MM-san nikkei ent

MIYATA MANAMO nikkei ent interview

"There's only a few members in the group who managed to make a career out of their hobbies and interests. Among Hinatazaka members, the first person to make a solo work out of her own interests, is none other than Miyata Manamo. Her writing prowess caught the attention of many back since the Hiragana era, showcased on the show 'Hiragana Oshi' during a segment where they had to write opening lines for short novels. In February 2018, she wrote the short story 'Envy' which was a part of the digitally released short story collection 'The Worst of Meeting, The Best of Love'."

Manamo: I've always loved books since I was a child. When I encountered character I wasn't able to read yet, I'd ask for my parents to read it for me, I must've troubled my mother for asking for her to read quite a lot of times (laughs), I was quickly taught hiraganas and I had furiganas put on the kanjis in my picture books. Since then, I read by myself.

Back in high school, in the Japanese lit. class, classical literature is what I'd say my specialty is, and I'd say modern literature is what I'm especially bad at. When (test) questions on writing composition came up, I found myself going, "Ha..." and sighed. But, when I entered college, I realized that apprently I'm not too bad at writing long articles. "Huh? I can write long compositions after all?" - is what I thought. From there on, I thought if I'd like to develop that skill even more, I'd have to take on the opportunity to write a short story.

The truth is, when I wrote the novel, as I thought, writing is difficult. How should I deliver this across to the readers, who do I want to write this for, and while thinking through all those, I managed to construct and wrote down the story. A lot of writers write beautiful compositions, I thought it'd be great if I could also write that way, but as it turned out, it was difficult to do just that. But it was the first time I properly sat down to write a short story, it felt refreshing and fun. I received various impressions from fans who have read it, there were people said, "Reading your short story gave me encouragements". I'd like to write another short story or novel. It makes me happy to bring tie-in my interest into my profession.


"In their main variety show, there's another area of expertise that Miyata shines in - in 'Hiragana Oshi', a lot of the members voted for her as a member they thought to be a 'burikko'. In another show, 'HINABINGO!2', she was 1st place as the "member you'd like as your wife".

Manamo: Back in high school, my friends would say I'm a 'burikko', but at the time I didn't know what things like 'burikko' and 'azatoi' actually mean, so when I ranked as 'burikko' in our variety show, I looked up what those terms mean and did my own research on it.

I felt happy when I got chosen as the #1 member others would like to have as a wife. Because the others are so kind-hearted, I'd bring the sweets I made to our dressing room and, with pleasure, let them have those. The same goes for today - I made some muffins. I ended up bringing so many tupperwares of it with me, but everyone managed to finish them (laughs).

My specialty is baking chiffon cake and bagel. The first time I tried my hands with sweets was the time back in middle school where I tried to make a chiffon cake. Since then I'd always make it myself as I have the confidence for it. As I want to live surrounder by cute and pretty things around me, I thought in order to realize that I have to take the matter by my own hands; making my own cute-looking sweets, making my room look cute on my own - I'm doing these all for my own comfort. But all in all, doing this for myself sounds pretty selfish, isn't it? I only realized that now (laughs).

~Getting accustomated to the new team yell when huddling up~


"From their brand new group name 'Hinatazaka46', 'Hinata', 'Ohisama', 'The sky', a lot of things came up, and yet everything felt like they're all meant to fall into places this way - Miyata thought as she recounted it."

Manamo: I remember going "wow, that's very cute" when I heard about the name. Since it was our 'starting point', all the members had the mindset that if we can't put our mind into it then we won't be getting anywhere. Ever since we received the name 'Hinatazaka46', I often talked with the members on how we'd like to be worthy of that name. In 2019, the summer festivals we attended left a huge impression on me. In such festivals, the audience weren't just Ohisamas, and yet everyone were just as excited, it made me thought, "Everyone was so kind-hearted".

Up till now, the live show started with a huddle of 'Humility! Kindness...", but now, becoming Hinatazaka46, we thought of the brand new, "Deliver to the sky!" that now starts our live. Though the first time we huddled up for a live (as Hinatazaka), the moment we were about to do the team yell, we all went, "...What was it again?", (laughs) but now, we can do it just fine!

We got to experience our debut countdown live, the one man live, and some others - those live shows that became our turning point. Even in such huge venues, the fans went along with our excitement as we met eye-to-eye. As I stood on the stage, I could see the cyliums, the towels, no matter how further to the back I tried to see. To me, this is what makes a live show truly a live show. No matter how exhausted you get after performing the harder songs, seeing the excitement in the audience pumped the adrenaline back into me, and I found myself wanting to leap even, even higher.


"Miyata discussed the future of Hinatazaka46 - where to go, what to do from there on - with someone four years her junior whom she gets along very well, 2nd gen Kosaka Nao."

Manamo: Me and Nao often share the same hotel room, and we'd always talk until it's midnight about things like, "this part and in the live just now was pretty good huh?", and so on. Until we realize, "ah, it's already time to sleep!". We'd still talk to each other while half-asleep but I couldn't remember what we were even talking about during those times (laughs). I often talk about these to Ushio Sarina-san and Manafi-san, too. I'd consult to them as they're quite the reliable seniors.

~"Recently, I've been into drinking black tea"~

Manamo: During my private times, lately I find myself liking warm tea, and particularly I've been into black tea. Though I've always liked warm tea in the first place, recently I've been drinking it every day. As I'm a person who's sensitive to the cold, I've heard things about black tea being able to make you sleep easier, so I've been drinking it at home and before I realized it, I find myself liking it a lot. When I set up the pot and the tea leaves for the tea in home, my family would discuss with me, "Which kind of tea for today?".

Back in my school days too, I brought a thermos to school with tea in it. Black tea, coupled with some books to read, make a really good time. It feels kind of picturesque (laughs). It helps the mood, too.

The book I've been reading is Tsujimura Mizuki's "Tokyokaikan to watashi". Though I've had the hard cover copy for a while, recently I found the book printed with paperback cover, bought it, and found myself re-reading it after a long while. Even though I've read it before, as I thought, it was very fun to read. Set in the Marunouchi District in Tokyo, it was a book full of stories that happened in Tokyo Kaikan, with the talks of foods and restaurants there in the book, reading it goes so well with the black tea. It's a novel that makes you imagine what yourself would be like if you were a little older; by the time I'm done, I could feel myself growing up by a tiny bit - that kind of novel.


"Miyata Manamo is currently is in her third-year (in university), majoring in Japanese Literature, specializing in Manyoushuu (Japan's oldest poem anthologies). Come spring and she'll be begin her last year in university."

Manamo: With my time in the university nearing to an end, I'd like to have a take-away that makes me go, "For 4 years, I've studied up on this". I've been studying on the know-hows of librarian (e.g archiving, etc), but I'm also interested in doing public services for children. I've worked for a library for international children before. Things like thinking on how to make kids enjoy reading since in such an early age, how to operate a library, I find these very fun.

There are a lot of people who dropped reading once they entered middle and high school even though they used to read in grade school. So that I can get them back to pick up books, I thought it'd be great if I could show them the charms of books and reading. I'd like to share deliver the charms of reading to people who are into idols too.

I specialize in Manyoshuu, so when it comes to the field work I'd do to local places relevant (to what I'm learning), it feels like going on school trips. The new era of 'Reiwa' is also a source of another batch of Manyoshuu, and it makes me happy that I'd learn about it too. Somehow, lately I realized that I truly love studying. And as I also love stage plays, I hope I can take on another challenge of group stage play. After the stage play of 'Ayumi', everyone begins to individually experience stage plays, so I hope we can do it all together again in the future - as the stage is an experince that you can only relish in at that one moment, at that very moment.