Rain Tree Series Final: Shu Kato, Miki Nakamata, and Umi Yoshikawa 17 People Aiming for Tokyo Dome Together!

Yoshikawa: “I applied for the audition with the determination that it would be my last.”

Seventeen members who unfortunately did not make it through to the final selection of the “IDOL 3.0 PROJECT Audition” produced by Yasushi Akimoto have been active for the past year under the name “FINALIST.” They are now embarking on a new journey under the name “Rain Tree” and have been confirmed to make their major debut with the release of their first digital single, “ILU,” on January 29, 2025. This special series dives into the real personalities of the members.

The final episode, Episode 8, features an interview with Shu Kato, Miki Nakamata, and Umi Yoshikawa!

── First, please introduce yourselves.

Miki Nakamata: “I’m Miki Nakamata from Tokyo! I love communication, and my special skills are parodies and kendama. I can make up parodies on the spot, and I always carry my kendama with me so I can show it off anytime (laughs). Since we’re here today. (while playing kendama, she performs a parody of ‘The Tortoise and the Hare,’ improvising lyrics about her self-introduction, thoughts on the shoot, and her enthusiasm for future activities).”

Shu Kato: “Amazing! It’s like you prepared the lyrics in advance (laughs).”

Miki Nakamata: “I just put it together in my head right now (laughs).”

── That was a great skill! Please continue with your introductions.

Shu Kato: “I’m 19 years old, from Hokkaido, and my name is Shu Kato. To sum myself up in one word, I’m calm but passionate. I like dancing, reading, and studying!”

Umi Yoshikawa: “I was born in Fukuoka, raised in Kanagawa, 23 years old, the youngest of three sisters—Umi Yoshikawa. Up until partway through the audition, I was working as an esthetician while taking part in the audition.”

── What impression do you have of each other?

Shu Kato: “Miki-chan is ‘Giri Giri no Miki’ (literally ‘Just-in-Time Miki’), (laughs). When we meet at the station, she’ll dash in just one minute before the train arrives, giving the perfect ‘100-point’ entrance (laughs).”

Miki Nakamata: “I admit I’m always cutting it close, but in the end, I make it on time (laughs).”

Umi Yoshikawa: “Miki has great conversational skills and is reliable, but her reactions are ‘Showa’ and hilarious (laughs).”

Miki Nakamata: “I wasn’t born in the Showa era, though (laughs).”

Umi Yoshikawa: “Shu is truly a diligent, steady worker.”

Miki Nakamata: “She’s someone who can steadily put in the effort, not just balancing her studies while doing this, but also working hard on her physical training. As she mentioned earlier, she’s always calm. She can objectively look at the group and, when it’s necessary, speaks her opinion clearly. I think that’s amazing.”

Umi Yoshikawa: “But the other day, when I looked in Shu’s backpack, I was surprised to find a hair straightener in the side pocket. I didn’t expect that side of her (laughs).”

Miki Nakamata: “Umi is the epitome of nurturing, and she’s really good at taking care of others! She helps our youngest member, Mio (Suzuno), with her summer vacation homework, and she’s already like the mother figure of the group.”

Umi Yoshikawa: “When I see someone in need, I just want to help. Since I’m the oldest, I feel like I should be more like an older sister. But in reality, as the youngest of three sisters, I think I’m not really able to pull off the big sister role (laughs).”

── Can you tell us what inspired you to pursue a career in entertainment and why you decided to become an idol?

Umi Yoshikawa: “Around the sixth grade, I became a fan of Fairyts, and from there, I also started liking groups like Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku, Nogizaka46, and Keyakizaka46. I began going to their live shows. At that time, I just admired them as a fan. Of course, I had the desire to wear cute costumes and stand on a glittering stage, but I didn’t have much confidence in myself, so I never auditioned.”

── When did your feelings start to change?

Umi Yoshikawa: “When I was transitioning from high school to university, I had to make life decisions, and I thought about what I really wanted to do. Deep down, I still had the desire to become an idol. So, when I was in university, I started auditioning for idol groups, but I failed every time. As I got older, there were fewer auditions I could apply for. That’s when I found ‘IDOL 3.0 PROJECT,’ which had a 25-year-old age limit, and I decided that this would be my last chance, so I applied.”

Shu Kato: “The reason I admired the entertainment industry was because of the movie Biri Gyaru that I saw when I was in fifth grade. I thought the world seemed so sparkly and wonderful. But when I became a middle schooler, I became known as the study character, and I thought I would just focus on the path of studying from then on. I went to a prestigious school, but everyone around me was so academically gifted and I started to feel like continuing on the academic path might be too difficult.”

── What made you decide to pursue becoming an idol after that?

Shu Kato: “I realized that my longing for that sparkling world was still in my heart. Then, at my high school cultural festival, when I performed as a member of the dance club, I felt the sensation of connecting with the audience for the first time. I wanted to experience that feeling more. After that, I started auditioning for idol groups. But results didn’t come right away, and when I was in my senior year of high school, thinking that going to university in my hometown of Hokkaido wouldn’t lead anywhere, I found the IDOL 3.0 PROJECT.”