It has been revealed that Rena Ichiki, a former member of the idol group Nogizaka46 and currently working for Nippon Television, will be planning and producing a program for the first time. The talk variety program, "Ano Sakamichi Noborutte Hanashisou" (Nippon Television, Kanto local), will feature the captains of the "Sakamichi Groups"Nogizaka46, Sakurazaka46, and Hinatazaka46, Umezawa Minami, Rina Matsuda, and Kumi Sasaki, and will be broadcast from 1:35am to 2:05am on April 17th.
Ichiki planned the show to express her gratitude to her former Nogizaka46, and to convey the charm and greatness of the Sakamichi Group. In the program, Ichiki guides Umezawa, Matsuda, and Sasaki on a "relaxing girls' trip." They visit Shima Onsen in Gunma Prefecture, enjoy gourmet food and shopping, and have an honest conversation with the three. They talk about their worries as idols, their position as captain, and the future of themselves and the group, and convey the charm of the Sakamichi Group through the three members' honest thoughts that only Ichiki can draw out.
After finishing the recording, Ichiki commented, "I'm so happy that this project and location shoot, which I've dreamed about and longed for and wanted to make a reality someday, has come to fruition, I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight (laughs). Being able to do this location shoot all day today made me feel incredibly happy."
Regarding the quality of the program, she said, "I feel a little embarrassed to say it myself, but it was perfect! I think the location shooting went just as I had imagined when making the type of program I wanted. Ume-chan, Matsuri-chan, and Kumi-chan all graciously accepted the offer, and they really showed us their true expressions, and just when you thought they were having fun, they sometimes spoke their true feelings with a serious face, and you could see the pure side of each of them. It's undoubtedly thanks to these three that I felt it was the best program ever."
Regarding the program's release, Sakamichi Group's general producer Yasushi Akimoto sent a message saying, "I received a LINE message from Nogizaka46's Ichiki Rena, who joined Nippon Television as an announcer, for the first time in a long time. She told me that a program about Sakamichi Group that Ichiki had planned would be produced. I thought that was wonderful. What's great is that Ichiki hasn't forgotten about Nogizaka46 even after she has become a working member of society. Even now, she is proud to have been a member of Nogizaka46, and I'm sure she has tried to be of help to her juniors. Above all, Ichiki still loves Nogizaka46. I replied right away, 'I'm looking forward to the broadcast. Thank you.'"
The show will be exclusively distributed on Hulu. It will consist of 12 episodes, and will be distributed twice a week at 6 pm every Thursday, starting from 6 pm on April 17th.
