【Interview】NIPPONGAKU TV #4: MERCURO at Japan Expo Paris 2026 – Full Transcript
Hello, everyone. We’re MERCURO. Nice to meet you.
Could you each introduce yourselves?
I’m Aisaki Yuuri, the light blue member. Nice to meet you.
I’m Kouya Zera, the white member. I embrace your wounds.
Even if the whole world is against you, I’m on your side. I’m Suijou Nier, the green member.
Even when you feel like giving up, I’ll stay by your side. I’m Shizuki Renge, the purple member.
Let’s make flowers bloom in hell. I’m Gashuu Kiru, the blue member.
I want to protect both darkness and light. I’m Utashiro Kamite, the yellow member. Nice to meet you.
Why did you choose the name MERCURO?
It comes from mercurochrome, a type of antiseptic. We wanted to become a presence that heals people’s emotional wounds and stays close to them, which is why we chose the name.
You formed in 2022. How did the group come together?
First, I met the producer, and we decided to bring the members together. I invited Nier first, then Renge. Nier and I had been in the same group before, so I asked her to join. Zera and I met through social media, and it turned out that we worked at the same place without knowing it. It felt like fate. Rather than one person gathering everyone, the members invited other members. Kamite was brought in by the producer, like a cat. She was captured! That is how it happened.
Is this your first time in France? Have you tried French food?
Yes, it is our first time here, and we have tried French food.
What have you enjoyed most so far?
The croissants were really good.
Supermarket crisps and a cheeseburger.
Prosciutto with melon. We do not really have that combination in Japan, but it was delicious.
Meat.
The Camembert at the Japan Expo catering was delicious.
The salami at the Japan Expo catering. I ate about ten pieces yesterday.
You performed at Japan Expo this morning. Did you notice any differences between Japanese and European fans?
Perhaps the energy, or rather the volume of the cheering. I also felt as though we were the ones receiving fan service. How should I put it? It was like the audience were making direct appeals to us. That really stood out.
Everyone seemed genuinely happy during the show, and compared with Japan, their voices were about ten times louder. They are very kind.
Some people were even crying as they watched. Their emotions really came through. It felt different from Japan, where people can be a little more reserved.
I felt the same. You could really feel their excitement, and hearing everyone shout so much made me happy.
Your debut live was at Shibuya O-EAST. Was that your first performance?
We performed at around three pre-debut shows, but our debut live was at O-EAST. It was a joint event that we had been invited to perform at.
Of all your songs, which do you each like the most?
I like “Mukei no Teikyuu” and “Utsukushii Jinsei.” The lyrics are wonderful, of course, but quite apart from the lyrics, I find the intros and outros of both songs incredibly beautiful.
It is hard to choose, but recently I have been really drawn to “Shuuten.” It resonates with me deeply.
I like “Kyuusai Gokko.” I really enjoy it.
I love “Mata Au Hi Made.” Its lyrics are so moving that they make me cry.
I like “Eguru.” It is a newer song, and its intro really gets me going. It has shouting sections and jumping, so it is fun to perform.
I like “still bleeding.” It has a strong sense of speed and emotion, and the idea of continuing to sing while bleeding reflects our determination and our dreams.
Which song would you recommend to someone discovering MERCURO for the first time?
We would choose “Zetsubou Sekai.” It is our signature song, full of rebellious spirit against the world. Everyone puts up their middle fingers and headbangs. It really represents MERCURO, so we would want people to hear that song first.
Your performances are intense, both vocally and physically. How do you train and prepare for that? Do you go to the gym? How do you practise?
Up to now, MERCURO have kept a very demanding pace of live shows and new releases, so we have not really had time for formal practice. We have honed our skills through performing. That is the life of an idol.
When I started, I did not really know what it meant to be an idol. But after performing so many shows, I have come to understand the kind of idol I want to be, how to reach the fans, and how to improve my performance. I had never danced before joining MERCURO, but I began learning properly here through professional lessons. That is how I improved.
It is similar for me. Because we perform so often, I watch back live footage and analyse what I did well and what I need to correct. Then I work on those points. It is all about performing live as much as possible.
We perform a lot. Recently, we played every song we had released over the previous three… no, four years, in one day. The show lasted about three and a half hours. It was a huge challenge, but once we had done it, we felt almost invincible. We will keep giving it everything we have.
You used to have a different lineup. Now there are six of you. What changed, both in performance and in creating music?
We had to redo every formation from scratch, all within a month. When we went from seven members to six, we had to revise the formations for around thirty songs. That really brought us together. We worked very hard.
Idol groups often have an odd number of members. When I heard we would have an even number, I could only imagine formations with one person in the centre. I wondered how it would work, but it opened up a wider range of possibilities. It was a new realisation.
Where in Japan are you all from?
Kumamoto.
Ibaraki.
Saitama.
Tokyo.
Ehime.
Tokyo.
The flight from Japan to France is long, around twelve hours. What do you do during the journey?
I watched three films, but I fell asleep during every one and never saw the endings. I also tried sudoku, which is like a crossword with numbers. I am not very good with turbulence, and it often gets bumpy around landing, so I tried to stay focused and brace myself. I was very tense.
I watched YouTube and then an anime called In the Clear Moonlit Dusk. It was very good.
I watched three films and stayed awake for all of them. I cried a lot.
I saw that from the seat next to her.
I watched films too. I watched Mandalorian and Grogu. I had also been looking forward to the in-flight meal, and I ate every bite.
I drank a lot of alcohol, got drunk, slept, and barely ate. Drinking is all I remember.
I usually edit photos or write poems, but this time I recorded a “setlog” every hour throughout the fourteen-hour flight.
Do you have a message for your French fans?
We are based in Tokyo, so it is rare for us to travel fourteen hours to come this far. This opportunity feels as though it has changed a fate that might otherwise have kept us from ever meeting. We hope you will not miss this chance to come and see us. And to everyone who came for us, thank you so much.
Even if we are far apart physically, we are always close at heart. Please listen to our music and remember us. I hope we can meet again.
We will keep doing our best, so let us meet again one day. I would love to meet you in Japan.
I hope MERCURO’s music, and what makes us special as idols, reaches everyone in Paris.
It will be a wonderful live show, so please come and see us.
Everyone in France, if you enjoyed MERCURO, please spread the word. Perhaps it will grow into something bigger and we will be able to come back again.
Japan Expo, are you having fun? France, how are you? Pourquoi, pourquoi, pourquoi.
MERCURO’s fifth anniversary tour, “Saikyouiku,” begins on 17 July. On 30 November, we will also have a major show at Shibuya O-EAST. It is a theatrical production with a live band. Please come and enjoy the show. We will be waiting for you. Thank you very much.
