Interview with feelNEO members
We spoke with feelNEO members Aya-pon, Sakura, Ayuri, Hinami, and Kirara.
Celebrating their 10th anniversary
Looking at today's idol scene, groups that are active with what are known as their “original members” seem rare. How did you feel about reaching your 10th anniversary?
Hinami
It felt like a long 10 years.
At first, I wasn't sure what being an idol meant, but over the past 10 years, I've experienced how wonderful it is to be able to work as an idol.
It all started when I was scouted at AEON MALL Kurashiki. At first, I danced as if it were just an extracurricular lesson, and I never thought it would continue for this long.
Ayuri
The 10 years flew by.
What I think now that we've reached our 10th anniversary is that even after continuing for 10 years, it's really hard to get more people to discover us and become famous.
Sakura
I auditioned because I wanted to become an idol, so I'm really happy to have kept doing something I love for 10 years.
There were all kinds of paths I could have taken as a student, but I want to live doing what I love, and I want everyone to see the things I love, too. Reaching 10 years with these five made me think that I want to perform live in more places, and that I have lots of new goals.
Kirara
Over the 10 years we've been active, so many people have told us how amazing it is.
But we've only managed to keep going this long thanks to our manager, our parents, and all the fans who have supported us. We were still in junior high school 10 years ago, so we really couldn't have continued without our parents.
I feel a little uncomfortable being praised when it's really thanks to everyone else. I hope we can repay you through our live performances from now on.
Aya-pon
I really felt it at our 10th anniversary concert, too: I was reminded of how many people have supported us, and how grateful I am that we've had an environment that allowed us to keep going for 10 years.
It's rare in idol culture for all five members to stay together without anyone leaving, and it's truly amazing. I think those 10 years have meant a lot to us.
Do other idols say things like, “Ten years is amazing”?
Aya-pon
When you have five girls, there are bound to be all kinds of things, especially during adolescence. Each of the five of us went through our own ups and downs.
We've made it through those years, so people often ask us, “How have five girls going through adolescence managed to stay so close for so long?”
At the 10th anniversary concert, I think there was a story about someone trying to quit. So you really did go through a lot.
Aya-pon
Members graduated from junior high, high school, and university, and that happened several times. I think the option of quitting crossed everyone's mind at those points. At the time, rather than talking it through and resolving it among the members, the person would talk with someone at the agency or with their parents, and work it out.
But when the subject came up last year (2025), the five of us talked about it as members for the first time. In our 10th year, we discussed for the first time whether the group should disband.
We all talked her around, and in the end, we said, “I'm sorry about that,” and things carried on as they are now. But honestly, this kind of crisis doesn't happen just once a year; it feels like it happens several times a year (laughs).
How do you personally come to terms with the various things that happen?
Hinami
When I was a student, I thought that because I was doing something unusual, people wouldn't really understand, and I shouldn't cause anyone trouble. But my teachers would check in on me, saying things like, “Are you doing okay lately? Aren't you busy?” My friends also picked up on things and were kind to me.
That helped me keep going with my activities.
Kirara
When I talk about wanting to quit, my parents hear about it and try to talk me out of it. I've been active since junior high school, and I owe being able to do this to my parents, so their words really sink in...
Aya-pon
I feel like I've been fortunate in the environment around me, and there were a lot of people who helped me realize that.
What I'm doing now isn't something everyone can do, right? Standing on stage, or the five of us continuing together. Even when I felt sad that I couldn't hang out with my friends as a student, those friends were supporting me so much.
There were so many people around me who helped me realize, “I'm in a situation that I shouldn't take for granted.” That made me feel that maybe I was doing something only I could do, and it helped me keep going.
I think all five of us have a strong sense of, “We've kept going this far.”
Thoughts on their activities in Okayama
I imagine it's difficult to continue working locally while expanding into the Tokyo metropolitan area. How do you think about your activities in your hometown of Okayama now?
Aya-pon
At first, the goal we set when we were in junior and senior high school was to hold a solo concert at Kurashiki Muscat Stadium. Back then, we just said it casually. It's a venue that holds around 10,000 people, so now we're starting to realize, “Wow, we really said something huge.” But since we said it, we want to do it.
So, Kurashiki Muscat Stadium is our ultimate goal now.
To get more people in Okayama to know us, we need to raise our profile and improve our skills. We want to compete in Osaka and Tokyo and become a group that people in Okayama can be proud of.
We want to perform at Kurashiki Muscat Stadium and make it a success.
Kirara
We want people in Okayama to know us through our concerts and release events there, so we can make the Kurashiki Muscat Stadium concert happen.
At the same time, when we perform at our home live music venue, it feels like “medicine for recovery”—it soothes our tired hearts after traveling for performances.
Of course, we want to go to Tokyo and work hard so more people will know us, but Okayama concerts are so important to us that it would be tough if we didn't have one about once a month.
Sakura
We get to perform in lots of places outside the prefecture now, but I think we can go to all those places because we've always had fans in Okayama.
It's not just Fukuoka, Tokyo, and Osaka—fans from Okayama come along with us, too. The fans who come to see us wherever feelNEO performs mean so much to us.
We've also got a concert at Okayama Budokan scheduled for March 2027, so we want to perform in Okayama more often.
Ayuri
We perform in lots of prefectures, but Okayama is our home, after all. Fans tell us things like, “You look like you're having so much fun at your home concerts,” and “It's different from other places.”
We care deeply about our hometown of Okayama, so we'd be happy if we could hold more concerts there and get more people in Okayama to love feelNEO.
Hinami
We've been active for a long time, so lots of people who have known us for years come to our concerts in Okayama.
When I see those people, I feel the atmosphere of Okayama... The local dialect and everything makes it a special place where I feel at ease.
Also, sometimes we get to perform in places in Okayama where lots of people can see us, so I'm happy when people get to discover us for the first time. I want to cherish those opportunities, too.
Aya-pon
We've been doing more activities in Tokyo and Osaka, but we love Okayama so much that we still commute from there.
I can't wait to get back home.
Kirara
When we get to Okayama Station, we're all like, “We're home~~~” (laughs).
A message to readers and fans
Lastly, could you share a message for our readers and fans?
Hinami
I think there are still lots of people in Okayama who aren't familiar with idols, who feel a little intimidated because idols are so approachable, or who are interested but have never actually come to see us.
We'll work hard to put on concerts that help those feelings go away, so please come and see us.
Ayuri
Even after 10 years, I think there are still lots of people who don't know about feelNEO.
We're working hard to put on concerts that people of all ages can enjoy, so we'd be happy if you came to see feelNEO perform at least once.
Sakura
It’s been 10 years since we started, and we’ve been active in Okayama all this time. We love Okayama too, so we hope more people here will get to know us.
We also hold free live shows, so we’d love for people who are seeing idols for the first time to come and watch. We want to become a group that people come to love and feel glad they chose to support.
Kirara
Our manager, who really dotes on us, always says that feelNEO’s lyrics are easy to make out and that we look great.
We’re confident that if you come see feelNEO, who have grown up surrounded by that much love, you’ll come to like us too, so please come enjoy one of our live shows.
Aya Pon
It’s our 10th year, so I think it’s a great milestone.
That’s why I hope you’ll take this opportunity to learn about feelNEO. After 10 years, we stand on stage with our heads held high.
I’d be happy if people in Okayama who say, “I don’t know anything about idols,” came to love idols through feelNEO. We want to create a culture where “supporting feelNEO is cool,” so I hope you’ll come see us.
From the Writer
It is difficult to continue working as an idol in Okayama.
This is something I had strongly felt since around 2000, as I continued watching idol performances. In southern Okayama Prefecture in particular, access to the Tokyo metropolitan area and Kansai is good, so many young people head there, whether to perform on stage or to watch.
Given these geographical conditions, I could only feel respect for them for continuing their activities for 10 years, expanding their work in the Tokyo metropolitan area and Kansai, and still commuting from Okayama to pursue their activities.
I hope to keep watching over them as they continue their activities into their 11th and 12th anniversaries, and work toward realizing their big dream of holding a solo concert at Kurashiki Muscat Stadium.
- Photography: Sasaki Toshiyuki
feelNEO Information
| Name | feelNEO |
|---|---|
| Address | Not disclosed |
| Contact | For performance requests and other inquiries, please use the contact form on the official website |
| Website | feelNEO Official Website |
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