1001 Nights in Osaka - The 2nd Night: Miyazaki Yuka and Miyamoto Karin

Just like the Tokyo Hello! Store in Akihabara, the Osaka Hello! Store runs its own series of the 1001 Nights talk events. This event was held 22nd April 2016, with the generic hashtag #ハロショ大阪 (#Hello!ShopOsaka).

Usual disclaimer that these are from fan reports and are more snippets from the events rather than a comprehensive overview.

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What's comes to mind when you hear Osaka?

Yuka: Old ladies from Osaka.

It's not that Yuka-chan has some sort of stereotypical image of them, but her grandfather's sister who actually lives in Osaka has a very loud voice. Her family enjoys travelling, so they've been to Universal Studios Japan multiple times.

Karin: Takoyaki, Downtown-san. 

On that day, Nishiguchi-san had given the both of them takoyaki as a gift. Karin-chan has been watching Downtown-san's DVD from when she was small, thanks to her mother's influence. Karin-chan lets loose some of Downtown's joke material, which has Yuka-chan stunned.

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Memories of Osaka

Yuka: I saw a UFO at USJ
Nishiguchi: Are you alright?
Yuka: It's true! It's true! My dad saw it as well!

Karin: It's where I had my first Hello! Project concert.

Karin-chan was announced as a new member in November 2008, but didn't get called for the New Year's Hello! Con. Instead, she went along with the tour at the next summer Hello! Con as part of Shin MiniMoni。To Karin-chan, it felt like she was on a trip.

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What do you like about Osaka?

Yuka: The dialect resembles Kanazawa dialect.

Yuka speaks in dialect when speaking with Uemura Akari-chan.

Karin: I like how everyone's funny.

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Places in Osaka that they like 

Yuka: Kaiyukan.

She went there when she was in primary school, and saw whale sharks. Karin-chan has never been there. Yuka finds that it has similarities to Notojima, so she feels a sense of affinity

Karin: Amerikamura.

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Favourite food from Osaka

Yuka: Takoyaki.
Karin: Why do people from Osaka use takoyaki as a bento side-dish! It's carbs on carbs!
Yuka: Couldn't you just not think about that?

Karin: Takosen. (Takoyaki hot-pressed to form a cracker)

This was well received by the wota in attendance.

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.

Twitter Tidbits: Karin-chan

A smattering of fan reports from Twitter involving Karin-chan that piqued my interest.

[x] Release commemoration event at HMV Omiya - MiyaMiya (30th March 2017)
Miyazaki: Karin-chan has recently been saying things like 'I'm the cutest in the world!' And that was the very first thing she said to an interviewer who we were meeting for the very first time. I'm concerned, I don't want people to think of her as some strange kid
Miyamoto: It doesn't matter to me if I'm thought of as some strange kid~

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[x][x][x] Talk event at Nishinomiya Gardens (23rd April 2017)
Karin-chan: Recently, when I looked up 'Cutest in Chiba', Miyamoto Karin came up as the top result. It's thanks to the support from all of you that I was able to win against the splendours of Chiba. Thank you very much!
Miyazaki: Talking about Chiba, there's also the person next to you. (points to Sayuki)
Takagi: I'm fine! Leave me alone!

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[x][x][x][x] Release commemoration event at Funabashi (28th April 2017)
Karin-chan: I'm Chiba prefecture's angel, Miyamoto Karin.
Miyazaki: Karin-chan, in the first part, you said you were the Funassyi of the idol world, didn't you?
Karin-chan: Funassyi's a pear faerie, right? I'm an angel, so there's a difference.
Miyazaki: Have you stopped with saying that you're 'The cutest in Chiba'?
Karin-chan: It'd be a constant struggle to be number one. Just within H!P, there's Tsugunaga Momoko-san and Suzuki Airi-san. Then there's also our kouhai. I'd be competing with the lovely people of Chiba.
KanaTomo: We've got one in our group as well. Mention Sayuki's name!
Takagi: This is embarrassing.
Karin-chan: I'd say she's already in the hall of fame...
Miyazaki: Sayuki!?

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Release commemoration talk event at Tower Records Grandtree Musashikosugi - Karin-chan (13th April 2017)
[x] Karin-chan: If I say 'I'm an angel' when we go overseas, they'll say 'Oh, Crazy Girl', so I should stop doing that. (laughs)
[x] Karin-chan: At the overseas performances, I don't want the fans overseas to be like 'Huh, it's just Juice=Juice...' I want to work hard so that they'll say 'It's Juice=Juice!!!' All you guys, come and do some sightseeing as well. Even if you can't come, please send us your power!

[x] Release commemoration event in Shizuoka - Karin-chan and Aarii (6th April 2017)
Karin-chan: Uemuu~ There's a differently coloured paper over here  (grinning)
Aarii: Hmm? Let's see. Eh? This is from 'Wants to be loved by Uemuu'-san?
Karin-chan: That's me!
Aarii: 'Please show with your whole body how much you love Karin-chan'... Who is this from~?
Karin-chan: Me!!!
Aarii: Yay! (Rips up the question paper)
Karin-chan *shock*
Aarii *ignores*
Karin-chan: I'm so sad! She ignored me!

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)

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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).

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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).

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Juice=Juice Miyamoto Karin's goal 'A new form of idol' (Nov 2016)

Juice=Juice's Nippon Budokan performance was a huge success. 

We talk with central member Miyamoto Karin about their activities so far, and about the future.

- The drama broadcast happened as you were in the midst of your busy live tour.

Miyamoto
Inside, I was really worried about the drama, because it touched on topics that shouldn't be treaded on by idols. What if people who watched the drama came to associate my role in the drama with me? Would the fans who watched it come to dislike me? It made me uneasy. We were given quite a difficult theme to wrestle with. I think that idols shouldn't be like that... doing things like falling in love, or not keeping up a constant level of cuteness, for example. But the drama presented areas that aren't like that... Having acted out my role, I feel that I'm better at bringing out the inner 'Miyamoto Karin'. Ever since the drama started, I feel that I've changed in how I approach MC segments at concerts.

－Your MC segments changed as you went through the drama?

Miyamoto
Yes. I became really direct. I started to make fun of the fans. (laughs) I started to say things that a good girl wouldn't say, things that I definitely wouldn't have said before.

－How was the response to the drama?

Miyamoto
The other members would get asked if they were from 'NEXT YOU' (the name of the group in the drama), but that never happened to me. (laughs) But many people at handshake events told me that they became fans after watching Budokan. A lot of them were girls.That made me happy.

[2ch] Oi, Kanazawa Tomoko is holding Miyamoto Karin in a princess carry!!!!

1 : 名無し募集中。。。＠無断転載は禁止2016/09/08(木) 21:47:14.44 0
http://ameblo.jp/juicejuice-official/entry-12198076221.html
http://blog-project.net/kanazawa-tomoko/251819

I held Miyamoto Karin-chan in a princess carry。
She was super duper light…！
In a sense, it gave me a shock…！ lol

2 : 名無し募集中。。。＠無断転載は禁止2016/09/08(木) 21:48:25.55 0
Here it is━━━ヽ(∀ﾟ )人(ﾟ∀ﾟ)人( ﾟ∀)ノ━━━ !!!

3 : 名無し募集中。。。＠無断転載は禁止2016/09/08(木) 21:48:44.32 0
Tomoko's got strong arms

4 : 名無し募集中。。。＠無断転載は禁止2016/09/08(木) 21:48:59.92 0
It feels like she's going to drop her out of a window after that

9 : 名無し募集中。。。＠無断転載は禁止2016/09/08(木) 21:50:00.13 0
What's up with this, it's like it was photoshopped

7 : 名無し募集中。。。＠無断転載は禁止2016/09/08(木) 21:49:36.15 0
Do squats from that position

18 : 名無し募集中。。。＠無断転載は禁止2016/09/08(木) 21:53:06.62 0

19 : 名無し募集中。。。＠無断転載は禁止2016/09/08(木) 21:53:45.40 0
>>18
This is great
It's so relaxing

15 : 名無し募集中。。。＠無断転載は禁止2016/09/08(木) 21:51:35.80 O
Will they kiss from that position?

Maruwakari Summer 2016: Miyamoto Karin

Developing even further after her stint in a drama's main role
Don't miss Karin's future growth!

Q1. Who is your favourite H!P member (including OGs)?
Niigaki Risa-san. She's someone I admire. Whatever it is, she does things properly and with all her might, and she treats her kouhai equally. I really love her.

Q2. What H!P song would you like to sing solo?
'dearest.' (Matsuura Aya)
This song somehow feels like a thick wall for me to overcome. I'll do my best to be able to sing it someday.

Q3. Among the (current) H!P members, who would you like to go to the sea with, and what would you do?

Morning Musume。´16's Kudo Haruka-chan. I want her to swim stylishly. And I'd like us to share some kakigoori together. I want her to teach me swimming as well!!

Q4. Who is the 'summer girl' amongst the (current) H!P members?
Juice=Juice's Kanazawa Tomoko-chan. Since she was born in the summer (2nd July), and she somehow has the characteristics of someone born under the 'Cancer' star sign.

Q5. If you were to come out with a photobook, please tell us where you'd like to go and what you'd like to do.
New York. I'd like to wear clothes that would stand out, flashy make-up, and take photos that would lack Miyamoto Karin-ness.

Q6. What is your treasure?

My family. I truly am blessed. As an only child, I get priority in everything.

Q7. Is there anything that you'd like to make a start on?
I'd like to take the Vegetable Sommelier Certification... That's my little dream.

Q8. Please make a new unit by picking a person from each group.

℃-ute's Okai Chisato-san
Morning Musume。´16's Ishida Ayumi-san
ANGERME's Takeuchi Akari-chan
Country Girls' Funaki Musubu-chan
Kobushi Factory's Taguchi Natsumi-chan
Tsubaki Factory's Asakura Kiki-chan
The shorty group. I'd like us to dance in flat shoes.

Q9. Please tell us what's the best thing about your own group.

The frequency of our blog updates.
We don't really fight. Everyone's mature. So maybe the fact that we end up making compromises might be a weakness...

Finally, please give a message to all the fans

Am. 
Growing... 

Miyamoto Karin

More from the same book

Miyamoto Karin - Sunflower (UTB Dec 2016)

Karin's third photobook is currently selling well!

This third volume was the first time we experienced good weather, which seems to have exposed her current sunny state (laughs)!! And just like the title, it's packed with sunflower-like smiles!

Miyamoto Karin loves 80s idol songs and ballads!! (Top Yell Sept 2016)

Miyamoto Karin has talked passionately about her own perspective and thoughts on 80s idols at events and on radio shows, and frequently makes blog posts spelling out the 80s idols songs that she loves to listen to, particularly focusing on Matsuda Seiko whom she respects. Why is a girl born in the 10th year of the Heisei era captivated by 80s idols? And how has she herself been influenced by 80s idols?

Matsuda Seiko-san was where I started

At her first Budokan concert experience

She let out a Seiko-chan call

Miyamoto-san, I heard that your respect towards Matsuda Seiko-san stemmed from your mother's influence, but roughly how old were you when you started to consciously listen to her?

Miyamoto: It was pretty much when I was in my second year of primary school, as my mother would always play Seiko-san's albums. That's why I like a lot of her album songs. When I was in my third year, using a karaoke machine that could record my voice, I made a CD of 'Jikan no Kuni no Alice' (laughs).

Have you been to any of Matsuda Seiko-san's concerts?

Miyamoto: I have. The very first time I started hearing 'Seiko-chan Kawaii!' was when I was brought along to a Nippon Budokan concert, which was also my very first concert. I still go to her concerts now, but as it's also work, I watch calmly. But back then, I genuinely went to Seiko-chan's concerts because she was cute, and the cheers of the guys next to me were so amazing that I got pulled in and I'd really scream out (laughs). When I asked my mother about it, I apparently even did the calls, what a truly wonderful memory.

Well, that was a story of how you got an early peek into the trappings of an idol. We'll ask you plenty about your stories of Matsuda Seiko-san after this, but when did your itch for 80s idols begin?

Miyamoto: Since I was in middle school. At that point in time, I was also starting to perform, and I watched lots of Seiko-san's videos for research, and I also ended up watching a lot of 80s idols as well. The idols of that age were wonderful, they were exceptionally brilliant, so I gradually came to like them. But Seiko-san was definitely where I started, so she's my favourite.

At an event (1) and a radio show (2), you've announced your top ten 80s idol songs, but you seem to concentrate on songs from the early-to-mid eighties.

Miyamoto: That's partly due to me starting off with Seiko-san, and I also like Hana no 82 Nen Gumi (3).

Juice=Juice and Tsubaki Factory's thoughts on ℃-ute's breakup (Top Yell November 2016)

Though interviewed separately, Juice=Juice and Tsubaki Factory were asked about their thoughts on the impending graduation of H!P senpais ℃-ute. Here's what they said in the November 2016 issue of Top Yell magazine.

℃-ute announced the surprising news that they would be disbanding in June next year.

Miyamoto: Just as it was with Berryz Kobo-san, it's sad. It feels like an important piece of Hello! Project will go missing. It'll be up to us, the kouhai, to fill that up and go even beyond them, so we've got to absorb all sorts of things from them. Once ℃-ute-san are no longer around, we'll become the group with the highest average age. So honestly, we're feeling the pressure.

Kanazawa: We're both 5-people units, and the fans have often told us 'Set your sights on ℃-ute and do your best'. I really bear a sense of admiration towards them. In the first place, I entered this world becaused I looked up to Suzuki Airi-san, so you could say that I'm here thanks to ℃-ute-san. Even now, I still can't believe that they won't be in Hello! Project. Their presence was familiar, seemingly absolute.

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.

Interview with a selection of H!P's Next Generation Aces, Complete version!! (Weekly Shonen Sunday)

An interview with a selection of H!P's Next Generation Aces, Complete version!!

The grand unveiling of the complete version of the [Selection of H!P's Next Generation Aces interview] published in Shonen Sunday issue 34, including parts that weren't published in the magazine!!

Miyamoto： Today's the first time it's just been the 4 of us grouped together. How did you find it？

Makino： It's not like we were always together the whole time though…

Miyamoto： It was kind of fluffy, like a cloud. We're pretty much the kind of people who don't take the initiative to get close to others, even those in our own group. Well, Maria-chan probably does take the initiative though (laughs)。

Makino：（For the photoshoot） The 4 of us, we had to get on top of one another, right? I'm sorry if I was too reserved.

Morito： Even below you, I knew that you were holding back (laughs）。

Hamaura： It definitely feels like there's still a wall between us (laughs).

Makino： A wall that's as thin as cling film though (laughs).

Miyamoto： Since this issue is going on sale in the summer, is there anything that you want to do when summer comes along？

Makino： Yup. I want to eat warabimochi。

The rest： Warabimochi？

Makino： Ones chilled with ice are delicious. I prefer ones made from kinako though. At times when I'd be taking an afternoon nap, a cart would pass by,  'Waーrabiーmochi♪　Warabiーmochi♪　They're cold and delicious. Waーrabiーmochi♪　Warabiーmochi♪　 You've got to be quick！'

The rest： Ehー That's interesting.

Makino： It's just that I've never bought warabimochi from a cart, not even once. I never make it in time (laughs). After I hear it, I'll go to the supermarket to get some (laughs).

The rest： Ehー We'd like to go and buy some someday.

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!'

Budokan Interviews - Miyamoto Karin (Role:Hidaka Aiko)

The official website for the drama 'Budokan' includes interviews with the author Asai Ryou and the five girls who act as the five members of Next You. Here's the interview that was held with Miyamoto Karin, who plays the role of Hidaka Aiko in the drama.

Please introduce yourself！

I'm Miyamoto Karin from Juice＝Juice. 17 years old, in my 2nd year of high school. My favourite foods are karaage, tamagoyaki, and strawberries. My hobby is yoga, which I've been doing a lot recently.

What were your thoughts when you first heard that you'd be starring in 『Budokan』？

Before we heard about what roles we got, we'd only heard that 「All of Juice＝Juice will be appearing in a drama」, but it came as quite a surprise, we couldn't believe it, it was chaotic, like we weren't sure whether we were dreaming or not. When we heard that it would be based off Asai Ryou-san's 『Budokan』, I read the original work, and when I heard that I'd be playing the role of Aiko, the feelings slowly welled up in me. And along with that, there was this huge pressure from the things that I had to relay through the production, like the messages contained in the original work.

Miyamoto Karin: Tsudzuiteiku STORY (Idol and Read 004)

22 pages of Karin-chan. A long interview, filling up 16 pages with walls of text. That's not counting the cover page, the 'table of contents' photo, and the attached postcard. The title of this magazine, 'Idol and Read', isn't just for show - it's got photos of idols, and an overwhelming amount of text. These excerpts make up roughly two-thirds of the interview with cover girl Miyamoto Karin, clocking in at over 4000 words. Just in time for Juice=Juice's Taipei and Hong Kong concerts! It's a long read, but I hope you enjoy this journey into the mind of Hello! Project's idol cyborg.

♣♣♣

Personally, what is your view of the present state of Juice=Juice in 2015?

I think that we're moving onwards and onwards. For Juice=Juice, the 5 of us think, 'Let's polish up our performances even more', so we're all heading in the same direction. Through our livehouse tour, we've gone to all sorts of places by ourselves. It was by no means the short road, but if you were to ask me, it passed by in the blink of an eye. I'd like to aim even higher, and progress forward. Also, our original goal was to go around all 47 prefectures, but we only got to go to 38 prefectures in our first tour. So it would be great if we could conquer the 47 prefectures through the 220 performances in our upcoming nationwide tour.

At your first Nakano Sunplaza tour by yourselves, you performed your new song 'Tsudzuiteiku STORY' from your album 'First Squeeze!', and Miyamoto Karin, you couldn't hold back and broke into tears. Why did you cry then?

Looking back on Juice=Juice up until then...... This may be obvious, but with lyrics like 'Yume wo Katatta Nakamatachi, Egao to Ase no Jikan Ryokou' (We friends talked about our dreams, time-travelling through sweat and smiles) or 'Fuan de Ugokenakattari... Joudan de Waraiattari... Mainichi ga Takaramono deshita' (Unable to move due to anxiety... Laughing due to jokes... Every day was a treasure), I got into them, as they fit Juice=Juice's story to a tee...... Nakano Sunplaza was also the very first stage that I got to stand on when I was in the H!P Eggs (H!P Kenshuusei), so the many things that had happened since then came to mind. Being able to stand on that stage for Juice=Juice's first one-man live made me feel happy, and I was emotionally moved!

For that day's performance, I wrote an article with the headline 'Even the idol cyborg's eyes had tears', but what led to Miyamoto Karin to start being called the 'idol cyborg'?

I was being called that before I realised it, but honestly I'm not an idol cyborg at all (laughs). And so, every time I'm called that, I steel myself, thinking that I have to be perfect, but my fingers are clumsy, and there are lots of things about me that are awkward, I'll cry at concerts, like I did at Nakano Sunplaza. More than a perfect idol, I'm more of a human idol. Of course I'd like to aim for perfection, but I don't adhere to the idol framework when it comes to facial expressions for songs. I'd like to become a person who can pull off all sorts of expressions.

♣♣♣

Miyamoto Karin on Juice=Juice's first album

In this interview, Karin-chan was asked about the songs on their new album (Tsuzuiteiku Story is her favourite song off the new album, btw), performing, and training her body. Karin-chan also gave comments on each song on the album. All 23 of them.

♪♪♪

You'll be having performances overseas as well.

Karin: That's right. Taiwan, Hong Kong. I don't know their words, and even though I have a passport, it'll be my first time overseas.

It'll be the first time you'll be using your passport.

Karin: That's right.

♪♪♪

You're often in transit, so what do you do?

Karin: I'm the type that doesn't really sleep while in transit. We travelled a lot by bus for our previous concerts, but while we were in transit on the bus after a concert, we were pumped full of adrenalin and really couldn't sleep, so we held a karaoke competition.

A karaoke competition after a live concert?

Karin: Yes, in the bus. We felt like we should do it quietly because the staff-san were sleepy as well, but we really made a racket. Well, we'd make a racket for about an hour, and like for a 3 hour trip, we'd make noise for an hour and sleep for two. We couldn't make a racket on-board the Shinkansen, so at those times I'd make some progress on my school work.

You study.

Karin: Yup, it's still not done... I don't have time to do it at home, so I'll use our travelling time to finish it.

1001 Nights - The 21st Night: Miyamoto Karin

Continuing on in the series of Hello! Shop 1001 Nights talk events, Miyamoto Karin made an appearance for the 21st instalment on the 7th of July 2015!

Usual disclaimer that these are based on fan reports on Twitter, and what with the translation process, and stitching the tweets together into a cohesive report, please bear in mind that there are bound to be mistakes and/or inaccuracies. That out of the way, this event's hashtag was #FirstSqueeze!

òòò

Even before the event started, the idol cyborg gave us fallible human beings a quick reminder.

宮本佳林です! 今日!秋葉原店にて、 ハロショ千夜一夜第二十一夜 Juice=Juice宮本佳林「七夕の夜は1stアルバム発売直前スペシャル！」開催! イベント参加券つき商品引換券は秋葉原店にて販売中! みなさん待ってます♡ pic.twitter.com/kk8hNbtV7V

— Juice=Juice (@JuiceJuice_uf) 2015, 7月 7

This is Miyamoto Karin!
Today! At the Akihabara store、
Hello! Shop 1001 Nights
Juice=Juice Miyamoto Karin 「Tanabata no Yoru ha 1st Album Hatsubai Chokuzen Special！」 will be held!
Event participation tickets along with product exchange coupons are currently being sold at the Akihabara store!
I'll be waiting for all of you♡

And how can you resist that? The cost of entry was making an album pre-order, which is probably what the aforementioned product exchange coupons are for. Buy an album, get to participate in a Karin talk event? Sounds all-upside to me.