Rain Tree Serialization [Part 3] Maki Hashimoto and Jas Ko Koi Kurosawa: “Our strength lies in the fact that we are 17 members who have experienced setbacks”.

Kurosawa: “I definitely want to be like Yurina Hirate in the future!

For the past year, the 17 members who were not selected in the final round of the “IDOL 3.0 PROJECT Audition,” produced by Yasushi Akimoto, have been performing under the name “FINALIST. Now they are starting a new group under the new name “Rain Tree” and are set to make their major label debut in January 2025.

In this third installment, we present an interview with Maki Hashimoto and Jo-Koi Kurosawa!

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

Maki Hashimoto: ” I am the oldest in the group, so I am often called an older sister character by the members. I also like cosmetics and makeup, and I used to work as a beauty consultant, so I think of myself as Rain Tree’s beauty manager.

Jo-ko Kurosawa: ” Maki is very good at makeup and very knowledgeable, so I ask her to recommend cosmetics to me. You are often called “beauty goddess” by the members, aren’t you?

Hashimoto ” They tease me (laugh). It’s embarrassing, so please stop it!

Kurosawa: ” I am in charge of Rain Tree’s “black bob. I’ve had a black bob for about half of my life, and I’ve been going to the same hair salon and getting my hair cut by the same hairdresser. I have various preferences, such as a little less on the inside, heavier on the outside, and 1 cm below the chin in the front.

Hashimoto: ” Ho Koi’s hair is always perfectly styled, and I have never seen it fall apart during a performance. She gives advice to the members, such as, “If you do this, your bangs will not fall out easily,” which helps me a lot.

–What was your first impression of each other?

Kurosawa: ” The first time I talked to Maki was during the audition period for “IDOL3.0 PROJECT” when we did the live distribution together. At that time, I remember I was surprised to see how kind she was. I remember I was so surprised.

Hashimoto: ” You were surprised (laughs). You thought he was scary?

Kurosawa ” Just a little (laughs). (laugh). He was older than me and I had the impression that he was very solid. But through that live delivery, I found out that he was kind and easy to deal with. Usually, she has a good sense of humor when joking around with the younger members, and she is also a big sister who pulls everyone together. I really admire her because she can do anything.

Hashimoto: ” I think Ho Koi is a very humble girl. She sings and dances well, but she doesn’t boast about it. But she is an adult in that she doesn’t show it. I like that she has a high level of self-esteem and stoically strives to achieve her ideals. I think he has a high mental age, but when I talk to him, I find that he is a bit babyish at times (laughs).

Kurosawa: “I am often told that I am calm for my age, but Rain Tree has many older sisters, so everyone treats me like a baby. They pat me on the head and say, ‘Good, good’ (laughs). Maki also gets attached to me, and I get attached to her, and she reciprocates, so I’m spoiled.

–What made you decide to become idols?

Kurosawa: “I have loved singing since I was in kindergarten and had a yearning to be in the entertainment industry. When I was in elementary school, I saw the music video for “Silent Majority” by Keyakizaka 46 and was shocked. I was especially attracted to Yurina Hirate dancing in the center of the song, and my admiration was so great that I really thought, “I will definitely be like Hirate-san in the future! I really wanted to be like Hirate-san in the future .

Hashimoto: ” I see, you have a bob hairstyle because of Hirate-san’s influence.

Kurosawa: “I had declared to my school friends and teachers, ‘I will only be an idol! I had declared to my school friends and teachers, ‘I’m only going to be an idol! But I went to various auditions, but the results were all unsuccessful ……. People around me sometimes told me that I should give up or that I would never make it. Even so, my parents were the only ones who believed in me and supported me throughout the years, so I am very happy that my dream of debuting as an idol has now come true.

Hashimoto: ” I liked and supported Nogizaka46 and Keyakizaka46, but I had never thought of becoming an idol myself. However, I wanted to do a job that would inspire many people, and when I was looking for various auditions, I found out about the “IDOL3.0 PROJECT. At the time, I was working as a working adult, but I was only eligible to apply until the age of 25, and I thought it would be such an honor to make my debut under the production of Akimoto Yasushi, so I decided to give it a try.

–What was your family’s reaction to your quitting your job to become an idol?

Hashimoto: ” They didn’t oppose or interfere in any particular way. Maybe my family is rather laissez-faire (laugh). (Laughs) Now they support my activities.

Kurosawa: ” My family also supported me by taking hundreds of photos for the audition and thinking about my PR together. My father gave me advice such as, ‘Be careful about what you say in your delivery,’ or ‘This is the kind of text that will be seen more easily on social networking sites. My father would give me advice such as, “Be careful with your delivery,” or “This is the kind of text that will be seen easily on social networking sites.

Hashimoto “What a wonderful father!

Kurosawa ” Recently, my father has been researching idols that I don’t even know about, and he is doing a lot of research on how to make me more active.

Hashimoto: ” When I hear about Jo-ko’s family, I understand that she grew up with a lot of love from her wonderful parents, which made her such a pure and gentle child.

–What has been the most memorable event in the past year since your unsuccessful audition for the “IDOL3.0 PROJECT”?

Hashimoto: ” Everything is memorable, but I still cannot forget the excitement I felt when I was given my first original song as a “FINALIST” while I was not sure if I would be able to debut. The first performance was at TIF (TOKYO IDOL FESTIVAL 2024), and all 17 of us were united in our determination to deliver something great! 　 We were all really fired up to deliver something great.

Kurosawa: ” I realized for the first time how wonderful the view from the stage is!　I realized for the first time how wonderful the view from the stage is. I could see each and every one of the fans’ faces clearly. When I saw the fans who had been warmly watching us since the day we failed the audition, crying and cheering us on, I thought, ‘I’m glad we never gave up and worked so hard,’ and I wanted to keep dancing for the people who are waiting for us.

Hashimoto: ” There were many times when I felt like I was going to lose heart or get depressed, but I was able to stay positive and do my best because of the support of our fans.

Kurosawa: ” Until now, I had been pursuing my dream of becoming an idol all by myself. I had no friends around me who had the same dream. But with “FINALIST,” I made friends who share the same dream for the first time, and I was able to think, “I am not alone.

Hashimoto: ” The 17 of us really supported each other and made it this far.

Kurosawa: “We had a lot of frustrations and shed a lot of tears over the past year, but I think the bond between the members became stronger because of it. We are a group of members who did not pass the audition, but I think we have many strengths because we are 17 members who experienced that setback.

Hashimoto: “If our song is played on the streets, we will be ……

–What do you think is your strength as an idol?

Hashimoto: ” I studied ballet for about 15 years, so I think I am good at supple movements and detailed expressions. Also, I value conveying my thoughts with words. During auditions, I often give speeches rather than showcasing my skills, and many of my fans tell me, “I like your words, Maki. I hope to continue to be a person who can convey various emotions through words.

Kurosawa: ” I have been learning cheerleading for about five years since the second grade of elementary school. I have won top prizes in Kanagawa Prefecture competitions, and I also participated in national competitions. I think the facial expression management I developed in cheerleading will be an advantage in my idol activities as well. Personally, I like performers like Yurina Hirate and Aina the End, who perform in possession of the music. I also want to be someone with a gap in my performance, someone who can completely change my expression depending on the song.

–What kind of dream do you want to achieve with 17 members?

Hashimoto: ” This may be a bit presumptuous, but our ultimate goal is to become what is called a “national idol group. I hope to grow into a group that is loved by a wide range of people, not only by those who love idols, but also by those who are not so interested in idols.

Kurosawa: ” I wanted to become an idol because I admired Keyakizaka 46, so now I want Rain Tree to become something that girls who want to become idols can admire. When I walk down the street, people ask me, “Are you Jo-Koi-chan?　I’m always watching you! I want to be so popular that people will call out to me when I walk down the street (laughs).

Hashimoto ” I think I would be impressed if our songs were played on the streets!

Kurosawa ” That’s right, we will be making our major debut in January 2025, so I hope we can appear on various terrestrial TV programs. I still want to be on the singing shows I’ve been watching all my life! “

Hashimoto: ” I love to be funny, so personally I would like to be in a variety show. I’d like to be caught by surprise or ……”

Kurosawa ” Like pitfalls? “

Hashimoto ” Yes, yes. I would also like to be punished with face pies and cream cannons. It sounds scary,……, but I am also prepared to fly bungee jump (laughs). I want 2025 to be a year of leaps and bounds, so I want to tackle my work without fear of failure and with a spirit of challenge in everything I do.”

–Is there anything you are into in your private life these days?

Hashimoto: ” I want to become more knowledgeable about beauty, so I am studying by watching videos of beauty YouTubers and trying various foreign cosmetics.

Kurosawa: ” Recently, I have been cooking for myself!　I’ve come to like Japanese food and noticed how delicious saury and takikomi-gohan (rice cooked with vegetables) are. I thought it would be nice and healthy if I could cook them myself. 　I thought. “

Hashimoto: ” Wow! 　 Cooking for yourself at the age of 16 is admirable!

Kurosawa ” Last time I made yakiudon and pork miso soup without pork. It wasn’t because I was concerned about calories, but simply because I forgot to buy pork (laughs).

PROFILE
Maki Hashimoto
Born on April 30, 1998 in Saitama Prefecture
Special skills/hobbies: Watching movies, fast-talking, spreading her legs, drawing pictures, looking at clothes

Kuren Kurosawa
Born on March 12, 2008 in Kanagawa Prefecture
Special ability/Hobbies: Singing, cheerleading