New Site

Looks like I forgot to put a note here - sorry about that.

Bilingual48 has its own domain now - so please change your bookmarks to www.bilingual48.com

The articles I posted on blogspot will remain here for now.

Thanks for reading!

Why was Maeda Atsuko the Center?

The following exchange between Tahara and AkiP about Maeda Atsuko is an excerpt from their recent book about AKB48's business strategy.

----------------------------------------------------

- Auditions are for filtering out the "already made" girls

T: Here I want to hear about members.  About Maeda Atsuko, who was center and graduated.  Why was she center?  There were girls who sang and danced better, but why did you pick her?

A: Because I thought she was the least suitable for center.  Fans are looking for Cinderella stories, where an unfortunate, often bullied girl with only rags to wear turn into a princess.

We want fans to experience and see for themselves how a girl with absolutely nothing can become something because of their support.  This is why we can't start with beautiful girls or princesses.

It is quite unfortunate, but the type that I eliminate the most from auditions is the "already made" type.

T: Ah I see, so you drop those that are "already made".

A: It's not hard to imagine how girls with production experiences will turn out here.  Not just me, but even the fans would think that the girls are talented and can improve without their support.  For my production, I think it's boring and we don't need that in AKB48.

And then you have Maeda Atsuko, who screamed "No!" and cried when I told her that she will sing as the center of AKB48.  Everyone else wanted to be the center and perform solo songs.  If I produce those girls and let them be complacent at the center position, there would be no drama.  That's why we had to have Maeda Atsuko.

T: But the audience didn't know that she didn't want it and cried, right?

A: That's not true, fans always notice these minor nuances.  This is why we have stage performances every day at the theater.

Fans that come every day might notice something and think, "Seemed like Acchan was in a bad mood today.  That was kind of weird and maybe something happened."  They would blog about it and forums would be abuzz with discussions.  After a week, maybe someone would catch something about how she cried when we told her about being center and recording songs.  This would then spread and fuel more discussions.  Fans are somehow able to cross the line between the stage and the seats.  They are very sensitive to information that is not directly divulged on stage.

- Maeda Atsuko has an aura of genius

T: She was not a talker.  Not suitable for center, right?

A: She couldn't talk at all.  But we made her center anyway because we think she has an aura of genius.

T: What exactly is an aura?

A: Aura.  I don't think I can explain it very well.  Maybe it's like amino acids.  When you go have a bowl of ramen at a street stall or a cart, you think "Why is this ramen so good?"  But you don't feel that way when you go to a 5-star hotel and have the ramen that's on the menu there.  I don't know if it's amino acids or inosonic acid, but it sure has something special.

Maeda Atsuko has that "something special".  No one told her what to say, but she came up with "I only have one wish.  You may hate me, but please don't hate AKB".  She has that kind of stroke of genius.

T: "You may hate me", that was what she said when her antis started chanting her name during the announcement of second place.  She said that even though she was pretty much told that she should just be in second place.  It reminds me of Nagashima Shigeo when I said "Giants are Forever".  Did you teach her to say tha?

A: No way (laughs).  If I were to write a script, it wouldn't have been that realistic.  When members ask me what they should say, I usually just say, "Don't think too much and decide on one thing.  Thank the fans, or say you're not satisfied with your place, just say one thing that's on your mind.".  I never tell them "say exactly this."

And the members caught this, too.  Like Shinoda Mariko's "Younger members, please come at me."  Just wow, I mean, you can't make this stuff up, it's realistic and very interesting.  As for Maeda's aura, the "plus alpha" that only she has, it's not so different from what the celebrities say when they describe someone with an unique aura.

Cultural Competence

I don't know how many people actually read my blog, but if you happen to be one of them, please share / retweet this.

I heard about all these posts on tumblr, through my twitter timeline, and the "extended discussions" these posts have generated.  These discussions apparently range from whether Minegishi's head was shaved by herself or by management, to feminist movements and gender equality in Japan.

One user in particular called for youtube users to report Minegishi's apology video as abusive and hopes youtube will take it down eventually.

I haven't read any of these posts myself - this is exactly the kind of inane discussion I avoid when it comes to this fandom (or any topic that requires in-depth knowledge across multiple disciplines, really).  But from my feeds, it feels like this is really getting out of hand, and the information that's being passed around is not entirely correct.

Here are the facts that have been clarified either by management or by Minegishi herself:
- she shaved her own head (calmly, as Togasaki mentioned in a supplementary post on AKB's official blog)
- her punishment for being involved with Shirahama is demotion
- she admitted to wrongdoing ("this was all my fault")

Please see my twitter translations of the Togasaki post from this afternoon for more information.

edit - here is the English version, from Togasaki's English g+ page

Anything else is speculation.  Calling this a "sex scandal" is not quite correct because no one knows the extent of her "wrongdoing" and I don't think we'll ever find out.  If legit Japanese news sources aren't calling this a sex scandal, why are Western tumblr users exaggerating?

As for head-shaving, feminist movement and gender equality - this might be hard to believe, but in Japanese culture, head-shaving is one way for a person to show regret and take responsibility for having done something wrong, or failing to keep a promise.  One may think of head-shaving as a modern version of the archaic practice of ritual suicide.

In recent Japanese history, people have shaved their own heads for much lesser reasons:
- in 1982 and 1999, two newscasters shaved their heads because the baseball team one of them supported did not win (1982); the other shaved his head in 1999 because the team he hated won (the team is Yomiuri Giants in both cases)
- Dervish Yu, a Japanese pitcher who now plays for Texas Rangers, shaved his head in 2008 because the Japanese National Baseball Team lost to Cuba
- Nagashima Shigeo, a hall-of-famer in Japanese Baseball, once shaved his head to apologize for behaving poorly to an umpire

It is relatively rare for women to shave their heads, but this does not mean they don't.

Westerners who are not familiar with this part of the Japanese culture will certainly see Minegishi's shaved head as something else, and that's understandable.  But I do wish the most outspoken tumblr users would do a bit of research before condemning a whole organization with insufficient knowledge.

As for the no-dating clause - I really dislike getting into this topic with non-fans, because this is a touchy / hairy subject even with existing fans.  In fact members don't even like to discuss it other than repeating the rule.  The bottom line is that they all joined AKB knowing that they could get in trouble for dating, and they willingly stayed in the group.

It is one thing to feel sorry for Minegishi, but quite another to call for boycotts or advocate gender equality in Japan when one doesn't know better.  Values that one grew up with aren't necessary the same for everyone, and what one sees on a regular basis in his/her home country is not always the norm in other countries.  If we can all take a little time to understand one another before being so judgmental, the world would be a much better place.

Here is a good place to start reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_competence

Hirata Rina's G+ Post

Hirata Rina wrote a long post after learning Minegishi Minami's demotion.  It was a very mature, sensible take on the situation and fans have applauded her for it.  I would like more people to see it so I translated it on twitter.  But there is only so much you can do with 140 characters, even with multiple tweets, so here is the unabridged version...

This is Hilary.

I was eating with Yukarun and Miyupon when I found out about what happened to Minegishi-san through Togasaki-san's blog.

We haven't heard anything so we were confused, we were not sure if posting on g+ was a good idea, but now I will write down what's on my mind.

I have always admired Minegishi-san.

At this point, KKS are not featured in performances of regular teams, so I have only been able to talk to her during concert rehearsals.  

But every time I see her, she is always very nice, and gives her everything during performances and MCs.

I have always wanted to be like her, someone who is able to do just about everything.

So I was very shocked to find out about this and really had no idea what to do.

To be honest I still have no idea what will happen.

But I do know that even if she broke the rules, her hard work up to this point has taught us many things.  And her strength has been part of AKB's support for the past 7 years.

I respect her as a person.

For someone so close to the goal, it must be difficult and takes a lot of courage to start again from beginning.  

So when she becomes a KKS, I will greet her with smile and respect.

What happened this time has made people angry, sad and hurt, but I would like to gather up all the negative feelings and share it with everyone - that way we can go through this together and share the happiness that comes after.

I still cannot believe she is going to be a KKS, but if it is true, we will do our best to learn everything we can from her and become better at what we do, no matter how little the growth may be.

We would also be very delighted if Minegishi-san is able to discover new things when she is with us.

We will do our best to make sure everyone enjoys AKB - we want you to think that your days are enjoyable because of us.

This is how we want to move forward.

I want to make everyone happy - this sentiment has not changed since I joined AKB.

I am going to work harder than ever, please look forward to it!

Hilary

Sato Natsuki Graduates from AKB48

From the official AKB48 blog - Sato Natsuki announced her graduation.
http://ameblo.jp/akihabara48/entry-11416598442.html

We are letting you know that on November 30th, Sato Natsuki graduated from AKB48.

We are sorry about the sudden announcement.

However she reached this conclusion after thinking about this thoroughly, so we have accepted it.

We have reproduced her message to fans below:

Sorry about the sudden news.

I, Sato Natsuki, will graduate from AKB48.

As a second generation member, I have really accumulated a lot of experiences during my time in AKB.  I have met and said goodbye to a lot of people during my exciting times here.

After 6.5 years here, the Tokyo Dome concert this summer was an eye-opening experience for me.

Being able to perform on the stage of Tokyo Dome, even though I was definitely not the focus of the concert, was definitely proof that I have accomplished my dream.  I will treasure this experience for the rest of my life.

I joined AKB I was 15, and when I realized it, I am 22...and because I am already 22...

I've been thinking about that, but realized I have been looking at the world as if I have seen a lot, and thought "wait, I am just 22."

Maybe there are things I have overlooked.

I realized there are still a lot of challenges, and a lot of things that need to be done diligently.

That's why now I want to go to an University, study hard, and graduate.

I want to be recognized as an able individual and I have to work hard for that.

I am going to focus on my studies and put the entertainment industry behind me.

I am sorry that I have come to this conclusion selfishly and caused trouble.

To fans that have supported me...

Thank you for all the smiles and all the love.

All my fans have great smiles that cheered me up and gave me courage all the time, but I've always been on the receiving end.

I have shown you my weaknesses as well, but you guys have become my support, which made me stronger.

Thank you for supporting someone like me.

I am grateful.

To my family...

Thank you for always being on my side.

I am sorry about all the trouble and tears I caused.

I will return the love you gave me many times more.

Thank you so much.

To staff and members - 

To all the staff, who have always been serious to me when I asked for advice.

To all the members that have laughed, cried and went through everything with me.

Because you were here all along with me

I was able to enjoy everything from the bottom of my heart.

The ability to laugh from the bottom of my heart until I start crying, I think that doesn't happen all the time.

The times I was able to spend with everyone during our extremely busy days, when we have to give everything every single day, is my life-long treasure, and it will serve me well for the rest of my life.

Thank you for the extremely happy times.

Sato Natsuki

Follow-Up Entry from Masuda Yuka

Masuda Yuka posted a follow-up entry today, found here
http://ameblo.jp/massuuu-yuttan/entry-11415891071.html

After reading the article and all the related reports, as well as messages from everyone, I feel that my blog post yesterday was written poorly and did not say everything I wanted to say, which made more people worry about me.

The article used words like "passionate love" and "adultery", which really shocked me because these are really not true.

I was able to build many relationships with other performers, which includes ISSA-san.
We talked about our dreams, futures, acting and singing.
Every day we talked about various things.  ISSA-san, as one of the performers, is like a brother to me and there are no romantic feelings whatsoever.

However, it was true that I acted inconsiderately, so it is not surprising this incident was written up that way. I am very very sorry.

Stage performance will start soon.
I am going to do my best.

Masuda Yuka

Masuda Yuka Resigns from AKB48

Masuda Yuka announced her resignation from AKB48 earlier this evening.

Here is the full translation of the related blog post, found here
http://ameblo.jp/massuuu-yuttan/entry-11415396132.html

"To Everyone"
Sorry about not updating this for a while.

This is quite sudden, but there will be an article about me tomorrow in one of the weekly magazines.

The article is about me staying over at the house of ISSA-san, who is from DA PUMP.

There are many untruths in the article, but the part about me staying over was true.

This inconsiderate action of mine has led to a lot of misunderstandings, as well as shocked many fans, team members, staff and family members that have supported me.

I have been thinking a lot about "Where to go from here?" In order to really draw a line, I have decided to withdraw from AKB48, as sudden as it is.

I am truly sorry to my fans, who have supported me since the beginning, that my withdrawal ended up like this.

To the people that are worrying about me because of the article, I wrote this blog post because I wanted to apologize to them first with my own words.

Masuda Yuka

Mitsumune Kaoru Graduates from AKB48

The official blog announced today that Mitsumune Kaoru has submitted her resignation from AKB:

With regards to Mitsumune Kaoru, who has been resting since August due to poor health - we are writing to let the fans know that she has submitted her resignation.

Here are her comments.

I know this is quite sudden, but I would like to quit from AKB48.
I joined last year as a 13th-generation Kenkyuusei, and was promoted to the new Team K during this summer's cabinet shuffle, I think there are surprised people asking why I am quitting. 

I have always been a bit weak, and that made it difficult for me to stand in front of you in perfect health.  I feel that if I just leave it like this, it will definitely cause trouble to those around me, and will put more pressure on myself, so I have asked to be let go.
All the staff member cheered me up and told me that it's ok to "slowly nurse myself back to full health", but I feel that maybe it's better if I quit AKB activities altogether.
As of now, all I've been doing is causing trouble to members and the staff because of my poor health, and it makes me really dislike myself.
I came to this conclusion after long discussions with staff members, and in the end they respect my decision to leave.
Now that I have announced this, I would like to apologize to everyone - not limited to fans and those who have supported me, because I have caused trouble equally to other members and staff. Even though I am no longer an AKB member, I would still like to appear before you in one way or another after resting and returning to my best condition.  I would be happy if you would wait patiently. 

I've only been here for 10 months, which is not a very long time, but I've experienced many things that can't be taught.
It was very enjoyable to spend time in the company of so many people.
Thank you so much for having me.  We will definitely meet somewhere sometime later. 

Mitsumune Kaoru

Just like all the fans, we hope we can meet her again soon.

AkiP's G+ Post About Sashihara

https://plus.google.com/113474433041552257864/posts/MMk84e6DgUW

Let's talk about Sashihara Rino's move to HKT48.

We talked to her about the magazine article.
Her response was "Not everything in there is true, but there's nothing I can do about it if people want to believe everything."
This happened 3-4 years ago, when she was still a kenkyuusei.  As an AKB48 member, she is ashamed and deeply regrets these irresponsible actions.
She has been given a "yellow card" and disciplined accordingly.

Her mental strength and "never give up" attitude are exemplary among AKB members.
I would like for her to pass this strength to junior members, so she is moved to the recently formed HKT48.
Those who say that she was "demoted" is insulting HKT48 members, as well as the fans and staff who support them.
We reached the conclusions after a long meeting that we want to present Sashihara with a new challenge, as well as motivate the young HKT48 members.

How clumsy can she be, despite having reached 4th place as voted by fans?
This is an important time...
But this is Sashihara.
Maybe she will come back as the leader HKT48, the strongest group among this franchise.
Or she will blend in as part of HKT48, the strongest group among this franchise.

Please keep supporting the AKB member that is "most likely to not perform according to expectations".

Quick Thoughts on 27th Senbatsu Election

Sorry about the lack of updates.  I spent all of May preparing for my wedding, which took place on June 2nd.

Anyway here are some thoughts on the election...


- Quite surprised that Muto Tomu ranked, super low-key KKS is now the center of Future Girls.  Looking forward to more of her.


- 23rd is a great place for Paruru to start.  It is low enough that if she does climb in the rankings, the progress will be very visible, and decently high for a popular member of a new team that is trying to prove itself.

- Akicha is much better as center of Undergirls than a back-row dancer in Senbatsu.  See also: "Kimi No Koto Ga Suki Dakara".

- 10 out of 16 Undergirls are NOT from AKB48, this will make the Tokyo girls work harder.

- Umechan finally in senbatsu!

- Kasai at 12th was quite surprising, considering we did not see a lot of her in the past year.  I almost thought she was not going to be called altogether.

- Jurina beats Rena.  I do acknowledge and admire her for being one of the hardest working members, but I feel that the hype surrounding her move to Team K and news about her physical condition gave her more votes than her work ethics / personality.

- Tomochin at 8th.  Both surprising and unsurprising.

- Mariko's speech was the most interesting of all.

- Sasshi jumped to 4th.  I still don't understand what her appeal is, but her visible hard work really paid off.

- Slightly surprised Yukirin did not move up to 2nd.  Queen of handshake events defeated by an Android :O

- I feel that Acchan stole Yuko's moment by coming out so early during her speech.

Quick Summary of 4th Senbatsu Election Candidates, Horse-Racing Style

This is taken from 2ch - therefore it is not "official" nor politically correct, but I thought it was hilarious and decided to translate it.

In Japan, betting on horse racing is quite popular, and there are newspapers/tabloids dedicated to this.  The writers use 4-character phrases to describe what they think of each horse.

Translated here are comments on last year's Top 40 members - I will try to use phrases with 4 words as well.

(edit - added Oba Mina)
(edit 2 - corrected translation for Nacchan, should say "good")

Hara Mizuki's Long Post on Her NMB48 Career

https://plus.google.com/116999436633946440277/posts/JtnYbPVutrV

It's quite late to talk about this now, but
I announced my graduation during the performance on 9th.

AkiP: Hard Work Will Pay Off Someday

This is most likely a response to Yamamoto Sayaka's long post, which itself is a response to a long post from Hara Mizuki (recently graduated kks).

https://plus.google.com/113474433041552257864/posts/auqZa1iqdbB

For those who think their hard work have not paid off.

The only thing you can do is keep up the hard work.
Work hard, and wait for your chance, that's really about it.

Maeda Atsuko's Video Message To Fans

Togasaki on SDN48's Final Concert

https://plus.google.com/103388469578205010447/posts/j6pcwYeLK8G

Hi everyone, I just got home from the post-concert celebration.
I am seriously drunk.
I probably will regret writing this drunk post...
But

I think today's SDN48 graduation concert
was really really the best concert.
"Complete Combustion" (translator note: going all out)
"Everlasting"
are probably the best words to describe the concert.
And even though I already know this, today I was reassured that SDN48 is really supported by passionate fans.

The cheering was loud enough to shake up NHK Hall.
The MIXing chants, and the voices from all the fans that called out their names one by one.
All of these show their love for SDN48.
Members were crying because they saw the fans were cheering and crying until their voices gave out
But in the end there were smiles on all of their faces as they finished with "Kodoku na Runner" in true SDN48 fashion.

Like Noro said
"We SDN48 may not leave a huge legacy like AKB48, but we are happy as long as we can remain in your memories."
Today will definitely be remembered.

The members that gave everything during the 2-year, 8 months of SDN48 career also gave everything they had today.  They "completely combusted" as some members collapsed after the show and remained immobile for a while.
They will treasure this experience as all 39 members were of one mind today.
From here on, please feel free to come back to the theater and recharge if you're having a rough day or feeling down.

Finally - after the concert I had an argument with a fan who could not come to terms with SDN48 graduation.  Things got emotional and I am sorry that it went bad.

Goodnight.

Maeda Atsuko's Message to Fans

She gave a speech during "AKB48's All Night Nippon" radio program, here is the full translation.
(Wingom from ProjectSUB48 helped me with parts that I couldn't figure out - Thanks!)

AkiP and Kobayashi Kana

Kobayashi Kana posted about a conversation with her father:

https://plus.google.com/111171583195412578810/posts/EpH4N1PieHv

Dad called and yelled at me -
He told me to work harder
and that I'm not understanding the order of chance is different for everyone
Comparing me with others
He must be worried.
I understand
I do understand, but...
and now I'm writing this because I'm feeling down
I'm sorry.
Goodnight.

AkiP shared this and responded:

https://plus.google.com/113474433041552257864/posts/3bcHWjYmJ5b

Everyone is working pretty hard.
So is Kana.
You don't know when the order of chance is coming to you.
Maybe it won't.
But you can only do your best and wait.
But didn't "Kurukupaa" rank pretty high this year during Reqhest Hour?
It's because you were sitting there with the green onion.
You're waiting for your chance.
I can only tell you to keep doing your best.
But, someone will surely see your worth down the road.

Oh and sorry about the lack of formatting in the past few entries - too many things going on and had to translate as fast as possible, so formatting had to take the backseat.

AkiP Posts More About Maeda Graduation

https://plus.google.com/113474433041552257864/posts/9nRvwTaMEJq


Sponsors, advertisement agencies and record company were surprised by Maeda Atsuko's graduation announcement.
Usually I'm supposed to be the one making all the arrangements, 
but it turned out like this because I let Maeda make the final decision.


I think she was able to do it without hesitation and confusion because I told her, "Don't think about anything else and decide for yourself."


I would like to apologize to all the staff.
I will take full responsibility.


But her smile was so refreshing - wasn't it great?


I am writing this because I've been getting an earful at meetings about commercials and CD releases, after the graduation announcement hype calmed down a bit.

AkiP On Maeda Atsuko Graduation Announcement

https://plus.google.com/113474433041552257864/posts/9jSYghm9jms

Maeda Atsuko announced her graduation.
We discussed this quite a few times, and of course I tried to stop her, but I told her "please decide for yourself".
I also said that if she decides to announce it, then do it on the last day of SSA concert.
Probably during the MC of "Dareka no Tameni".
When her hand was on her chest and she was calming down, I thought, "she's going to do it."

She is a stoic person.
She doesn't like to have casual/meaningless relationships with people so she corners herself.
She is a loner.
She is hard on herself and sometimes people think she's cross.
But it's also difficult for her when she thinks everyone coddles her.
Maybe she is afraid that if she stays in this easy environment longer, she might become an unreasonable, selfish person.
So, she is going to challenge herself by jumping into the cruel real world.

I have asked the ever-so-clumsy Maeda to be the center for 6-1/2 years, so it's time to let her do what she wants.

We haven't decided anything yet, but we would like everyone to send warm wishes to her graduation.

You worked very, very hard.
You did great.

More Afterthoughts from AkiP and Togasaki about Jurina and Miyuki

https://plus.google.com/113474433041552257864/posts/hbTiZtd5gCg

Oops, I meant to post yesterday, but this post didn't go through.
It's difficult to decide whether or not to go ahead with something new,
because of course some people will disagree.
I am the producer of the entire AKB48 group.
I don't think it's a good idea to only focus on making AKB48 better.
SKE48, NMB48, HKT48, JKT48 are also important groups.
I don't know what the time frame is for Jurina and Miyuki's rental transfer,
because we haven't decided the schedule for original performance for Team N of NMB48, new performance for Team S of SKE48, Team K and B of AKB48.
Also because we want to give them more experience.
Of course it will be slow and we will not overwork the members.
We also want Jurina to do well in school.
It's possible that AKB48 members will be "studying abroad" and sent to SKE48, NMB48, HKT48, JKT48.
Let's try some new ideas.

https://plus.google.com/113474433041552257864/posts/Wuew2kD7CRH

Thanks for everyone's passionate comments.
"Please explain this in detail"
It's important to explain everything,
but I am not at liberty to tell you everything.
With regards to Jurina, her health condition is our priority.  She works harder than her body allows because she feels responsible as one of the two centers of SKE48.  In a good way her rivalry with Rena is keeping her up.
To be concurrently in SKE and AKB, I feel that she's not resting if she doesn't perform when she is asked to go on stage.  It's also no good to let Jurina rest when SKE is working very hard out there.  I talked to Yuko and Itano from AKB, and they think that Jurina can grow by learning the group stage songs, and SKE will grow by having to cover Jurina's absence.
With regards to Miyuki - she is always between being confident and being worried.  She always double-checks with the manager about her position for new songs or gravure shoots.  She is the type that cries and comes asking "Why was I not chosen" when we announced that Yamamoto Sayaka was picked for senbatsu for AKB's new song.  As one of the two current centers of NMB, and as future center material, we want her to have more charisma like Kashiwagi or Mayu.
We want Team K to benefit from Jurina's high potential, and Team B to benefit from Miyuki's "magic" - this should give them a good jolt.
I am doing this for SKE and NMB.
If this decision turns out wrong,
I will resign as SKE and NMB's producer.
Of course, if this is also a wrong decision for AKB,
then I will resign as AKB's producer as well.
I will push the entire AKB group forward, even if this means putting myself on the line.

https://plus.google.com/113474433041552257864/posts/KaEHywLF43K

Here's one more thing.
A lot of people are asking, "Why them?"  So here's the answer.
These are "signs".  Like when a flower about to bloom, I feel these girls are on the brink of stardom.
Even if it's just now.
Maybe there will be other "signs" in 6 months, from members that I didn't choose.
The cruel part,
is that blooming has nothing to do with seniority or hard work.
It's not that hard work doesn't pay off, but rather "hard work" is one of the minimum requirements.
But still they won't bloom equally.
I want to make as many members bloom, so I change how I shine the light on them, I choose different fertilizers, I change the amount of water.
Like Iwasa Misaki, the first Enka singer in AKB, and Matsui Sakiko, who is about to release her first solo album.
But what will happen to ones that haven't bloomed?
They get worried, and they become dissatisfied with how they are being brought up.
What kind of advice am I suppose to give them?
It's hard to console them.
"Wait until you bloom"
"Wait until the it's your chance"
Do I focus on a few, or open up the field to everyone and end up not having a lot of flowers blooming?
Maybe one can get into AKB.
But it isn't guaranteed that everyone will become a star.
It's "Can you accept this cruel reality?"
As a producer I always try my hardest to make as many people stars as possible.
But I want them to understand that the road to stardom requires more than this.
"But Akimoto-san decided that I pass the audition"
Exactly.
So even the ones that haven't bloomed will have a chance to bloom.
What if you're still not blooming?
Then that means I have bad eyes.
So please go see someone else who has more talent than me.
I will write referrals.
Until then, please let me know of "seeds" that I haven't noticed.

https://plus.google.com/113474433041552257864/posts/baBdEDm7XdV

Last week, I stayed up all night writing a new NMB song.  Now I'm writing a new SKE song.
I think about these groups more than anyone else, but am I making the wrong decisions?
I've stopped writing.
Hmmmm.
What to do.
It's a shame that SKE and NMB fans don't understand where I'm coming from.

From Togasaki:
https://plus.google.com/103388469578205010447/posts/PnnJvptUpS3

I have received a lot of questions from everyone, regarding the "Concurrent" roles.  We will let you know as soon as we work out the details and adjustments, so please bears with us.
As expected, we acknowledge that there are pros and cons.
Looks like there are a lot of people that want to talk to me in person - please come see me at the Theater CD handshake event on April 7th in the Manager Room.
I would also like to meet SKE and NMB fans to talk about this.
I have talked to the respective managers and will be going to their respective event venues, so please wait patiently.
Anyway - these sudden announcements might be shocking, but the theme for AKB48 group, known for its increasing sister units and sub-units, is "change".
The two members will bring DNA from their time in AKB48 and spread them in SKE/NMB.  By the same token, SKE/NMB DNA will be brought to AKB48.
We would like to think of this as a chemical reaction.
What kind of reaction, though?  I would be glad to wait with everyone and find out.