Welcome to the NBK: Berryz Kobo interview, August 2007 Kindai

Berryz Kobo's 14th single "Kokuhaku no Funsui Hiroba" [Confession at the Water Fountain Plaza] is released on June 27. The new song, in the style of a Showa era ballad, is a sweet, drifting midtempo number. A summer concert tour is also in the works. In this interview we'll hear about the new song, their excitement about the tour, and some confessions of youth.

What kind of song is "Kokuhaku no Funsui Hiroba"?

Pure Water Help Chronicle The first time all of Berryz Kobo got together to listen to it, we felt the tune was kind of different, it was like a ballad in style, and everyone was saying "It has a strange feeling to it."

Heir Long Peach Child It's not something from this era, it's more of an old-school song. Even my mom and dad, when we listened to it together, they said something like "Ah, how nostalgic!" And the lyrics are about simple, straightforward feelings, the kind of real-life experiences that happen to a lot of people, so I think it's something everyone can relate to.

Virtue Long Thousand Nara Beauty It tells a story with the angsty lyrics. You're motivated to confess to someone that you like, but then it's followed by silence, so there's a bit of an awkward atmosphere, but finally there's the happy ending you've been hoping for (lol). The first time we listened to the song, the moment the intro started playing, everyone in Berryz was like, "EH?!" It's got a Showa era feel to it. [note: Showa era = 1926-1989, but more commonly used to refer to the "golden oldies" years of postwar Japan.]

Necessarily Wisteria Jasmine Flax It's like that part in a romantic movie where the main girl's feelings are somehow revealed, and when the song starts playing, we realize how difficult love can be.

Summer Burning Elegance Up until now I don't think Berryz Kobo has done a song like this, but the lyrics are very easy to understand. It's a song that starts out "Ah, so sad," but finishes with "Ah, so glad."

Bear Town Friend Justice Nara In most of our singles up until now, whenever there's a confession it just leads to things staying the way they are (lol) but this time, it finishes with a happy ending. I think people who hear this will also find the lyrics pleasing, as the song has a mood that's different from our other stuff.

Sedge Valley Peartree Sand Child When I first heard it I thought, "This is a grown-up song, isn't it?" and it turned out to be a grown-up song after all (lol). It's got a sad feeling at the beginning, but it finishes with a happy ending, so it's like, "Ah, how nice."

What part do you like best about "Kokuhaku no Funsui Hiroba"?

Pure Water The first part of the A Melody, ♪Kodou ga hibiku wa funsui no hiroba de / kokuhaku shita kedo chinmoku ga tsuzuku♪ [Heartbeats echoing at the water fountain / I confessed, but was met with silence]. This first block of the song conveys an image that makes you want to keep listening, right from the start.

Heir Long ♪Guuzen keisan kuchibiru ga fureta hi♪ [An unexpected forecast, on the day our lips met] is the one that sticks in my mind, no doubt about it. Among all the other subjects it's the one I find most interesting. It's like ... the rest is left to your imagination (lol).

Virtue Long ♪Kyuu ni anata tachiagatte / watashi no koto dakishimeta wa♪ [Suddenly you stood up / and held me close]. It's where the mood changes suddenly, but it's sung in a self-assured, charming way that makes you want to listen.

Necessarily Wisteria ♪Anata no kodou kikoetekuru / shinjiru wa yo♪ [Listening to your heartbeat / I believe in you]. It's the happy ending that comes in the final line. That's why I think you should listen carefully all the way to the end.

Summer Burning From the first chorus' ♪Anata ga suki♪ [I like you] to the ♪Anata ga suki♪ (in the next-to-last chorus). I'm trying to convey, with my own feelings, the sadness of not being able to go back to just being friends, and it's expressive parts like that which I really like.

Bear Town ♪Kyuu ni anata tachiagatte / watashi no koto dakishimeta wa♪ [Suddenly you stood up / and held me close]. I think this means that the confession went OK. And at the end, ♪shinjiru wa yo♪ [I believe in you], that's where the girl hears from the boy she confessed to that he does like her as well. I really like that.

Sedge Valley Beginning with sadness, and finishing with a happy ending. ♪Anata no kodou kikoetekuru / shinjiru wa yo♪ [Listening to your heartbeat / I believe in you] is the part that contains the whole idea behind the song, so that's what I'd like people to listen for.

What kind of song is the coupling track "Seishun Oodori"?

Captain The pinnacle of my youth ["seishun"] so far has been finishing 3rd year middle school, but after reading the lyrics I thought, "I understand these feelings" -- there were lots of parts I could sympathize with.

Squeak The song's about being honest with your feelings in life. That's how I'd like to live too, but I really don't get around to thinking about tomorrow. Anyway, the song's about how tomorrow brings wonderful and new things, and even everyday encounters with people can be a new and wonderful thing.

Nonyu It's a song that says you should live positively and honestly, with lines like ♪kansha suru mainichi♪ [be thankful everyday], which I think everyone can sympathize with. Like in concerts, when we link hands with the staff, and when all the fans come out cheering for us, that's what makes us able to perform.

Massive Right now, I'm in 3rd year middle school, and I think this song describes exactly how I am. My youth is happening right now!

Long chin It's a song that really makes you happy, that fills you up with courage. It's easy to remember, and I think "Ah, what a nice song."

QUEEN I think the song fills you up with courage and makes you want to get more out of life.

Younger Ebiru Like the title says, the lyrics are written about youth, so I like the song a lot.

Feel free to share any "kokuhaku" [confession] with us!

Shimizu I wasn't able to say "thank you" to my dad on his birthday. It was right on his 50th birthday, and I was thinking I wanted to give him something, but I was embarrassed ...

Tsugunaga I just saw a double-yolk egg for the first time. My mom was cooking, and the egg was split into two yolks. I was like, "Whoa!" That was really exciting.

Tokunaga I'm bad at math. When we were choosing subjects, I picked basic math, but I couldn't do the 1st year (middle school) problems. And when all the printouts were done, I still couldn't do any of them. And that's when I realized, I can't do math, no matter how hard I try!

Sudo I'm like that at math too, and it's like, even if I help Kumai-chan with some 2nd-year middle school math, our answers aren't going to be the same. I'll be thinking, "Huh?" and the make-up assistant comes by and says "You need to put + instead of ×." And as soon as they say it, that's the first time I realize it, and it's a shock. But that's one thing I've been studying.

Natsuyaki Whenever I eat fried foods, I put on mayonnaise to make them taste better.

Kumai In social studies, when we were studying the countries of the world, I discovered a country named "Berryz" [Belize].

Sugaya Even though I'm now in middle school I still can't tell the difference between an elevator and an escalator. "Let's go on the elevator!" "Eh? Which one?" (lol).

What kind of things have made you think of "seishun" [youth] lately?

Shimizu Having just started high school, hearing friends talk about who they like, the sports festival, the culture festival, just all these new things in my youth that I'll be looking forward to.

Tsugunaga I unexpectedly ran into some of my friends from middle school, and we hadn't seen each other for a while, so naturally we got to talking about the usual stuff. It wasn't so much about our feelings during middle school, but more like looking back and thinking, "Ah, that was fun! That was youth~." And now, no matter what year it is, we can look back with fond feelings and think, "Those were the times of our youth."

Tokunaga We had our spring sports festival, my last one at this school, and every year we send off green, blue and yellow balloons for each of the different classes, and everyone goes "Bwaaa" when they fly off. Into the sky. Usually when I see them I think, "How pretty," but this time, being my last year of middle school, I was thinking less about "how pretty" and more about wanting to win the championship, since it's my last time being with the green block (team), and everyone was crying and saying "It's been fun!" That really had a feeling of "Ah, youth!"

Sudo We were going to go on a field trip, but to be honest, when they changed the classes we were like "I hate this." But after the field trip I think everyone ended up having a good time.

Natsuyaki I went on a school trip too, and made some funny faces in the photos, and had my first pillow fight, and just had a lot of fun. I was thinking, "I've got to enjoy the last 3 years of my [middle school] youth!"

Kumai I helped hold the flag that our class had made at the school sports tournament. Everyone's hands were holding it up, and we'd written our names on it, and it was a perfect moment of our class coming together as one, which made me think about youth.

Sugaya On an off-day I went with my friends to the plaza. It was a very clear day, and as evening came, the sky turned all these beautiful shades of red, orange and pink, and I thought, "Whoa, pretty!" And that's when I felt "Youth♥" at that moment.

Share with us your enthusiasm for the new tour starting August 11, "Berryz Kobo Concert Tour 2007 Summer ~Welcome! Berryz Kyuuden~" [Welcome! Berryz Palace].

Shimizu Since it's a summer concert, we're not going to give in to the heat outside, and the concert hall is gonna be "HOT! HOT!" For those who couldn't make it to the spring holiday concert at Saitama Super Arena during Golden Week, please try to come this one, as I think you'll have a lot of fun.

Tsugunaga To me, when I hear the word "palace," I have the image of a maze (lol). So I think, when you apply it to Berryz Kobo, it's like, you let yourself get lost in it, and at the concert the shape will be revealed.

Tokunaga　Performing in a live house is just like when we did our first solo performance, and I have a lot of fun memories of that, so I'm feeling excited about this one like, "Ah, I'm looking forward to this!"

Sudo Although the title has "palace" in it, I don't think it necessarily means palace = princess. If you look at it in different ways, I think it can mean the shining radiance of Berryz.

Natsuyaki My birthday is coming up on August 25. So that's the first time I'll be performing in a concert on my birthday. All the times before, there's been a one day gap. But this time I'll definitely be doing my best at the concert hall, and on August 25 (Osaka Welfare Pension Hall) I think you'll see the tension going up (lol) and we'll be celebrating like crazy.

Kumai We've never done a solo concert in a full-size concert hall, so I'm hoping we have the kind of concert that makes first-time attendees go "We want to see more!"

Sugaya From this point I'll be looking forward to the concert, with lots of feelings of "Hurry up and get here already!" I think as long as the staging is good, we'll do well.

Lastly, tell us what the word "Welcome!" means to you.

Shimizu I just started 1st year high school and a lot of the kids aren't talking to me yet, so right now, I'm feeling like, "Someone please say 'Welcome! Welcome!' to me" (lol).

Tsugunaga If Santa came around once a month I'd be so happy. I'd always be getting presents (lol). But, coming around once a year is fine with me.

Tokunaga I've got a pet hamster, but it really doesn't like to be touched, so I think I'd like to get closer to my hamster.

Sudo Since it's my last year of middle school, I'd like to "Welcome!" the holidays by going somewhere with the whole class. Like going bowling and having a team tournament, that's how I'd like to spend my youth.

Natsuyaki I'd also like to spend the holidays with a group of friends. I think I want to go on a field trip one more time.

Kumai There's a "WELCOME" sign by the nameplate at the front of our house, and I like how it looks, because it's like saying "Kigaru ni irasshai!" [Please come in cheerfully]. But for my own room, I don't think "WELCOME!" would work. I'd like something more refined for my room, maybe something like "Oide oide!" [This way please] to call people in.

Sugaya I like to look at the stars, so when I watch the stars it's like they're saying "Oide! Oide!" [This way please].

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