Just working my way through threads this evening, catching up on individual members' news while I was away when I saw this post by @AnToNa about Yumana's Twitter location being in London. I've already mentioned my meeting with her in the AKB48 Experiences thread but it really was one of the more notable ones I've ever had with a 48G member. As usual for me when I meet a member I prepare something to say in Japanese and I practise it a few times while I'm waiting in the queue. However things were certainly not routine this time! Firstly she had no queue so I found myself going straight into her booth without having any time to prepare. However preparation or no preparation, she completely threw me by speaking rather good English! It wasn't fluent and it wasn't as good as Rara's English (I'd met her in an earlier slot) but it was certainly much better than I normally hear from a group member. Also I was completely stunned by her beauty! Yes "completely stunned by her beauty" can be an overworked phrase but honestly it's totally appropriate for her. So my jaw immediately hit the floor for two reasons (her good English and beauty) and while I was picking it up to recover the conversation and telling her that I'm from England, I'm sure she said that she's been to London. However even though there was no queue I then suffered the most aggressive staff member I'd had all day, he really was forcibly trying to remove me as soon as time was up, not just gently pushing as is normal. I tried to stand my ground and continue speaking to her (and she was genuinely interested in talking with me) but I had to give in. However we did continue talking for a little while as I stood outside the booth but it was really just me thanking her and wishing her well for her graduation before we said 'goodbye'. I never did get to ask her properly why she'd been in London. I wonder if it was anything to do with her studies? Maybe we'll find out more when she graduates. Meanwhile I left her a message in Twitter to thank her for the HS meeting and to hope she'll return to London soon. Therefore if she wants to meet up for a coffee she knows how to contact me.
SKE manager Yuasa has tweeted a video of Yumana removing her photo after her graduation stage today: https://twitter.com/SKE48_YUASA/status/1129767494816862208 Today's setlist: http://www.ske48.co.jp/news/?id=5000003922 Matome with a summary of tweets with photos of the show: http://ske48matome.net/archives/53374202.html This matome, Yuasa in his tweet and Mikotti in her blog (http://www2.ske48.co.jp/blog_pc/detail/?writer=uchiyama_mikoto) all mention that she's leaving to go to England... EDIT: Yumana has just tweeted these photos: https://twitter.com/yumana_takagi/status/1129784824368025602 Congratulations and Good Luck Yumana - and maybe see you around?
Now she's arrived in London, Yumana has started new Twitter and Instagram accounts: https://twitter.com/Yumana22924476 https://www.instagram.com/yumana_takagi/ Her first new Instagram picture is taken in front of the statue of Eros in Piccadilly Circus:
Yumana has a new SR channel called 'YUMANA in London': EDIT: Removed dead link She broadcasts while walking around different parts of the city - this is today's video (credit to uploader) in which she walks through areas of London which I recognise as Aldgate and Cheapside: EDIT: Removed dead link
Happy Birthday to Yumana! From her Twitter and Instagram posts she seems to have settled down well here in England and she often makes trips with her London-based friend to various places of interest. Her latest posts have photos of a visit she made to the Cotswolds, a very picturesque area about 100 km NW of London with houses built in yellow sandstone: Most of the photos I recognize as being taken in a very pretty village called Burford in Oxfordshire, a place I know very well. She said in Twitter that she had a 2.5 hour bus journey to get there (but c'mon Yumana-chan, you should have sent me a message, I could have picked up you and your friend in my car and we could have been there in HALF that time, just sayin'... )
Yumana has opened a YouTube channel, she'll be posting about her new life in England. She's uploaded an introductory video: if the video does not show watch the video here
Yumana's latest vlog is from a recent visit she made to the Christmas markets in Stuttgart and Esslingen in Germany: if the video does not show watch the video here
Sadly due to the Coronavirus situation Yumana has had to return to Japan. She's just posted a video in which she bids a sad goodbye to London and then has to spend 14 days in quarantine following her arrival back in her home country: if the video does not show watch the video here
It's always nice when I can have a Twitter conversation with a former SKE48 member (full link to her Instagram video: https://www.instagram.com/p/CBaOOTineEx/)
Yumana has tweeted that she's joined the Central Japan Entertainment Agency as a talent and model: https://twitter.com/yumana_takagi/status/1278164218961776643?s=20 https://central-j.com/model/ladies_group2/29484/
Yumana reporting for the Gifu City Official Channel on local Coronavirus measures: if the video does not show watch the video here
Yumana has started a joint TikTok account with former SKE48 member Goto Risako: https://www.tiktok.com/@usagi.panic As examples here are a couple of videos posted recently by the pair: https://www.tiktok.com/@usagi.panic/video/6850400269847596290 https://www.tiktok.com/@usagi.panic/video/6855226544235826433
Yumana has tweeted that she's currently taking part in a promotional campaign for Suzuki: https://twitter.com/yumana_takagi/status/1346397388672417793
Yumana x Risachan video from the YT channel of their agency Central Japan: if the video does not show watch the video here
Shopping trip with Risachan to the Osu district of Nagoya: if the video does not show watch the video here
Advice for those who want to be a model and those who are interested in performing arts work: if the video does not show watch the video here
Yumana and Goto Risako have started a crowdfunding for a photo book https://camp-fire.jp/projects/view/415281 This is a crowdfunding campaign to produce a photo book of idol-turned-model Risako Goto and Yumana Takagi. Please support us to make our original photo book with our feelings!
