On November 19th, idol group Hinatazaka46 held the Tokyo premiere of their national tour, Hinatazaka46 ARENA TOUR 2025 "MONSTER GROOVE," at the National Yoyogi Stadium First Gymnasium (Shibuya Ward, Tokyo). After the main performance, a graduation ceremony was held for popular member Kawata Hina, bringing an end to her eight years of idol activities.
At the stage, a video was shown looking back on Kawada's career, from her predecessor group, Keyakizaka46, to Hinatazaka46. Her junior, Kaho Fujishima, said, "Just being with Kawada heals my heart," and her fellow member, Miku Kanemura, also spoke of her kind personality, saying, "I love Hina, who doesn't reject anyone."
Kawada, clad in a pure white dress, gave a 10-minute speech, thanking the members, staff, and fans, saying, "The eight years I spent as an idol were irreplaceable. If I hadn't done this, I think there would have been many emotions I would never have experienced. After joining, I cried so much that it was unbelievable, and I'm sure I caused a lot of trouble. But every time, someone always reached out to help me. I wasn't alone, so I was able to get this far."
She teared up at one point and said, "There were times when I compared myself to others and lost confidence. But I am only myself, and once I started to accept Kawata Hina, I think I was able to be more true to myself when I was active. I'm sure you all have difficult times in your lives that I can't even fathom. I would be happy if Hinatazaka could be by your side at times like those. Please don't push yourself at all."
She concluded by saying, "All I can think back on now are happy memories. Life as an idol was really fun. I was happy to be in Hinatazaka. Please continue to love Hinatazaka46."
At the end of the ceremony, "Ohisama" (nickname for Hinatazaka46 fans) shouted out, "We love you, Hina-chan," and Kawada expressed her deep gratitude once again, saying, "Thanks to all of you, we were able to have a really fun time at the concert. Thank you everyone." She greeted her graduation day surrounded by great love.
