Here’s the translation for Maimi’s 1/23 blog update, titled “Thank you
“:

Good morning
It’s Maimi

The closing day for the Hello! Project concerts that began on the 2nd finally arrived yesterday

I enjoyed the last day with all of my might

I love seeing everyone’s smiles

When I see them, I have fun, and I start feeling happy…

So, I love a concert where I can meet a lot of smiles

When I think back,
at this New Year’s Hello! Project concert

was the first showcase
of the new song being released on 4/18
“Kimi wa Jitensha Watashi wa Densha de Kitaku”

It’s the first ℃-ute single to be a ballad, and the dance is also unlike anything ℃-ute has done until now,

so at first, everyone thought
“I wonder what kind of response we’ll get”
and we were nervous~

It’s a song with a story, and the challenge this time was to pull everyone into the world of the lyrics,

so we said “Let’s change the atmosphere to the color of ℃-ute We five are one”

and harmonized our feelings before the performance…

Though my heart was pounding, it was really reassuring…

That new song,

at each venue everyone watched the stage like they were listening intently

Everyone’s delight after returning backstage was a good memory…

(1)

And then, I also wrote about it yesterday,
but this time was the last Hello! Project concert with Niigaki-san…

While singing and dancing on stage,

“From here on, the remaining Hello! Project members will have to take Niigaki-san’s share and rouse Hello! Project”

I strongly felt

I also have to work harder and harder

I’m really happy there’s a wonderful senior like Niigaki-san

She taught me a lot,
helped me a lot,
and showed me a lot of kindness…

I really respect her as a person

I will always cherish the time spent together with Niigaki-san in Hello! Project,

and of course, I will follow Niigaki-san’s activities from now on, and absorb a lot

Niigaki-san, thank you very, very much.

Even if you graduate, best regards

(2)

Well then, last is this picture

(3) It’s the debut of this costume on the blog

Including everyone who couldn’t come to the venue, a lot of people cheered for us at the start of 2012, so it became a wonderful start

Thank you so very much
We will do our best in 2012 so that we can give everyone a lot of happiness