After the Sapporo concert, "You and the band have grown so much!

--Please tell us frankly how you felt about the Sapporo concert.

Maori Ohno (Ohno): I was really looking forward to the show because it was the first time in about three years that we had performed in Hokkaido. Since we have fewer regular fans than we do in the mainland, I was worried that the show would be more exciting than usual, but I was really happy to see that all the fans who came to the show were excited and enjoying themselves.

Rio Kiyohara (Kiyohara): I had the best time!　It reminded me of the last time we performed in Hokkaido, and I felt nostalgic. I felt nostalgic, remembering the last time we performed in Hokkaido. I felt that it was thanks to all the fans that we were able to come back again after several years, and my heart was filled with emotion as I looked at them all.

Risako Morita (Morita): This was our first live performance in Hokkaido as a band, and I was very nervous because I had been looking forward to it for a long time. However, with the support of the floor, I think we were able to give a very passionate live performance.

--What kind of enthusiasm did you have for the live show?

Ohno: There were many people who had not seen us for a long time and some who had not seen us for the first time, so I wanted to show them how much Kimi to Band had grown!　I was a little more determined than usual to show them that "Kimi to band has grown so much! We had never done a live concert before with a Zepp tour scheduled for next year, so I think we were doing the concert with that kind of mindset so that it would lead us to the next stage.

Kiyohara: It has been several years since we last performed in Hokkaido, and there were many people who hadn't seen us in a while or who were seeing us for the first time, so we went into the show with the intention of giving a performance that would reach the audience with the right amount of passion. I would be happy if the audience could feel that we have grown even a little since the last time we performed.

Morita: I had been studying how to sing, so I wanted to try it out! I wanted to try it out!" So I changed my singing style for some songs, so I wanted to make the live performance more focused on the songs than the performance.

--Morita: I was very happy when I was able to sing in the live show.

Ohno: For the surprise performance, we did Risa-chan's solo song. Our schedule was a bit busy, so we crammed in a lot of drum practice. I was really nervous, the most nervous I've been in recent times, wondering if I would make a mistake on stage (laughs). (laughs) But I remember there was a fan who cried when he heard the song, which made me happy that I had done my best.

Kiyohara: "Ano hoko ni" (To that place) left a strong impression on me. Maie talked about next year's Zepp tour in the MC before she started the song, and I was really excited as I listened to her talk. The lyrics of the song were written by all the members, so as we played the song, our thoughts for the next Zepp tour grew stronger, and I think we were able to put our emotions into the song.

Morita: For the encore, I was given a surprise opportunity to perform my solo song with you and the band. The band members practiced hard in spite of their own busy schedules, and it turned out to be a really great performance. It was a great performance. was the only word I could say.

--I was very happy to be able to play with you.

Ohno: Of course!　I was able to finish. No matter how many mistakes I made or troubles I had, I always try to do my best, and I was satisfied just to be able to enjoy the space with the fans.

Kiyohara: We were able to finish the event!　As a surprise, we all performed Risa-chan's solo song together, and I was very nervous all the way until she performed it, so I was relieved that it ended well.

Morita: We were able to finish it!　I was even more fired up to look even better by the time we come to Sapporo next time.

What did the members enjoy in Sapporo?

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

Ohno-san: Of course the live concerts, but Hokkaido is all about the food!　Seafood, meat, ramen, there are so many things I want to eat that I am always in trouble when I come to Hokkaido (laughs). This time, after the concert, we went to a restaurant that had all of Hokkaido's specialties!　It is really great to have a meal after a fun concert. It was thanks to our fans that we were able to have such a delicious meal!　Thank you very much.

Mr. Kiyohara: I remember the last time we came to Hokkaido, all the members were drinking together and talking about hot topics. This time, the members gathered in a hotel room and talked over drinks. It was the first time for us to get together like this, so it was a lot of fun, and I was happy to see our bond strengthened again this time in Hokkaido.

Morita: Personally, I was very happy that I was able to wake up early and go running in Hokkaido, and that I was able to take a walk afterwards and find a nice cafe and have a cup of coffee. Of course, I will never forget the barbecue we all had together.

See you again at Zepp Sapporo!"

--We are going to come back to Sapporo in a year!　What would you like to say to your fans?

Ohno-san: Next year, we will finally start the greatest challenge in the history of Kimito and band. 3 years ago, the venue happened to be Zepp Sapporo next door, and I was half jokingly saying, "Oh, I want to play here! Three years ago, the venue happened to be Zepp Sapporo, and I was jokingly saying, "Well, I want to play here! I am scared and excited at the same time, thinking that the future of Kimi and the band will change depending on whether this tour is successful or not. I would like as many people as possible to see the culmination of the hard work we have put in over the past four years as Kimi to Band. And it is undeniably thanks to our fans that we have come this far. See you again at Zepp Sapporo!

Kiyohara: Whenever I have visited Hokkaido, I have often said in the MC, "I don't know when I will see you again, but please wait for me! I am very happy that we have a promise to see each other next time.
I will definitely come back with a more powerful you and the band, so please wait for us. I will do my best in the days to come for all the performances in all five locations!　I want to run through the show with everyone in Kimi. Thank you for your continued support!

Morita: Of all the venues, I am sure that Sapporo will be the most difficult. Of course we are grateful for those who are willing to travel to Sapporo, but we also need more people in Hokkaido to get to know us, so we would be very happy if those in Hokkaido who came this time would help us spread the word. And for those who came on this trip, we would like them to feel strongly that since they had such a good time, they should go with us again the next time. We will do our best, so please come and see us. We will do our best, so please come and see us for sure!

Text: Kyohei Yamashita