(2025-11-27) non-no: Yokoyama Reina Graduation Commemorative Web Series

【Morning Musume。'25】Yokoyama Reina Graduation Commemorative Web Series　Part 2　A personality that earns affection without emphasizing hierarchy. Finding a path forward by turning insecurities and feelings of "what you love" into strengths.

 

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.

Assessing strengths and weaknesses to divide roles. A mentor who valued heartfelt communication.

— Yokoyama-san, you and Kaga Kaede-san were in charge of mentoring the 15th generation members who joined in 2019. Since it had been about 5 years since members last joined from the general public (since the 12th generation), we'd love to hear more details about that time.

Of the three 15th generation members, two of them Kitagawa Rio-chan and Okamura Homare-chan joined from the general public, with the exception of Yamazaki Mei-chan, who had been a kenshuusei in Hokkaido. It really felt like it had been a long time since girls who knew absolutely nothing about dance had joined. Especially Kitagawa-chan, she couldn't even do a proper jump with both feet together, let alone skip (laughs). Now it's a cute story to laugh about, but at the time she was really struggling with the frustration of "I want to be able to do it, but I can't".

— Ishida Ayumi-san, who's great at dance, was thoroughly teaching her how to jump. Was there anything particularly difficult about teaching the three of them?

What was hardest was figuring out how to explain things in the clearest way to kids with no dance experience. Each of the three had their own standards after all. Their ideas of what "trying hard" meant were different, and the way they understood and memorized things differed too. Even if all three said that they memorized the choreography, Mei, thanks to her trainee experience, would come in having it perfectly memorized and be able to dance it properly, while Homare and Kitagawa hadn't fully memorized it yet and couldn't dance it.

I could see how incredibly hard they were trying, and I could tell that, in their own minds, they really had done their best to memorize it. So I'd think "Wow, this is going to be tough!" (laughs). It really hit me that we had to adjust our teaching style to each person ; what to teach, how to teach it, and how to gradually shape it into the finished form. That was something I struggled with a lot.

— Did you and Kaga-san discuss and divide roles as mentors?

We didn't really sit down and talk about it, it just kind of happened naturally. We both understood each other's strengths and weak points, so we naturally took on the roles we were best at. When it came to dance and singing, I felt Kaga was better at teaching than I was, so I mostly left that to her. Then I would step in at the end to teach finer dance details that she couldn't fully cover.

Also, the 15th generation had quite a long period between joining and first appearing on stage, so they had dance lessons almost every day. During that time, regardless of who the official mentors were, different members took turns acting as instructors. So the 15th generation was probably being told different things by different members every day. Even if they were being taught the same choreography, the way it was explained varied from person to person, which sometimes confused them into thinking they were being taught something completely different. It must have been really hard on them back then...

— How did you personally interact with the 15th generation during that tough time?

I wanted to be someone they could talk to about worries they couldn't easily share with other senpai, so I approached them with the intention of becoming friends first! If you're not close, you can't really understand what kind of person they are, what their strengths are, or what kind of worries they have. I was actually the first member to exchange contact information with the 15th generation and... this is something I brag about (laughs).

Because I told them "Feel free to message me anytime" it somehow became a long-standing habit that continues even now. I get messages that are so trivial I can't even repeat them here (laughs). Especially Homare, she will say "Good work~!" when we part ways at the workplace, and then without fail she'll message me later saying "Thank you for your hard work!". It's so adorable that it makes me happy, so I hope she keeps doing it (laughs).

— That's such a heartwarming relationship (laughs). Did they often come to you with worries or for advice?

When you're new, it's not unusual to cry out of frustration after rehearsals, so I'd listen to them whenever that happened. Maybe they couldn't perform the way they wanted to, or because of them the choreography video had to be re-recorded, or they felt guilty for stopping the overall flow as a newcomer, and that frustration would make them cry.

I really understood those feelings and I wanted them not to forget what they felt in those moments. So I tried to listen to them as soon as possible. From there, we'd talk about what they wanted to work hard on in Morning Musume。, what they couldn't do yet and felt frustrated about, and how they could get there. I wanted to think through everything together from the root level, so I made a conscious effort to face them seriously and sincerely.

— It's impressive that you even paid attention to the timing of listening to them.

When you've just joined, even being scolded once can make it feel as though your entire existence is being denied. You start thinking "I can't do anything at all. I'm completely useless..." but that's absolutely not true. Just being accepted into Morning Musume。is already an incredible achievement. They were chosen because they each had something special, some kind of charm or potential. I believe it's the responsibility of senpai to bring out that charm. After pushing through so many worries and inner struggles, I'm truly happy to see how the 15th generation has grown into such distinctive, expressive individuals.

— Some people feel pressured by the phrase "I'll listen to you" and find it hard to open up. Do you consciously try to create a comfortable atmosphere?

I try to proactively say positive things myself, so maybe that's why people often tell me I'm easy to talk to. At my core, I like talking when something good happens, and when I notice something great about a member, I want to tell them right away.

There are a lot of members in Morning Musume。who are like that, and especially Oda Sakura-san, she always verbalizes the good points she sees in others. Watching her made me want to be like that too, so I started consciously doing it, and now it just comes out naturally. I'm happy when people say nice things to me, and I love seeing people smile, so I want to keep sharing positive words with others as much as I can going forward.

Bonds that deepened through working together. The moment a complex turned into a strength through a selected unit.

— At the 15th generation's unveiling event, you served as MC alongside former leader Ikuta Erina -san.

Ikuta-san was the main host and I took on the very enjoyable role of "support member" which is basically lively commentary (laughs). Apparently, some people at the company said that since Ikuta-san handled everything so smoothly, the MC role never got passed to me like they'd expected... but they just don't get it. Ikuta-san can do it when she tries!

She was actually the first senpai I ever went out with after joining Morning Musume。and she was always inviting me out to do things. We've been close ever since I joined, so being able to MC together made me really happy.

— We often hear from kouhai that she seems kind only at first, but is actually kind all the time (laughs).

Ikuta-san likes to joke that her "kind senpai campaign" only lasts at the beginning, but honestly, she's just embarrassed about people realizing how genuinely kind she is (laughs). She's a really good person, but she doesn't try to make herself look good, so she ends up putting on a tough front on purpose.

Even so, when the event was decided, she told me "I'm happy I get to MC with Yoko" suddenly becoming so honest like that was just incredibly cute and it made me really happy too (laughs). The event itself went great. The 15th generation looked like they were having fun, and the fans enjoyed it as well, so I think it was a huge success.

— Not just Ikuta-san, but you seem to be well loved by both senpai and kouhai, and to get along with everyone. Who are you closest to in Morning Musume。right now?

I've been close with Haga Akane-san ever since she joined and we still are. We've been close foreeever... I just said the same thing twice (laughs). She's very kind and we're only a year apart in age. Both at work and in private, she was the one who closed the distance between us.

— Haga-san was only 15 when she joined, she's said she was in the middle of her rebellious phase. How did you two become close?

She definitely was in her rebellious phase,and honestly, I was 16 and rebellious too (laughs) ! I think our emotional rhythms or growth timing just matched. When Haga-san was sulking, I'd be sulking too. I remember us sharing those restless, nowhere-to-go feelings that are so typical of that age (laughs).

Even now, we often say "We really clicked from the very beginning" no matter what, our relationship has always felt natural. She calls that time her "dark history" and feels bad toward the members, but honestly, she had that youngest-child vibe and it was adorable (laughs).

— Around 2019, you were often selected for cross-group units within Hello! Project. We'd love to hear about your interactions with members outside Morning Musume。as well.

In 2018, for Morning Musume。20th anniversary, I joined the MiniMoni。'18 unit and in 2019, for Hello! Project 20th anniversary, I participated in the Minis。? unit made up of shorter members. Morito Chisaki-san was in both, so we became close really quickly.

I also worked with Funaki Musubu-san (ex-Country Girls and ANGERME member) in Minis。?, and since we'd sung the digital song "Minmin Rock'n'Roll!" together back in 2017, our bond deepened even more. I have so many memories of the three of us... Morito-san, Funaki-san and me, going to family restaurants after rehearsals and talking nonstop (laughs).

I also remember chatting endlessly on the train home with Yanagawa Nanami-san (ex-Country Girls and Juice=Juice member) when we happened to leave at the same time. I feel like I had a lot of connections with Country Girls in particular.

— "Minmin Rock'n'Roll!" was even performed live on a morning show Funaki-san regularly appeared on. Despite being a digital release, it also got a Music Video. Any memories from that?

We filmed it deep in the mountains dressed like explorers, but honestly it felt more like just going on a fun outing with Funaki-san (laughs). We spent the entire waiting time chatting and when the staff told us "Go all out!" we were both in our element, so we got super hyped and finished in no time. It was just pure fun from start to finish.

The Music Video story was about searching for cicadas in the mountains but not finding any, but in reality, there were tons of cicadas. We just couldn't touch them, so there wasn't much footage and I felt kind of bad about that (laughs).

— With Minis。?, not only was the song "Complex ni Sayonara!" created, but you also published a book with Kumai Yurina-san of Berryz Kobo, who's famous for being 181 cm tall. How did that come about?

Someone from the company suddenly told me "You're putting out a book with Kumai!" and even now I don't really understand how that happened (laughs). But being able to publish a book together by playing up our extreme height difference and performing many times as Minis。? and as a MiniMoni。 made me realize that even my short height had real value. That made me very happy.

— Did you personally have a height complex?

I absolutely did, ever since joining. Morning Musume。focuses heavily on formation dancing, and there are a lot of ballet-like movements. Longer limbs naturally look cooler from a distance, and dances that emphasize clean lines to the fingertips just look better on taller people, don't they? Even when moving up and down the stage stairs, I hated how my movements felt small and fidgety, so I consciously tried to move in ways that wouldn't emphasize my height.

But starting around 2018, I was able to join units that used short height as a strength, and I got to perform a lot on Morning Musume。20th anniversary specials and at Hina Fes. That was the first time I truly felt glad to be short. MiniMoni。and Minis。? are units that could only exist within Hello! Project because of members like us.

Now there are also shorter members in Tsubaki Factory and Rosy Chronicle, so I'd love to see new versions of those units. Once I graduate, all the Minis。? members will be gone, so I really hope someone keeps singing "Complex ni Sayonara!" going forward.

A nerve-wracking image change. Finding ways to entertain fans through visual transformation.

— We've been talking about 2018 and 2019, which was also around the time you started delighting fans with changes in your appearance. You've openly said in beauty interviews that you're a big cosmetics fan, when did you start becoming interested in things like hair color and makeup?

I'd actually been interested ever since I joined Morning Musume。. I've always loved gyaru culture, I even used to read gyaru magazines religiously, so I'd always admired high tone hair and bold, wide eye makeup. I'd wanted to try it for a long time, but getting company approval was the biggest hurdle (laughs). Morning Musume。has a rule that hair color and nails are only allowed after graduating high school, so the moment I graduated, I gathered my courage and asked "I'd like to lighten my hair just a little".

— Since it was a change from black hair, it was noticeable, but your first color change was a very natural brown, so natural that people could believe it was your natural hair.

Even just lightening it a little made me really nervous. But to be honest, I'd always wanted to try blonde hair! After that, I gradually lightened my hair over time, adding blonde inner color, trying blonde extensions and slowly getting people used to the idea of "blonde Yokoyama Reina". Each time, I checked with the chief manager and let them know "This is what I'm thinking of doing next" and finally, in 2024, I achieved my long-time dream of going fully blonde! I kept that high-tone look for about a year.

— During your black haired era, every time you appeared on TV or at music festivals, you'd trend on social media with phrases like "the bob haired girl with the ribbon" or "the half twin tails girl" really capturing the attention of first time viewers. Was there a hair color that fans especially loved?

Blonde was by far the most popular! When it comes to female idols, a lot of people say "Black hair is the classic and the best" right? So I was surprised to hear comments like "Blonde suited you so well" or "You were insanely cute with blonde hair". At the same time, I was happy that long time fans told me they also liked my old black haired bob. So before graduating, I cut my hair to around collarbone length and settled into a darker tone again.

On the other hand, the hairstyle that got the worst reaction was my heavy, blunt bangs (laughs). I really love MIZYU from Atarashii Gakko, and there was a period when I was obsessed with thick bangs, so I tried it once. I experimented with different styles, like pairing them with hime cuts, but looking back over my 9 year idol career, that was probably the least well-received look. ...Though that's only if I really, really had to pick one, since most feedback was positive (laughs) !

— Is there still an unspoken rule in the group about not overlapping hair colors or hairstyles? Some members seem to be assigned specific styles, like forehead showing looks.

There's kind of a shared sense of it, but it's not a strict rule. It's more like something we instinctively avoid. Everyone wants each member to stand out in a cute way and of course, we want that for ourselves too. I think all Morning Musume。members feel the same, so we naturally end up with different looks.

As for hairstyles, during the first year after joining, your look is usually specified so you can establish a clear image. I was told to go with "bangs, black hair, a clean and pure image, around collarbone length" (laughs). I had to wear my hair down all the time, so I couldn't do many arrangements, but I enjoyed that in its own way.

— It sounds like there were a lot of stories behind your hair and hair color. Did you start experimenting with makeup little by little after graduating high school as well?

Yes. After graduating, I started by going to salons to try things like lash perms and eyebrow shaping. Then I began having fun experimenting with different cosmetics and it peaked around 2019, when the 15th generation joined. Looking back, I'm surprised at how heavy my makeup was back then, I can barely look at photos from that time (laughs). Since I loved gyaru style, I wanted my eyes to sparkle, so I used tons of large glitter. These days, my go to style is more of a "less is more" approach, lighter eyeshadow with just a touch of glitter.

— Finally, tell us about any beauty trends you're into lately!

I've started getting eyelash extensions. I wanted to keep a wide eyed look even when I'm sweating a lot during live performances, so I have 120 lashes on each eye! Lash perms didn't give me enough volume, and false lashes were a bit of a hassle because they'd come off easily, that was a small frustration of mine. With extensions, even if I sweat and my makeup wears off, my lashes stay perfectly lifted, making my eyes look bigger. It's incredibly comfortable! I think I've shown fans many different looks over the years, but as graduation approaches, I'm starting to feel the desire to show them a brand new side of myself as well.

A talent for creating atmosphere that blossomed through solo work. A priceless "one hit" from a comedy legend.

— From here, we'd like to ask about your individual work as well. Less than a year after joining Morning Musume。, you were selected as the new assistant MC on MBS Radio Young Town Doyoubi, hosted by Sanma Akashiya. How did that come about?

I didn't tell the company that I wanted to do radio or anything like that. One day, out of the blue, my manager told me I'd been chosen as a regular. To be honest, I still don't really know how it happened... But I clearly remember that when I appeared as a guest for the first time a few months after joining, Iikubo Haruna-san from the 10th generation, who had been a regular for years, praised me and said "It's your first radio appearance, but you were really good!".

— In media interviews early on, you said you admired Iikubo-san's strong talk skills and wanted to work hard at MC and talk. Was that experience the trigger?

Iikubo-san was someone who praised very specifically. She'd say things like "You made an effort to respond and jump into the conversation even in moments where it's hard for others to do so". That gave me a bit of confidence in talking on the radio. She also taught me about MC and conversation skills outside of radio, which made me determined to improve and work even harder.

Then right after that, Kudo Haruka-san, who was also a regular, graduated from Morning Musume。and that was the moment I was chosen as her replacement! I never imagined I'd become a regular in less than a year after joining, so when I heard, my heart was pounding from nerves.

— What was your first impression when you met Sanma Akashiya-san and Shoji Murakami-san?

Honestly, I was scared... (laughs). I'd watched them on TV for so long that it felt like "Wow, they're real!". Even now, I still get incredibly nervous on recording days (laughs). But they're both so kind and listen to everything I say, and no matter what I say, they turn it into something funny, so once the recording starts, it's just fun and time flies by.

— After becoming a Young Town regular, your talk skills improved significantly, you even went on to take MC roles. Was there anything you consciously worked on to establish your current position?

Being chosen as a Young Town regular made me feel pressure, I knew I had to improve my talk skills to keep up. It was also the moment I started thinking seriously about wanting to try being an MC someday. I was still a newcomer and wanted to challenge myself in everything, so I wanted to try MC roles and appear on talk shows.

At the same time, surrounded by so many members who were great singers and dancers, I was searching for something that could be my own strength, something that would let me shine. That's when I decided to make talk my weapon. That said, at my core I love joking around, so these days I actually enjoy chiming in from the sidelines more than leading the conversation (laughs).

— As someone who loves comedy, what's the most memorable moment from Young Town for you?

There was one and only one, time when Sanma-san gave me a full on tsukkomi. It was during an episode where my kenshuusei's generation mate Kawamura Ayano was the guest, and I got carried away making a joke. Sanma-san reacted by smack! Lightly hitting my head as a punchline. He seemed surprised himself by the momentum and it was the kind of tsukkomi that can only be born from a true comedy atmosphere. It wasn't idol talk anymore, it was genuine comedy talk. That one hit was incredibly precious to me. I was so happy. It's a treasure for life.

— It was a moment where Sanma-san was drawn into the atmosphere you created. Another essential topic when talking about you is your work related to Urawa Reds Diamonds, the Saitama based football club. In 2021, you were appointed support ambassador for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Urawa Reds Ladies. How did you feel at the time?

My whole family has always been huge Urawa Reds fans and they'd taken me to matches since I was too young to even remember. I'd openly said how much I loved Urawa Reds even after joining Morning Musume。but I never imagined I'd be given such a big role as an ambassador!

My manager casually told me "You've got a shoot coming up as the Urawa Reds Ladies ambassador" as if it were no big deal and then I found out my very first job was doing an interview with a player, which made me incredibly nervous (laughs). On top of that, I got to interview my favorite player on the team... It was shocking!

— In that interview, were you the one asking the questions?

Yes. I thought carefully about my questions, but honestly, I was terrible at it. It made me realize I'm not cut out to be an interviewer (laughs). Some players joined remotely too, which made it hard to catch the rhythm of the conversation. I really came to respect interviewers who can keep questions flowing one after another. While someone was answering, I'd already be thinking about my next question, so I wouldn't even absorb what they were saying (laughs).

Still, since I'd been chosen as an ambassador, I wanted to make it engaging. I asked things I genuinely wanted to know as a fan, connected their answers to my own idol activities, and did my best to ask questions that only I could ask.

— There was also a project where your interview paper was distributed at Urawa Reds matches. What was that about?

At Saitama Stadium 2002, Urawa Reds' home ground, there are various seating categories like S seats and SB seats. In August 2023, during a match against Yokohama F. Marinos, a special ticket plan called the "Saitama Stadium Viewing Boost! Seat" was sold.

The interview paper was distributed like a pamphlet to people who purchased those seats, and it included my personal tips on how to enjoy watching a match.

Back when I was ambassador for Urawa Reds Ladies, there was also a collaboration food item sold at Urawa Komaba Stadium called "Ichigoyan Milk". But this Urawa Reds seat project came about thanks to the connections I made as an ambassador. Since the tickets were sold through the official Urawa Reds website, not only Morning Musume。fans but also Urawa Reds supporters bought them, which made me really happy.

— Among Urawa Reds supporters, were the Yokoyama family considered familiar regulars?

In popular sections like behind the goal, you do tend to see the same faces over and over, but whether we were seen as "the usuals"... I'm not sure (laughs). That said, after I started doing Urawa Reds related work as a member of Morning Musume。, people began talking to me at the stadium and even at the nearest train station.

There were even Urawa Reds supporters, who probably didn't know anything about idols who asked m "Are you Yokoyama Reina?" That really surprised me. Maybe my name recognition among Urawa Reds fans had gone up ? (laughs) If I was able to contribute even a little, I'd be very happy.

— You've also appeared as a guest on soccer programs. How does being a guest compare to hosting guests on Young Town?

Hmm... Young Town still makes me more nervous (laughs). Of course I get nervous as a guest too, but when I'm answering questions or talking about things I love, I can get through it by putting my passion front and center. With Young Town, you never know what's going to happen, so I still get nervous. That said, I don't get stomachaches from nerves like I used to (laughs). Once the show starts, it's so fun that I'm laughing the whole time, but right before, I'm always the most nervous, wondering "What's going to happen today?".

— You usually go to Urawa Reds matches with your family, but what was it like when you once took Okamura-san with you?

There are lots of soccer fans in Hello! Project, but Homare was the only one I've taken to a Urawa Reds match. She's the type who says "If someone I like loves something, I want to love it too" which is really sweet so she became interested in Urawa Reds because I like them. I think we've gone together two or three times so far.

She didn't even know the rules at first, she only recently learned that there are 11 players on each team, but she still comes along and enjoys it (laughs). Every time, she makes me think "I'm really glad I brought her". I definitely want to keep taking her with me!