#5ki

Q: Hina-chan, since this is your first appearance on BOMB, how was today's photoshoot?

A: The shoot was so relaxing and enjoyable that it almost felt like it took place in my free time. During the shoot at the park, I got to eat some of my beloved baked sweet potatoes - which were really delicious (laughs).

Q: So you like baked sweet potatoes.

A: I LOVE sweet potatoes. In autumn, whenever I go to the supermarket I buy some, steam them at home and then bring them to rehearsals (laughs).

Q: How'd you like the costumes?

A: The shirt I had on over my loungewear was super duper cute. 'T was a bit unusual in its design and quite large. I don't usually pick out such baggy shirts myself, so it felt fresh.

[Shirt in question ⬇️]

Q: 'Tis what you'd call a 'boyfriend shirt'.

A: Ah, I see. 'T was large because it was a boyfriend shirt. Understood. I put it on while thinking it was a size too big or something (laughs).

Q: You've made great progress since the latter half of last year, and you were even selected as the center of the 5th generation song on the 37th single.

A: All the fans, the members and the staff were incredibly happy, and that's what made me the happiest. But I myself couldn't rejoice innocently, [due to] feeling pressure and anxiety... I feel like I was fighting against all sorts of things.

Q: The song itself - including the dance - feels like it was made just for Hina-chan.

A: Really? The song starts with a beautiful piano tune, and in the midst of the song there's some harp, turning it into a beautiful classical-style piece of music.

Q: Your fleeting singing voice matched the melody like a glove, and it was really wonderful indeed.

A: Thank you very much (laughs). The dance also has a lot of ballet elements, and the choreography wouldn't work unless I danced it properly. I was happy to think that so much love was put into making it, but at the same time, I thought it was super difficult LOL. It was a cold day when we shot the music video, but everyone worked hard and I think it turned out to be a very wonderful piece.

Q: In the New Year's card project on Nogizaka Koujichuu too, you ended up receiving the most cards out of everyone in the 5th generation, didn't you? You also received cards from 3rd generation members such as Ito Riria-chan and Sato Kaede-chan... Perhaps you're the type that gets doted on by your seniors.

A: No, no. I felt bad for receiving more New Year's cards than I sent out... But I was REALLY happy. Riria-chan put in a hidden message in origami in my New Year's card, and the moment I read it, I burst into tears even though we were in the middle of recording.

Q: Hina-chan has great 'junior power', but at last the 6th generation will be joining the group.

A: I understand their feelings, so much so that it hurts - like how much pressure they must be under or how anxious they must feel - because I went through it myself three years ago. Seeing them trying to introduce themselves with all their might in the midst of it all, I found them INCREDIBLY precious.

Q: Among the 6th generation members, there's also 14-year-old Hina-chan.

A: Right! The youngest girl has the same name as I do. Kawabata Hina-chan. She looks so grown-up, so I was surprised to hear that she's only fourteen. I may be an unreliable senior, but I think that makes me easy to talk to, so I hope the 6th generation girls will feel free to come talk to me. Such is the atmosphere I'd like to create.

Q: Recently, what exchanges have you had with the members?

In her recent message for the people taking part in the 6th generation audition, Kawasaki Sakura wrote: 'What Nogizaka46 gave me = comrades who fight for the same goal'. Although she had quite a lot of friends, she had fought alone until joining Nogizaka46.

"I started figure skating towards the end of first grade. When I went to the skating rink with my family, I saw a young lady who was a little older than me stylishly spinning around in her own shoes and in her own clothes, and I aspired [to be like her]. In those days, there was the presence of Asada Mao-san too, which also played a big part."

[T/N: asada mao is a japanese former competitive figure skater - an olympic silver medalist, a three-time world champion and the first female figure skater who has landed three triple axel jumps in one competition.]

Once she started taking skating lessons, she soon became engrossed in the daily practice. By passing promotion tests which were called 'badge tests', [the pupils] were able to move to upper classes. She enjoyed [taking them], as if they were a game. Afterwards, in the fourth grade, she joined a club team [= a type of management style for sports teams, referring to a sports club organization that is not run by a company, but by volunteers from the local area or alma mater].

Every morning, she'd wake up at 4am to go to morning practice and after school, she'd go back to the rink to immerse herself in practice. This skating-centered life continued for about 10 years, up until it was time to start preparing for her college entrance exams.

However, she wasn't always able to enjoy it the way she did when she went to skating lessons. As she went on to middle school, her skating life became to suffer.

"I don't like saying it myself, but generally speaking, sports were kind of my forte. But skating was the one thing I couldn't get right at all. There was a time when while everyone around me was improving, I was the only one who didn't achieve any results."

She was not able to pass the 5th Level badge test - which would've allowed her to qualify into the National Athletic Meet - for more than a year. She took the same exam 12 times, and each time she'd fail, she cried, saying 'I can't do this anymore'.

"I wasn't able to play with my friends and I didn't get any results either. Every month I'd think 'I just want to wave the white flag already'. But, I couldn't really think of quitting as an option..... I wanted my parents and instructor to be happy. I had no intention of going pro, and even if I did quit after all, I didn't want to end it on a[n] 'I ran away because it was too painful' note, but rather with a feeling of 'It was fun. I did it'.

Without losing heart, she continued to fight against the rink on her own and passed the 5th Level exam on her 13th try. She was able to finish up with figure skating with a positive memory and moved on to college entrance exams.

At the time, her goal was to become a pediatrician, hoping to 'become a doctor that children can open up to'. However, she was unable to overcome her weaknesses in terms of Maths III, so she gave up on the sciences which were unavoidable when becoming a doctor, and chose the humanities [instead].

"It would've been difficult to become a pediatrician after retiring from figure skating. It was exactly when I was of two minds, unsure what to choose between many things that I happened to see a commercial about the 5th generation recruitment. In it was depicted Endo-san's life before joining and the present time. I hadn't the faintest clue about idols, but when I thought about changing like Endo-san, I got all excited. I started to think about it as an option."

< I didn't like talking. I didn't have many friends. I couldn't show my feelings to others. But, I knew there was a place that could be totally different. I thought there might be people somewhere who'd think that it'd be okay to show their crying faces. > (<Now, I'm standing here>/Excerpt from the audition CM released in 2021.)

The words of a senior who strangely also was named 'Sakura' deeply struck her. Having continued to fight on her own, she worried over the matter right until the deadline of the recruitment - which had been extended by one day - when she finally decided to aim for Nogizaka46.

As for the aspect in which she's grown most in the two and a half years since joining, she mentions how she's now able to perform confidently.

"I'm not very good at standing in front of others, which is also a big part of why the figure skating tests were [something] to get through. Even now it's not my forte, but as a member of Nogizaka46, I've had the opportunity to stand on big stages such as the Tokyo Dome. I feel like I've become stronger now."

Moreover, she says she's also discovered the fun of interacting with others.

"Since we're a group that gets to work with different people on different projects every day, I get to meet all sorts of people, which inspires me.

For Okamoto Hina, a saying from her father has really stuck with her. "If you start running away now, you'll always end up running away."

"Though my father is kind, he's never allowed me to run away from something or to slack off. I did ballet from 6-years-old until 18-years-old, and no matter how much I might've wanted not to go [to practice], he would only let me take a day off if my physical condition was poor. From a young age, I've been taught to keep going [when doing something] and even if at that time, it was really hard to do so, now I am grateful [for this mentality], too."

Such was the case of this girl dedicating most of her life to ballet. While in elementary school, for six years straight, when the Star Festival rolled around, she'd always write 'I want to become a ballet instructor' on the colourful strips of paper.

[T/N: 'tanabata', also known as the star festival, is held every year, on july 7th. on this day, people write their wishes on colourful strips of paper, which are called 'tanzaku'.]

"When I was young, I used to be the type of child who'd get injured quite often. However, ballet was so enjoyable that I would keep attending the lessons, no matter how painful it might've been. One time i was told, 'Hina, your hand is blue, please go get it checked out at the hospital!', and it turned out that I had a bone fracture. Even so, I didn't want to take the day off. There wasn't any time to play with my friends, either."

Even though she loved ballet this much, once she entered junior high school, the times when she found it 'painful' [more than anything] kept happening more and more frequently.

"Since becoming a junior high schooler, I began looking at it pragmatically, thinking 'I want this to be my future job.' For that to actually happen, I had to get awards at [various] competitions. So, for that reason, I practiced day after day, until I reached my very limit. Despite being able to win prizes, I still wasn't satisfied. [I felt like,] 'I absolutely HAVE to get first place'. For three years in junior high school, I thought that was the one thing I lived for. When I first took up ballet, I loved it, but by then, I had grown not to like it in the slightest......."

The girl who loved ballet kept on fighting despite her suffering. However, once she became a senior high schooler, she discovered the harsh truth of reality. When aiming for the top of the ballet world, height holds great meaning. In order to join any ballet company, your height must be no less than 160cm. Okamoto's height (158cm) wasn't enough to keep moving forward. Therefore, she set a great goal for herself.

"I thought that there was nothing else I could do, apart from entering an international competition and trying to catch the eye of [ballet] instructors from overseas. I made up my mind and gave it a shot, in hopes of getting a good rank and earning a scholarship."

[That took place in her] first year of senior high school. Bearing that in mind, she took part in an international competition for the first time. As a result of that, she was offered the opportunity of studying abroad in the United States for a short while. Moreover, in the final competition during her third year of senior high school, she achieved great results, which earned her the right to study abroad in one of Russia's national ballet schools.

"At last, I got to seize the ticket [for a bright future] that I had been waiting for. And yet....... I hurt my hip joint. Originally, I was supposed to start studying at the Russian school in September, but they agreed to wait until I finished high school, on condition that my ballet level wouldn't decrease in the meantime. But because of my injury, I wasn't able to keep going to lessons, and it felt as if in one fell swoop, the one thing that had been such a defining part of my life disappeared. All of my classmates had decided on which university they'd go to so there no longer was a place where I could be myself, my leg injury wouldn't heal, it seemed as if I had lost the opportunity to study abroad, too....... There wasn't anything else I could do but be worried."

It was then that she found out about Nogizaka46 opening their 5th generation auditions and decided to enter.

"Someone I really love is Hori Miona-san (graduated member). At that time, my feelings weren't necessarily 'I hope I'll pass the audition', they were more like '[If I do pass,] I hope my experience will be sort of the same as Miona-chan's'. I completely thought that there was no way I'd pass, which is why I didn't really have a moment where I went something like 'If I do pass the audition, what will I do?' [and what will I choose, between ballet or Nogizaka. But, I made up my mind that] 'If I go to Russia, I won't be able to do [or try] anything else, so I might as well experience and do everything I can in Japan [before then]."

Those were her feelings before auditioning. But, to her amazement, she ended up passing the audition.

".....I was troubled, I didn't know what to choose between going to Russia [for ballet] or becoming a member of Nogizaka46. But, after all, I believed that 'If I join Nogizaka46, I'll still be able to continue doing ballet. However, if I go to Russia, I won't be able to become a member of Nogizaka46.' My leg still not having healed was something important to consider, too. Going to Russia was something I was afraid of at times, since it had become clear that it would've hurt. There were many mixed feelings, but this was a decision I made on my own."

For 12 years, ballet was her single-minded focus. Above all else, it was difficult to tell her parents, the people who had supported her and cheered her on with all their might, "I want to become an idol [instead]".

"It took all of my strength to be able to tell my parents that, since they had such high expectations for me and had worked so hard for me to be able to get training in ballet. This was something that I felt really apologetic about. But when I told them "I want to choose Nogizaka46", they told me "Hina, up until now, you've really given your all to ballet. I think that that very same ballet has led to this now being the result of your audition.'"

"If you start running away [from something] now, you'll always end up running away."

Ioki Mao often showcases her astonishing athletic ability on 'Nogizaka Koujichuu' (TV Tokyo). She looks back on her childhood [when she was] a 'mischevious girl'.

"I seem to have been a naive type of girl, one who took off running even when I were walking hand in hand with my mother. I went to the farm in order to catch bugs, and I'd get all dirty in the mud (laughs). I also took lots of lessons. Eurythmics (= the art of harmonious bodily movement especially through expressive timed movements in response to improvised music), calligraphy, swimming and tea ceremony [= Japanese cultural activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of matcha, powdered green tea]. I'd find breaks in-between and go play. Every day, I was so busy that I didn't really get [any] time off.

This type of girl entered middle school and joined the kendo club [= similar to fencing, in a way].

"A friend asked me to join, but it was super strict. That same friend quit right away (laughs). Such a strong school it was that people from outside the school district would [also] come and say, 'I've been doing kendo since kindergarten'! Going in, I wasn't aware of the fact, so it was really difficult at first. Both the teachers and the seniors were really strict, and because I went to cram school also, [in my everyday life] I'd get home late at night and then head to school at 6am for morning practice.

When I realized, 'I'm this busy and summer vacation only lasts about 10 days!', I felt that I had reached my limit. I had a serious discussion with my mother about it. But she told me, 'Once you've made up your mind [to try it out], you should keep working hard and keep going [until the end].' Surely she wanted me to become someone who could keep going no matter what, but in my heart, I was thinking 'It's really tough! You know that!'"

In the end, she chose to stick with it for those three years.

"It was difficult, but I held my ground. Looking back on those three years, I'm glad I did. Now that I'm an idol, there are all sorts of situations where you have to be both physically and mentally tough. On such occasions I think, 'Had I given up on kendo halfway through, I probably wouldn't have been able to stick it out 'till now.' I'm cheered up by the thought 'It may be tough, but the training camp from back then was tougher' (laughs).

After those three years, she went on to high school. She quit cram school and perhaps, as a consequence of her time in middle school, ended up not joining any clubs.

"Compared to just how busy I was in middle school, [now] there was so much [free] time that I felt like 'I don't have anything to do anymore'. Back in my first year of high school, during the summer holidays I barely moved from my bed, so much so that my head really hurt.

It was as if there was a gaping hole in her heart and she didn't feel like doing anything. At that time, her elder brother let her know about the auditions and asked her 'Why not give it a try?'

"To tell you the truth, I'm not the kind of person who can do such things. I feel embarrassed about doing anything. The 'Ehhhh, can't do it' sort of thing. But I was so sure that 'I'll never get in [anyway]' that I quickly sent it in....... I was so surprised to see myself going one [audition round] after the other."

And so, Ioki Mao passed the audition.

"Since joining Nogizaka46, every day has been so fulfilling! When I remember the summer vacation in my first year of high school when I was feeling gray, I'm happy about how busy I am nowadays. I want to do all kinds of work, so only having a little time off is fine."

Q: I've heard good things about 'THE PARTY in PARCO THEATRE' (held on the 17th and 18th of December 2024), in which you played the role of the assistant. Talking seems to be one of Okuda-san's strong points.

A: In a group, I try to get a read on the situation and contain [myself], but I actually love small talk. Besides, this talk & live show wouldn't work without me actually talking (laughs).

Q: It must be nerve-wracking to speak to such notorious actors.

A: The host, Eiji Wentz-san, accepted whatever I had to say, so I was able to open up to him. Even though he's my great senior, I even got to get some quips in (laughs).

Q: I heard that Wentz-san called you "the embodiment of [high] self-esteem".

A: When Wentz-san asked me "My manager asked me what Iroha's strong points are. What'd you think I answered?", I was troubled and answered "Since there's so many of them[...]", to which he told me "You really are the embodiment of [high] self-esteem" (laughs).

Q: Is your self-esteem actually high?

A: My self-esteem is only so-so, but I think I have a strong sense of self-love. I'm pretty good at putting myself in a good mood.

Q: On 'Nogiobi' (SHOWROOM), you said that it makes you happy to [have people] call you unusual.

A: Although I may have a serious image, when I analyze myself, I realize that I'm only good at interacting with others. So, rather than being told "You're a good kid", I think I can be my true self and feel more at ease if someone points out "You're a weird one". Since I show a part of me that's closer to my true self on the talk app, I've been told by fans that "I'm unusual" more and more.

Q: In terms of having a 'serious' image, are there any good or bad parts to it?

A: I'm grateful that people think of me as a serious person, and it puts pressure on me in a good way, since I don't want to betray those expectations.

Q: Please tell us if you've had any "I'm so weird" moments as of late.

A: I tend to mumble to myself when I'm cooking at home, and yesterday I thought, "Let's turn this soliloquy into a bit of a musical". I was singing [like], "Plums and shiso [= beefsteak plant; perilla frutescens var. crispa, also known by its japanese name shiso, is a cultigen of perilla frutescens, a herb in the mint family lamiaceae], wrapped in meat~ ♪" (laughs).

Q: You sure are a fun person (laughs). Have you grown up in a household where everybody in your family sings?

A: Even though I know it's a warm household, I'm the only one that sings (laughs). Nevertheless, music has always been there. [Actually,] My father often used to play the guitar in the living room.

Q: Would you consider yourself more of an elder sister or a younger sister type?

A: I have an elder sister and a younger brother, so I think I'm the type of person that can be both. When I want to be pampered, I'll cling to the older girls, while other times I'll spoil (Tomisato) Nao as much as I can.

Q: Any time now the 6th generation will be coming in, so do you plan on being a 'big sister'?

A: Over the three years that've passed since joining, I've been helped lots by the seniors, so I'd like to become someone that the 6th generation girls can depend on when they're feeling helpless.

Q: Is there anything you'd like to - without fail - convey to your juniors?

A: I want to tell them "You don't have to worry too much". It'd be a shame if they were to shrink into themselves and be unable to show their true colours, so I want them to do their activities without worries. We'll probably be around the same age, so I'd like them to treat me candidly.

Q: There are first encounters and there are farewells, and the graduation of your senior, Yoda Yuuki-san, is drawing near.

A: Yoda-san is someone that pays close attention to her surroundings. When I got a stomachache right before the encore of the 'Manatsu no Zenkoku Tour', Yoda-san called out to me and told me "Are you okay? It's okay to take a break". I was deeply moved by that offhanded kindness. I believe there are countless members that have been saved by Yoda-san. Having learned that she has been doing her activities with the feeling of 'this year will be the last' for the past few years, I'm filled with gratitude that she has remained in the group for this long.

Q: What kind of graduation concert (held on the 22nd and 23rd of February) should we expect?

A: It looks like it's going to be a graduation concert packed with Yoda-san's likeness. I reckon that the best way for us to give back is to enjoy the live show, so we're currently working hard to prepare for that.

Q: On "Nogizaka no 'No'", you'd mentioned that your goal for 2025 is to write one song a month. Do you reckon you can achieve that?

A: In January, I thought "Eh?? There's only 10 days left!", so I was in a hurry, but if I hadn't done it one by one, then I wouldn't have been able to catch up in the remaining months, so I'm working hard in the hopes of getting it done (laughs). I hope to be able to release [them] someday, somewhere.

Q: I reckon that you're thinking "I'll make my own way".

PROFILE

Okamoto Hina

Born on December 17th, 2003, in Aichi Prefecture. Watching Dragon Ball puts her in THE best mood ↑ ↑, and if she's there, the dressing room will become a party night all of a sudden! Hinamaru GT™, the representative of Nogizaka's extroverted folks. Nicknames are 'Hiichan', 'Hinadani' and 'Nattsu'.

"I once played shiritori [re: word game in which players must give a word starting with the last syllable of the word given by the previous player] with a cabbie-san. The cabbie-san told me 'You must be getting bored, right?', so I replied with 'Well then, wanna play shiritori?'"

Endless communication skills™

Q: Okamoto-san gives off the impression that she's always cheerful, open to everyone, and a friendly person.

A: Wait, that's how it is [= I come across]?

Q: Is that not really it [= the case]?

A: I'm always in high spirits in the dressing room (laughs). It's challenging when only the 5kis get together; we become like elementary school kids before a field trip. It's been two years since we've joined [the group], but even now, that vibe hasn't changed.

Q: Who are the members that always get excited with you?

A: That's gotta be Ichinose Miku, Ikeda Teresa, Sugawara Satsuki. And the tsukkomi [= boke and tsukkomi are loosely equivalent to the roles of "funny man" or "comic" (boke) and "straight man" (tsukkomi) in the comedy duos of western culture] is Nakanishi Aruno. However, Aruno [often] tries to go somewhere by herself, so I tell her "Don't go!", and don't let her get away.

Q: What if she tells you that she wants to spend a day with some peace and quiet and asks you to leave her alone?

A: I mean, she seems happy when I go talk to her (laughs). Even in our private life, Aruno will look up good-looking restaurants and often invite me out for a meal, going 'Hina, I'm going here~'.

Q: It seems like the three of you - Okamoto-san, Ikeda-san and Nakanishi-san - often go out for yakiniku.

A: We often go there if we have time after work. Basically, we have fun dinner parties and don't talk about any gloomy or heavy topics.

Q: Both Ikeda-san and Nakanishi-san seem like the type to be talking about complicated things. Are you on the same wavelength?

A: The two of them do have complicated talks, don't they. In such cases, I pretend like I'm following along and just listen (laughs). Even so, I didn't grasp just how smart they were because we had so much fun and got so hyped together. I'd always think we were on the same level and just go out to eat together. And then, on Nogizaka Koujichuu, the truth came out.

Q: There was a project called 'The NOwledgeable Championship' [loosely 'The No-Head Queen Championship'] where the knowledge of all the Nogizaka46 members would be tested at the same time.

A: On the day we took the test, I went out to dinner with the two of them and reported to them - with a smug grin - 'I did AMAZING. I was the first to finish, and my hand was about to fall off with the way I couldn't seem to stop writing.'

Q: I answered the questions easily, she'd said.

A: And then, the results came in. Teresa in first place, Aruno in fifth place, and me in the fifth place.... from the bottom. It was at that moment that I realized "These people are so smart!!!", and I felt ashamed of myself who had said that I'd get a rather good score (laughs).

Q: Have you gone out to eat with your seniors also?

A: Yes. I'm good friends with the 3rd generation's Ito Riria-chan, so the two of us have gone out to eat a couple times. I've also gone out with Hayashi Runa-san and Yakubo Mio-san.

Q: Basically, are you the type that doesn't get nervous?

A: I feel very nervous right before a new job, but I rarely get nervous about [being around] other people. The feeling of fun outweighs the nervousness.

Q: Surely there are also times where you get to interact with Bananaman-san on your [group's] show, so aren't you intimidated by such big names?

A: I can talk to Bananaman-san normally, since both of them are very kind.

Q: Are you able to take two-shot photos with your seniors just fine?

A: Yep. I'm so happy that I go up to them and [just] say "Let's take a photo!"

Q: Have you ever taken a photo with Saito Asuka-san?

A: I've taken LOTS of photos with Asuka-san! Every time I've asked Asuka-san "Let's take a photo together?", she told me "What should I do...." (laughs). Furthermore, she covered half her face with her hands. So I asked her, "Last time you covered your right-hand side, so this time, please [cover your] left-hand side [instead]".

[Photos with Asuka-san in question ⬇️]

Q: What about Endo Sakura-san?

A: Of course [I also have a photo with her]. She laughs at what I say, going "You're a funny kid". Her reactions are so cute that I can't help but go talk to her.

[Photo with Saku-chan ⬇️]

Q: You can easily overcome any wall, can't you! With such an Okamoto-san, are there any seniors with whom you haven't been able to easily get a two-shot?

A: Sakaguchi Tamami-san. I love her, so much so that whenever I'm in front of Tamami-san, I get nervous and all I can do is go "A-", "Er...", and I end up just like Chiikawa (laughs). Rather than treating her as my senior, whenever we get in contact I feel like more of a fan, so I felt nervous every time I met Tamami-san.

Q: With the exception of Sakaguchi-san, you seem to be someone who's good at getting close to others. Are you the type that can easily strike up a conversation when you first meet someone?

A: It's really easy for me [to do so]. I don't get too awkward [most of the time].

Q: There are people who don't like it when store clerks talk to them in clothing stores.

A: I'm totally okay with it. Matter of fact, I"d rather ask "Excuse me! Do you have this in a smaller size?" or "Do you have this in black?" myself.

Q: Do you chat with the cabbie when you're taking a taxi?

A: There was a time when I played shiritori with a cabbie-san.

Q: Ahaha (laughs). How'd you even end up playing shiritori?

A: It was a time when the highway was rather packed with cars, so much so that it was difficult to move forward. The cabbie-san told me "You must be getting bored, right?", so I replied with "Well then, wanna play shiritori?"

Q: That, that's the feeling you get when you get in a car where your friend is driving!

A: Since I wasn't busy, I thought that maybe he might like to do something? The cabbie-san seemed truly perplexed, so halfway through the conversation went back to normal.

Q: But, you did do a couple exchanges [of shiritori] indeed, didn't you.

A: Indeed (laughs).

Q: You have the ability to get along with anyone right away.

A: That might also have something to do with the fact that I've been doing ballet my whole life. Ever since primary school, I used to get on the bullet train all by myself, or go to take lessons with Russian instructors, while surrounded by talented ballet dancers that I didn't know, and were I to be shy, I wouldn't have gotten any news, or maybe even not be able to attend the next lesson at all.

Q: I see. So it's because you've had various experiences in such an environment.

A: I became disciplined [this way]. Sometimes I'd get explanations in Russian, and I didn't understand what they meant. I had to ask the kids around me, "What did they just say?", so I couldn't afford to be shy.

Q: Okamoto-san, it seems like you could've lived abroad even if you didn't speak English.

A: I feel like I would've been okay. Someday I'd like to do 'Degawa English' [re: a segment on Sekai no Hatemade Itte Q! (The Quest) - a variety / travel show centered on revealing the world's mysteries and challenging incredible adventures].

Q: Are you confident in communicating through gestures?

A: I'm SUPER confident. Leave it to me!

Q: Because of your sociable disposition, you seem to get along well with others. Have you ever turned down dinner invitations from the members?

A: I [make sure to] always go! There was a day the other day when, after work, I was exhausted and lying down in my room. And then, Satsuki and Teresa invited me out all of a sudden. But instead of whining and going "I'm sleepy", I felt more like "I'll go with you"! For that reason I got up hurriedly, changed my clothes in an instant and left my room.

Q: Who invites you out often?

A: Aruno does so a lot of the time. I feel like Teresa and I often say "I'm hungryyyy~". I always leave the restaurant bookings to Aruno, but since Teresa and Aruno are older than me, I can rely on them and I often think "They're being big sisters to me!".

Q: The content of their conversations might be quite sophisticated, but are you on the same wavelength as the two girls who are your elders?

A: They say "Were we to have been in the same class at school, we wouldn't have gotten along". On radio, Teresa and Aruno said that they hit it off because they're "two people cut from the same cloth". I insisted that I was just the same as them, but they told me "Nope. You're the exact opposite", and "But it's exactly because we're complete opposites that it's so fun for us to be together." It seems like only I thought that all three of us were similar.....

Q: Ikeda-san and Nakanishi-san seem to have a literary atmosphere to them, though.

A: Am I [the] STEM [type] then?

Q: STEM?

A: I thought this was a discussion about the humanities and sciences (laughs).

Capture the Kobito* in the park!

[T/N: Kobito refers to 'Kobito Zukan', a picture book and book series created by Nabata Takaoka, where the protagonist discovers a mysterious creature called a "Kobito" (Dwarf) that is neither an insect nor a plant.]

Q: I'm more of an indoor type.

A: I too am an indoor person. I like Resident Evil. But when I was a child, I spent a Lot of time playing outside. Catching Kobito or stuff.

Q: .....Eh?

A: Huh!?!? Why'd you come to a halt? (laughs) When I was in elementary, "Kobito Zukan" was SUPER popular. I wanted to be serious about it and would go out to catch Kobito every day. One time, I came SO close.

Q: 'D you miss it by a hair?

A: I created a contraption in order to catch them in the park. If you place a stick particularly in an insect net, and also put raw eggs inside it, the Kobito will be lured by it. I'd tied a string to the stick and had been waiting for a long time but, I suddenly felt something move, so I went and pulled the string! And then, it turned out that a snake had got in the net.

Q: Ahaha. 't was the real deal (laughs).

A: I thought "Too bad!". One time, I also asked my parents to please take me to a peach farm in order to catch some there. I've been wanting to catch the Cackleberry SO badly!

Q: Because you were sure that they really existed (laughs).

A: I was sure of it! After all, there were even videos with them in action on the DVDs. There were records of where they had actually been caught, and they were selling raise-your-own-kobito sets, so I really thought they were real. Back then, I'd bet my life on catching a Kobito!

Q: Did all the elementary school kids believe it in those days?

A: I think only I believed it. That's why one day, I told a friend in my class "Wanna go catch some [Kobito] today?" and they awkwardly replied "Hina-chan... There aren't any Kobito." and at that moment, I felt devastated. I was so miserable at the time that I ended up sobbing.

Q: Okamoto-san, are you the type of person that easily puts her whole trust into others?

A: Yep. Contrary to [others'] expectations, I'm quite the believer.

Q: Do you also like fortune-telling?

A: Every day, I read Getters Iida's [re: Japanese fortune-teller and owarai talento] books before going to bed. [Fortune telling]'s also popular among the 5kis. At first, I only glanced [at it] with a light heart, but it was right on the money!

Q: Are there daily fortunes written [in the books] also?

A: They're written there. Today was written down as A-OK, and it said that "I'll be having a fun experience". It was right on the money indeed, wasn't it?

Q: Did you get to have a fun experience?

A: I did! I had fun going to the game center, and eating gyoza. But, I also believe in the not-so-good predictions. When I was in junior high, there were days when I'd be hiding under my desk all day, together with my pointe shoes, my piggy bank, a rechargeable hand-cranked radio I made at school, and other important items I packed in my backpack.

Q: By the way, how's your fortune for this year?

A: 't's really good. Looking at my luck chart, you can see that it'll go up more and more in the second half of the year. The peak was in August, when it rose sharply and from there it seems to have stabilized.

Q: By the way, is it a true story that you decided to take the entrance exam for the University of Tokyo after watching the drama Dragon Zakura?

A: It's true! About half a year ago, I watched Dragon Zakura on Netflix. A high school student who was just as bad at studying as me studying like mad every day and getting into the University of Tokyo. Seeing this process really motivated me to study as well. I thought to myself "Maybe if I study in earnest for a year, maybe I might just get into the University of Tokyo!" and began to feel like I could do it.

Q: Your power of believing in yourself is amazing!

A: That's how motivated I was. If someone were to ask me "Can you do it?", my answer would've been "I can!". So from now on..... Ah, is that what they meant when they said that my luck will get better in August?

Q: Maybe it's time you started studying for exams.

A: But, I feel like I might be able to do it. I thought that if I were willing to put my life on the line for it, maybe one way or another it'd work out.

I'm embarrassed to say this but in elementary, my nickname was 'The God of Othello'*

[T/N: Othello refers to Reversi, a strategy board game for two players, played on an 8×8 uncheckered board, invented in 1883. Othello, a variant with a fixed initial setup of the board, was patented in 1971.]

Q: You have a good head on your shoulders, don't you. I heard a rumor that you're good at Othello.

A: I'm embarrassed to say this but in elementary, my nickname was 'The God of Othello'.

Q: The God [of Othello]!!

A: I've never lost, not even during after school clubs or anything. I've even defeated the upperclassmen.

Q: Did you have a winning theory [or something]?

A: Nope, not particularly. I just put the pieces where I thought they'd fit without thinking too much about it. That's how you win.

Q: It's a gut feeling (laughs).

A: Teresa also challenged me about ten times. She told me "It's a battle of wits, so there's no way I'll lose to Hina". I thought "You're making a fool of me~", so I gave her a thorough beatdown.

Q: Terepan got beaten to a pulp (laughs).

[T/N: this was a wordplay initially, with てれぱん (terepan) and こてんぱん (kotenpan; beaten to a pulp).]

A: And then, the 5kis started saying "There's no way!" and they all challenged me. 'T was rude, wasn't it? (laughs) Of course, none of them beat me.

Q: I guess it might be a special talent.

A: Why would that be..... I'm not sure why I never lose.

Q: Can you play shogi [= Japanese chess]?

A: I don't know the rules of shogi. I'm not very good at gomoku [= abstract strategy board game, also called gobang or five in a row, traditionally played with go pieces (black and white stones) on a go board (19x19 intersections)] either.

Q: Have you ever tried solving a Rubik's cube?

A: I have.

Q: If you try to carelessly do it, will it fully line up?

A: I thought that that's the way [you're supposed to do it]. Sometimes I'll just play around with it and then "Oh! I can see it [working], Oh~ there it is!" or something like that.

Q: I suppose you have a great ability to grasp things intuitively.

A: Seems like it! An intuitive person, I am.

Q: Is the Suika game [= japanese puzzle game, which combines the elements of falling and merging puzzle games] your forte?