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BMSG Trainees – Real Sound interview series, #16 RAIKI
With THE LAST PIECE coming to a close and new members joining the BMSG Family as Trainees, Real Sound Music began a long interview series with all disclosed BMSG Trainees leading up to the BMSG Trainee Showcase 2026.
#1 - RYOTO
#2 - RYOMA
#3 - KEITO
#4 - KEI
#5 - HAL
#6 - KAIRI
#7 - YUTA
#8 - REN
#9 - KEISHIN
#10 - AOI
#11 - KANTA
#12 - COTA
#13 - YU
#14 - KAITO
#15 - LEON
#16 - RAIKI
Sixteenth Trainee to be interviewed is Raiki!
Original interview link: https://realsound.jp/2026/03/post-2324242.html
60-second PR video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPjCM_WCeYU
RaiRai was struggling to remember what was his earliest memory. He thinks it’s probably his mom coming to pick him up from daycare. As a child, Raiki was quite a handful. He refused to take naps, would slide down the walls, and knocked the door off its hinges once 😂 His mom and teachers at daycare are still close and keep in touch. Raiki still drops by sometimes to say hello to them and they always tell him, “We’ll never forget Raiki.”
Since he’s one of the older members of BMSG Trainees, Raiki just naturally ended up taking care of the younger members. He doesn’t usually come across as the “big brother” type, tbh. He still has a naughty and cheeky side, he just doesn’t knock doors off their hinges anymore, LMAO
There’s a photo of Raiki from when he was a kid and singing with a wooden stick as a mic stand. He thinks he probably hadn’t thought about what his dream was at the time, but maybe he was already aiming to be an artist ever since he was born ✨ He didn’t really ever have an interest in being anything else besides an artist. His family loves music, there’d often be live performance videos playing in the car, and he had many opportunities to be exposed to music since a young age, so he never imagined himself pursuing another career.
Raiki enjoys being in front of a crowd. He was the Student Council President when he was in elementary and junior high school. He was good at speaking in front of people.
Raiki started taking dance lessons in his final year of kindergarten / preschool, but it was around 7th Grade that he seriously considered artist as his career. It was also the year he started taking vocal lessons. Around this period of time, Raiki received offers from various agencies, and it naturally sparked his interest in the entertainment industry. Raiki is a huge fan of AAA so he had a strong image of “being an artist = cool” and really looked up to them.
Raiki had auditioned and tried for other companies before joining BMSG, but he was often told, “Your dance style doesn’t fit our company. Please change it,” or “Don’t sing like that, sing like this instead.” Raiki thought if he auditioned for BMSG - a company led by Hidaka-san - who is from AAA, the group he really admires as his ideal, then he might finally be able to be himself.
Since BMSG prides itself on the motto “Be My Self Group,” there was absolutely no coercive coaching. Raiki has truly been allowed to do exactly what he wants all along, and they’ve given him all sorts of advice, like, “If you like this style, wouldn’t this kind of expression work well?” or “With a voice like yours, I think this kind of song would suit you too.” Raiki feels like he is gradually getting closer to the kind of artist he aspires to be.
For RaiRai it hasn’t really sunk in that he is getting advice or chatting with THE Hidaka-san, who he has always looked up to, or that they are the same person. And when he does realize it, he always goes, “Wait a minute, this situation is actually pretty crazy!” 😂
- Boss was with the boys every single day during TLP
- Before the first TLP episode aired, all the TLP boyo watched boss appear on THE TIMES and they were all really excited, “Boss has returned to being a person on TV!” 🤣
- Boss isn’t the kind of CEO that stands in front leading everyone or acts superior, he is a leader that stands alongside the boys and works hard together with them.
💋: So when I see the boss I love and trust so much speaking on TV, there are moments when it just doesn’t feel real.
RaiRai went into TLP with a mixed bag of emotions, but the determination to debut was definitely the strongest feeling he had
RaiRai’s happiest memory / moment in TLP was when boss was giving feedback to the finalists in the Final Screening. Boss said something like, “Just having you here drastically expands the range of songs I can create and the number of songs I want to make.” As an artist, those were the most heartwarming words RaiRai could have heard, and it felt like boss had put into words what makes RaiRai appealing as an artist – he was very happy.
Raiki was disappointed for not making it in STARGLOW. He felt anxious too, wondering, “What’s going to happen from here on out?” At the same time, he was also sad that TLP was coming to an end. Raiki realized that this fun, dreamlike time was about to become just a memory, so he was a little dazed.
RaiRai didn’t really understand right away when they were told about a 4th group. 30 mins after TLP wrapped up, they all had a chance to talk to Hidaka-san. During that conversation, boss was completely honest with them and explaining everything, such as, “There’s a specific reason I chose the five of you for the next group,” and “I think your strengths will really shine if you are in the next group.” Raiki realized he wasn’t eliminated because he lacked something or gave a bad performance, boss made the decision after carefully considering his personality and other members, with the goal of properly producing them and it put his mind at ease.
RaiRai is very grateful to boss - he’s given him many opportunities and he wants to repay everything by becoming the kind of artist that boss admires. Just like boss is RaiRai’s favorite artist, he wants G-group to be the kind of artist that boss can say, “I’m a fan of them.” RaiRai wants to be an artist who can bring joy to the person that is guiding them from the closest distance.
RaiRai wants to reach a point where their music and work is recognized by a specific title or name and the kind of artist that wins awards. (He gave the example of Michael Jackson being known as the King of Pop) It would feel like their biggest dreams have come true if they were given a title like that.
He’s not sure what he / G-group wants to be known as, but because he doesn’t know he wants to rise to the top so people can give them a name!
RaiRai is interested in all sorts of things right now - some music-related, others not related to music at all. He wants to experience and engage with various things and different kinds of music to become a great artist. He wants to master the things he likes and become the artist he wants to be, before he debuts. Currently, he’s really into composing [music], but he’s also really interested in stage directions, and wants to try playing an instrument.
Raiki has always had an interest in composing so he has been doing a bit of it on his own. When he realized Yuyu started a little earlier than he did, Yuyu has been teaching him all sorts of things. When RaiRai [and Yuyu? Not sure] went to Aile The Shota’s house, Shota gave him some tips on coming up with melody lines. Shota also gave Raiki a bunch of clothes 🤣 It’s really great to be able to talk about music and other things with senpai artists up close like that.
Various senpais invite Raiki out to eat, or when they pass each other at the office they’ll tell him they saw a video. It makes RaiRai happy to know that the senpais are taking the time to check on them even though they’re so busy. It feels like a family.
Hope you enjoyed!
Please note I translate these for free and I'm not a professional, so they may not be 100% accurate.
Retranslations or sharing of the summaries is fine! For retranslations, please notify me beforehand and credit once posted!
Translations do take time to complete, so if you like my translations you can consider tipping me on Ko-Fi!
#1 - RYOTO
#2 - RYOMA
#3 - KEITO
#4 - KEI
#5 - HAL
#6 - KAIRI
#7 - YUTA
#8 - REN
#9 - KEISHIN
#10 - AOI
#11 - KANTA
#12 - COTA
#13 - YU
#14 - KAITO
#15 - LEON
#16 - RAIKI
Sixteenth Trainee to be interviewed is Raiki!
Original interview link: https://realsound.jp/2026/03/post-2324242.html
60-second PR video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPjCM_WCeYU
Raiki and his childhood
RaiRai was struggling to remember what was his earliest memory. He thinks it’s probably his mom coming to pick him up from daycare. As a child, Raiki was quite a handful. He refused to take naps, would slide down the walls, and knocked the door off its hinges once 😂 His mom and teachers at daycare are still close and keep in touch. Raiki still drops by sometimes to say hello to them and they always tell him, “We’ll never forget Raiki.”
Since he’s one of the older members of BMSG Trainees, Raiki just naturally ended up taking care of the younger members. He doesn’t usually come across as the “big brother” type, tbh. He still has a naughty and cheeky side, he just doesn’t knock doors off their hinges anymore, LMAO
Raiki and his dream
There’s a photo of Raiki from when he was a kid and singing with a wooden stick as a mic stand. He thinks he probably hadn’t thought about what his dream was at the time, but maybe he was already aiming to be an artist ever since he was born ✨ He didn’t really ever have an interest in being anything else besides an artist. His family loves music, there’d often be live performance videos playing in the car, and he had many opportunities to be exposed to music since a young age, so he never imagined himself pursuing another career.
Raiki at school
Raiki enjoys being in front of a crowd. He was the Student Council President when he was in elementary and junior high school. He was good at speaking in front of people.
Raiki and being an artist
Raiki started taking dance lessons in his final year of kindergarten / preschool, but it was around 7th Grade that he seriously considered artist as his career. It was also the year he started taking vocal lessons. Around this period of time, Raiki received offers from various agencies, and it naturally sparked his interest in the entertainment industry. Raiki is a huge fan of AAA so he had a strong image of “being an artist = cool” and really looked up to them.
Raiki had auditioned and tried for other companies before joining BMSG, but he was often told, “Your dance style doesn’t fit our company. Please change it,” or “Don’t sing like that, sing like this instead.” Raiki thought if he auditioned for BMSG - a company led by Hidaka-san - who is from AAA, the group he really admires as his ideal, then he might finally be able to be himself.
Since BMSG prides itself on the motto “Be My Self Group,” there was absolutely no coercive coaching. Raiki has truly been allowed to do exactly what he wants all along, and they’ve given him all sorts of advice, like, “If you like this style, wouldn’t this kind of expression work well?” or “With a voice like yours, I think this kind of song would suit you too.” Raiki feels like he is gradually getting closer to the kind of artist he aspires to be.
For RaiRai it hasn’t really sunk in that he is getting advice or chatting with THE Hidaka-san, who he has always looked up to, or that they are the same person. And when he does realize it, he always goes, “Wait a minute, this situation is actually pretty crazy!” 😂
Raiki, boss, and TLP
- Boss was with the boys every single day during TLP
- Before the first TLP episode aired, all the TLP boyo watched boss appear on THE TIMES and they were all really excited, “Boss has returned to being a person on TV!” 🤣
- Boss isn’t the kind of CEO that stands in front leading everyone or acts superior, he is a leader that stands alongside the boys and works hard together with them.
💋: So when I see the boss I love and trust so much speaking on TV, there are moments when it just doesn’t feel real.
RaiRai went into TLP with a mixed bag of emotions, but the determination to debut was definitely the strongest feeling he had
RaiRai’s happiest memory / moment in TLP was when boss was giving feedback to the finalists in the Final Screening. Boss said something like, “Just having you here drastically expands the range of songs I can create and the number of songs I want to make.” As an artist, those were the most heartwarming words RaiRai could have heard, and it felt like boss had put into words what makes RaiRai appealing as an artist – he was very happy.
Raiki was disappointed for not making it in STARGLOW. He felt anxious too, wondering, “What’s going to happen from here on out?” At the same time, he was also sad that TLP was coming to an end. Raiki realized that this fun, dreamlike time was about to become just a memory, so he was a little dazed.
Raiki and G-group
RaiRai didn’t really understand right away when they were told about a 4th group. 30 mins after TLP wrapped up, they all had a chance to talk to Hidaka-san. During that conversation, boss was completely honest with them and explaining everything, such as, “There’s a specific reason I chose the five of you for the next group,” and “I think your strengths will really shine if you are in the next group.” Raiki realized he wasn’t eliminated because he lacked something or gave a bad performance, boss made the decision after carefully considering his personality and other members, with the goal of properly producing them and it put his mind at ease.
RaiRai is very grateful to boss - he’s given him many opportunities and he wants to repay everything by becoming the kind of artist that boss admires. Just like boss is RaiRai’s favorite artist, he wants G-group to be the kind of artist that boss can say, “I’m a fan of them.” RaiRai wants to be an artist who can bring joy to the person that is guiding them from the closest distance.
RaiRai wants to reach a point where their music and work is recognized by a specific title or name and the kind of artist that wins awards. (He gave the example of Michael Jackson being known as the King of Pop) It would feel like their biggest dreams have come true if they were given a title like that.
He’s not sure what he / G-group wants to be known as, but because he doesn’t know he wants to rise to the top so people can give them a name!
RaiRai from here
RaiRai is interested in all sorts of things right now - some music-related, others not related to music at all. He wants to experience and engage with various things and different kinds of music to become a great artist. He wants to master the things he likes and become the artist he wants to be, before he debuts. Currently, he’s really into composing [music], but he’s also really interested in stage directions, and wants to try playing an instrument.
Raiki has always had an interest in composing so he has been doing a bit of it on his own. When he realized Yuyu started a little earlier than he did, Yuyu has been teaching him all sorts of things. When RaiRai [and Yuyu? Not sure] went to Aile The Shota’s house, Shota gave him some tips on coming up with melody lines. Shota also gave Raiki a bunch of clothes 🤣 It’s really great to be able to talk about music and other things with senpai artists up close like that.
Various senpais invite Raiki out to eat, or when they pass each other at the office they’ll tell him they saw a video. It makes RaiRai happy to know that the senpais are taking the time to check on them even though they’re so busy. It feels like a family.
Hope you enjoyed!
Please note I translate these for free and I'm not a professional, so they may not be 100% accurate.
Retranslations or sharing of the summaries is fine! For retranslations, please notify me beforehand and credit once posted!
Translations do take time to complete, so if you like my translations you can consider tipping me on Ko-Fi!