HOGOSHOKU.

good evening.

born in aichi, japan, 20-years-old,

i am okamoto hina.

these days, i've been working hard, practicing for sailor moon every day~

this is roughly my first try in terms of acting, so there are many things that i don't understand, but challenging new things is really fun all the same.

[for] the 12th birthday live,

to everyone who came to the venue,

to everyone who watched the broadcast,

truly, thank you very much.

um. where should i even begin.

there are so many things i want to tell you about.

while we were preparing for the birthday live, i'd wake up, go to rehearsals, take a power nap at night and memorize the choreography every day. it was very challenging, and i genuinely don't think i would've been able to stand on that stage, if it hadn't been for the support of my family and genmates, senpais and staff-san alike.

the two of us were together almost every day 🐼

during the rehearsals, i practiced with the senpais every day, which helped the distance between us get shorter.

tamura-san stuck close to me.

she smells very nice ☘️

yuna-san told me, with an angelic smile,

"you're really beautiful, aren't you~ (◍´꒳`◍)" ah, there also was a moment [with yuna-chan], where i thought "i love you so much that i could cry~"

during 'jikochuu [de ikou!]', there's a part of the choreography that's meant to be performed in pairs, and i didn't have one, so yakubo-san and ayatii-san told me "it'd be lonely to do this [part of the choreography] by yourself, so let's do it together!"

when they told me that, i thought to myself that i, too, would like to be such a wonderful senpai.

they really are like an elder sister and a mother to me 🫣

thank you very much for the beautiful flowers (you prepared) for this time's live show, too. before the live starts, before i go up the stage, admiring (the flowers) is my routine. 🌼.*

i love them.

if i had to name any regrets [that i was left with after the live], i wish i would've been able to sing 'barrette' without crying. [in terms of this song,] i was teary-eyed ever since the rehearsals, but when the intro to it began playing and i was faced with the concert's psyllium-filled scenery, my tear glands broke down and i burst out crying..

this was a song by my favourite senpai, whom i admire.

when i thought that, thanks to many coincidences and miracles that happened all at once, i now stood on the stage that i had been longing for, my tears couldn't stop flowing.

i was thrilled with the costumes, too.

i found one of the heart petals that were used during the performance and had fallen on the floor, and i took it home really carefully-!!

someday, some other time.

i want to perform this song to my satisfaction.

furthermore, this was my first time performing 'against', which is a song i've always said i've loved.

i did my best to dance to this song, despite clinging to riria-chan in tears [during the rehearsals]... riria-chan taught me each step, one by one, with a smile on her face 🫶

recently, we made a promise to go out again together 🎀

having difficult choreography is an essential part of cool songs, isn't it~

i wanted to recreate the way everyone in 1kisei-san danced.

with that feeling in mind, i watched past videos [of this song being performed] over and over again.

i wonder how many more times i'll be able to perform 'against' while being part of nogizaka46.

i'd like to, many times over.

this is marika-san's costume 👗

i was thrilled from the moment i put my arms into the sleeves...!!

i'm really sorry that it ended up taking me so long to write this blog 😭

to the people who've prepared flowers. i'm truly sorry to have kept you waiting so long for photos [with them]... 😭

it's been some time now since i've returned [from my hiatus].

my body has started adapting to the tough schedules, and i'm a little proud of myself for working hard every day.

from now on too, i'll continue running up the slope

thank you very much for reading until the end!!

Q: The two of you are known as the close-friends duo 'Ayarei' but, when exactly did you get close?

Seimiya: I think it was around the time of the [4th generation's] '3nin no Principal' stageplay (April 2019). During those days, we were learning our lines together. By that year's National Summer Tour, we were always around each other. Either way, I don't think there was one specific significant event [to make us get closer].

Tsutsui: It feels like we became friends effortlessly~

Seimiya: Our friendship is effortless still- (laughs)

Q: Do the two of you often hang out?

Tsutsui: Yes, we're together almost all the time.

Seimiya: By now, [we're together] every day! I know what Aya-chan is doing, and even what she's eating.

Q: When you say 'I know what she's eating', what do you mean?

Seimiya: We tell one another all about what we're having for a meal. From dishes to sweets, we'll be taking photos and sending them to each other.

Q: Is that meant to prevent overeating?

Seimiya: In the beginning, that was the goal, but nowadays it's just become force of habit. (laughs)

Tsutsui: Hehehe. I send her photos every day!

Q: Well then, please tell us what 'Ayarei' has been up to these days.

Tsutsui: Recently, we appeared in two different stageplays in just about the same time frame (June-July). While walking together, we talked about the troubles we had been facing there. Had I been alone in this, I probably wouldn't have been able to overcome [these hurdles], but since Rei-chan was doing her best, I think I was able to give it my all, too.

Seimiya: Yeah. On the other hand, since she had to be on stage for her stageplay, there was one time when Aya-chan couldn't attend the recording of a [group] programme. Maybe it's because every day I would spend so much time by Aya-chan's side, but. Up until then, I had always thought 'I can rely on myself [only], Aya-chan [merely] is next to me', but it was only then that I realized just how much I depend on her. I thought of myself as the lone wolf type, but it seems like that's not the case at all.

Tsutsui: Eh, is that so? I'm glad...!

Seimiya: What am I to do? Can't bear being apart [from you], can I?

Tsutsui: Mhm, I can't bear being apart either.

Seimiya & Tsutsui: (looking at each other and smiling) I'm in trouble~!!!!!

Q: (laughs) Well then, what do you think is great or admirable about the other?

Seimiya: I admire Aya-chan's ability to naturally do her very best [without having to hesitate]. Quite often, I can't get started on my practice until I set my mind to it, [having to hype myself up, like] 'Okay, let's do this!', and at times I end up just putting it off. Aya-chan is always able to give it her best shot, so I think that's great.

Tsutsui: Rei-chan is very kind, and she'll never turn anything down. I've never seen her - not even once - disagree with something when talking to the 4th generation members, and seeing her always up for [anything], I thought that was amazing.

Seimiya: It's not that I'm always agreeable, it's just that I get swayed easily. (laughs) I'm happy to hear it regardless!

Q: By the way, out of the two of you, Seimiya-san is one year older, so would you say that your relationship is reminiscent of that between an elder sister and her younger sister?

Seimiya: That's right. I try to act like an elder sister in front of Aya-chan.

Tsutsui: Eh? If anything, Rei-chan seems like the younger one out of us.

Seimiya: Eh~? Instead, here I was thinking 'Maybe I've been acting like too much of an elder sister lately...'

Tsutsui: [Elder sister?] Where? You're always wandering around aimlessly and you're not calm in the slightest. (laughs)

Seimiya: (laughs loudly)

Q: How's the 4th generation's atmosphere been like lately? Some things must have changed from the early days.

Tsutsui: It feels like everybody's independent. We'll get together to work on getting the dance and choreography right and so on but, since I'm now able to do certain things on my own - to some extent - I feel like my perception has changed, too.

Seimiya: Certainly. On that note, recently - and all of a sudden - Yakubo (Mio) sent us an old photo with everyone in the 4th generation, accompanied by the message 'I love you!'

Tsutsui: Indeed she did~

Seimiya: When seeing that, I found myself thinking that I really love everyone as well, so I replied with 'LOVE'!

Q: So, what are the goals for each one of you, from here on out?

Tsutsui: I feel lonely seeing our seniors graduate one after another, and I have all sorts of worries, but...

Seimiya: It for sure makes me anxious too. But I also get that in this situation, there's no use in complaining, so that's exactly why I want to aim high! I think that the higher the goal, the better, so I want to do my best to make it happen.

Tsutsui: Yeah, that's true. As my own person, I've had many worries these days about appearing in a stageplay, but it actually ended up being lots of fun, so from now on, I'd like to try acting again.

Seimiya: I recently got the opportunity to appear in Otona Keikaku-san's play, too. Because we've had discussions centered around stageplays, I got the chance to talk to Ikuta (Erika)-san more often as of late, to the point where I now think 'I want to become someone like Ikuta-san too!'

Q: As 'Ayarei', what is something you would like to do in the future?

Seimiya: I want to go sightseeing! I've never really gone sightseeing in Osaka or Kyoto, so I'd like us to do it together. We've also talked about creating a photobook for just the two of us.

Tsutsui: To tell you the truth, these days I've been addicted to taking photos with my disposable camera in my private life.

Seimiya: I've been thinking about going to a shop, getting the photos developed and putting them together in a book. It's a photobook meant for only us two to look at, but if its quality is good enough, I wonder, would it be okay to show it to our fans? (laughs)

Nogizaka46's Tsutsui Ayame (19) will be the chairman for the Under Live for the first time, during the '35th Single Under Live', held at Ariake Arena [Tokyo] for three days, starting on the 7th of June.

She bears the great responsibility of being the center of the under song 'Shadougawa', from the [group's] latest single 'Chance wa Byoudou'.

While facing her very first Under Live, her passion is burning brighter than ever.

This is her first time as Under Center. She recalls, "When the announcement was made, my emotions were all over the place. However, by the following day, I was already really looking forward to it."

She received a message from one of the 2nd generation's [now] graduated members, Kitano Hinako (27). She reveals, "I received a rather long message, along the lines of 'Being an Under member this time will be good for you, Ayame-chan', which surprised me."

She joined the group in November 2018, as the youngest member of the 4th generation. Her first Senbatsu participation was in September 2019, for the single 'Yoakemade tsuyogaranakute mo ii'. Since the release of 'Boku wa Boku wo Suki ni Naru' in January 2021, she had always been selected as a member of the Senbatsu, so this will be her first time participating in an Under Live.

"Every time I've watched the Under Live, it's been a stage that's left an impression on me, so I'm looking forward to being able to take part", she stated with a smile on her face.

Since all of the 3rd generation members were chosen as part of the Senbatsu for [A-side] 'Chance wa Byoudou', this will be the first Under Live where only the 4th and 5th generation members will participate.

"Someone being the leader - I don't really get that impression. I think everyone's rehearsing in a good mood. The staff-san have said that this time, rather than having some big gimmick, we'll be putting on a performance, [meant to really convey the idea of] a 'live show'. Just [gotta] dance and sing well."

"I don't think I'm good at doing anything befitting of a chairman", she says with a bitter smile, but [you can sense] there's a growing self-awareness. "I've been dancing a lot at home. I've moved the full-length mirror right in the middle of my room, so I'd be ready to dance no matter what. I've been dancing even before the rehearsals, as well as reviewing the moves as soon as I'd get home. Even now, my muscles are sore", she revealed with a smile.

The refreshing, youthful feeling of the 'Shadougawa' music video has been a trending topic among fans, too. She emphasized, "Throughout the song, there are quite a few parts where you can clap [along], so if you have the chance to come to the show, I'd be happy if you could join in and clap your hands, and feel the sense of unity of everyone in the venue."

"I believe that this 35th single is a very important point in time. Given its timing, I think that being chosen as the Under Center [now] means there are high expectations. Despite having been chosen for the Senbatsu, I think I haven't really been able to leave anything of my very own behind... I truly want to grow, and I hope this period will become a turning point in my life as a member of Nogizaka46."

On the second day of the concert, the 8th of June, she will be turning 20.

"I feel like there's a lot of weight on my shoulders. I'm trying to prepare myself by reading all sorts of books on how to get into the right state of mind [of being 20 years old] and things like that. People around me have been telling me 'Nothing will change', but, I do want something to change", she said, looking ahead.

"[A lot of the time,] I don't openly show my emotions, so I often get told 'I don't know what you're thinking', but I think this time's live will be a good opportunity for me to convey my thoughts. I reckon that throughout this entire concert, we'll be able to showcase that we've got that certain passion within us. Together with the 4th and 5th generation, I want to put together a show that will go beyond everyone's expectations!"