INTERVIEW 11
REINA YOKOYAMA
Yokoyama Reina proudly says that she loves herself now.
This summer may have helped her grow up a lot.
REINA YOKOYAMA
Yokoyama Reina proudly says that she loves herself now.
This summer may have helped her grow up a lot.
"I was worried that I had to change myself, but now I feel like it's okay to be who I am."
Yokoyama-san has a scene that left a lasting impression on me. Backstage after Ogata-san's sotsugyo concert, you were waiting alone in the pitch dark for her to come down from the stage. I would like to hear from you about that time.
"At that time, it was natural. I was really sad to see Ogata-san graduate. Ogata-san was always consulting with me in my private life. I'm embarrassed to say this, but... since she's a senpai with whom I had a lot of memories... I wanted to express my feelings to her one last time, just the two of us. I also wanted to tell her how I felt about her."
I can feel your feelings for Ogata-san just from what you just said. I could see that you were hugging each other, talking about something. What kind of conversation did you have?
"Ogata-san said to me "Thank you for coming." and I said "No, of course!"."
It's a touching scene.
"Then we had a little conversation as usual, I just said what I honestly felt and how I loved her."
Yes, Yokoyama's words of "I love you" could be heard a short distance away.
"You could hear me, couldn't you? We only exchanged a few words, but when we hugged, I felt like our feelings were mutual."
Did you consult with Ogata-san on a regular basis?
"I've been told by other members that Ogata-san and I have very similar personalities and atmospheres. We both suppress our feelings and don't express our opinions very much... That's why I could relate to many of her stories, and I often referred to her advice and thoughts based on her own experiences. Even more than the similar personalities, when I first joined Morning Musume。, I wasn't able to dance well at all and I often received a lot of attention during the rehearsals for the first tour. I was afraid that I would be left behind because my generation mate Kaga had done so well as a kenshuusei and could do everything, which was also hard for me. I often consulted with her at such times. Ogata-san was a big part of my life at that time."
Did you ask Ogata-san for advice yourself? Or did Ogata-san notice you and ask you for help?
"In the beginning, I couldn't say anything by myself, but Ogata-san noticed and called me out. Then, as we gradually started working together, I started to be able to say things myself."
So, Ogata-san notices when Yokoyama-san seems to be having a hard time.
"She was the one to always noticed it (laughs)."
She knew it before you even told her.
"Yes, of course. If anything is wrong, I think I'm better at hiding it."
You see Morning Musume。members almost every day and every week, but do you keep in touch with them after you go home?
"Yes, for some members. If we couldn't talk on the spot, we would contact each other after going home. Ogata-san was one of them."
What are some unforgettable words that Ogata-san said to you or unforgettable moments in your memories with her?
"Last year, we had four shows on the first and second days of our fall tour. Four shows are quite physically demanding! I was still not used to it and I was nervous, so in fact I was feeling fine, but my body was not able to keep up with me as well as I wanted it to. I was about to cry when Ogata-san, passing me on stage, gave me a pat on the back. She smiled at me and simply said "hang in there". I was feeling pretty stressed and to be honest, I was on the verge of falling from exhaustion. And Ogata-san's words were enough to get me back in the swing of things."
That is a very beautiful story. Now that she has graduated, how do you keep yourself motivated and balanced?
"Until then, I wanted to change the person I was. That person who couldn't say anything, the person who stepped back. I was thinking "I have to move forward...". But when Ogata-san said to me "I'm the same way" I thought "It's okay as it is, I'll just be myself from now on". So now, I am able to work with a positive mindset of not worrying about such things."
That's a great advice for Yokoyama-san, who is struggling.
"If I hadn't been able to consult with Ogata-san, I might still have felt strongly that I had to change my personality, so I'm very grateful."
I could sense, from what you said, that you have been struggling with this issue.
"I'm a natural worrier. For example, there was a time when I couldn't talk at all when I was working on the radio."
Not talking on the radio!?
"I was thinking "Was what I just said okay?" or "Did I give anyone a bad feeling?" I began to feel uneasy about my every word. This was true not only on the radio, but also in my MC concerts. During the spring tour this year, I couldn't get out in front of the audience as much as I wanted to."
I didn't feel that way.
"I'm not a overthinking character, well, no, in fact, I actually am (laughs). But I was able to don't do that anymore. Before, I was having trouble doing what I wanted."
So basically, you changed when you were able to consulted with Ogata-san and also when Ogata-san graduated.
"Yes, that's right. I like the way Ogata-san speaks and uses language, and I often listen to her radio programs to study them. Actually, when I heard that Ogata-san was graduating, I thought "I'm going to take her place!", I was distracted by the fact that she was leaving the group."
Have you had any problems with that in your life?
"It may sounds misleading if I put it this way, but I have never had a major failure in my life until I joined Morning Musume。. I like speaking in front of people and even in school, when I ran for class committee, I was elected, and when I auditioned to be the accompanist for the chorus competition, I passed the audition. I had never known failure, that's one of the reason I decided to joined Morning Musume。. Of course, I'm spending my days in a very fulfilling way, but there are still many things that don't go as smoothly as I would like. My skills aren't up to par and I cause trouble for everyone, and my singing and dancing aren't going well, so I stumble a bit. Even though I think I'm making an effort, the people around me are so amazing that I sometimes lose sight of myself."
In other words, you're in front of a wall.
"That's right. As I said before, Kaga was much more capable than me because of her experience, so I was getting more and more worried that I would be left behind."
So that's how you were struggling.
"But I was helped by Ogata-san and all the other members of the 12th generation. When we shared the same hotel room, they would ask me "How are you doing?" and everything. It was easy to talk to them because they were all close in age."
You look very full of life now. By the way, you cut your hair. How do you like it?
"I've only been seen with long hair until now, I was curious to see how people would react to that."
Have you ever shortened it much?
"I've never made it this short. It's the shortest I've ever made it in my life."
Was it exciting?
"I was nervous, so was the hairdresser (laughs). She was like "Are you sure you want to do that short?". Since I was still determined to cut it off, I decided to go all out and cut it to the length I imagined."
What did you think when you looked in the mirror?
"I honestly thought "This might be better" (laughs)."
Good to hear (laughs).
"But when I really thought about it, I began to wonder if I'd cut too much."
Indeed, she's naturally worried.
"I had a rehearsal for the HelloCon concert right after that, so I was on the train and moving around... I was thinking the members' reactions since I was going to meet them."
How did the members react?
"Thankfully, they were very supportive of me (laughs). Everyone said I was cute, which gave me a lot of confidence."
There have been many changes, but what do you hope to become in the future?
"Today's Morning Musume。Yokoyama Reina's motto is "I want to do what I want to do!". Even if someone stops me, I want to go ahead and do what I want!"
Right now, you're feeling positive.
"Yes (laughs)! But it's not that easy to do what you want to do. I think it will be a positive experience for me to challenge myself in this way. Of course, I will do exactly what I'm supposed to do, such as dance formations, etc (laughs)."
It shows a willingness to put yourself out there more and more.
"I think that by putting things into words, people will get to know what kind of person Yokoyama Reina is, and I hope that the people who get to know me as I am now will come to like me again."
Are there any personal challenges you would like to take on?
"I would like to try my hand at an instrument. I can play the piano and saxophone a little, but I gave up on the guitar a long time ago, so if I get another chance, I would like to try again!"
Why did you give up?
"My brother accidentally broke my guitar on my third day of playing, and I haven't done it since."
I'm sorry to hear that.
"I would also like to exercise more and improve my physical fitness. My ideal woman is someone who can both play music and exercise, so I want to develop both!"
Any last words?
"I'm really liking myself lately!"
"Lately", right.
"I used to not liking myself that much... But now I love myself! So I hope you can look forward to seeing me in the future!"
"At that time, it was natural. I was really sad to see Ogata-san graduate. Ogata-san was always consulting with me in my private life. I'm embarrassed to say this, but... since she's a senpai with whom I had a lot of memories... I wanted to express my feelings to her one last time, just the two of us. I also wanted to tell her how I felt about her."
I can feel your feelings for Ogata-san just from what you just said. I could see that you were hugging each other, talking about something. What kind of conversation did you have?
"Ogata-san said to me "Thank you for coming." and I said "No, of course!"."
It's a touching scene.
"Then we had a little conversation as usual, I just said what I honestly felt and how I loved her."
Yes, Yokoyama's words of "I love you" could be heard a short distance away.
"You could hear me, couldn't you? We only exchanged a few words, but when we hugged, I felt like our feelings were mutual."
Did you consult with Ogata-san on a regular basis?
"I've been told by other members that Ogata-san and I have very similar personalities and atmospheres. We both suppress our feelings and don't express our opinions very much... That's why I could relate to many of her stories, and I often referred to her advice and thoughts based on her own experiences. Even more than the similar personalities, when I first joined Morning Musume。, I wasn't able to dance well at all and I often received a lot of attention during the rehearsals for the first tour. I was afraid that I would be left behind because my generation mate Kaga had done so well as a kenshuusei and could do everything, which was also hard for me. I often consulted with her at such times. Ogata-san was a big part of my life at that time."
Did you ask Ogata-san for advice yourself? Or did Ogata-san notice you and ask you for help?
"In the beginning, I couldn't say anything by myself, but Ogata-san noticed and called me out. Then, as we gradually started working together, I started to be able to say things myself."
So, Ogata-san notices when Yokoyama-san seems to be having a hard time.
"She was the one to always noticed it (laughs)."
She knew it before you even told her.
"Yes, of course. If anything is wrong, I think I'm better at hiding it."
You see Morning Musume。members almost every day and every week, but do you keep in touch with them after you go home?
"Yes, for some members. If we couldn't talk on the spot, we would contact each other after going home. Ogata-san was one of them."
What are some unforgettable words that Ogata-san said to you or unforgettable moments in your memories with her?
"Last year, we had four shows on the first and second days of our fall tour. Four shows are quite physically demanding! I was still not used to it and I was nervous, so in fact I was feeling fine, but my body was not able to keep up with me as well as I wanted it to. I was about to cry when Ogata-san, passing me on stage, gave me a pat on the back. She smiled at me and simply said "hang in there". I was feeling pretty stressed and to be honest, I was on the verge of falling from exhaustion. And Ogata-san's words were enough to get me back in the swing of things."
That is a very beautiful story. Now that she has graduated, how do you keep yourself motivated and balanced?
"Until then, I wanted to change the person I was. That person who couldn't say anything, the person who stepped back. I was thinking "I have to move forward...". But when Ogata-san said to me "I'm the same way" I thought "It's okay as it is, I'll just be myself from now on". So now, I am able to work with a positive mindset of not worrying about such things."
That's a great advice for Yokoyama-san, who is struggling.
"If I hadn't been able to consult with Ogata-san, I might still have felt strongly that I had to change my personality, so I'm very grateful."
I could sense, from what you said, that you have been struggling with this issue.
"I'm a natural worrier. For example, there was a time when I couldn't talk at all when I was working on the radio."
Not talking on the radio!?
"I was thinking "Was what I just said okay?" or "Did I give anyone a bad feeling?" I began to feel uneasy about my every word. This was true not only on the radio, but also in my MC concerts. During the spring tour this year, I couldn't get out in front of the audience as much as I wanted to."
I didn't feel that way.
"I'm not a overthinking character, well, no, in fact, I actually am (laughs). But I was able to don't do that anymore. Before, I was having trouble doing what I wanted."
So basically, you changed when you were able to consulted with Ogata-san and also when Ogata-san graduated.
"Yes, that's right. I like the way Ogata-san speaks and uses language, and I often listen to her radio programs to study them. Actually, when I heard that Ogata-san was graduating, I thought "I'm going to take her place!", I was distracted by the fact that she was leaving the group."
Have you had any problems with that in your life?
"It may sounds misleading if I put it this way, but I have never had a major failure in my life until I joined Morning Musume。. I like speaking in front of people and even in school, when I ran for class committee, I was elected, and when I auditioned to be the accompanist for the chorus competition, I passed the audition. I had never known failure, that's one of the reason I decided to joined Morning Musume。. Of course, I'm spending my days in a very fulfilling way, but there are still many things that don't go as smoothly as I would like. My skills aren't up to par and I cause trouble for everyone, and my singing and dancing aren't going well, so I stumble a bit. Even though I think I'm making an effort, the people around me are so amazing that I sometimes lose sight of myself."
In other words, you're in front of a wall.
"That's right. As I said before, Kaga was much more capable than me because of her experience, so I was getting more and more worried that I would be left behind."
So that's how you were struggling.
"But I was helped by Ogata-san and all the other members of the 12th generation. When we shared the same hotel room, they would ask me "How are you doing?" and everything. It was easy to talk to them because they were all close in age."
You look very full of life now. By the way, you cut your hair. How do you like it?
"I've only been seen with long hair until now, I was curious to see how people would react to that."
Have you ever shortened it much?
"I've never made it this short. It's the shortest I've ever made it in my life."
Was it exciting?
"I was nervous, so was the hairdresser (laughs). She was like "Are you sure you want to do that short?". Since I was still determined to cut it off, I decided to go all out and cut it to the length I imagined."
What did you think when you looked in the mirror?
"I honestly thought "This might be better" (laughs)."
Good to hear (laughs).
"But when I really thought about it, I began to wonder if I'd cut too much."
Indeed, she's naturally worried.
"I had a rehearsal for the HelloCon concert right after that, so I was on the train and moving around... I was thinking the members' reactions since I was going to meet them."
How did the members react?
"Thankfully, they were very supportive of me (laughs). Everyone said I was cute, which gave me a lot of confidence."
There have been many changes, but what do you hope to become in the future?
"Today's Morning Musume。Yokoyama Reina's motto is "I want to do what I want to do!". Even if someone stops me, I want to go ahead and do what I want!"
Right now, you're feeling positive.
"Yes (laughs)! But it's not that easy to do what you want to do. I think it will be a positive experience for me to challenge myself in this way. Of course, I will do exactly what I'm supposed to do, such as dance formations, etc (laughs)."
It shows a willingness to put yourself out there more and more.
"I think that by putting things into words, people will get to know what kind of person Yokoyama Reina is, and I hope that the people who get to know me as I am now will come to like me again."
Are there any personal challenges you would like to take on?
"I would like to try my hand at an instrument. I can play the piano and saxophone a little, but I gave up on the guitar a long time ago, so if I get another chance, I would like to try again!"
Why did you give up?
"My brother accidentally broke my guitar on my third day of playing, and I haven't done it since."
I'm sorry to hear that.
"I would also like to exercise more and improve my physical fitness. My ideal woman is someone who can both play music and exercise, so I want to develop both!"
Any last words?
"I'm really liking myself lately!"
"Lately", right.
"I used to not liking myself that much... But now I love myself! So I hope you can look forward to seeing me in the future!"
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