She joined Nogizaka46 as 4th generation member and spent her high school life in the group. As she graduates this spring, a wide pathway spreads out in front of her. Under the clear sky, she looks back down the hill as she continues climbing it. Reflected in her smile is a future filled with hope.
Photographer: Mochida Kaoru
Writer: Onuki Shinnosuke
Stylist: Yuya
Hair and Makeup: Yokoyama Raishirou
My “weapons”
— Firstly, I’d like to talk to you about the “9th YEAR BIRTHDAY LIVE” that was held on 2nd February. In your blog, you wrote, “My goal for the Birthday Live is be both cool and cute”. When you were divided into two teams and performed “Influencer” and “Nandome no Aozora ka?” in the first half of the Live, did you feel that was a good experience for you?
Shibata The level of the performance of our senior members was much higher than that of our own, so we did our best to try and match them. Even if the movements are the same, if the details in the angles and eye movements are different, then the audience will notice this. We didn’t want people to say “Oh, the 4th gen members aren’t able to do it”, so we talked it out amongst ourselves and I focused on studying the dance moves of (Hori) Miona-san and (Akimoto) Manatsu-san.
— Did you study Manatsu-san by watching her?
Shibata Manatsu-san’s dancing is really good (laughs).
— I apologise (laughs). Apparently there were some changes in the choreography for “Influencer”?
Shibata During the interlude we used a chair as a prop for the dance, and I happy that I was paired up with (Iwamoto) Renka-san for it. We talked a bit and I think we were able to become a little closer.
— I felt that there was a lot of emphasis on the singing part of “Nandome no Aozora ka?”.
Shibata I love “Nandome no Aozora ka?” so much that I performed it during the final stages of the Sakamichi Joint Auditions, and whenever I sing it I get the feeling of “I’m a member of Nogizaka46!”.
— During the 4th Gen Live (6th December 2020), both you and Yumiki (Nao)-san performed “Shibuya Blues”. Do you feel that “singing” could be a weapon of yours?
Shibata I’ve been trying to find what I would consider my “weapon” for a long time, and I’m starting to think it might be “singing”, but I’m still not sure.
I couldn’t imagine how much it’d hurt, so I thought I’d give it a shot anyway (laughs). I think I’m pretty brave, if I do say so myself.
— When I heard your singing on “Nogiobi” (3rd February), I thought, “She’s good!”.
Shibata I think I sing quite a bit because I’m often given the tasks to sing (laughs). The fans tell me, “I really like your singing”, so I want to keep doing it more so I can have confidence in my ability.
— Are you actively doing anything to improve your singing ability?
Shibata I used to attend voice training lessons, but due to coronavirus, I haven’t been able to go. Lately, I’ve just been working on my voice training on my own.
— I hope to hear Shibata-san sing a solo at a large concert one day.
Shibata I’m not a natural at singing, but I’ll keep working hard to become good.
I’m not “meek”
— How would you describe “Shibata Yuna” in your own words?
Shibata I’m still not sure of that up until now.
— Do you think that you’re the “scaredy cat” from your “Nogizaka Denshidai” segment during the “Nogizaka46 Hours TV” (19th June 2020)?
Shibata Ah~ I think so (laughs). I’ve been a “scaredy cat” ever since middle school.
— But during the “Voluntary 4th Gen Derby” on “Nogizaka Under Construction” you managed to stop the metal pan from dropping just before it hit your head.
Shibata That’s right! I thought it’d make it funnier if the metal pan hit my head rather than stopping it at such a high place, so I went in with the intention of letting it hit me, but it turned out to be good timing for when I happened to stop it (laughs).
— It’s amazing that you had “the intention of letting it hit you”!
Shibata I couldn’t imagine how much it’d hurt, so I thought I’d give it a shot anyway (laughs). I think I’m pretty brave, if I do say so myself.
— You’re a “scaredy cat”, but you can be brave when you need to be.
Shibata That sounds right.
— It seems that Nogizaka46 fans in general have an image of you as being “meek”.
Shibata That’s what people think. But actually, that’s not the case at all (laughs). Up till now, I haven’t had many opportunities to show who I am, so I hope people will see me as “not so meek” in the future.
— I thought of that when I saw how straightforward you were on “Nogiobi”, and I wondered if you were the same when you talk to the fans one-on-one.
Shibata During those times, it’s because of the tension of the online meet & greet (laughs). That’s just how I am.
— But you’re not the boisterous type, are you?
Shibata That’s right. I’ll leave the “boisterous type” to (Seimiya) Rei-chan (laughs).
— In a previous interview, you mentioned that “during primary school, you were a bright and cheerful girl, but then closed yourself off during middle school”. Can you tell us more about that time?
Shibata I don’t really remember much from that time. We moved before I started middle school, so I was surrounded by people who I didn’t know, and I guess that’s how it all began.
— Did you feel like you didn’t want to go to school?
Shibata I hated going to school, but my mother insisted I go, which I tried to fight against every day. I ended up going to school in tears.
— What would you do after you finished school?
Shibata I would go to my grandmother’s place and eat dinner and have a bath there. After that, I’d go home and go straight to bed and that would be how I lived my life. I love my grandfather and grandmother. I’d also go play with my friends from primary school, and I also attended tutoring and gymnastics classes.
— You had a place to go to outside of school. It was also during middle school that you fell in love with Nogizaka46, wasn’t it?
Shibata I fell in love after watching them on NHK’s “Kouhaku Utagassen”. But during primary school I would say “I liked AKB48”, and people would make fun of me saying things like “You’re a girl, why would you like them?”, so I was a little hesitant to start. When I was in kindergarten, I wanted to become an idol, but gave up because I had to be over 12 years old. Even during middle school, my goal was to become a flight attendant or airline ground crew, so until the Sakamichi Joint Auditions came along, I didn’t have any intentions on becoming an idol.
— So during middle school, you were shut off from the world, but since joining Nogizaka46, that lid has been lifted?
Shibata Yes. Joining Nogizaka46 and starting high school, I felt that I needed to change. Rather than “change” to become who I was in primary school, it was more of a “return” to who I am.
SHIBATA’s justice
— The theme for your 26th single PV was “Posing Genius”. I felt this showed a side of Shibata-san that we have not seen before.
Shibata When I first heard about it, I thought “Why me!?”. It was written as “being good for people who are good at dancing and posing”. That made me depressed and I cried, “This isn’t suited for me!”. After that, through the internal trial and error, I ended up going ahead with the recording.
— Did you have a script for it?
Shibata No, I didn’t have a script, but the director provided instructions right there and then. Posing freestyle was a bit hard, but I had fun and had my hair styled after my favourite Amuro Namie-san. That said, I’m not a fan of the mature look.
— Oh, is that right?
Shibata Ever since I was young, I’ve been told I look “mature for my age”, so I’ve always tried to look my age.
— On the contrary, I think your mature image looks refreshing.
Shibata I’m glad to hear that. I like not having a fringe, but because I didn’t want to be called “mature”, I left them down.
Rather than “change” to become who I was in primary school, it was more of a “return” to who I am.
— Do you believe you’ve learned how to deal with new things through the shooting of your individual PV?
Shibata What I lack is an ability to “improvise”, so this was a great experience for me. When I see (Tamura) Mayu-chan, I am impressed by her “ability to respond to the given situation”. I’m envious because I can’t do that myself.
— There are also situations on “Nogizaka Skits” (Nippon TV) that require you to adlib, aren’t there?
Shibata “Nogizaka Skits” has trained me a lot in this regard, and I’m now able to focus and move on quickly.
— On the skit “My Pace Hero Captain Yuri”, you play the role of the last boss, SHIBATA, but that is a character in contrast to your peace-loving self, isn’t it?
Shibata That’s right. I didn’t think that I’d have such a dark image. Actually, I do have that side to me too (laughs). I’ve been wanting to try out acting a darker, scarier character, so I’m glad I got this chance.
— Do you ever think about sides of the character that aren’t stated on the script?
Shibata I do. When an actor thinks about the smaller details of a role, it makes it feel like they’ve brought the character to life, so I thought I should do the same.
— So really, it’s just SHIBATA trying to enact out her own justice.
Shibata That’s what I think. She wants to change the world.
— Is that what the real Shibata-san wants too!?
Shibata No no no (laughs). Just as SHIBATA.
— Hopefully we get to see more sides of you in the future, just like in your individual PV and as SHIBATA.
Shibata I hope so too. What people have seen of me so far is only a small portion of who I am. I don’t want to conceal myself and want everyone to know more about me. And now that I’ve graduated from high school, I think it’s time for me to push myself to do more.
— Lastly, you graduated from high school in March, but is there anything else that you’d like to “graduate” from?
Shibata I’ve always said that “I want to graduate from needing my mother to wake me up in the morning!” but lately, I’ve been able to get up on my own…… I want to become more independent and less reliant on my mother. Just the other day, the washing detergent package that I had always used had changed, so I tried calling my mother to ask if it was okay to use this detergent from the store. She didn’t answer so I left without buying it. When I went back to buy it the next day, my mother still wasn’t answering her phone. In the end, I bought it after asking my grandmother (laughs).
— It seems like you still have a long way to becoming independent (laughs).
Shibata I’ll do my best (laughs).
PROFILE
Shibata Yuna. Born 3rd March 2003, Chiba prefecture. With the promise of variety, she is the “Great Commander Shibata” who faced down the falling metal pan. Just like (Great Commander Shibata) Katsuie’s deep dedication to his vassals, she has a strong love for her hometown, and is expected to play an active role as SHIIBA-chan, the partner of Chiba prefecture’s mascot CHIIBA-kun. Her nicknames are “Yuna” and “Yun-chan”.
halcyon Translations 