Yokoyama Yu talks about his enthusiasm as a runner on "24-Hour TV"

Yokoyama Yu of the popular group "SUPER EIGHT," who will be a charity runner for "24 Hour TV 48 - Love Saves the Earth," which will be broadcast on Nippon Television on August 30th and 31st, spoke about his enthusiasm for the marathon. Expressing confidence that he has "no worries" about the heat or his physical strength, he also showed a playful side, saying, "The thing that worries me is that I'm not worried."

Yokoyama was interviewed by the press after appearing on the station's information variety show "Hirunandesu!", where she is a regular on Thursdays. "Today I ran 10 kilometers at the gym. It reminded me once again of how physically strong I am. I'm not worried about my stamina. People ask me, 'You're busy, are you okay?' but I'm not worried about it at all," she said.

She is currently in the middle of a solo tour that will take her to 11 cities across the country, and said, "I have a live show in Fukuoka two days after I finish running, and Yasuko-chan (who was a runner last year) said she 'couldn't move the next day.' I'm looking forward to seeing how I do. I feel like I'll be able to see a side of myself that I didn't know existed, so I'm looking forward to getting on stage."

He has been training since June, but says that there have been no major changes to his daily life. "I've always gone to the gym three or four times a week, so nothing has changed. People say it's the heat, but I go to the sauna a lot (laughs). I wear a windbreaker when I run, and I like to sweat, so I'm not bothered by it at all," he said.

On the other hand, he said, "I probably should have been a little more nervous," and added enthusiastically, "I have staff members pushing me forward, and there is meaning in running, so I think I have no choice but to do it."

When asked about his specific goals, he said, "I want to run longer than Leader (Shigeru Jojima). When Leader ran, we were the main personalities. Leader ran 101 kilometers, so I'd like to reach that distance," setting a goal of surpassing Joshima's distance.

When asked if she should report to the other members, she replied with a smile, "When you've been in a group for a long time, you don't really report on work, but this time I will! Thank you for giving me the opportunity."

This year's 24-Hour TV will have the theme "Tell me about yourself," and will be broadcast from the main venue, Ryogoku Kokugikan (Sumida Ward, Tokyo). The general hosts will be Ueda Shinya, Hatori Shinichi, and announcer Miura Asami. Charity partners will be King & Prince, Jun Shison Jun, Nagashima Kazushige, Hamabe Minami, Hikawa, and Yasuko. The program will air from 6:30 PM on August 30th to 8:54 PM on the 31st.