Morning Musume ‘25 Haga Akane Commemorative Graduation Series # 3 Unwavering Love For Morning Musume, Big Decisions, And Her Feelings Towards The Members Through Songs That Capture “This Moment”
A Short Series For Haga Akane and Yokoyama Reina who will be graduating from Morning Musume and Hello! Project on December 5th (Fri) at Yokohama Arena at “Morning Musume ‘25 Concert Tour Autumn ~Movin’ Forward with Hope~ Haga Akane, Yokoyama Reina Graduation Special”. For the third and final part, Akane talks about her last tour, which she helped produce, fun memories from her last single, and what made her start to think about graduation. Customary during graduation interviews, she has chosen songs dedicated to the members, and using her special skill in photography, she comments on the songs while discussing “wanting to capture this moment,”.
The Passion That Went Into Her Last Tour, Her Feelings As She Started To Think About Graduation
–Lets talk about your last tour, “Morning Musume ‘25 Concert Tour Autumn ~Movin’ Forward with Hope~”. With only your graduation performance left, I’d like to hear your thoughts and reflections about the things you can talk about up to now.
The tour is structured with a layout to fully reflect a personal touch from myself and Yokoyama Reina, who is graduating alongside me. Therefore I could answer any question with that amount of information I have about it, even like, “What is the special point here?”. It's too bad that I’m not able to convey everything but, I’d be happy if you could feel the passion that we put into this. The tour itself already feels like it's my child (laughs). Therefore, I'd be happy if you just took the time to look at it but, when I’ve received positive feedback, opinions, and words of praise, I haven’t been able to hide my pleased expressions (laughs). That's how confident I was going into this tour, so please raise your expectations if you’re coming to see us (laughs); I’m able to run to the end with this kind of feeling!
–How did it feel preparing for the tour together with Yokoyama-san?
Yoko (Yokoyama) and I have a similar sense of aesthetics. For example, I like the antique aesthetic that suits western-style houses, and we overlap with that but for Yoko it's like, she’d prefer it to be a bit more princess-like. That's exactly what was captured in this Non-no shoot and I'm happy that our natures and perspectives were linked in the final product. At a baseline, the two of us like things to be elegant so, I think we reflected that into the costumes for the autumn tour. We easily decided on things like the costumes and setlist while respecting each other's ideas.
–What kind of discussions took place during the process of determining the setlist?
First, we started sharing what songs we wanted to sing one by one. But at that stage we hadn’t announced our graduations to the members so we couldn’t talk about it. We would go to a cafe before work and have our meetings there. I was really particular about the opening song, and wanted to make it happen no matter what and, after discussing it with Yoko she said “I also wanted to include that song so lets do it!” so I’m really happy we were able to go with that idea. We even decided on the medley, it's one of the highlights in a Morning Musume live, and I’m glad all of the songs we suggested were selected as we ended up performing more songs than usual. I’m singing my own praises but I'm completely satisfied that we were able to make a medley that has a fresh feeling that doesn’t get old!
–Both Haga-san and Yokoyama-san joined Morning Musume from the influence of the 9th generation, can you tell that's the case from the setlist?
That's right, I think that essence was really put into it! We may have been able to work together as one breath and spirit because we watched the same Morning Musume and pretty much the same entertainment shows together. It was a good thing that we were quickly able to decide on the songs for our graduation concert; we think this is something only we could do so I'd be happy if you’d look forward to it.
–Could you tell us what made you think about graduating again?
Morning Musume is a group where members join and graduate so I became more conscious of when I would graduate myself around 2020. But at that point I wasn't thinking about it concretely at all. One reason why is that I wasn’t able to imagine myself moving on to my next path at all. It was a bit of time later that I actually decided to graduate, during the 2022 autumn tour “25th ANNIVERSARY CONCERT TOUR ~SINGIN’ TO THE BEAT~”.
–Does this mean that your mindset changed after Covid?
I became aware of the keyword “graduate” from 2020, but I was finally able to come to my own conclusion about it around then. Since I love Morning Musume, I wanted to decide for myself when it was time to graduate. I knew that if I put it off I would want to stay forever so, I thought it may be better to do it a bit sooner; that was my answer. But before I told the company I wanted to organize my thoughts within myself first. I gave myself a few months to think about it. Around that time Fukumura (Mizuki)-san announced her graduation. There was about a year until Fukumura-san’s graduation so I could take my time thinking about it without rushing. As a result of thinking about graduation again, I was certain it was time to tell the company after all, so I told them in the spring of 2023. If Fukumura-san’s graduation announcement had a 6 month notice, I think all of my attention would have been focused on that, so it was incredibly important that I was able to have time to think about it; I’m grateful.
–You’re currently 23 years old, and you decided to graduate when you were 20 years old. This coincides with a time when many people are reaching milestones in their lives, was it related to that?
That's right. I think my friends around me taking entrance exams or job hunting impacted me. It's a world I can only imagine as I’ve never experienced it myself but, trying something new is incredibly difficult, right? Conversely, the people around me were kind and told me, “Akane’s having a harder time!”...... I have built something up over the past 10 years, so in a way there are aspects that felt stable, as I was currently working at my job. But, I knew that things couldn’t stay that way forever so, being able to reaffirm that is also connected to my decision to graduate.
–Did you always think of graduation and retirement as a set combo?
Yes, it's something I’ve always thought about together. Since I had become the Morning Musume that I wanted to be, I want everyone to remember me as myself in Morning Musume. I’ll return to being a fan after graduating (laughs).
–Did you discuss your graduation with other members?
I decided I wouldn’t talk to anyone about graduating until I decided on it. But as discussion towards graduation progressed within the company, I didn’t discuss it with them, but I told my genmates my decision.
–There was about 3 years between deciding to graduate and graduating, did you experience any changes in your mindset during that time?
I would feel lonely every time I would think “I wonder when the moment will come where this is my last event……”. There are members that graduated during that time so, I would think of it like our last time experiencing XYZ together. But since it was during a time when I hadn’t told anyone I had decided to graduate yet, I couldn’t make those feelings public…… Before I knew it, the feeling of loneliness faded away. When my graduation was announced I had strong feelings towards going down my next path, so I’ve managed up to this point to not show much loneliness. Even though I may seem cool to some people now that I’ve announced my graduation, I want to say it again that there was a time when I was feeling super lonely about it! I used to have a ton of photos of the members as my home screen (laughs).
Unwavering Bond Between Genmates, Memories of the Two Extremes From Her Last Single
–Have there been any changes in your relationships with your genmates since deciding on your graduation?
I don’t think anything has changed. The 12th generation celebrated our 10th anniversary this year, and the other two have been given leader positions. I of course feel that I want to support them as a genmate but, in the first place, Nona-chan’s (Nonaka Miki) talent as a leader is too wonderful. She takes the initiative to work for Morning Musume every day, (Makino) Maria is also really doing her best as the sub-leader so, my respect for the two of them only grows stronger.
–With fan events held every year, I’d like to hear about your memories from the 12th generation bus tour.
We were surprised that more fans came than expected. Also, it was fun, in any case! When the company asked us “What final event do you want to do?” A solo event was also among my options but I wanted to do a 12th generation event. I thought it would be better to do something different since we had a 12th generation event last year so, when a bus tour was brought up I immediately answered, “I want to do that!”. There was time for the 3 of us to spend time alone during the event, that was also really special. Normally something would happen that would further deepen our bonds but, there wasn’t anything particularly like that (laughs). That is, we already built our good relationship to the max for some time now. At a distance where we feel comfortable, we trust each other without getting clingy. I think that's how the 12th generation feels.
–What kind of people does Haga-san think make up the majority of the 12th generation fans?
In the first place, I’ve wondered if there even are any 12th generation fans…… We each have our individual fans but, I made the assumption that there weren’t really any fans that liked us all together. But when we did the bus tour, there were more people that said they were 12th generation fans than I had imagined so, I’m sorry for making those assumptions up until now (laughs). I get the impression that my female fans are the ones who really liven up the atmosphere. It feels like they’re passionate people who value their friends, they’re kind and warm people. Even in kobetsu they’ll be like “Hey, listen to this Akanechin!”; They treat me like I'm their friend and they always give me energy. At this stage my last kobetsu is still some time away but, since I announced my graduation some will come to me crying then we’ll have an exchange like “it's too early for that~!” (laughs).
–There is only a bit of time left before your graduation, is there anything you want to do before the end?
I haven’t been able to fulfill all of the things I’ve wanted to do personally. I have more dreams that I want Morning Musume to achieve but, that is a feeling I want to entrust to the Morning Musume that will continue on into the future. The members are reliable, so I want to graduate with a peace of mind.
–Please tell us as much as you can about your plans after graduation.
I’ll be able to take a long, uninterrupted break, so I want to take a trip overseas. I definitely want to go to Paris! Since I’ve always longed to go. Also, I want to get my drivers license. A dream that's closer to home is going to my hometown's festivals. First off, if there is something I want to do, I’ll do it, so I’ll start preparing for my future ahead.
–Please tell us about your last single, “Teka HAPPY no HAPPY!/Watashi no Lamentazione”.
To put “Teka no HAPPY no HAPPY” in one phrase, it's “cheery person”. I get the impression Tsunku-san likes to repeat what he wants to convey in songs, the hook of the song repeats the word “HAPPY” and really leaves an impression. Tsunku-san implemented the concept of everyone in a show-like atmosphere with pompadour hairstyles and suits. When I heard the word pompadour at first I thought our hair would just be sort of styled like one but, when were told the hairstyles would seriously be pompadours all of the members were really perplexed (laughs) but, everyone was prepared on the day of recording, no one resisted it. Rather, because the concept was so clear we could just enjoy it, the mood from everyone was cheery from start to finish. The parts where we form into letters of the alphabet in the dance are the highlight during the performance. The dance is quite intricate, the timing of the jumps and direction of our hands in the first and second chorus is completely different during the hook so, you really have to use your head. I know that even small differences are important when it comes to formation dances but, it's more difficult than it looks to use your body and your head at the same time. I’ve looked forward to seeing the fans dance with us during the hook on the autumn tour.
–Interactions with fans are also something unique with Hello! Project, right.
That's really true. If something is even a little off the members will point it out immediately, and they’ll give instructions like “lets go over this part” during the MC breaks, it feels like we’re pushing to improve each other every day (laughs). Since I am also a fan, I really understand the feelings of all the fans. I love the atmosphere where everyone seems to be enjoying the concert as if they’re all part of the group; It makes me super happy.
–“Teka HAPPY no HAPPY!” has a quite bright image, what did you think of it when you first received it as your last song?
First, it's a Morning Musume-like song, since one of the songs is often one that coincides with the graduating member on a single, my intuition told me that “Teka HAPPY” isn’t it (my graduation song). I ended up thinking, but what if it actually is this one…… (laughs).
–(laughs). “Teka HAPPY” is the kind of song that grows on you, has your impression of it changed since you first heard it?
My impression of it hasn’t changed that much but, in any case there are many progressions in the song so it's not very clear where the A Melo and B Melo is. It progresses a lot so I was a bit confused when I first heard it. But as a result, it's motivating, and I wonder if that's what makes it enjoyable no matter how many times I’ve heard it. I felt that Tsunku-san continues to write interesting songs, as always.
–Continuing, I’d also like to hear you talk about “Watashi no Lamentazione”.
This one has a bit of a showa-era song feel to it, when I first heard it I immediately thought, “this is my graduation song!”. I loved the song so much that I cheered (laughs). The heroine is a girl who has been dumped but, she’s like, ‘I’m not lonely! Rather, I’m going on trips with my friends’, it's a song where she puts on a brave face like ‘it's better to be alone’. As an image, there are words like “cold wintery wind” in the second verse; in terms of the season its after autumn just when winter is beginning, during that time of the year I imagined the girl putting on a brave face like “I’m not cold, I’m not lonely at all,” it's super cute! I felt attached to the song from the first time I heard it. Also, when everyone heard it for the first time we ended up talking like “What’s a lamentazione?”. We looked it up and we found keywords like pessimistic and lamentation, so I was able to confirm that it really did have a lonely feeling. We got the order to sing the hook like we were laughing from Tsunku-san; I also interpreted that as a kind of facade of courage. It also has a graduation song feel to it and it has a great story, I really like it.
–I’d also like to hear about the MV!
For “Lamentazione”, Homa (Okamura Homare) and I played the role of an actress from the past; it was a complete change from the pompadour hairstyle, and I wore a shocking pink dress. You may be surprised when you first see it (laughs). The overall feeling is that it's snowing, with a sad feeling; I personally like the scenes where the members are wearing trenchcoats and we’re huddled up together. I really like the MV overall, I’m happy I was able to participate in it, and I’m really honored it became my graduation single.
The Origin of The Feeling When Meeting Mentor Tsunku-san, Songs Dedicated To The Younger Members
–I think the 12th generation has mainly communicated with Tsunku-san through music. Is there anything that stands out to you, looking back on it?
He had ended up stepping down as producer when the 12th generation joined so, our opportunities to meet directly were few but I always felt like Tsunku-san was close by during our activities. Whenever I had questions about the meaning of lyrics or the orchestration he would reply to my messages; we had exchanges like that many times, he has the image of being like Morning Musume’s father after all. As a fan of Morning Musume myself, I don’t think many get to experience receiving direct feedback from someone who has created your favorite songs, I’m really honored. He is someone I’ve always respected and loved. He came during a recording day just once about 3 years ago, when I saw him through the glass I was really surprised. After listening to my singing he gave me a thumbs up. I was singing while paying close attention to the rhythm, I was super happy about it. It also boosted my confidence, I’ll never forget that memory.
–Tsunku-san attended the Kanagawa performance from this autumn tour at Pacifico Yokohama National Grand Hall; I’d like to hear about that as well.
I received so many kind words. Since we’re a group with over 25 years of history, there are parts that get interpreted differently than before, but I was relieved when he said it was really good. I’m so happy that he saw us as the current Morning Musume. I thought again, I only have a short time left here, I need to contact him and ask him more questions while we can still communicate. But it was a complete surprise that Tsunku-san came, the director-san told us, “There is someone that is coming to see the show today for the first time in 11 years,” but, I never imagined that it would be Tsunku-san! Since we performed without knowing, when Tsunku-san made an appearance after the show it felt like a prank (laughs). I always give it my all during a live show so I'll be fine no matter who sees me and when but, if I had known before I would have been pretty nervous so, I’m glad we were able to perform as usual without knowing.
–What were the other members' reactions like?
Everyone was probably so shocked that we couldn’t even react. At the same time, it also felt like we had to do things properly. Each of the members has some connection to Tsunku-san, but it's not often that we get to meet face to face as a group so, it became a good memory.
–Finally, an essential part of Nonno’s Graduation Interviews, we’d like to hear about a song and message you’d like to dedicate to the members. I’d like to request the theme of “The Song and Part That Captures This Moment” for each member as Haga-san is skilled with a camera.
For Getta (Yumigeta Ako), its her first part in the second verse in “Nandaka Sentimental Toki no Uta”, “Still sleepy in the morning, I’m so sleepy, (Asa mo nemui na, yake ni nemui na). We first performed this song in the summer of 2024 but after listening to it for the first time in a while for this year's spring tour, she had gotten super good at it. The original sound has a bit of a soft-hearted feel to it but, over the course of a year she had added a good sense of rhythm to it and it felt more persuasive. I’ve seen her doing her best to practice rhythm this whole time and I can really see the results from that; Even I was happy about that. The first thing you have to face after becoming a Morning Musume is the rhythm, you practice carving the rhythm into your body first during the rhythm crash course. You’ll come to be able to do it if you practice, then as time passes you’ll be able to put rhythm into the song. Therefore, at the time I thought, Getta had finally mastered the 16-beat rhythm! I went and told her right away and she told me “I tried changing the way I sing a bit,”. Getta has the image of being the passionate type; she is the kind of member that really does her best towards dancing but, she is properly learning and doing her best to learn the singing parts as well, that made me happy too. I think she is a girl who will continue to strive for the top from now on, so I’m also looking forward to seeing her growth. The moment I want to capture is a milestone with the elegant expression when she is singing this part. It's really pretty! Speaking of Getta it feels like she looks towards the camera with great force, she has a powerful image but, here she gives off a gentle impression that feels new. In any case, it's a really charming part so please pay attention to it, everyone!
For Harusan (Inoue Haruka), this was the first member that first came to mind for this theme. I want to capture her “Hey, doesn’t it feel nostalgic?” (nee natsukashii ne) line in “Koibito”, I really like that part. With this song, it has the kind of story like, we’ve been good friends since forever, we have a good relationship but, I don’t know if they like me so I can’t take the first step…… So this part exactly shows the sense of unease, but Harusan smiles after singing……! The expression is so fleeting it makes me want to tear my hair out. It feels like she is reminiscing on the fun memories with her friend, to carry and convey all of that in 8 notes, isn’t that amazing!? It was included in the setlist for our spring tour this year; I held back telling her how I felt about it because I thought Harusan would start to be overly conscious of it so my feelings just exploded right now (laughs). That smile……I want to protect it for life. At the same time, I also thought, who taught her to make that kind of face? Are you the protagonist of the story? In any case, Harusan is a must-see here! Harusan was always in a desperate situation when she joined with no singing or dance experience but, recently Harusan has an aura that makes it feel like that era never existed. It's like her performances have a soul. The two in the 17th generation are really different with unique personalities, Getta has this powerful feeling of pushing forward, Harusan has this feeling of a strength like she is standing in flames. Harusan still lacks confidence in herself, there may be many times where feels uneasy but I want her to keep going and to believe in herself.
For Rairi (Sakurai Rio), it's her line “In the dead of night” (Yoru no Soko de) towards the end of “Wake-up Call~Mezameru Toki~”. She fought a hard battle with it at first. Rairi felt like she wasn’t good at singing parts in a higher key, so it always felt like she was nervous when she sang it. Also it seems like there was a day during a live performance where she felt like she had made a big mistake, and so her being really down about it left an impression. But she wasn’t discouraged by it, it felt like she was doing her best to change the way she sang it through trial and error and the other members were cheering her on from the back. And so it was like, did all of that work towards breaking her out of her shell? She kept getting better and better at it and a year after its release in 2024, it’s become perfect this year on the spring tour. She’s really cool. It's not just from her practicing, it feels like her talent is catching up to her actual ability. Her attitude of facing things she isn’t good at instead of running away is cool; I think she’ll continue to grow in that way from now on. She is a member who was clearly able to present her own style when she first joined through her charming facial expressions but because she is so capable she can sometimes overdo it. She carefully studies and practices to create her own facial expressions. That's also a charming aspect of Rairi but in this song she just expresses herself as-is, that is, I feel like it's a really natural expression, I personally think that is wonderful too, I’d like it if everyone paid attention to this part.
Members She’s Walked Beside For Many Years and Songs and Memories Dedicated to The Members
For (Yamazaki) Mei-chan, it's her line “They say it doesn’t cost a thing to dream but” (datte yumemiru daake wa tada to iu kedo) in “Kimi no Kawari wa Iyashinai”. This song has a great tempo from the start but, in the second verse it suddenly changes with a grand feeling. Therefore, you have to sing in grandeur while keeping with the rhythm so it's a difficult part and Mei-chan has completely made it her own. It feels like she takes over the whole venue with her powerful singing, in any case it's really cool. It's not just her singing voice, at that point her expression is flowing with confidence, it's the best. That young and tiny Mei-chan, enveloping a big venue now, she has become such a cool and confident girl, isn’t that alone super moving? I can feel the intensity in Mei-chan every time at that part so I watch her while dancing.
For Homa (Okamura Homare), it's her line “Ii kanji naraba gaman ka na” (More comfortable, guess I’ll put up with it) in “Akaruku Ii Ko”. This is sudden but, please let me share a bit about myself here (laughs). I have the same part in the 2nd verse and I recorded it using my natural voice. Homare initially sang it using a falsetto voice but, later, they said they wanted to adjust it to match my voice, so it seems like she re-recorded it with her natural voice. I found that out from the director, not from her. When I listened to her natural voice, it sounded so good. She’s much better than me, to the point where I felt like “this is crazy”, I’m really thankful that Homare made me think that way. Homa is a kind girl who is quick to notice when people are going through a change and will be there for them, on the other hand I wonder if she is putting up with a lot, and has her own worries. Therefore I thought it was perhaps easier for her to convey these emotions. Also during this part Homa’s eyes are really intense and have a strong expressive power to them, it feels like she has completely become the protagonist of this song with that expression, it's really cool. Please pay attention to the screens during a live!
For Yoko (Yokoyama Reina), it's the line “When the last night comes~” (Saigo no yoru ga kitara~) in “Naichau Kamo”. Yoko’s voice has a good volume and depth to it but, at the same time there is a cuteness and vulnerability to it that comes and goes; it's a unique charm I don’t think the others have. I really like that at this part it feels like she is putting on a brave face, but she is also expressing a pained feeling. She is generally an all-rounder no matter the song, and she strongly leaves an impression with her bursting smiles but, she sings with a look on her face like she is about to cry in this song, I think that is really charming. I once again felt that it's amazing how she is able to express any song.
For Maria, it's her line “I’m the girl you can only depend on when times are tough” (kurushii toki dake makasare Girl” in “SaiKIYOU”. Until the very last moment the rhythm and the orchestration feels calm but, at her part it suddenly feels like the rhythm picks back up, it's really cool. I think that Maria’s lower notes are really wonderful, her persuasive power is amazing. Even though it's in a lower register you can properly hear it. Maria’s high notes are good too but I prefer her lower parts; I chose this song because it is particularly memorable to me. Also, what I want to capture is her unrivaled style. During this part she is kind of coming around from the back, dancing, then exiting to the side but, every time, it really moves me like, “Eh, didn’t a really stylish girl walk past just now?”. Also, the hand movements are the same in the first and second part here but, with her expression and presentation, I think it's really cool that she makes it look like the choreography was created just for her part.
For Nona-chan, its the line “Each individual tear has a different color” (Namida wa namidagoto iro ga chigau) in “Yuukan na Dance”. Every time I think “(this is) Nona-chan on stage,”; it's that charming. Her expression is alluring but she is also stylish while conveying the lyrics, it's a sophisticated kind of allure only Nona-chan can do. Every time I listen I get envious of her charm like “I wanted to sing here too,”. Nona-chan is the leader in our current lineup and we haven’t been able to perform this song yet but, If we were to do this now it would really show how much of a Nona-chan solo-show she is, I purely want to see it…
For Oda (Sakura)-san, it's her line “No clever BGM playing” (Ki no kiita BGM) in the bridge of “Kanashikunaru you na Rainy day”. I was given the part before Oda-san’s; when I first heard this song I was struggling with how to express it in song and got advice from her, "It's important to convey emotions, wouldn’t it be good to sing in a way that allows you to connect with the fans?”. That has still really left an impression on me. Oda-san usually teaches rhythm and singing technique and really looks at the technical aspects, so it was an unusual opportunity to get advice on the emotional side of things; I was really happy about that. Also the way she taught me to sing with emotion was so very like Oda-san. Therefore, I thought, ‘I need to make this mine……!’. Speaking of Oda-san, she is good at making little gestures. For example at the “BGM” part it feels like she is taking a small breath and moving her shoulders; I feel like doing that helps convey the emotions better, I can’t get enough of it. Of course it's her singing, but her expressions, emotions, small gestures, Oda-san’s performances are special, after all, as they feel like she pays attention to everything, I really admire her skills. I realized that she taught me again that communicating through song isn’t just about singing, I want to continue to watch Oda-san’s cool-self as she draws in various people in that way.
–It ended up being a bit rushed but, thank you for sharing so many stories from your time as a Hello Pro trainee to your 11 years in Morning Musume.
I’m honored to have been given this opportunity. After I graduate I’ll be returning to being a Morning Musume fan, I want to enjoy my life alongside the continuing Morning Musume. I’m looking forward to going to the lives as well. I would also be happy if as many people as possible saw my graduation live. Also, to all of the fans, really, thank you very much up until now!
モーニング娘。’25を12月に卒業する羽賀朱音さんの卒業記念連載をお届け。第一回はモーニング娘。が大好きだった幼少期のお話から。
