Hitomi Honda has graduated from AKB48. The Japanese idol, who became a member of IZ*ONE as part of the program, confirmed her graduation in a social media post.
Hitomi Honda Officially Leaving AKB48
On August 30, Honda Hitomi delivered news of her graduation from AKB48 on X (formerly Twitter). In the post, she reflected on her time with the Japanese girl group.
“As a representative of Tochigi-ken in AKB48 Team 8, I joined the team at 12 years old and was promoted as a part of the group for 10 years,” Honda wrote. “As a member of AKB48, as a member of IZ*ONE, and as a selected member of the main team, not to mention being chosen as the center twice, I was able to grow while gaining valuable experiences.”
先ほど卒業発表をさせていただきました。
卒業までの残りの時間を大切に、これからもAKB48の為に全力で頑張ります。
今後ともよろしくお願いいたします。 pic.twitter.com/sFDAiA8J52— 本田仁美 (@hnd_htm__1006) August 30, 2023
“Thank you so much for supporting me for the last 10 years, even though I was so inexperienced,” she continued. “I will be leaving this giving environment where I was so blessed, but I will not forget your love and support for me as I take on new challenges and test my capabilities.”
Hitomi Honda Reveals Final AKB48 Project
Honda then assured fans that they would still see her with the group. As it turns out, she will still be a part of AKB48 until next month.
“As the single set for release on September 27 will be my last activity as a member of AKB48, I will be participating in all group events currently being announced. Details on my graduation performance will be revealed at a later time,” she wrote.
AKB48 was established under the premise of being “idols you can meet”. In Japanese culture, idols are performers who rely on direct fan support. The close relationship between idols and their fans fosters a sense of loyalty and devotion. The group’s primary producer, Yasushi Akimoto, aimed to create a distinctive idol group that would perform regularly in its own theater, as opposed to other idol groups that only perform sporadically and appear primarily on television. The AKB48 Theater is located in the Don Quijote store in Akihabara, Tokyo.
Hitomi Honda debuted as part of IZ*ONE in 2018. She announced her departure when her contract expired in 2021.
