Keyakizaka46 has triumphant 1st anniversary concert at Keyakizaka

A year ago, when Keyakizaka46 was formed, the name was a big surprise. Up to that moment, the group had been called Toriizaka46.

Keyakizaka is a tony shopping street that runs along beside the upscale Roppongi Hills Mall. Months ago, members of the group said that one of their ambitions was to someday play a concert at Keyakizaka. That day came sooner than expected, Saturday evening.

Here is a report from the entertainment press, painting a picture of a triumphant love-fest between the group and an outdoor venue packed with its fans:

Neru goes to the art gallery and a movie

2016.8.20

Art Gallery

Hello.

Recently I like to sleep with the window open.
The breeze feels nicer than the air-con.

The other day, after work,
I went to the Paul Smith exhibition
at the Ueno Mori Art Gallery

It's a world-view I love so much
That it almost seemed a waste for me to take it in.

My desire to see it as soon as possible
and the knowledge that once I started, my viewing of it would be sure to end
competed in me.


At the entrance to the Gallery
I wondered if I should go in after all (lol)

But in the end I went straight in.

Katou Shiho -- "Sorry for that unsightly Showroom broadcast" (blog post)

Katou Shiho is one of my favorite members of Hiragana Keyaki. She's a slow-talking 18-year-old graduate with a lazy smile, a soft face, and a personable manner. She has said that during high school, she had a part-time job in a convenience store and can operate a cash register "at the speed of light."

Two days ago, however, Katoshi had to shut down her Showroom broadcast in tears. It was another good broadcast, with her as present as ever, seeming to speak directly to you. She admitted she was feeling a bit negative -- probably feeling she had to work on her singing and dancing. And then disaster struck.

Her stream was acting up and she, in her "my pace" style, simply got up to go and check things out, leaving the field of view. But as she left, she knocked the camera and it swung to reveal a glimpse of a messy corner of her room, with clothes and bags jumbled over each other. Seemed fairly normal to me, lol, but not very presentable.

Viewers made a few snide comments, but she soldiered on for a while. Tears began to spring to her eyes, however. She said what bothered her most was that Kakizakai Memi, her young friend in Hiragana Keyaki, would surely be watching.

Keyakizaka46: which member of Nogizaka46 would you like to go on a "yukata date" with?

BLT magazine asked members of Keyakizaka46 which member of Nogizaka46 they would like to go on a "yukata date" with, and where.

1. Hashimoto Nanami
Shida Manaka -- She's exactly my type.
Watanabe Risa -- I'd like to do target-shooting and goldfish-scooping.
Ozeki Rika -- She's an adult, so I'd like her to take me somewhere to see beautiful night scenery.
Suzumoto Miyu -- I've always admired her.
Yonetani Nanami -- She was my motivation to enter the audition. And since I've met her, I really love her.

2. Shiraishi Mai
Watanabe Rika -- I love her.
Oda Nana -- I want to stare at her profile and the nape of her neck.
Kobayashi Yui -- She's ridiculously beautiful.
Moriya Akane -- I'd like to stroll around between Shiraishi and Etou.

3. Ikuta Erika
Ozeki Rika -- I've really respected her since before I entered Keyakizaka.
Sugai Yuuka -- I'd like to go to a festival with her.
Nagasawa Nanako -- I'd like to go with her to the Kaminarimon (at Asakusa Temple) and walk around eating.

"Hiragana Keyaki" song lyrics

Takase Mana has done us a service. She has published in her blog the lyrics to Hiragana Keyaki's song "Hiragana Keyaki," indicating what group of singers sings each line.

This allows us to hear and judge each group of singers. Not a problem for Manafi, who seems to be one of the best singers among the Hiraganas, lol. Here she is recording one of the lines they all sing together: "machikado no keyakitte"
 

I have taken the Japanese and romanized it, line for line. Then I have translated it, line for line when particular singers are singing, but a bit more loosely when the whole group sings together.

Since this is for an English-speaking audience, I lay out the romanization first, the translation second, and the actual Japanese third:

2channel: "Suzumon, I love you! I want to know more about youuuuuuuu!"

keyakizaka-channel.com compilation of photos and comments from 2channel (photos originally from Miyu's blog and from BLT graph magazine):

-- There's a Suzumon shortage

Kakizaki Memi of Hiragana Keyaki on Showroom

Memi-tan proved again a few hours ago on Showroom that she is a natural idol. Young (14), hesitant, but forthcoming and confident in dealing with fans. And clearly still on a high from her debut.

Praise and affection poured in to her in Showroom messages. Here is the first part of her session, to give you an idea of who this person is. You'll be seeing more of her over the next few years:


柿崎 芽実 けやき坂46（ひらがなけやき）160818 18時00分...

She said was nervous before her first handshake session last weekend, but was happy to discover that she enjoyed it a lot. People were nice and she could talk with them. She wished she could answer every question, but couldn't find the words. She will try to get better at that.