A relentless dialogue - Sato no Akari (Gekkan Entame June 2014)

(Excerpts from Sato no Akari's Gekkan Entame interview)

---If the three of you took part in an airhead championship, who would emerge the victor?

Uemura: I wonder who? From the stories I've often heard, it'd definitely be Sato Masaki-chan.

Sato: Nope, it'd be Akari-chan. She's actually amazing. Like a monkey.

Katsuta: Um, monkey?

Sato: No, I don't mean that Akari-chan moves like a monkey. Or has the face of one...

--- We understand. Feels like you've just casually fired off a slew of insults though. (laughs)

Sato: Since monkeys aren't relaxed. A staff member mentioned it before. 'Uemura's less settled than Sato'. When I heard that, I was relieved.

Katsuta: Well, within S/mileage, Maachan is famous for being noisy. Speaking objectively, Maachan's probably at a higher level of airheadedness. But I think that it's also a good thing. She can immediately become friends with any senpai, and that's something I envy.

Sato: I see. But Akari-chan's definitely more of an airhead. You know, she somehow managed to get a manager-san to take off their socks just now.

Uemura: That's because Masaki-chan, you said that you wanted socks. So I told you to wait for a bit as I was making preparations, and I just borrowed the manager's for a bit.

Sato: But the manager was really against it. That made me think that you really were an airhead~ (laughs) What's amazing about Akari-chan is that while she's such a beauty, she's also an airhead. I think that it's such a great contrast. I envy you.

--- I see. Well then, please do your best as the airhead trio from now on!

Katsuta, Sato, Uemura: We're not airheads!

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).

♣♣♣

Uemura Akari's Press Release for her second PB 'AKARI II'

Other coverage sources: Oricon coverage, Jijipress coverage

Some notes from Aarii's press release for her second PB, 'Akari II', held on the 25th of July.

♪ She notes that this might be the last PB with her in a school uniform, while she's still a student.

♪ She thinks (i.e. hopes) that her expressions have improved from her first PB that was released half a year ago, like how she closes her eyes and how she uses her mouth.

♪ The members commented that the PB was a good PB that can be enjoyed by both guys and girls.

♪ Aarii's favourite photo. It received high praise from the members, and their usual make-up artist commented that it looked nice:

♪ It was shot in Guam, her first time overseas for a PB. She found it difficult to enumerate the currency (US dollars and cents), so her manager had to help out.

♪ She went to Kmart when she had some time to herself. She bought body cream at a store in Guam, which came in huge sizes. She bought macadamia nuts as a souvenir for the members, which were well received.

♪ Juice=Juice's will be having their Budokan concert in November. She'd like to make use of the experience of having gone around the 47 prefectures and having performed in Hong Kong and Taipei.

♪ She's really happy to be in good health for this press release, as she had been suffering from tonsillitis when they had the press release for the first PB.

♪ For Aarii, the first half of the year went by quickly. H!P has changed in many ways as well, like the addition of Kasahara Momona to ANGERME. She's happy to have come out with a second PB. She'd like to do her best in the second half as well.

♪ She is playing Pokemon GO, and had caught five pokemon on the day itself. Pidgeys were possibly among the ones she caught. She hasn't caught a Pikachu yet. She's still level four, so she can't even go for the gyms. But as they continue on with their tours, the members are looking forward to going around and catching pokemon as they go around.  Yuka's probably the one that's made the most progress - she mentioned that she'd hit level five.

Reporter: What's the Pokemon that you'd like to catch most?
Aarii: 'Definitely Pikachu!'
Reporter: There are apparently some in Shinjuku.
Aarii: Really!? REALLY!!? Well, I've got to go there! (laughs)

Miyamoto Karin x Uemura Akari - Cross Talk between H!P's Platinum Generation!! (Top Yell May 2014)

Appearing from Juice=Juice, H!P's youngest group, we have Miyamoto Karin, the person from the born-in-'98 group who has spent the longest time in H!P,  and even as we boast about Uemura Akari's exemplary beauty and proportions, it's permeated by the contrast that's created through her airhead character. In contrast to Miyamoto who carries around grave worries, Uemura comes out into the open with her day-by-day innocence. So let's have this contrasting pair unveil stories of the '98 group that we haven't heard about!

Does it weigh in your mind that there's someone in the same group who is also in the same grade?

Uemura: I'm reminded that we were born in the same generation whenever we talk about school.

Miyamoto: As we were concentrating on Juice=Juice activities last year, we didn't really talk about school.

Uemura: When I joined the H!P Kenshuusei, I respected Karin-chan as a dai-senpai, so it was difficult to get close to her. She was so level-headed that I didn't even think about her being the same age as me.

Miyamoto: When Uemuu joined, we talked about how a lovely girl had joined us, a calm Osakan beauty. But now, I know that she's quite the airhead who'll immediately give out hugs, so my impression of her has changed (laughs).

And when did you close the distance with the difficult-to-get-close-to Miyamoto-san?

Uemura: After quite some time had passed since Juice=Juice's formation. From when we first formed, I thought about how we'd become friends, but I know that I'm the type of person who makes aggressive moves, little by little, and I enjoy hugging people (laughs). Using that, I just went ahead. I've always been bad at talking with people whom I'm meeting for the first time, I'm the shy type.

Miyamoto: Rather than saying I'm shy, it's more that I'm the type of person that builds a wall between myself and others.

Uemura: Karin-chan, you did build a wall around you.

Miyamoto: At first, I was the fastest to speak out to anyone, but that was just at the start. Then I closed my heart, and while I wanted to get close, I was stumbling around for companions.

Uemura: Recently, I realised that Karin-chan had built a wall around her, but she wouldn't honestly say what she felt. It's like she'd feel out how the other person felt first, and then she'd aim to follow along with that person.

Miyamoto: I guess so. Now, I'm slamming into the wall of trying to figure out what my true feelings are. Like when we were small, we'd just say outright what our true feelings were, right? Little by little, I became unable to do that, and started thinking about how people would see me. I'd like to fix that, but I'm quite the worrywart.

It's become a therapeutic, grave discussion, hasn't it (laughs)?

Uemura: Karin-chan is someone with a personality that I've never met before.

Miyamoto: I'd like to get better at maintaining communication.

Miyamoto Karin and Uemura Akari (UTB May 2016)

Released at the end of the school year, this edition of the magazine came out about a week or two before Juice=Juice got the fateful news about their Budokan performance. Karin-chan and Aarii were interviewed as part of the magazine's promotion for H!P Best Shot Vol 23.

I think that making the Budokan performance a reality will be how we repay the favours we owe

Looking back over the school year, what do you think?

'I grew out my hair that I'd cut drastically short (laughs), we released an album, had a nationwide live tour, starred in a drama. It was a busy year with lots of changes that left us dizzy, but we were really watched over warmly by the members of staff around us and the Juice=Juice family, so I think that it was a year where we were enveloped in love'

In particular, taking on the role of Hidaka Aiko in the drama 'Budokan' must have been a huge challenge.

'Though I'm an idol, I thought that I shouldn't act in a way that would be disrespectful to actresses, and my co-stars were also amazing people, so I was worried that I might feel out of place. But I really learnt a lot, and I think it helped me develop. And I'm glad that even after we were done with the shooting, I was still able to interact as Aiko through NEXT YOU events'

Looking at the entirety of Hello!, there are kouhai who admire Miyamoto-san (laughs).

'It makes me extremely happy when Country Girls' Musubu-chan and Yanagawa-chan say that, but I've got to make up for it by being reliable, and I'd like to tease them.

Finally, what's your goal for the next school year!

'Firstly, we've got to respond in kind towards the love that we've received over the past year, and I think that a Budokan performance would the biggest way to repay the favour. In the midst of that, while we're raising the level of our dancing and singing individually, our powers become different when all 5 of us are together. I'd like us to become a group that's terrifyingly amazing. Personally, I'd like to become even more knowledgeable about 80s idols. I like Matsuda Seiko-san, and I'd like to learn more about the other idols from that generation, and make use of that knowledge in my own performances'

I've become used to solo photo shoots and interviews (laughs)

This past school year has been a year with a lot of firsts, hasn't it?
In April, Juice=Juice acquired our first Oricon Weekly first, our first starring role in a drama, and personally, I came out with my first photobook. Personally and as a group, it was a year where we were able to do all sorts of huge jobs. I was nervous at first for solo magazine work, and interviews were hard for me since I get tongue-tied. I can't conclude my statements, I just take up too much time (laughs). However, our member Kanazawa Tomoko-chan knows a lot of difficult words, so using her as a reference, I'd like to overcome that'

What memories do you have of your photobook 'AKARI'?

'The Labrador Retriever that I took shots with was adorable, and I'm really curious how much that doggy has grown. The shooting was at Okinawa, but after that, as Juice=Juice were on our way to conquer the 47 prefectures, we went to Okinawa, and I felt a connection. It seems that the fans had gone to the places where I'd done the shootings, which made me happy'

The drama shooting must have been tough as well though.

'The staff members of the drama were really warm, and it made me happy to see them come to our concerts, waving glowsticks for us. It was sad to part once the filming ended, but from now on, I'd like to challenge myself to acting work, in the hopes that I'll work with those staff members again'

And, as Juice=Juice, your goal is also a Budokan performance.

We'd like to polish up my singing and dancing, so that we'll be able to stand on the Budokan stage in perfect condition!'

HP Maruwakari Winter 2016: Aarii, Yamaki, Funakki + extras

While I don't have a copy of the 2016 Winter Maruwakari myself, I stumbled upon a small selection of good quality scans. So I translated a few that piqued my interest.

λλλ

Uemura Akari

Q1. In 2015, what was something you were able to actualise, in your own way?
That we’ll be appearing in a drama! I’m happy, as it was one of our goals.

Q2. On the other hand, in 2015,  what was something you weren’t able to actualise?
My goal at last year’s birthday event was to have Sayashi Riho-san teach me kendama skills, but I wasn’t able to achieve that.

Q3. Who is the Hello! Project senpai you have as your goal, the senpai you respect?
Sayashi Riho-san. I really respect her!!

Q4. Member that you’ve currently got your eyes on (excluding the H!P Kenshuusei)?
Sasaki Rikako-chan. In music videos and performances, her sharp dancing draws your eyes before you know it. As it’s combined with everything.

Q5. If you could be together in a unit with H!P members for just a day, who would it be with? Please tell us your reason.
Wada Ayaka-san. I’d like to sing laid-back songs, like Peaberry's. Also, her airy atmosphere is soothing!

Q6. Who’s the H!P Kenshuusei you’ve got your eyes on in 2016?
Ichioka Reina-chan. She’s always smiling, and seeing her teach the kouhai girls how to dance, I feel like ’That’s Reina-chan for you’.

Q7. Please tell us who’s H!P’s number one for each of these genres? Singing, dancing, talking, looks, character.
Singing: Too many that I can’t narrow it down.
Dancing: Sayashi Riho-san. At any rate, she’s amazing.
Talking: Kanazawa Tomoko-chan.
Looks: Yajima Maimi-san. Because she’s got a great figure as well.
Character: Sasaki Rikako-chan. Because she likes solid soap.

Q8. Write your aspirations for 2016, illustrated in your own handwriting !
I want this year to have happier [something I can’t make out] compared to 2015

Twitter Tidbits: Juice=Juice's Uemura Akari and Next You's Dogakiuchi Aoi

【S=S】 Uemura Akari is on the cover of the Young Jump that went on sale today！ Have all of you already checked it out？😆
#juicejuice #PleaseRT

【S=S】本日発売のヤングジャンプの表紙は植村あかりです！みなさんもうチェック済みですよね？😆#juicejuice #RTをお願いします pic.twitter.com/LRgAFANLgT

— Juice=Juice (@JuiceJuice_uf) 2016, 2月 4

@JuiceJuice_uf  Uemura-san's amazing✨ Our Aoi-chan's sad, 「There weren't any offers for me」...😭

@JuiceJuice_uf 植村さんすごいですね✨うちの碧ちゃんが「私にはオファーこないんだぁ」と悲しんでいます...😭 pic.twitter.com/5CpJ93K3x4

— 【公式】NEXT YOU (@NEXTYOU_gu) 2016, 2月 4

Our Uemura said that it would be nice if Aoi-chan got some offers！😆  It'd be great if they could appear together someday 👍 Let's all do our best 🙋

うちの植村が碧ちゃんにもオファーくるといいですねと言っておりました！😆いつか共演出来るといいですね👍お互い頑張りましょう🙋 https://t.co/GWZ6CfMmmO

— Juice=Juice (@JuiceJuice_uf) 2016, 2月 4

Juice=Juice's Uemura Akari-chan was so cute that I ended up buying Young GanGan...💦

Juice=Juiceの植村あかりちゃんが可愛すぎてヤングガンガン買ってしまった...💦#juicejuice pic.twitter.com/D9Eg7YD8kr

— 【公式】NEXT YOU (@NEXTYOU_gu) 2016, 2月 5

1001 Nights - The 24th Night: 50 Questions to Uemura Akari

Lost in the Sayashi's sudden graduation announcement, Aarii's 1001 Nights event kind of slipped under the radar. This marked the 24th in this series of talk events, held on 29th October 2015, a scant few hours before Riho dropped the bomb on us.

Usual disclaimer applies: these are based on fan reports, noob translator will most likely add even more confusion, translations are generally done from a first person perspective out of own habit.

🍈🍈🍈

Aarii had been hit by tonsillitis before the event, so this was her second appearance after her diagnosis. (Her first appearance was at the PB release event 3 days before, where she'd apparently just gotten off the drip before appearing).

Also, regular chairperson Nishiguchi-san wasn't around, so the event started off with an unnamed member of staff acting as the chair.

🍈🍈🍈

Q1. What's your point of appeal, something that other members of Juice=Juice don't have?

My long hair

Q2. What did you think when you were told that you would be releasing a photo book?

I was happy at first, but I asked for less swimsuits. I'd already told our manager-san that I was really against swimsuits, but it the end, the photo book ended up being 80% swimsuits.

Chair: But, the cover's lovely.

2015 HinaFes Blog Relay - #19 Uemura Akari

The blog relay continues from Morito Chisaki to Uemura Akari.

(Original blog post in Japanese)

And、 the blog relay has come around to me from Morito Chisaki-chan ♡


I kind of got praised
It’s making me self-concious (o´艸`)

H!P Summer 2014 KOREZO: Share it if you like it (Part VIII - 6 Sept)

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), Part VI (17 Aug), Part VII (29 Aug)

Photograph from　Berryz Kobo　Natsuyaki Miyabi
I tried doing what you would say was Makoto-san's trademark from ages ago, the mushroom hairstyle。
The members of Hello! Pro have raised the topic、
That recently、 Makoto-san has been wearing a hat
But we want the old “as he is” Makoto-san to come out on-stage。

H!P Blog Relay #20

{From the mother of Berryz, Sudou Maasa, to the youngest of the Juice}

Uemura Akari - 18th March

It's the blog relay started by Morning Musume。'14's Michishige Sayumi ヾ(*´∀｀*)ノ



Today、 it's my turn！


It came to me through Berryz Kobo's Sudo Maasa-san！！





When I was going around live houses with Sudo-san during Naruchika、 there was one time where I got to lay my head on her lap！



She really has this presence of being a kind onee-san！

One more thing！！

I'm jealous of her beautiful eyes ＼(・o・)/!




And、「Something that moved me recently」



The graduation writings for my school were delivered、 and going through the writings of my classmates really moved me。


But it could be because it's at the same time as we're closing in on our graduation。

Though it made me sad、


But since we'll be able to meet again、 I think I'd like to go through the graduation ceremony cheerfully without crying！！






Next will be S/mileage's Katsuta Rina-chan！


Katsuta Rina-chan、 I refer to her as 「Naa」、 and so Naa、 she refers to me as 「Rii」！！

I'd like to beg for your kindness for Sato no Akari as well！！




I love Naa, with her extremely adorable smile！！
{Rinapuu answered within the hour. Let's see what Katsuta Rina has to say.}