On September 9th, a launch event for Morning Musume '20 member Mei Yamazaki's photo book "Mei24" (Odyssey Publishing) was held in Tokyo.
This is Mei Yamazaki's first photo book in three years, and was shot entirely in Okinawa. You can enjoy her bright smile and natural expressions against the crystal blue waters of the stunning uninhabited island of Nagannu.
Mei Yamazaki is known for her "Panda Power!" Therefore, the photobook is also garnering attention for its "Panda Power!"-infused cuts.
At a press conference held before the event, Mei Yamazaki commented with a smile, "This time we shot in Okinawa, and I was able to do a lot of things I wanted to do. For example, I wore my favorite panda clothes, cute clothes, and there were also some more mature shots, so it was a lot of fun. It was raining heavily when we were shooting on the island, and I wondered if we would be able to get the photos, but we were able to shoot safely."
When asked which was her favorite cut, it was, of course, the one of the panda, she said, "Even though it's such a close-up shot, you can still see that it's a real panda, and the lighting is just right. I thought it was really cute." She seemed very satisfied.
When asked again why she came to like pandas, she answered, "Because they're cute. My mother loved them, so I naturally grew to like them too, and before I knew it, I was calling them 'Panda-san'."
When asked if she had shown the photo book to the members, she said, "Aiko, you've grown up," and recounted stories of what the members had said to her.
Furthermore, when asked about the areas in which she felt she had grown after looking at the finished photo book, she seemed to feel that she had grown as well, saying, "I feel like I've become able to make more mature expressions."
In response to the standard question, "If you had to give it a score?" she confidently replied, "200 points. This photo book is full of Ai-chan. I think I was able to express the feeling that is like me now, somewhere between a child and an adult."
Regarding her next photo book, she showed her enthusiasm, saying, "I want to shoot it in my hometown of Hokkaido. I want to make snowmen, have snowball fights, and go skiing. It would be great if I could shoot it in the winter."
When the topic of Panda-san was further explored, Mei Yamazaki immediately emphasized, "Please write 'Panda-san' properly. Please don't just call him 'Panda'." She repeatedly emphasized that she should call him 'Panda-san.'
When asked "Do you know much about pandas?" she replied, "I don't know much about them at all. I just love looking at them, so I'm a 'watcher' only. Pandas are so cute, they're soothing." She talked about her love for pandas.
Regarding her activities as a member of Morning Musume '24, she spoke enthusiastically, "It's fun. What I like most is definitely live performances. I feel like I can shine the most when I'm performing."
Regarding the "Morning Musume '24 Concert Tour Autumn WE CAN DANCE!" which started the other day, she expressed her enthusiasm for the live performance, saying, "This is also member Ishida Ayumi's last tour, so I want to make lots of memories with her. As the tour title suggests, we're also focusing on dancing, so I hope you'll check that out as well."
Mei Yamazaki, who is currently 19 years old, will turn 2025 next year in XNUMX. "I really don't think I can continue like this, so I'm thinking about growing up a bit," she said.
Take a look at Mei Yamazaki's photo book "Mei19" and feel the power of pandas.
Morning Musume '24 Mei Yamazaki Photobook "Mei19"
Release Date: XNUM X Year X NUM X Month X NUM X Day
Photo by Yasushi Nishimura
Published and distributed by: Odyssey Publishing
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