Rena Article in Digital Asahi Translation
First generation member of the Jakarta-based JKT48, Nozawa Rena’s (15 years old) double position with the AKB48 was announced on June 18. The next day, we interviewed her in the AKB theater. It’s the first time for a JKT48 member to hold a double position with the AKB48.
“I heard from Akicha-san and Haruka-san, coming from the AKB, that they (the AKB) are hugely popular in Japan. My double position was just announced yesterday, I can’t feel it’s real yet…I’m really excited.”
Born in Nagoya, she moved between Thai, Australia, Indonesia, etc because of her father’s job. She can speak English, Japanese and Indonesian.
“I speak Japanese with my family, but English is the language I’m best at.”
2 years ago her father found an advertisement aimed at Japanese people about the JKT48 member auditions and showed it to her, which prompted her to join the JKT48 audition.
“I knew little about idols, but I wanted to be like the Morning Musume or the AKB48. I felt like I wanted to try it, and took the audition.” In the last part of the audition, “I was nervous like never before in my life.”
Her entry number “38” is one she will never forget. When her passing the audition was announced, she couldn’t believe it and confirmed it with the girl next to her, using English and gestures.
“Even the next morning having passed seemed like a dream, for a while it didn’t seem real.”
After gradual days of lessons started. The first show was the AKB48 setlist “Pajama Drive”, and in one month the choreography and lyrics of 16 songs had to be learned. All members practiced until late at night, getting their performances ready before the premiere.
Even after the JKT48 shows started, harsh exercise followed. “We could do our best because we were all together. It’s a bright and friendly team.”
She is 168 cm tall, her figure slender. She practiced ballet, and has said that she likes to dance. “I have not decided on my goal as AKB member, but I will work hard my own way, naturally. I am not experienced, so I have to learn the songs quickly too.”
The AKB48 also have their yearly elections. To “Will you participate next year?” she replies “Eh~what should I do?” with a bitter smile.
“Akicha-san participated this year, so I watched the stream in Indonesia with the other members. When JKT48 and Akicha-san’s names were called everyone was overjoyed. I want to spread the JKT48’s name too.”
She participated as a JKT48 member in last year’s Tokyo Dome concert in August, and was moved. She says her dream is to hold a concert in Jakarta’s biggest stadium.
I tried to hold my tear last night, but now I can’t. Renaaa~
What a pain Maaaaaaaaannnnnn!!!!!!!! Being a permanent AKB member is just the matter of time. She still to young, couldn’t live alone on JKT without her parents. It’s same as She was graduated from JKT!!!!!
Whoa.. She already in japan? Me thought she will be participating in JKT’s 5 city tour..
Me just hope she don’t loose contact with her friends and fans here..
At the very least, AKB has another multilinguist now..
maybe she will participated, coz she in Japan only for greeting right? or not?
need info please!
it’s a little bit of trivia,
The Asahi Shimbun – one of mega-newspapers in Japan trades on its “conscience.” Its articles are mostly serious but highly reliable.
Good start,Rena!
ever since i heard that Rena will be double agent instead of graduate, i imagined what was she talk with Jiro-san.
Rena: “my parents will move to Japan and we will stay there forever. I think I’ll graduate”.
Jiro: “hmm. But if you still have a chance, do you want to be still in 48family?”.
Rena: “absolutely yes”.
Then JKT staffs and AKS held an urgency meeting and decided to still keep her in group, since place where she will live forever is Japan, why don’t put her in JPN48.
But why is she also still a JKT48 member, i think it’s just like release a bird but still tie a string and hold to prevent a shock so it can adapt well with new environment. (yea, my analogy is suck. But i hope u guys get the point).
It’s announced Rena will be in Team A!
http://www.hello-online.org/index.php?/topic/22945-kodama-haruka-team-h-team-a/page-2#entry1661327
But the dude above said she is not in japan yet?
And several dudes on twitterland stated that news is fake..
Rena is in Tokyo now because this interview was done in Akihabara today.
Nope, it was just a misunderstanding
Mayuyu only introduces Rena to the audiences without saying which team she gonna enter.
ah i see, lol. I got to excited. haha
she’s in team undecided for now XD
http://www.akb48.co.jp/about/members/#team_mitei
She is in japan, she even took a pic with sakiko
http://t.co/2gldFLBIE1
So this is how Aki and Haruka fans feelings like..
I think you get the point that most of us missed : I come to believe this it is how Akicha and Haruka’s fans felt after the transfer announcement last year.
Recalling what they – especially Akicha’s fans – did ever since to support Akicha from afar makes me think whether we can do the same for Rena-chan. For instance, they made video, try to translate it to Bahasa Indonesia, even if the language is very foreign for them. Can we do the same? To this point we are more in the receiving end of the transfer / concurrency program. I wonder if we can start to give more than merely accept.
I personally have some worries about her existence in AKB : the competition is definitely more fierce. I doubt if the level of anti for JKT as a whole will be able to match the level of anti over there. Or perhaps it’s just me that’s too much care for Rena-chan. Even though she is not my Oshimen.
今日のフジTVのRena chan
Can anyone translate this video to English?
Good Luck Rena-chan
