After graduating from Keyakizaka46 in October 2020, Shiori Sato has been active in the art field and even held two solo exhibitions of her work. While studying abroad in the UK, she surprised fans by releasing her 1st digital single “Masshiro na Sekai he” on August 5th in which she wrote the lyrics and designed the jacket herself. 

Arama! Japan recently conducted an interview with Shiori in conjunction with the release of “Masshiro na Sekai he.” In the interview, Shiori opened up about the single, the arts, and her time in the UK! Check out how she got inspiration for the lyrics, how she deals with the unfamiliarity of living in a foreign country, and more!

What is the meaning of the artwork for the 1st single jacket? 

In my mind I imagined a pure white world filled with nothing. But I felt that in such a world, it would be difficult to feel any sort of conflict, so in the end I drew a white world with minimal color. From this moment on, we are in the stage of becoming this pure white world.

What inspired you to write Masshiro na Sekai he? 

Since I was given the opportunity to release a song, I wanted the lyrics to be my own words. So I wrote the lyrics myself.

How did you come up with the lyrics for Masshiro na Sekai he?

I was writing the lyrics while working on two projects at the same time, so I wanted this particular song to reflect my feelings from up until that point. While coming up with the lyrics, I tried to incorporate what I was feeling from my own perspective and wrote down the thoughts I was having at that moment.

What is the message you wish to convey from this song?

The message I wanted to convey is that no matter how cheerful someone seems, I believe everyone has moments where they feel lost or anxious. How you present yourself to others and how you truly feel can easily contradict each other. To be able to reflect on yourself and boldly move forward is not an easy process to achieve, but I hope the song can be a part of someone’s journey.

Listen to Masshiro na Sekai he by Shiori Sato on Spotify!

It seems you enjoy both music and art. What do you believe is the relationship between creating music and works of art?

Although music and painting both belong to the same art category, I feel like they are divided into different fields depending on how you feel about it. However, I think their similarities lie in appealing to the emotions of those who are consuming it by bringing them to life through expression.

What do you wish to express through your paintings?

Whether it’s songs or paintings, I wish to express the same things, but since I personally receive a lot of strength from creating projects I want to continue sending that strength to someone else when they look at my art or hear my music.

Last year you were able to hold your very first solo art exhibition “SHIOResume.” Congratulations! Were there any hurdles you had to overcome or special preparations that had to be made for the event to go smoothly? 

Since it was the first time and everything was brand new to me, it was a bit difficult from beginning to end. While I was drawing, my mind was always filled with dilemmas about how I would set up the venue or create merchandise for the event. Due to COVID-19, I also encountered issues that one might not have had to face when holding a solo exhibition.

How did you come up with the theme of your 2nd solo exhibition “IMAMADE” held in May of this year?

After I made the decision to study abroad in the U.K., I wanted to hold an event to showcase the photos I had taken up to that point. Perhaps I wanted to create an ending point to sort out my thoughts before embarking on a new journey.

There must be a big change between group activities and solo activities. What kind of image of the future do you have at this moment?

As you can see from the lyrics of “Masshiro na Sekai he” I prefer to live without having an image of what I believe my future will be like. I’m hoping to be flexible so that I’ll learn from my feelings and from the people and the things I’ll come in contact with at any given time.

About Off-time! How do you enjoy spending your free time outside of work? 

Recently, I’m really into nature and the importance it has in our lives. In the UK, there are many large and beautiful parks that I enjoy visiting. When I’m there I feel as if I’ve gone back into a neutral state and can recollect my thoughts. I also enjoy painting in these parks. Sometimes during the night I’ll go to the hills and lie down while looking out over the city to see the stars spread above.

Have you experienced any cases of “culture shock” while living in the UK? 

There have been many situations like that (LOL). In Japan, most people work from morning until late at night, so while in the UK I learned about the differences in styles of working and ways to enjoy life. 

What is your favorite traditional British dish?

I’m really crazy about pub foods. I often go to pubs to be able to eat delicious dishes such as fish and chips and shepherd’s pie. I also enjoy the fruit flavored ciders and drink it often.

Regarding future activities、is there something you would like to try?

I  would like to study English more in order to be able to properly convey my thoughts and feelings about art to as many people as possible. If I am able to eliminate the language barrier, the possibilities would be endless.

And finally, a message for your international fans!

The fact that there are many fans not only in Japan, but also overseas expands my mind on a daily basis. In my heart, everyone is equal no matter what country they are from. I hope I can improve my English and be more closely involved so that I can respond to the love I receive from everyone. Thank you for always giving me so much love and support.

Please anticipate Shiori’s 2nd single being released this October! For more information regarding past and future activities please refer to the official website:  https://satoshiori.jp/

Page 2 will consist of the interview in Japanese for Japanese fans to read as well

1 2