Rain Tree Series 3: Maki Hashimoto & Kurosawa Karen – Strength of 17s

Kurosawa: “In the future, I will definitely become like Yurina Hirate!”

The 17 members who were unfortunately not selected in the final round of the “IDOL 3.0 PROJECT Audition,” produced by Yasushi Akimoto, have been active under the name “FINALIST” for the past year. Now, they are launching a new group under the name “Rain Tree,” and are set to make their major debut in January 2025. This special series will delve into the true selves of these girls.

In the third installment, we present an interview discussion with Maki Hashimoto and Kurosawa Karen!

――What kind of character do you think you are in the group?

Maki Hashimoto: “I’m the oldest in the group, so I’m often called the big sister by the members. Also, I love cosmetics and makeup, and since I have experience working as a beauty consultant, I like to think of myself as the beautytanto of Rain Tree.”

Kurosawa Karen: “Maki-chan is great at makeup and has so much knowledge, so I often ask her for recommendations on cosmetics. The members often call you the goddess of beauty, right?”

Maki Hashimoto: “They tease me (laughs). It’s embarrassing, so I wish they’d stop!”

Kurosawa: “I’m in charge of the ‘black bob’ for Rain Tree. About half of my life has been spent with a black bob, and I’ve been going to the same salon and having the same stylist cut my hair. I have all sorts of preferences, like having less volume on the inside, heavier on the outside, and the front to be angled about 1 cm below my chin.”

Hashimoto: “Karen’s hairstyle is always perfectly done, and I’ve never seen it get messed up during a performance. She gives the members advice like ‘This will help keep your bangs in place,’ so I find it really helpful too.”

――What was your first impression of each other?

Kurosawa: “The first time I talked to Maki-chan was during the audition period for ‘IDOL3.0 PROJECT,’ when we did a live stream together. I remember being surprised and thinking, ‘She’s such a kind person!'”

Hashimoto: “You were surprised? (laughs) Did you think I was scary?”

Kurosawa: “Just a little bit (laughs). You’re older than me, and I had the impression that you were really composed. But during that live stream, I realized how kind and easy to talk to you are. You’re also someone who can joke around with the younger members, and you have this leadership quality where you can pull everyone together. You’re really an ideal role model who can do everything.”

Hashimoto: “I think Karen is such a humble person. She’s really good at both singing and dancing, but she doesn’t brag about it. She’s the modest type. At 16, I would probably want to show off and say, ‘Look how much I can do!’ but she doesn’t do that, which is very mature of her. She sets high standards for herself and is diligently working towards her ideal, which is really admirable. I feel like her mental age is quite mature, but when you actually talk to her, she has this baby-like side too (laughs).”

Kurosawa: “People often say I’m calm for my age, but since there are so many older members in Rain Tree, I get treated like the baby of the group. They pat my head and say, ‘Good girl, good girl’ (laughs). Maki-chan also plays along when I get close, so I end up getting pampered.”

Interviewer: “What made you two decide to become idols?”

Kurosawa: “I’ve loved singing since I was in kindergarten, and I always admired the entertainment industry. But when I was in elementary school, I watched the music video for ‘Silent Majority’ by Keyakizaka46, and I was shocked. I was especially drawn to Yurina Hirate, who was dancing at the center, and I was so inspired that I seriously thought, ‘I’m definitely going to become like Hirate-san in the future!'”

Hashimoto: “I see, so your bob hairstyle is also influenced by Hirate-san, right?”

Kurosawa: “I used to declare to my friends and teachers at school, ‘I’m only going to be an idol!’ But even though I took part in many auditions, I failed every time. Some people around me told me, ‘You should give up,’ and ‘It’s impossible now.’ Despite that, my parents were the only ones who believed in me and continued to support me. I’m really grateful that my dream of debuting as an idol has come true.”

Hashimoto: “I was a fan of Nogizaka46 and Keyakizaka46, but I never thought I would become an idol myself. However, I wanted to do something where I could give people energy and make them feel good. While searching for various auditions, I came across ‘IDOL3.0 PROJECT.’ At the time, I was working as a regular employee, but the age limit for applicants was 25, and I thought it would be such an honor to debut under the production of Yasushi Akimoto. So, I decided to take on the challenge.”

Interviewer: “What was your family’s reaction when you decided to quit your job and become an idol?”

Hashimoto: “There wasn’t really any opposition or interference. I think my family is more of a laissez-faire type (laughs). Now, they support my activities.”

Kurosawa: “My family has been really supportive too. They took hundreds of photos for my audition, helped me come up with my self-promotion, and gave me advice like, ‘Be careful about this when you’re streaming’ or ‘This kind of message might get more attention on social media.’ My dad even gives me advice like that.”

Hashimoto: “What a wonderful father!”

Kurosawa: “Recently, he’s even been researching idol groups I don’t know about and figuring out how I can become more successful. He’s really putting in the effort to help me.”

Hashimoto: “Listening to you talk about your family, it makes sense why you’re so pure and kind. You’ve clearly grown up surrounded by so much love from wonderful parents.”

 

 

Interviewer: “What is the most memorable experience from the past year since you were eliminated from the ‘IDOL3.0 PROJECT’ audition?”

Hashimoto: “Everything has been memorable, but I still can’t forget the emotion I felt when we received our first original song as ‘FINALISTS’ in a situation where we weren’t sure if we would debut. Our first performance was at TIF (TOKYO IDOL FESTIVAL 2024), and all 17 of us were determined to deliver something amazing. Everyone was really fired up.”

Kurosawa: “I realized for the first time how beautiful the view from the stage is! I could clearly see the faces of the fans. When I saw the fans who had been supporting us warmly since the day we were eliminated from the auditions, cheering and crying for us, I thought, ‘I’m really glad I didn’t give up and kept going.’ And in that moment, I felt, ‘I want to keep dancing for the people who have been waiting for us.'”

Hashimoto: “There were many times when I felt like my heart was about to break or when I was really down, but thanks to the support of the fans, I was able to stay positive and keep pushing forward.”

Kurosawa: “Until now, I’ve been chasing my dream of becoming an idol all on my own. I didn’t have anyone around me with the same dream. But as a ‘FINALIST,’ for the first time, I was surrounded by people who share the same dream, and I realized, ‘I’m not alone.'”

Hashimoto: “I truly believe that we’ve come this far because we’ve supported each other as 17 members.”

Kurosawa: “Over the past year, I’ve experienced a lot of frustration and shed many tears, but I think that’s made the bond between the members even stronger. We’re a group of members who didn’t pass the audition, but I believe that the strength we gained from going through that failure is something unique to us, and it’s our advantage.”

Hashimoto: “If our song starts playing in the streets.”

Interviewer: “What do you think is your strength as an idol?”

Hashimoto: “I’ve been practicing ballet for about 15 years, so I think I’m good at graceful movements and fine expressions. Also, I place a lot of importance on conveying my feelings through words. During the audition’s self-promotion, I often gave speeches rather than showcasing a special talent, and many fans have told me, ‘I like your words, Maki-chan.’ Going forward, I want to be someone who can express various emotions through words.”

Kurosawa: “I’ve been doing cheerleading since second grade, for about five years. I even placed highly in the Kanagawa Prefecture competition and had the opportunity to compete in the national competition. The ability to manage my facial expressions that I developed through cheerleading has become a strength in my idol activities. Personally, I really admire performers like Yurina Hirate and Aina the End, who fully immerse themselves in the music and their performance. I want to be someone who can completely change my expression depending on the song, someone with that kind of gap in my performances.”

Interviewer: “What kind of dreams do you want to achieve with the 17 of you going forward?”

Hashimoto: “It might sound presumptuous, but our ultimate goal is to become a national idol group. We want to grow into a group that is loved not only by idol fans but also by people who aren’t particularly interested in idols, so that we can be known by a wide audience.”

Kurosawa: “I wanted to become an idol because I admired Keyakizaka46, so now, I want us, Rain Tree, to be the kind of group that young girls aspiring to be idols look up to. I want to become so popular that people might stop me in the street and say, ‘Are you Karen-chan? I always watch you!’ (laughs)”

Hashimoto: “I’d be so moved if our song started playing in the streets!”

Kurosawa: “Exactly. We’re making our major debut in January 2025, so I hope we can appear on various TV programs on mainstream channels. I really want to be on the singing shows I’ve always watched!”

Hashimoto: “I love fun things, so personally, I’d like to appear on variety shows. Maybe get tricked in a prank?”

Kurosawa: “Like falling into a pitfall?”

Hashimoto: “Exactly. I’d also like to experience penalty games like getting a pie in the face or being hit with a cream cannon. It sounds scary, but I’m also ready to try bungee jumping (laughs). I want 2025 to be a year of breakthroughs, so I’m determined to approach my work with a mindset of challenging myself and not fearing failure.”

Interviewer: “Is there anything you’ve been getting into lately in your private life?”

Hashimoto: “I want to learn more about beauty, so I’ve been watching videos from beauty YouTubers and trying out various overseas cosmetics to study. I want to build up more beauty knowledge so I can always recommend cosmetics when the other Rain Tree members ask me.”

Kurosawa: “Lately, I’ve been cooking for myself! I’ve started to like Japanese food, and I’ve realized how delicious mackerel and takikomi gohan (seasoned rice) are. I thought it would be good for my health if I could make it myself.”

Hashimoto: “That’s amazing! Cooking at 16 is impressive!”

Kurosawa: “The other day, I made yakisoba (fried noodles) and a pork soup without the pork. It wasn’t because I was watching my calories, I just simply forgot to buy the pork (laughs).”

PROFILE
Maki Hashimoto
Born: April 30, 1998, Saitama Prefecture
Special skills & hobbies: Watching movies, tongue twisters, splits, drawing, shopping for clothes

Karen Kurosawa
Born: March 12, 2008, Kanagawa Prefecture
Special skills & hobbies: Singing, cheer dance