(2025-11-19) non-no: Yokoyama Reina Graduation Commemorative Web Series。

【Morning Musume。'25】Yokoyama Reina Graduation Commemorative Web Series　Part 1　From a shy and insecure girl to a presence that brings brightness to Morning Musume。

 

With the "Morning Musume。'25 Concert Tour Aki ~Movin' Forward with Hope~ Haga Akane & Yokoyama Reina Sotsugyou Special" being held at Yokohama Arena on Friday, December 5th, Yokoyama Reina will graduate from Morning Musume。'25 and Hello! Project, and at the same time retire from the entertainment industry. To commemorate her graduation, we are presenting a short web series. 

In this first installment, we look back on how she changed from an insecure, shy girl into the cheerful personality she is today, eventually joining her beloved Morning Musume。and becoming known as the "bright member" of the group.

Wanting to be an idol VS Lack of confidence. Her struggles before aiming for Morning Musume。

— First, please tell us what made you interested in Morning Musume。or Hello! Project.

I started taking dance lessons when I was in my last year of kindergarten, so I used to watch lots of dance videos. One day I found the MV of Morning Musume。"Sou da! We're ALIVE" and I was shocked by how cute and skilled 5th generation member's Takahashi Ai-san was! That led me to listen not just to Morning Musume。songs but also to other Hello! Project unit songs. Now it's a hobby to watch and listen to many female idol groups, but the group that opened that door for me was Morning Musume。.

Once I became a fan, I enjoyed watching concert DVD, and even though I couldn't go to concerts, I supported them by buying goods. Then one day, my mom happened to record the New Year's 2014 special program "Morning Musume。'14 Wake-up Prank Concert" and after watching it, I decided I wanted to audition.

— What made you go from being a fan to wanting to become a Morning Musume。member after watching a wake-up prank show?

I had the impression that idols were "cute people who cheer everyone up" but when I saw Morning Musume。in variety mode, I suddenly thought "they're idols who can also be funny!". It hit me instantly.

Of course I loved cute idols, but I had also always loved comedy shows, and I was in a phase where I admired funny people. Morning Musume。were cute, cool, and funny. I thought "I can do everything I want to do if I become a Morning Musume。member!" and that's when I started wanting to join.

— Since you had danced for many years, did you always have some aspiration to perform on stage?

I think I vaguely wanted to become an idol, but realistically, it didn't feel like something that could easily come true. I had confidence in my dancing because I had taken lessons, and even though I wasn't amazing at singing, I liked it. So part of me wanted to be an idol, but another part lacked confidence.

When I was little, I was extremely shy, I was the type of kid who couldn't talk in front of people at all (laughs). I especially disliked adults with glasses and would hide behind my mom.

— That's surprising, given how you are now.

The reason I became who I'm now is thanks to my 5th grade homeroom teacher. They were a unique teacher who connected with students through music and after I started interacting with them, my personality completely flipped to the loud one I have today (laughs).

In junior high, I ran for committee chair and joined the student council. I then became much more proactive. Still, even though my personality changed, that lack of confidence and shyness I had as a child has always remained somewhere inside me. I also had this new version of myself that wanted to try things, so that inner conflict stayed with me for a long time.

Also, I get hurt easily (laughs). When I first got positions like committee chair or student representative, I received a lot of pushback or criticism from other students. Because school life had more chances for me to get hurt, maybe that's why I began doubting whether I should aim to become an idol. Junior high is a sensitive period after all, a time when little conflicts tend to happen.

Even though things were difficult, I kept watching Morning Musume。annual Kouhaku Uta Gassen appearances, and every year I would think "They're so cool..." but the complicated feelings about whether I should aim to be an idol were still there. When I entered high school, I returned to a more positive mindset, thinking "If I'm going to do it, it has to be now!" so when the 12th generation "Mirai Shojo Audition" came around, I decided to take the first step.

― In your junior high life, you were in the wind ensemble club and played the alto saxophone. In your second year, your group made it to the national competition, right?

Yes. In my first year, we were eliminated at the district level, but once I became a second-year and our club advisor changed, we suddenly shot up to a national level!

Before coming to our school, that teacher had been the advisor of a top tier powerhouse wind ensemble program, and just having them with us completely transformed the whole group. They were the mentor who taught me firsthand how much one person can change an entire team.

You could tell from the way they interacted with us every day and the way they taught that they really wanted to understand each and every club member. It wasn't like our practice time suddenly increased or the training got harsher, there weren't any obvious changes like that. And yet, the whole club changed dramatically just from the way they taught.

Because our teacher worked so hard, we all wanted to pull together and give our best. That experience taught me how important teaching style is, and it became something very valuable to me.

― Around that same time, you wanted to apply for the Morning Musume。12th Generation "Mirai Shojo Audition" held in 2013, but couldn't make the deadline, which was very frustrating for you.

Exactly. The timing of the 12th generation auditions fell during my second year of junior high, and while I was struggling with all the conflicting feelings I mentioned earlier, the application deadline passed... But I changed my mindset after that. I decided that while I was still in junior high, I would devote myself entirely to the wind ensemble club.

Then in my third year, we lost just one step away from reaching the national competition again, and I ended up retiring from club activities. From there, I switched into full on "aim for a good high school and university" mode. I went to cram school every day, thinking "If I study hard now, I can get into a good university and find a good job".

You see, when a wind ensemble goes all the way to nationals, club activities continue until around winter, so your studies naturally fall behind. And during summer vacation, we practiced all day long, so I couldn't attend any summer classes either. So once I retired from the club, I focused intensely on my studies and tackled the high school entrance exams. As a result, when I passed and entered high school, I was placed into the special advanced class. Honestly, that was just pure luck... a miracle (laughs).

― Even though you had resolved to focus on academics, you ended up applying for the Morning Musume。'16 "Shinseiki Audition" held before entering high school. Why was that?

I still regretted not applying for the 12th generation audition, so the moment the new audition was announced, I decided I would absolutely apply and sent in my application right away!

That said, I didn't think even 1 millimeter, not even 1 percent, that I could actually become a Morning Musume。member (laughs). But I didn't want to regret not trying, so I figured it was worth giving it a shot.

I dressed up in the cutest PINK-latte outfit I owned at the time and attached the cutest photo of myself I had to the application form before sending it in (laughs).


I never want to regret anything again. I went into the audition with a "Let's just try" mindset

— How was the audition you finally gathered the courage to apply for?

The first round was document screening, and in the second and third rounds we had to perform our special skills in front of the other applicants. Everyone had their own impressive talents, so I was incredibly nervous.

In the third round, Kawamura Ayano-chan (former ANGERME) was in the same group as me. Five of us would enter the room at once to be judged together, and while we were waiting in the lounge before the audition, Ayano was practicing her singing.

She was so good. Like unbelievably good. I remember thinking vividly "There's no way I can sing in front of someone this skilled. Ahh... Reina is done..." and sinking into despair (laughs).

And it wasn't just her singing, she was cute, had a great figure, and really drew attention. She didn't even look just one year older than me, she seemed so mature. It was the moment I realized "This is the kind of girl who becomes an idol". It felt like, "I've just seen a person who is truly meant to be an idol".

— Kawamura-san had already been very active as a local idol in her hometown of Kochi, so she had a sense of completeness about her. I'm also curious about what special skill you performed.

I performed jazz dance without music (laughs). I didn't bring any audio with me, so I just said cheerfully "My special skill is dance, so I'll do some jazz dancing!" and then danced a little bit in silence. Also, for the third round there was a task song test. We had to sing either Morning Musume。'15 "ENDLESS SKY" or "Ima Sugu Tobikomu Yuuki".

All the girls in my block chose "ENDLESS SKY" and I sang "Ima Sugu Tobikomu Yuuki". It was purely coincidence that I picked a different song, but maybe because it felt like I "lost the vote" I got discouraged again and thought "Ahh, this is hopeless too..." (laughs).

I believed that my desire to join Morning Musume。was stronger than anyone's, and I don't think I lacked passion but, during the audition, everything made me anxious. I had absolutely no confidence I would pass. Even so, I didn't want to miss a chance and regret it later. I challenged myself with nothing but the feeling of "Let's just try".

— However, that audition ended with no one being selected. How did you end up joining Hello Pro Kenshuusei afterward?

Some time after the audition ended, I got a phone call asking whether I'd be interested in joining the Kenshuusei program.

Before the audition, I had researched the Hello Pro Kenshuusei system and knew it was a path that could bring me even one step closer to Hello! Project. I had already decided that if the company ever invited me, I wanted to join.

My family didn't object, so we decided I should at least try it, and that's how I entered the Hello Pro Kenshuusei program.


Training days where we unconsciously pushed each other higher, and earning a debut in record time.

— In August 2016, several finalists from the audition joined Hello Pro Kenshuulsei. When did you first meet your generation mates?

We didn't meet or greet each other beforehand; our first encounter was at our very first lesson. I didn't know if I would be the only new trainee, or who else might be joining. I came alone from Saitama to Tokyo for the first time, and until I met everyone, I was constantly anxious.

When I arrived and saw several other new members, I remember feeling so relieved, thinking : "I'm not alone, we're in this together".

— Your generation included Kawamura Ayano (mentioned earlier), ANGERME's Hashisako Rin, BEYOOOOONDS' Nishida Shiori, former BEYOOOOONDS member Yamazaki Yuhane, and others who later became core members of their groups. What were the lessons like once you became a Kenshūsei?

They were extremely tough! Maybe the others already knew how hard the training would be, but I entered purely because I loved idols and wanted to be one. I was simply happy I'd gotten in and I didn't even imagine what hardships were waiting. I assumed trainees mainly practiced singing and dancing... but there were lessons in diction, gymnastics, and all sorts of things.

In the gymnastics lessons, we had to do handstands and acrobatic moves! Even if I could dance, I wasn't very athletic, so I was half crying thinking "there's no way I can do this!" (laughs).

— So not just singing and the signature Hello! Project 16-beat rhythm training, but a variety of foundational lessons awaited you.

Exactly. Every lesson had me panicking. Gymnastics days were especially painful, I was always depressed thinking that I was the only one who can't do this. And even though I was already struggling, they even made us practice backflips (with assistance, of course). I still remember how hard that was.

Also, I'm not sure if they still do this, but back then we had English-language lessons too. Maybe it was to train pronunciation, we had to memorize English lyrics and sing while dancing to Western songs with assigned choreography. I was so scared of MITSUBACHI MAKI sensei's dance lessons that my stomach would hurt every day (laughs). My digestive system is weak, so when I get nervous, it hits my stomach immediately (laughs).

— From trainee documentaries, MITSUBACHI MAKI sensei's strictness really comes through. I assume she left a strong impression on trainees?

She never yelled unfairly or said unreasonable things. She was guiding us in ways genuinely necessary for becoming idols. But at the time, I was so anxious to get scolded? that my stomach hurt (laughs). Now, I truly appreciate that she polished our foundations so thoroughly. Her rhythm training, the stretches before and after lessons, everything she taught was essential. Even though my trainee period was short, I'm grateful I experienced it.

— Many of your generation seemed to handle everything smoothly. Do you ever talk about those days with them?

There's one memory that really stuck with me. Right after our first meeting, we had a singing lesson. The teacher said "I want to know your skill levels, so sing anything" and we all had to sing one by one. Everyone was already so good that I panicked. Not only could they sing, they learned choreography fast. It made me think "I have to give this my all or I'll be left behind".

Years later, when I brought this up to my generation mates, they all said they'd felt the exact same way. Everyone was thinking "I need to take this seriously!" so the effort level naturally rose, and maybe that's why it looked like we handled things effortlessly. It was like a synergistic effect ; we unconsciously pushed each other higher. And the senpai had told us early on "anything you learn in lessons, make sure you can do it perfectly at home". So we all desperately practiced.

— You're known among members and staff for learning dances and formations quickly and perfectly. Did that start in your trainee days?

Yes. My dance and wind ensemble experience helped, and I've always been good at memorizing. In school, I was good at subjects where memorization guaranteed a perfect score (laughs). Even so, Morning Musume。's huge number of songs was overwhelming. When I joined, they gave me a huge amount of choreography DVDs, and I watched them every day at home. I even bought a portable DVD player so I could study on the long train rides between Saitama and Tokyo.

— You joined as a trainee in 2016, and after only about three months, you were selected to debut as Morning Musume。in December of the same year. Your 13th generation partner, Kaga Kaede, had been a trainee for years. Did you interact back then?

Kaga had four more years of trainee experience than me, so she was truly a senpai I admired. Of course we talked, but mostly in the context of her teaching me singing or dancing during lessons. She was kind to everyone, and as the newcomer, I learned a lot from her. She explained things gently, like "you just joined, so of course you can't do everything yet". I never imagined such a reliable senpai  would become my generation mate. When we were told about our debut, it felt surreal.

— The 13th generation was introduced in December 2016. When were you informed, and how did you feel about becoming generation mates with such a senpai?

I think it was about a month before the final show of the Morning Musume。'16 Autumn Tour ~MY VISION~, so around mid-November. After Fukumura Mizuki-san, the leader at the time, told me I'd been selected as a new member, she added "Actually, there's one more member" then Kaga entered the room.

The moment she saw me, she collapsed to her knees and burst into tears. Seeing that, I felt this warm emotion like "Kaga-san, you're finally debuting. I'm so happy for you". Somehow, even though I was the kouhai, I ended up hugging her like I was welcoming her (laughs). So I didn't feel nervous or uneasy about becoming generation mates with a senpai. Mostly I was just happy we got to join together.

— Kaga-san had many fans who had watched her grow over her long trainee period. You, on the other hand, drew attention for debuting so quickly and also for somewhat resembling Kamei Eri.

I had no idea fans thought that way. I've always been out of the loop with trends, I didn't use social media, and I never ego-searched, back then or now. I only found out after joining, when fans told me at handshake events. Even if I never thought so myself, being told I resembled Kamei-san was such an honor. I was really happy.

— Since Fukumura-san was a passionate Kamei fan, I assumed people mentioned the resemblance often.

Looking back, I wonder if the staff wanted to lean into that resemblance (laughs). At my first Hina Fes event after joining Morning Musume。, I won the solo performance lottery and sang "Haru Beautiful Everyday". It's a unit song originally by Kamei Eri-san and Mitsui Aika-san (8th gen). I didn't pick the song myself, my manager at the time said that they think this would suits me. I don't know if they intended to evoke Kamei-san (laughs), but the fans seemed happy, so I'm glad to had performed this song after all. 

From the moment I joined, every day was a whirlwind, but being a Morning Musume。became my source of energy.

— The 13th generation had a pretty intense schedule, joining the winter Hello! Project concerts (Hello! Project's all group concerts) just a month after your debut announcement. How were you feeling at the time?

That was honestly really tough. The company really threw us into something crazy (laughs). I was still in the middle of memorizing Morning Musume。songs, and on top of that I had to learn songs from all the other groups for Hello! Project concerts, so it was pretty rough.

But because everything moved so fast from the very beginning, that pace quickly became "normal" which might actually have been a good thing. After all, right after our debut announcement, we were handed the lyric sheet for "Morning Misoshiru", the b-side of our debut single. The manager told us "You have recording in a few days, so memorize the song and the lyrics" and we were like "What? Already?" (laughs). I remember thinking "So the Morning Musume。lifestyle starts this fast... ?".

— An unexpected miso soup start (laughs). "Morning Misoshiru" was a remake of Morning Musume。's major debut song Morning Coffee made as part of a collaboration with Marukome, right?

Our official debut songs were "BRAND NEW MORNING" and "Jealousy Jealousy", but the first thing we ever recorded was "Morning Misoshiru". Because it was a tie-in project, everything moved really fast. Just a few days after we were told we had joined, we met the Morning Musume。members for the first time, and right after that we had the Misoshiru dance lesson. We were already dancing as Morning Musume。(laughs).

— In the 13th generation documentary, the first meeting scene shows everyone in tracksuits. That was because you were doing choreography lessons for the new song?

Exactly! Even though they were filming such an important moment, the staff told us to wear a tracksuit that's okay to have on camera, so our first meeting was all in tracksuits (laughs). I didn't even know what wa tracksuit that's okay for camera" was supposed to mean, so I brought a plain one without any logos.

— Both "BRAND NEW MORNING" and "Jealousy Jealousy" gave you two solo parts and a lot of spotlight, with a structure that really highlighted the 13th generation. How did that feel?

I was so happy to have a solo part in "BRAND NEW MORNING"! And in the dance break, 13th generation got to stand in the center, that made me really feel like I had joined Morning Musume。. In "Jealousy Jealousy", even though 13th generation stood in the center during the chorus, I could only sing the word "jealousy" which frustrated me. I was glad to sing such an iconic line, but I wanted to sing more. Still, the song has rap parts and is just really difficult overall, so as a brand new member I don't think I could've handled it yet. I remember struggling a lot during recording.

— Which of the two songs did you record first?

"Jealousy Jealousy". Tsunku♂-san's melodies are so unique that right after joining, nothing stuck in my head at all... I didn't even know what "16-beat" meant when I entered Hello! Project, so I had no sense of rhythm. In vocal lessons I practiced just the "jealousy" phrase over and over. I couldn't memorize pitch and rhythm at the same time at that point. But because I struggled so much with that song, the melody and lyrics for "BRAND NEW MORNING" went into my head surprisingly easily. I felt like I finally grasped a bit of how recording works.

— Your mentor was 10th generation member's Kudo Haruka. Did she help you with singing and dancing too?

Kudo-san taught us everything about how Morning Musume。works. Manners, how to behave, all the basics. For singing, 11th generation member Oda Sakura-san took the lead in teaching us. Both of them were so kind and thorough that it was easy for us kouhai to ask questions. They always said "ask me anything" which was such a relief during a time when we didn't know anything yet. Oda-san has always watched us kouhai very closely, from the beginning up to now. She's there for us in singing, dancing, and everything else. I'm really grateful.

— Tell us about your feelings during your first Morning Musume。tour, the spring 2017 Morning Musume。'17 Concert Tour Spring ~THE INSPIRATION!~.

It was my first tour, and there was so much to learn that going to rehearsal every day felt painful (laughs). Of course, as a professional I made sure I was fully prepared for the concerts, but during the rehearsal period I really felt the gap between Kaga and me. She had years of Kenshuusei experience, so her memorization speed was on a completely different level... I was supposed to be quick at learning too, but she absorbed everything instantly, and I was just barely keeping up. As an idol, smiling is important, but I don't think I ever smiled during rehearsal (laughs). Even during run-throughs, every time I made a mistake I'd glance at the instructor thinking "did they notice?" I was always worried about what people thought.

— And yet on stage you performed with such a dazzling smile. It's surprising how stressed you were in rehearsals.

Rehearsals were tough for sure, but during the actual shows I was just so happy, like "I really became the idol I admired!". I didn't have many singing lines in that first tour, but I got to walk onstage holding a big red flag at the start, and I had lots of spotlight moments in the staging. I loved that and looked forward to it every concert.

— Fukumura-san once mentioned that this tour had especially high quality in costumes, structure, and production, and remains beloved by both members and fans. What stands out most in your memory?

Definitely the unit song block where members from the 9th to 12th generation were each paired with us, the two 13th generation members! During hall concerts, we performed one unit song per concert, but in the final Budokan concert, we strung all of them together. At that time Morning Musume。had 13 members, so in full formation songs I barely had solo lines or standout positions. But in the small unit songs, I got to interact playfully with everyone, and even sing in the center with my senpai. That freshness made it really fun.

— After the tour ended, in June it was announced that Morito Chisaki from Country Girls would join as the 14th generation and hold a concurrent position. You suddenly had a kouhai, how did you feel?

Let me think... Even before the announcement, when we were told someone from Country Girls would take on a concurrent position, I had a hunch it would be Morito-san. It was just a feeling, but I was weirdly convinced and looking forward to it (laughs).

— Even though Morito-san debuted earlier, she was considered your kouhai in the group. That’s a complicated dynamic.

Morito-san is known for being shy, but she said on the Country Girls radio show that even though she's shy "Yokoyan was easy to talk to, so maybe we can get close". I knew she had said that, so when it was announced that she'd join Morning Musume。, I was genuinely happy. I joined the group first, but I still saw her as my senpai. She's one year older too, and I was such a little chick for the first few years (laughs), so I never really felt like a "senpai".

— For a while you often joked "We, 13th generation, haven"t even been here a year yet, so treat us gently too!" your signature jealous comedy routine (laughs).

Ahaha ! Yes, I said that (laughs). I was the only one complaining noisily while Kaga stayed silent, which has always been our usual dynamic.

—In Morito-san's non-no graduation interview she said, 'Yokoyan is really fun to be around". You're known for being approachable and kind and you've said your charm point is your smile. In your #YokoyamaReinaUpdate YouTube video this year, you mentioned the staff told you, "Yokoyama, you're in charge of being the cheerful one". What's the source of that brightness and your smile?

 

I've loved Morning Musume。so much since I was little that just the feeling of "I'm in Morning Musume。!" makes every day fun. Even when things are tough, maybe because I'm type-O, I forget everything after sleeping (laughs). I tend to remember the fun things that come after the hard moments. So whenever I feel happy to be in Morning Musume。, or whenever I feel the moment of 'I really am a member" I get more and more motivated and energized. My smiles just become natural. Even when I feel down, I leave the positive parts, "This part was fun, that moment was nice" inside myself. Just by being active as Morning Musume。, I can feel energized!