Habu Mizuho Interview (EX Taishu 11/2019)

Interviewer: When we previously interviewed Sugai-san, who saw the Nogizaka46 Tokyo Dome concert, she said she’d like to stand on that stage someday too. Did you feel the same way, Haub-san?
Habu: I did think “I’d like to stand up there someday.” But I never imagined we’d achieve it three and a half years after debuting, so I was incredibly happy when I heard about it.
Interviewer: At the same time, weren’t you worried about how little time there was to prepare?
Habu: We had a little less than two weeks to rehearse after the Fukuoka concerts (September 4th – 6th) so I was worried, but making sure everyone who comes goes home having enjoyed themselves is what’s most important, so I did my best.
Interviewer: You’re someone who has her own unique ways of building stamina for concerts. What unique things did you do in preparation for Tokyo Dome?
Habu: I’m terrible at studying, so I have a bad memory. (laughs) I had a piece of paper with where to stand during the songs written on it and I desperately memorized that to the point the paper was falling apart. It was a completely different setlist from all the concerts we’d done from Sendai to Fukuoka, so I’d get completely mixed up when doing those same songs.
Interviewer: What feelings did you have about the Tokyo Dome setlist?
Habu: At the beginning Techi did a solo dance and set the mood, then we did “Glass wo Ware!” and I think that really expressed our Keyakizaka46 style “coolness.”
Interviewer: Did performing “Glass wo Ware!” for the first time in a while get you into it?
Habu: Of course. (laughs) It was the first time since “Kouhaku Uta Gassen” last year and I think there were a lot of people seeing a Keyakizaka46 concert in person for the first time at Tokyo Dome. We needed to capture the hearts of everyone there with that first song so we slammed them full force.
Interviewer: You used water during songs such as “Student Dance” and “Kimi ga Inai”.
Habu: It was really wonderful. I thought “it’s like a big Christmas light display.” (laughs) But I was careful not to slip. Not getting injured is the first condition of using it.
Interviewer: Having actually stood on the stage did you think “Tokyo Dome is so big”?
Habu: I did~. Up, down, forward, diagonal, the fans could see us from 360 degrees, so I felt like I had to polish my dancing.
Interviewer: So they could see you from behind as well.
Habu: We performed “Eccentric” on the center stage and I was very aware that people were watching from behind as well.
Interviewer: Because “Eccentric” is a song that has a strong connection with your image, right?
Habu: Are you saying I’m eccentric? (laughs)
Interviewer: Of course not. You’ve had the opportunity, including during the tour, to be center for the song, haven’t you? (laughs)
Habu: Ah~. That’s true.
Interviewer: During “Eccentric” you teleported from the main stage to the center stage, didn’t you?
Habu: Do you know how we did it?
Interviewer: I have no idea. (laughs)
Habu: It wouldn’t have worked if even one of us screwed up, so we practiced it hard.
Interviewer: During “Sekai ni wa Ai shika nai” the set was used to express the world of the song and you were in charge of poetry.
Habu: I thought “poetry is a big responsibility so you need to do it right.” I confirmed with TAKAHIRO-sensei how to put emotion into it, practiced a lot reading the lyrics, and since my voice doesn’t carry well I kept in mind to project properly.
Interviewer: During “Futari Saison” you used the runway that projects into the audience in the choreography.
Habu: I wonder if there were any fans who thought “so they’re doing moves like that” having seen it from a new angle.
Interviewer: Your impressive dancing during “Bokutachi no Sensou” was eye-catching.
Habu: We have a lot of chances to perform “BokuSen” during concerts and the fans always get excited which makes me happy. This time we did choreography that linked with scenes on the screen, so I think it’s a version of “BokuSen” that you could only see in Tokyo Dome.
Interviewer: Right after that there was also the Goninbayashi unit song “Kekkyoku, Jaa ne shika Ienai” that you were included in.
Habu: That’s why when “BokuSen” ended I chased three of the others on a bicycle. (laughs) I had to make it in time, so I practiced using the bicycle.
Interviewer: You don’t usually ride a bicycle?
Habu: I never ride one anymore. I used to ride bicycles, unicycles, and anything with a tire.
Interviewer: Anything with a tire. (laughs) I think riding a bicycle in Tokyo Dome was a precious opportunity.
Habu: I had fun riding around the grounds. (laughs) I even rode over near the stands and was moved thinking how many people came.
Interviewer: It felt like the performances got more intense starting with “Ambivalent”.
Habu: It’s a song that gets everyone excited, so we have fun dancing it too.
Interviewer: Did you feel “high”?
Habu: I’m always “high”. (laughs)
Interviewer: Is that so? (laughs)
Habu: At any rate, concerts are fun. Every time we put on a concert I think how wonderful it is to make a work of art. And it was at Tokyo Dome this time so it was even more exciting. Now even when I’m an old lady I can brag about how I performed at Tokyo Dome. (laughs)
Interviewer: You seemed to get emotional during the last song of the main show, “Taiyou wa Miageru Hito wo Erabenai”.
Habu: I did. I looked at the fans nearby and they were crying. It made me think how blessed we are to have people cry for us and how we wouldn’t be able to exist without the fans’ support.
Interviewer: You were crying too…
Habu: The tears just kept pouring out. It felt like all the water in my body was coming out. (laughs) It was on a weekday so there were people who came straight from school or work, people who took a day off, and people who came from all over the country to see us. Thinking about the days of each and every one of those fans made me think “I need to work hard too.” After the encore I heard the applause and I cried again. (laughs)
Interviewer: Were you worried about performing “Fukyouwaon” during the encore?
Habu: I was kind of worried, but I was thinking more about how everyone was waiting so I went out on stage thinking “let’s dazzle them!” (laughs)
Interviewer: How was it performing “Fukyouwaon” for the first time in a while?
Habu: I think we gave a strong performance. Techi and Hono-chan’s “Boku wa iya da!” gave everyone even more power. It reaffirmed to me that “Fukyouwaon” is a song full of power.
Interviewer: Your performance was wonderful, too. You’ve certainly evolved since the early days, haven’t you?
Habu: I’ve reached maturity along with Keyakizaka46. (laughs)
Interviewer: Do you feel a sense of accomplishment after two successful days at Tokyo Dome?
Habu: I do. There’s a sense of accomplishment and a feeling of “I want to aim for the next stage.” I’m the type that always wants to aim higher. I don’t want to stop here. I want to create a stage where even more people can see us.
Interviewer: Tokyo Dome is one culmination and now you have the change to a “senbatsu system” with the 9th single.
Habu: We’ve had a style of having everyone in senbatsu since we debuted, but with the 2nd gens joining I had a feeling that things would change and we’d eventually stop having everyone in senbatsu. Looking at Nogizaka46 or other large-scale groups, they all have senbatsu systems. Having everyone in senbatsu isn’t a given, so I thought “it’s finally here.”
Interviewer: How did you feel during the senbatsu announcement?
Habu: I had some complicated feelings when my name was called, but I thought “hmm, I’ll do the best I can with the position I’ve been given.”
Interviewer: In your comments after the announcement you said you were “frustrated.”
Habu: I think no matter what position you’re in it’s over if you’re satisfied. There probably isn’t anyone that doesn’t feel “frustrated.” I don’t won’t to forget my feeling of wanting to aim higher.
Interviewer: But I think it takes courage to say you’re “frustrated” in that situation. Or maybe I should say I don’t think you can say things like “I’m frustrated” or “I’m happy” during a senbatsu announcement unless you’ve got resolve. The fans probably want to hear those things.
Habu: There are both positives and negatives to honestly saying how you feel, but I think whatever pops into your head when you’re asked a question is the way you really feel, so you should put that into words without any affectations. I don’t want to lie to myself.
Interviewer: You seemed to be kind of gloomy when you were in the 3rd row until the 4th single.
Habu: I felt differently back then. Thankfully I’ve had the opportunity to do a lot of solo work such as being a regular on a radio show (MBS’s “Chokotto Yattemasu!”) and being an exclusive model (in Koubunsha’s “JJ”) so now I can stand in any position with confidence. But with this most recent senbatsu announcement I thought “I still have a long way to go” and so I said I was “frustrated.” It’s “frustration” over not being satisfied with myself, but it’s a positive “frustration” and I can see what I need to do going forward.
Interviewer: I think those feelings will change the group as well.
Habu: You’re right. Each of us getting stronger lifts the group as a whole up too. I want to find things that only I can do and I need to be a model for the 2nd gens too.
Interviewer: Can you sense how hard the second generation members are working?
Habu: Of course. Everyone is always giving it their all, they love Keyakizaka46, and there are a lot of things I feel like I could learn from them. For example, Ten is so cute and we spoil her, but she takes her job very seriously and I look forward to seeing how she turns out. She joined at 13 and there’s so much I want to teach her.
Interviewer: At Yamasaki-san’s age you didn’t want to stand out, but now you’ve stood on stage in Tokyo Dome.
Habu: You never know how life will turn out. (laughs)
Interviewer: With being a regular on a radio show, being an exclusive model, and doing all of the group activities I think you’ve left quite the legacy.
Habu: No~ I’m still lacking in so many ways. I’ve been on the radio for more than two years but I still misspeak all the time. (laughs) People who pick things up right away are geniuses, don’t you think? And even those geniuses work hard. I’m not like that so I just have to build up experience.