I'm sure she does. I know she buys my CDs, and I get letters sometimes...but strikin' it out in the world on my own was pretty important to me. It's hard to be an idol based in Okinawa, but I knew I could do it in Tokyo if I tried.

[It was a little terrifying at first, as being a sixteen year old minor in a new city can be.]

Did your dad appreciate it, too? When you became an idol, I mean.