Q1: Tell us where your name came from!
I hear the left character in 亜佑美 has a meaning of helping people out, so my parents said they wanted to use that kanji.
Q2: Which senpai do you aim to be like?
Michishige Sayumi-san. Her philosophy of life is so cool. When she was in Morning Musume it was like she gave her all for Morning Musume, and her straightforward approach and such to her work is something I respect as an idol as well as a person. Even more so since Michishige-san gave love to so many people, and accepted their love and concentrated it all into herself. I also want to become that kind of beloved person.
Q3: Who would you want to be if you were born differently?
I want to be Nakazawa Yuko-san. I want to try to experience what it was like as the first leader and top position. She comes to see our concerts a lot too, and that gap with Nakazawa-san's image was surprising. Since I'd heard she was scary, I was done in completely by her kindness gap when she called out to us "I'm happy all of you now are working so hard".
Q4: What do you think you are #1 at in Hello Pro?
Though it's probably a bit wrong to say #1, I take an awful lot of pride in being the only one from Tohoku (northeastern Japan) in Morning Musume since I'm from Miyagi. Since all the Tohoku fans were also overjoyed when I joined as a native of Tohoku myself, that gave me confidence and was something I could say was a charm point just for me. Even more because of that, I want to do more and more work in that region!
Q5: Tell us something awesome about Hello Pro!
I think the number of song genres is amazing. At Hello! Project concerts too I never get tired listening to the other groups' songs from the wings of the stage. Since even within the groups we dance and sing to songs from various genres, you can see various expressions from all the members too.
Q6: If you could form a special unit in Hello Pro, who would it be with?
Myself and Ikuta Erina-san and former Taiyo to Ciscomoon's Shinoda Miho-san. I often learn about acrobatics from Shinoda-san, since she does lessons with us for what we perform at concerts. Shinoda-san during acrobatics rehearsal also says "I've memorized Morning Musume songs a bit", and showed us a bit of her dancing. I think it'd be interesting to perform together with her on stage!
Q7: Tell us your favorite Morning Musume song!
"I WISH". The lyrics like "life is wonderful" make me think of it as a song where we sing about incredibly important things. Though just being told "life is wonderful" you probably would be like "I can't think about something like that!", when you hear it in a song, it's like "Ahh, so that's what it means". "Laughing and crying, that's life" just hits me hard. It made me feel the beauty of the lyrics again.
Q8: What's your favorite song in all of Hello Pro?
The one I'm into now is Berryz Kobo-san's "Otona na no yo!" Though I've turned 20 I still like childish things, and I also love seeing the young members playing around. And so, from those around me it's not really like I'm 20, and myself who's thought of as childish really gets into the phrase "Otona na no yo!" (I'm an adult you know!), and I've been listening to it often recently.
Q9: What's the difference between the current and former Hello Pro?
The heat of the lives. Of course since I haven't really experienced older lives I can't categorically declare it, but the heat and soul clashing between us and all the fans into the atmosphere of the lives we create I think are stronger and more intense.
Q10: Aside from yourself, who would be your #1 member for someone to watch in order to come to like Hello Pro?
Angerme's Murota Mizuki-chan. The gap when she's singing and dancing and playing around during talks and such is amazing. Murotan really hits you close and is able to make you have so much fun.
Q11: What about you do you want people to pay the most attention to?
Though I have a complex about my small body even among the members, since I always plan to perform on stage in a way so you don't even feel it, I want you to see that part of me.
Q12: What's some work you'd like to try in the future?
I'd like to try being some kind of ambassador. Like in my region. Though I haven't had experience with it yet, since there are other girls in Hello! Project who've done it, I don't feel like it's a far-off dream.
Q13: What do you want people to pay the most attention to in Morning Musume?
I want you to come to know our varying fields of expertise. I'm told that I'm good at dancing, so in contrast I rely on other members in singing. However, since while doing that and everyone helping each other out we create the group that is Morning Musume '17, I'd hope you'll keep an eye on those areas of expertise.
Q14: What will you be doing 20 years from now?
I won't be doing vigorous activities. Since I like to move my body, I feel like after I graduate I'll suddenly get started with some other type of activity. And since I like to stand on stage, and convey things in front of people, I want to do something like talk on the radio.
Q15: Since it's the 20th anniversary, please tell us a special secret!
I can't throw things away! I wastefully stick packages in cute candy boxes or something. I also have like these shelves where I make sure to put things like movie and stage play tickets. I've kept all of my setlists and lyric cards and such from the first one-man tour I participated in. I file them away.
Q16: What's something you'd like to become able to do by next year when the 20th anniversary is over?
Though I like to cook, I want to become able to make my own things. My mother definitely doesn't look up recipes and such, and I think that's so cool. Since I quickly start looking for recipes, I want to make things believing in only my own tongue.
Q17: What would you do if you weren't an idol?
I feel like even if I wasn't an idol I'd still have dance experience. I've been learning dance since I was little, and have come even more to feel the fun of performing in front of people and dancing. Since I also liked standing on the stage, I think I'd probably be doing something in front of people like that.
Q18: What are you most into now?
Reading peoples' blogs. I read member blogs, but also cooking blogs and cafe-touring blogs of all kinds of people I don't know at all~. I bookmark the places I'd like to try going to. It's fun how different people have completely different styles of writing. I start following and reading blogs that are interesting.
Q19: Who are you close with in Hello Pro?
Recently I've had a sleepover with Kudo Haruka-chan and Haga Akane-chan and Tsubaki Factory's Ogata Risa-chan, as the four of us. Though I've had sleepovers with my generation-mates this was my first time with kouhai, so I haven't really been watched much by them. It made me happy being watched by them, and at a sleepover I wanted to get to know them without having to fuss over anything. Though they're my kouhai, it was just like they were friends. We watched old DVDs together, and made breakfast together, so it made me happy being able to have that kind of connection with my kouhai.
Q20: What is an idol to you?
Since idol is a job that can make dreams come true, it's a job which makes it okay to have many dreams for yourself. Since I think seeing people with dreams makes others want to have dreams, I also have many dreams and want to become a person who can make dreams come true for others. Through venues like the stage or my blog, I don't want to show things that are tough or the things that make me weak myself. I hope that I can be a person who by showing everyone things that are fun, gives all of you even just a little bit of energy as well.