After the Sapporo show: "This is how much Kimi to Band has grown!"

--Please give us your honest thoughts on the Sapporo show.

Mai Ohno (hereafter, Ohno): It had been about three years since our last live show in Hokkaido, so I was really looking forward to it. There are fewer regular fans compared to our shows on the main island, so I was a bit worried if it would be as lively, but seeing every single fan who came get excited and have fun made me really happy.

Rio Kiyohara (hereafter, Kiyohara): It was amazing! I remembered our last live show in Hokkaido, and it felt nostalgic. I felt that being able to come back like this after a few years is all thanks to our fans, and my heart warmed up watching everyone.

Risako Morita (hereafter, Morita): It was my first live show in Hokkaido with the band, and while I was really looking forward to it, I was also very nervous. However, I think we were able to have a very passionate live show thanks to the support from the floor.

--What was your mindset going into the show?

Ohno: There were many people we hadn't seen in a while and many new faces, so I went in with a slightly more forward-leaning feeling, wanting to show them, "This is how much Kimi to Band has grown!" We've also never performed with a Zepp tour already decided for the next year, so I think I was conscious of making it a performance that would lead to the next step.

Kiyohara: It was our first live show in Hokkaido in several years, and I thought there might be many people seeing us for the first time in a while or for the first time ever, so I went in with the intention of delivering a performance where our passion would reach the audience. I hope it was a show where they could feel our growth, even just a little, compared to last time.

Morita: I was in the middle of studying different singing styles, so I wanted to try them out! There were songs where I completely changed my singing style, so I was determined to make it a live show where I focused on my singing even more than the performance.

--Please tell us about a particularly memorable scene.

Ohno: For the surprise, we performed Risa-chan's solo song. The schedule was a bit tight, so I had to cram in a lot of drum practice. I was the most nervous I've been in a long time about whether I would make a mistake during the actual performance (laughs). But I heard that some fans were crying while listening to that song, so I was happy that my hard work paid off. That was memorable.

Kiyohara: "Ano Basho e" was very memorable. Before the song, Mai-chan talked about next year's Zepp tour during her MC, and listening to that got me really fired up. "Ano Basho e" is a song we all wrote the lyrics for together, so while playing it, my feelings for the upcoming Zepp tour intensified, and I feel like I was able to perform with a lot of emotion.

Morita: During the encore, I was given the opportunity to perform my solo song with Kimi to Band as a surprise. The members practiced it amidst their own busy individual activities, and the performance turned out to be really great. It was, in a word, "amazing!"

--So, were you able to give it your all?

Ohno: Of course! I gave it my all. No matter what mistakes or troubles happen, my top priority is to see it through to the end, and just being able to enjoy that space with the fans is satisfying enough for me.

Kiyohara: I gave it my all! We performed Risa-chan's solo song as a surprise, and I was nervous until we performed it, so I was relieved when it was over safely.

Morita: I gave it my all! It made me even more determined to come back to Sapporo as a much-improved version of myself next time.

What the members enjoyed in Sapporo

--What did you enjoy during your stay in Sapporo?

Ohno: The live show, of course, but when you think of Hokkaido, you think of food! Seafood, meat, ramen... there are so many things I want to eat that I always have trouble deciding when I come to Hokkaido (laughs). This time, we went to an after-party after the show at a place that had all of Hokkaido's famous dishes! The meal after a fun live show is truly the best. Being able to eat such delicious food is all thanks to our fans! Thank you so much.

Kiyohara: The last time we came to Hokkaido, I remember all the members having a passionate talk over drinks. This time, we gathered in a hotel room and talked over drinks. It was the first time we had gathered like that, so it was a lot of fun, and I'm happy that our bond deepened again on this trip to Hokkaido.

Morita: Personally, I was very happy that I could wake up early and go for a run in Hokkaido, and then find a lovely cafe during a walk and have a coffee. Of course, I'll never forget the barbecue we had together either.

"Let's meet again at Zepp Sapporo!"

--It's been decided that you will return to Sapporo in a year! Do you have a message for your fans?

Ohno: Next year, the biggest challenge in the history of Kimi to Band will finally begin. The venue three years ago just happened to be next to Zepp Sapporo, and I remember half-jokingly saying, "Wow, I want to play here!" I never imagined that three years later, I would actually be able to stand on that stage. I think the future of Kimi to Band will change depending on whether this tour is a success, so I have a mix of feelings—fear and excitement. I want as many people as possible to see the culmination of our hard work over the past four years as Kimi to Band. And it is without a doubt thanks to our fans that we have come this far. Thank you so much. Let's meet again at Zepp Sapporo!

Kiyohara: When we came to Hokkaido in the past, I often said in my MCs, "I don't know when we'll see you next, but please wait for us!" But this time, I'm so happy that we have a promise to meet again.
We will definitely come back as a more powered-up Kimi to Band, so I hope you'll wait for us. We will give our all every day for all five shows! I want to run through it all together with all the "Kimi." Please continue to support us!

Morita: Of all the venues, I think Sapporo will probably be the most challenging. Of course, we are grateful to those who travel to see us, but I think we need to become more known to the people of Hokkaido. So, to all the Hokkaido residents who came this time, I would be happy if you could help spread the word about us. And to those who traveled to see us this time, I want you to think, "That was so much fun, let's go again next time!" We'll do our best, so please, definitely come and see us!!

Text: Kyohei Yamashita