What kind of memories do you have of your debut days?

When I was debuting, I auditioned for commercials, but rarely passed…. I thought it was because I looked like everyone else, so I suddenly got a shag for my long hair, which was about the same length as it is now, dyed it lighter, and plucked my brows thinner. “This will be me.” That feeling was strong.

I think there are many ViVi readers who also imitated that style of yours. In fact, you were a very charismatic fashion leader. Speaking of, your first appearance in ViVi was in 1996!

I look at those magazine pages and think, I was very picky when I debuted…. (laughs). For example, “I don’t wear mascara!” “I don’t wear pink!” “No manicures!” “my hair MUST be straight!” “I gotta look this way or else!” yeah, obsessions like that. I feel like I had many of them. I was really strong-willed, and I think that was just the pickiness of youth. Things have changed after 20 years. Now, when they say I look good enough, I’m the one challenging for more. I’m an adult all right (laughs).

Has anything else changed during these 20 years?

Yes. Back then, I liked being busy, so I took on a lot of work, but now, I’ve changed in a way that I’d rather leave behind something I know is good quality while going at my own pace. Same for my private time as well. I’ve come to a point where I think this way of doing things, taking my time, is more like me.

What are your impressions when you look at your old covers of ViVi?

Weeellll. I look polished and refined…. somehow, for a couple reasons, I’d say (laughs). When I look at these, I really feel like “wow, 20 years have gone by.” This person here, this is my history (laughs). How embarrassing!! But, I also think I look really young (laughs).

What has left the biggest impressions on you in these last 20 years?

Hmm, it’s difficult to say as there are many, but first, my debut itself. Then going solo. And Komuro-san producing for me and giving me a lot of experience. I think he trained me.

Do you have deep memories of Komuro-san’s music?

Plenty of them. Especially of “CAN YOU CELEBRATE?” and “a walk in the park.” It took time to grow accustomed to these songs, or rather, they were difficult. Yeah, for the most part, Komuro’s songs were difficult.

In what ways were the difficult?

How? Many of them had complicated melodies, and maybe because I’d be recording them almost as soon as I received them. Komuro-san was a very busy guy, so he’d give me the music one day and the very next I’d be recording them. During his busiest times, I’d get the music the very same day as recording. Or, the music I received before hand would change while in the studio, and in that case, he would make up the melodies and lyrics right there. He’d say “here you are!” and I’d sing it like that  (laughs). In those cases, it seemed like Komuro pulled the lyrics’ keywords from the conversations we had, and because I had a major case of social anxiety, I wasn’t good at holding conversations, so he’s told me before that he wasn’t able to pull out very many keywords. I’ve gotten over my shyness for the most part since then (laughs).

What tour has left the greatest impression on you?

Definitely the one in 1996. I still remember that first tour I had going solo. Till then, I had been doing things in a group, and I could make a mistake but someone would cover for me. There was a sense of relief, you know, “Everyone is here”, but then this audience came to watch me perform alone, so I couldn’t make a mistake. That pressure kept me feeling tense and nervous from beginning to end. After it was over, I remember bursting into tears. I didn’t do many MCs in those days (laughs). When it was just me, I didn’t know what to talk about….. That led me to my present style (laughs)

Have these 20 years been long?

Not really, they went by pretty fast. Lately, people have been telling me, “I watched you when I was younger!” and that’s when I think, “wow, it has been 20 years.” But besides that, it doesn’t feel like it’s been 20 years. It’s amazing to think about these months and years of growing up. But I honestly feel the person I am now still has some ways to go.  As I grow older, I feel like I become a first-year student again. I won’t be saying “Time to start up my 21st year!”, but rather I’m reverting back to a first year rookie. Mentally, it’s like “Time to start something new!” or “I’ll probably get to accomplish many different things!” or “there’s probably still a lot of unknown things waiting for me!” So, I want to keep going on these different adventures. I noticed that I’m not a person who seeks stability when it comes to my career. Therefore, I look forward to what lies ahead.

How would you like the next 10, 20 years to go?

I don’t think I want to change much without good reason. I don’t want to lose the thrills of “wow, this is fun~” or “this is challenging!” while I’m working.

We heard that your 20th Anniversary Live in September will be in “Okinawa.”

Yes! I had a passing thought of wanting to make memories in Okinawa. And it just so happens that the day I debuted falls during a holiday, and I thought, hey that sounds like a great day, so I decided, “I’ll hold it in Okinawa!” I think I’ll be singing songs that even date from my Komuro days all the way back to my eurobeat tracks. So look forward to them!! Anyway, I think it’ll be a great time if everybody can enjoy themselves like [..] I’ve haven’t held many outdoor shows in Okinawa, so I’m also excited and can’t wait to perform.

What are the contents of your new album of your anniversary year?

It’s my first original album in two and a half years, and includes all of my present work. Anyway, it’ll get you going! I felt like I should express “the present,” and selected only uptempo songs. We also expect to make four new music videos, and I’ll be heading to L.A. after this. This MV will leave an impression of “the summer sun” and since I believe that I don’t really have that kind of video, it will be new and refreshing even for me…. I hope this will be an album everybody can enjoy.