On February 25th, Minami Umezawa, captain of the idol group Nogizaka46, announced on her official blog that she would be graduating from the group.
Umezawa is 27 years old and was born on January 6, 1999. She joined the group in September 2016 as a third-generation member alongside Yamashita Mizuki and Yoda Yuki. She has led the group as a reliable leader, serving as the MC for live performances, and was appointed vice-captain in November 2021. In February 2023, she took over from Akimoto Manatsu as the group's third captain.
With her 170cm height and outstanding figure, she is also a regular model for the women's fashion magazine "CLASSY." (Kobunsha). As an actor, she appeared in the stage production "Kingdom" (2023) as the popular character Yang Duanhe, and is also a regular on the TBS morning information program "THE TIME," expanding the scope of her activities to include multiple fields.
On that day, she updated her blog with the title "Everything looked beautiful," announcing, "Today, I have an announcement to make to everyone. I will be graduating from Nogizaka46 after the activities for our 41st single." She announced that she would be graduating after the activities for the 41st single, "When Did You Last Run Up the Stairs?" (released on April 8th).
She revealed that she had considered graduating "many years ago," and reflected, "On February 22, 2023, the day I received the baton as captain, I completely ruled out the option of graduating. With the feeling that my life with Nogizaka was starting anew, I faced Nogizaka46 more head-on, and I believe I have devoted more time and thought to this than ever before."
She then explained the reason for her decision, saying, "As I watch my precious juniors become more reliable every day, I feel that they are all starting to have more confidence and ambition, so I have decided to graduate now," and continued, "I feel like I can now leave my beloved Nogizaka while still loving it."
With Umezawa's graduation announcement, the third generation will consist of three members: Ito Ririka, Iwamoto Renka, and Yoshida Ayano Christie.
