voice」 became a topic of discussion。

Also、 before the curtains were raised for the last concert of the Tsunku♂-produced Ｂｅｒｒｙｚ Kobo （３rd March ・ Nippon Budokan）、 he himself actually went to visit the members。

Having already lost his voice、 he had a member of staff read out a letter。“Momochi” Tsugunaga Momoko looks back on it。

Tsugunaga 「We received “words” from Tsunku-san♂。 Looking back from our début、 he told us 『Do not forget your gratitude towards the fans』。 Those words really hit the mark。…Honestly、 before the curtains were raised、 I felt like I was drifting。 But、 Tsunku♂-san's words made me think 『That's right、 I have to get my feet properly on the ground and stand on-stage』」

Despite this being just before the curtains were raised、 the members ended up crying…。 As a result、 the start of the concert was delayed by ２０ minutes。

Tsugunaga 「For us、 we had been raised with lots of love。 I'd like to convey the feelings that we learnt from Tsunku♂-san to the kouhai」

Source: Weekly Playboy

Twitter Tidbits #8: Sayu grad edition

Tsunku♂

ほんまに愛いっぱいのステージでした。道重、足つったから何回かステージが止まってもうたけど、えらい気にしてた。その辺があいつらしい。でも、そんなことがあったからええ思い出になったと思う。この所の卒業生はみんな手紙読むパターンやったけど、あいつは何も持たず自分の言葉で語った。流石や。
— つんく♂ (@tsunkuboy) November 26, 2014

It truly was a stage performance full of love。 Michishige hurt her leg and the performance had to be stopped several times、 but I feel that was remarkable。 That was very much like her。 However、 I think that it creates good memories when things like that happen。 Recently, the trend has been that graduates would read out from a letter、 but she read out her words without anything in hand。 You'd expect no less。

Mano Erina

道重さん、 かっこよかったキレイだった ステキだった最高に可愛かった！！ なんだか今は ぽっかり穴があいた感じ、、、 ブログ落ち着いたら書きます>_< 道重さん！ 卒業おめでとうございます！！ お疲れ様でした^ ^
— 真野恵里菜(Mano Erina) (@erina_mano) November 26, 2014

Michishige-san、
It was stylish, it was pretty
It was awesome, it was the peak of cuteness！！

It feels like
There's now a wide-open hole、、、
I'll write a blog post once I've calmed down >_<

Michishige-san！
Congratulations on graduating！！
Thanks for all your hard work ^ ^

Twitter Tidbits #6

A friend's concern
Tsunku♂ recently reported that his cancer had made a reappearance. Here are some words from Taisei, his Sharam Q bandmate.

はじめに知らせを聞いたときは驚きましたが、 無事手術も成功したという事で一安心しています。 元気になって戻ってくるのを首をなが～くして待ってますよw 心配してくれた皆さん、ほんとにありがとうございます！ 彼が１日でも早く元気に帰って来てくれるように、僕らと一緒に 応援して下さい
— たいせい (@TaiseiTaitaman) 2014, 10月 17

I was shocked when I first heard the report、
But it flooded me with relief when I heard that the operation had turned out successfully, without a hitch。
We're ea～gerly awaiting for him to return to good health and make a comeback lol
To everyone who worried for him、 thank you so very much！
So that he'll return to health as soon as possible、
Please, let's all give him our support

あ、今のツイート、つんくちゃんについてね。
— たいせい (@TaiseiTaitaman) 2014, 10月 17

Ah、 that tweet、 it was about Tsunku-chan。


{Tsunku♂ himself tweeted a message to abate concerns.}

皆様、心配かけてます！ でも、僕は元気です！
— つんく♂ (@tsunkuboy) 2014, 10月 17

Everyone、 I made you worry！ But、 I'm doing fine！

Tsunku♂'s message to Sayumi on the Music Japan Sayumi Graduation Special

Music Japan held a Michishige Sayumi special graduation special. The show as a whole is good viewing, with MM.'14 performing Tiki Bun and Shabondama, and messages to Sayu from Sashihara Rino, Nakagawa Shoko, and Oomori Seiko.
However, what I'd like to highlight is the message that Tsunku♂ wrote for Sayu. Here, it's read out by the lovely Mizuki Nana.

(Starts from about 14:20~)

MJ ちゃゆ by dm_526e8a36be26f

Michishige, this is your last Music Japan as part of Morning Musume.
Are you nervous? Make sure to enjoy yourself.

Thinking back, 10 years ago, at your audition, you were a girl with  fair skin, and even your eyes were distinctive, it made me think 'Oh, might there be something there?'

Your ability as a singer, it's brimming with originality. What's more, the occasional 'funya~' voice is surprising. In Shabondama, it's only when Michishige goes 'Na no ni, doko ittan da yo' (However, where have you gone?) that you get this voice with an 'Oi, where are you going?' feeling.

To what extent it's purity, and to what extent it's calculated - I think that's the theme of Michishige. But in the end, purity won out, eh?
The words, the smiles, the actions of the non-calculating Michishige all are wonderful things that go straight to the heart.

With a considerable age gap between almost all your juniors, looking after them must have been tough, but it always created a good sense of pressure. In that way, I relied on you.

After your graduation, whatever life you may lead, Michishige's hard work will be your lifelong pride, and I expect that you'll be able to overcome whatever obstacles you face. Thank you so much for your hard work.

And, with the remaining time, please enjoy being part of Morning Musume. You are truly our pride.
I'm counting on you.

Tsunku♂

Twitter Tidbits #5 - 24hr TV and S/mileage 3rd gen announcement

Tsunku♂ on idol aspirees

モーニング娘。の最新のオーディションも大詰め。そんな中、ふと思ったのが、最近の中学生は運動部に属さない子が多くなっているような気がした。もしくは今時のアイドルを目指す子は運動部に属さないタイプが多くなったのか・・・初期モーニング娘。の頃はあまり感じなかった感想である。
— つんく♂ (@tsunkuboy) 2014, 8月 24

We're at the finale of Morning Musume.'s latest audition. Through it, it suddenly occurred to me that it feels like there are a lot of girls who aren't part of a sports club. Or perhaps the majority of girls who want to be idols in this day and age aren't the type who join sports clubs... When Morning Musume. first started, I hardly ever got that impression.

Tsunku♂ on this year's 24-hour TV marathon

24時間テレビの感動の余韻…最後に本当のキセキを呼び起こすリーダー。うん、俺も自分に正直に立ち向かおうと勇気を貰いました。本当にありがとう。一緒に仕事したあの頃からも10年以上経つけどみんな心は少年のまま。これから起こる新たなるキセキを呼び起こせるような気がしました。
— つんく♂ (@tsunkuboy) August 31, 2014

The memory of how moved I was by 24-hour TV... At the end, Leader (Joshima Shigeru of TOKIO) brought forth a real miracle. Yes, I too honestly received some courage to fight back. Thank you so very much. It's been over ten years since the time we worked together, but we're still boys at heart. I feel that a new miracle will be called forth from now on.

24時間テレビで走ってた姿を見て以来すっかりリーダーのファンになった3歳次女。「リーダー見たい」という彼女の言葉の意味はTOKIOが見たいの意。ambitious japanを空で覚えた彼女は 「ビーおじさん🎵」と自分の知ってるボキャブラリーの中でなんとか置き換えてコピーした。
— つんく♂ (@tsunkuboy) 2014, 9月 15

Ever since she saw the sight of Leader running for 24-hour TV, my 3-year old daughter has become a fan. When she says 'I want to see Leader', it means she wants to watch TOKIO. Remembering Ambitious Japan off the top of her head, she goes 'Be Ojiisan', replacing the words with the vocabulary she has.
(T/N: The correct line in Ambitious Japan is 'Be ambitious')

(Also, here's a translation of the letter from Tsunku♂ to MM.'14 and the OGs when they performed for 24-hour TV, by Sohee of Hello! Base: 
http://jplop.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=6216&start=340#p162196 )

Tsunku♂ gets a letter from his daughter

A letter from my 6-year old daughter when I got back from work.
'Dad! I wrote a letter, so read it!'
I see, but just as I was thinking about opening it, she went 'Hey dad, read it quickly, I wrote in it that I'd like to thank you for always doing your best at work, and thank you for being so kind, so read it quickly!' It's like I already read it even before I laid my eyes on it.

{Trans: Just as Tsunku♂ mentions, the contents of the letter are virtually what she said to him. Hope you enjoyed this adorable little episode.}

Source: Tsunku♂ Facebook

Twitter Tidbits #4: Berryz Hiatus Edition

This first one isn't exactly from Twitter, but it's succinct and relevant enough to sneak in here.

Extract from Sanspo newspaper:

[Berryz Kobo] went to inform ℃－ｕｔｅ directly in their dressing room.
Both groups were born of and split from the Hello! Project Kids, where they were brought together through an audition as 'younger sisters' for MoMusu., so there were strong bonds between them.
Crying together with them, ℃－ｕｔｅ leader Yajima Maimi (22) acknowledged that 'We were always together from when we were small, so all sorts of things came back to me. Since this is their decision, we too wish to support them.'

As always, Mano Erina's first thoughts sum up the general mood. Even to the last line, at least for me.

大阪でのお仕事終わりとともに この目でタイムラインに流れる文字を見たら感情が溢れ出た(T_T) 予想外すぎて、心の中ぐしゃぐしゃ。 また1つ、この世界を目指していた頃の憧れがなくなっちゃう。 ももちゃんに会いたいな。
— 真野恵里菜(Mano Erina) (@erina_mano) 2014, 8月 2

As my work in Osaka came to an end
My eyes went over the words being mentioned on my timeline, and I started brimming over with emotions  (T_T)

It was just too unexpected、my mind’s in a mess。

One more presence that I looked up to from when I was gunning for this world, will no longer be around。

I want to meet Momo-chan。

Twitter Tidbits #3

On songs that bring to mind the summer

誰かのツイで「夏 remember you」も夏の終わりの匂い的なのがあったので、歌詞を読み直したら結構深い人生観を語ってる。当時あの年齢の子達、まったく意味わかってなかったのか、なんとなく感覚で感じてたのか・・・
— つんく♂ (@tsunkuboy) July 2, 2014

Since someone tweeted that 「Natsu remember you」 had the scent of summer's end、 I reread the lyrics, and it talks about a pretty deep view of life。 With the age of those girls at the time、 I get the feeling that they had completely no idea what it meant・・・

Twitter Tidbits #2

Tsunku♂ reflecting on the past

そんなん言うから自分でも歌詞読み直したわ。「友達」は確かに深いかもね。RT @kako0306: @tsunkuboy 最近「友達は友達なんだ！」「がんばっちゃえ！」の本当の意味みたいなものが分かってきました。他にも以前の曲を久しぶりに聞くと当時とは違った聞こえ方がします。
— つんく♂ (@tsunkuboy) June 16, 2014

@kako0306: @tsunkuboy  Tsunku♂-san, recently I've come to understand the true meaning behind 「Tomodachi ha Tomodachi nanda！」and 「Ganbacchae！」。 Besides that, listening to other songs I haven't heard in a long time, I hear them in a different way。
@tsunkuboy:  Seeing those words made me go through the lyrics again。 「Tomodachi」 is pretty deep。

Twitter Tidbits

Tsunku♂ on picking winners

予想？確信でしょ。RT @JONE2601 @tsunkuboy つんくさんは愛理があんなに可愛くなることを予期していたんでしょうか！？
— つんく♂ (@tsunkuboy) May 5, 2012

@jone2601 @tsunkuboy Tsunku-san, did you expect that Airi would turn out to be so cute！？
@tsunkuboy: Expect it？ I was sure of it。

Tsunku♂ expresses confidence in Berryz' latest!

ありがとう。自信作です。RT @reinairisakO617: @tsunkuboy ベリの新曲『愛はいつも君の中に』が耳から離れません。イントロから前に進もうという気持ちになりますし、ベリの怖い雰囲気に合ってると思います!!!
— つんく♂ (@tsunkuboy) 2014, 5月 22

@reinairisakO617: @tsunkuboy Berryz' new song 'Ai ha Itsumo Kimi no Naka ni' lingers in my ears. Beginning from the intro, it makes you feel like moving forward, and it fits Berryz' scary atmosphere!!!
Tsunku♂: Thanks. I've got confidence in it.

Tsunku♂-producer's theory of work「Forge your powers of observation on your commute to work」

　Beginning with Morning Musume。’14 [sic]、Tsunku♂-shi produces Hello！ Project's line up of idols。 We were told about his vision hereafter inside Shuukan SPA！'s February 11・18 combined edition 「Hello! Pro's counter-attack」。 However、 the truly amazing thing about him was his original theory of work。 We ask about his theory of work, whose usefulness is not just limited to the world of entertainment, but to all working adults。

Ai-chan gives a quick update on Tsunku♂

Takahashi Ai made an appearance on the 'Electrolux Best Cleanest Award' ceremony, where she gave a quick update on how Tsunku♂ seemed to be doing.

She enlightened us on the present conditions of producer Tsunku♂（４５）, in the midst of battling the early stages of laryngeal cancer. 

 Takahashi, who underwent an operation on both sides of her vocal nodules in May of last year, 'Since I had also undergone a throat operation, we communicated on all sorts of things. It seems that he still pops up at the company (office), and while his treatment is still ongoing, he seems to be in good health,' she reported.

 According to persons concerned, Tsunku♂ is unable to utter any words, but continues his producer work communicating through writing.

Having translated it, I dunno, doesn't seem like she's mentioning too much - her second sentence smacks of hearsay rather than something she'd seen with her own two eyes.

And as always, the reliability of 'persons concerned' is always suspect.

But since I hate to discard the efforts of translation, here you have it.

Source

Tsunku♂'s message to Berryz Kobo on their 10th anniversary

{Despite the sad news from Tsunku♂, he proves that his ability to troll is still as solid as ever in this message for Berryz Kobo's 10th year anniversary. 
The message itself was narrated by Sawayaka Goro, in the concert they held on the day of their 10th anniversary. 
The Oricon video below has excerpts of that speech, but the only news source I found that claimed to have the full text of his message is this Dwango one. Note that the Oricon video has been cut in such a way that the later part of the speech is actually mentioned earlier.
Also, if you continue with the video, isn't Succhaka Mecchaka awesome?}



It's the 3rd of March.
Today marks a whole 10 years, entering into your 11th year.
Congratulations on your 10th anniversary.
Well of course, Morning Musume is about 16 or 17, and that kind of history is amazing.
But, they have had member changes.
Of course, although the number of people in Berryz Kobo has decreased, there were no new members who joined, so fundamentally it's all been done by the same members, and I think that's something really amazing.
With that, let me tell you something just as amazing!
From now on, since these members have been doing everything...
I think that gradually...
From here on...
For Berryz Kobo, new member applications...
Will not be done, [Momo: Oh Tsunku♂-san, stop it with the Osakan jokes, there's no need for that kind of thing]
So I think I'd like the members to be filled with spirit and take a new step.
To be honest, for a group of girls in the puberty ~ lovestruck phase continued doing activities collectively as a group for 10 years, I think you also did it giving a vibe of, "Let's have a fight!"
I've heard this comment countless times so far, that it's generally thought that you can work for at most 4 years as an 'idol.'
To exceed that is truly amazing.
In my capacity as a producer it's normal to give all sorts of instructions, and on that point, I really respect you guys.
I'm sure that all the fans understand that as well.
Therefore despite it being a weekday today, such a great number of people ... (though I won't ask how you skipped work...) have gathered here.
Aiming for an Oricon 1st this year, let's make this wonderful Berryz Kobo-like seed ripen stylishly!
Well then, good luck.

Source

Tsunku♂'s comments on 『Otona na no yo！/ 1oku 3zen man sou diet Oukoku』

「Otona na no yo！」

He comments on how Risako, from the lower years of primary school, and the rest of Berryz that he still thought of as children have already grown up.

そんな彼女達はまさに「大人なのよ！」
Those girls are surely 「Otona na no yo！」 {trans: [We're] adults!}

It's a dance-like track which allows for a sexy performance. He mentions that the backing track has a strengthened beat in a minor scale, and that there are many parts where the bass line plays around stylishly and finishes rhythmically.

「1oku 3zenman sou Diet Oukoku」

He talks about the global obsession with losing weight. Yet people still look for reasons to not diet. The theme of the song is about just that.

He says you could call it transformative EDM (note: The term he uses is 'hentai EDM', which amuses this translator). He directed this song with the feeling of 'stuck in a loop of not saying anything'. We all have our likes and disklikes, and he thinks that's good. And that's the kind of thrilling song it is. 

Berryz工房の醍醐味だと思います。I think it's the epitome of Berryz Kobo

He then comments on the girls individually.

Captain

Shimizu： Not just looks-wise、 I think mentally she's also an adult。
It feels like she looks over the members warmly。
From here on、 without restraints、 without tying down Captain
I want her to express herself in an exaggerated way。
At times she seems to act spoilt as if she were the youngest、 she should feel even freer to do so！

Momo

Tsugunaga： I think that there are a lot of times when her schedule is hard in a Momochi-like way、
But I think she worked hard last year without taking many breaks。
This year it doesn't look like the 「Momochi」 character will be given up、
Moreover, I'd like her to intensify as an irritating kid。
Actually she's become a good woman in terms of her age、
And I think it might be good if good woman 「Momochi」 makes appearances at times。

(Note: The previous two were direct translations of Tsunku♂'s comments, most of the rest will be summaries. Apologies for such inconsistency)

Chinami: She's cheerful with short hair. She looks better as a woman rather than as a child, or a boy. The theme for her this year is 'tightening up'. 

もう一度体力を付けて自分に余裕を持ってほしいな。
If we have the flexibility I'd want to have her build her physical strength once more。

Maasa: She's the kind of girl who can stir up a roar of laughter when she's around, as if some god of laughter had descended. But there are times where she doesn't seem motivated. He comments that she gets a smug smile, different to her usual smile, when she gets something she wants. He think that she'll become more individualistic if she laughs defiantly.

Miya: He thinks of her as shy, despite being called scary or a gyaru within H!P. But he doesn't think she'll change for the sake of changing her perspective. He says that her singing has become more stoic [sic] and cooler.

Kumaicho: He talks about the fact that her voice is unique. I'm not really catching the rest of what he's saying, so apologies to Yurina fans.

Risako: (Note: This is another direct translation)

Sugaya： I definitely think she's become an adult。
She's a girl who really  sticks to her guns when it comes to things like hair colour or eyelashes。
I think it's good to let her freely and gradually create her own expression during positive and free times。
But、 at times she takes in 100％ of someone's advice
And makes a complete 180 degree change。
I wonder when those times are・・・

Source

Ayumin disobeyed Tsunku♂

「Hello! Pro Maruwakari BOOK」　2014 WINTER　Ishida Ayumi

Q8.  My secrets, a small one revealed

Actually, I resisted when they wanted me to dye my hair to a way lighter colour.

Initially Tsunku♂-san’s advice was that if I’m going to dye it brown,

he said「Why don’t you try making it lighter？」。It continued for three times, and it definitely made me uneasy when I was told 「Is it alright to go even lighter」 the third time。 Despite that、 I went back to a tone darker after that （lol）。 

[x][Matome]

Tsunku or something

Above is MaiMai's famous statement, "つんく♂とか来て楽しかった". This would be the video played just before they were announced as the Hello! Project Kids.

I usually translate it as "Tsunku♂ or something came and it was fun".

 The phrase is notable mainly because of the lack of honorific  (i.e. 'Tsunku♂-san' or 'Tsunku♂-producer'), and the 'or something' part, which makes it sound even ruder.

For some reason, I always thought that that was the standard translation.

Googling didn't get me much results, though I believe I was influenced by this translation by Hello! Project World (see #382).

I ended up finding this 2ch log, where they start trying to translate that phrase:

http://read2ch.com/r/morningcoffee/1342443065/

There's quite a fair amount of English, and as one would expect, it veers off in quite a random direction, so enjoy!

As for me, I'll probably stick to 'Tsunku♂ or something'. It was fun :)

Announcement regarding Morning Musume。

Truly, thank you very much for always supporting Morning Musume。 as well as Hello! Project.
I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude.

Well then、 without delay、 this is an announcement regarding Morning Musume。.

I would like to alter how Morning Musume。 is addressed as a group.
Morning Musume。、 from 1st January 2014 , will have their group name changed into 「Morning Musume。 ’14」.
It will be read as 「Morning Musume One Four」.

Being rechristened in 2014 after 17 years of being 「Morning Musume。」、
For the sake of the group continuing on for 10, 20, 30 years from now on
「The single of the song entitled ○○○○, when was that song from！？」 or 「○○-san、 which age of Morning Musume was she from？」
I think such simple questions can be easily answered by distinguishing them with the 「year」 address.

Accordingly, the plan is to address them as 「Morning Musume。’15（Morning Musume One Five）」 from 1st January 2015.

Well、we’ll try to go ahead with this and if it turns out to be confusing、 we might give it up、（lol）
At any rate、  from the beginning of the new year to the extent of supporting the girls who have become 「Morning Musume。’14」 、 by all means please treat them well！

Morning Musume。’14′s 55th single will be on sale 29th January 2014.
From now、it’s the start of a fresh sensation！

6th December 2013
Morning Musume。 Producer
Tsunku♂

As per http://blog-project.net/special-translations/172421

Source: http://www.helloproject.com/news/1312061200_news_musume.html
Also: http://ameblo.jp/tsunku-blog/entry-11718884960.html