EXILE ATSUSHI Announces Graduation with EXILE!

Vocalist EXILE ATSUSHI announced that he will be graduating from EXILE on November 2nd and will be fully focusing on only solo projects from here on out. EXILE ATSUSHI made his debut as a vocalist of EXILE in September 2001 with the single "Your eyes only ~ 曖昧なぼくの輪郭~". With EXILE, he sang about 200 songs, produced 11 original albums, and performed 15 live tours. With the ongoing pandemic, EXILE ATSUSHI faced himself, thought about the future, and became more motivated to challenge himself with a new dream as a solo artist. EXILE ATSUSHI wrote “Taking this opportunity, I decided to leave EXILE” in his upcoming book Sign which will be published on November 12th. What is written describes the feeling that he decided to graduate from the group before the 20th anniversary of EXILE's debut next year.

EXILE members, including EXILE ATSUSHI and EXILE HIRO, commented about the announcement through their official website. ATSUSHI said, "EXILE for me has been everything in my life since I made my debut at the age of 21." Looking back on his activities with EXILE, "20 years of experience and learning not just as an artist, but a little about society. I just started to understand and learned about this world that I live in. That's why I really think that this is the beginning of my true life. I would like to continue singing in the hope that my songs can benefit someone, so I would be grateful if you could continue listening to both EXILE and EXILE ATSUSHI in the future."

We like to thank EXILE ATSUSHI for his services with EXILE and look forward to his upcoming solo projects!

Karin Miyamoto Announces Graduation from Juice=Juice

Karin Miyamoto has announced that she will be leaving pop group Juice=Juice to focus on her solo career. Juice=Juice is part of the collective idol girl group Hello! Project which includes groups such as Morning Musume. Karin has been with the band since its debut in 2013. The announcement was made on Juice=Juice’s official YouTube page in a three-minute video where she talks about how she wants to “create her own worldview” and “use those for her performances”. Karin’s graduation won’t be until after all the tour dates for the year are completed. We here at Ongaku To You wish Karin Miyamoto the best in her future endeavors.

Tsukiashi Amane Announces Graduation From HKT48

On February 12 Tsukiashi Amane announced that she will be graduating from HKT48. Amane’s graduation performance will be March 30. Further details about her graduation have not been revealed, including her hopes and plans for the future.  Amane debuted with the group in July of 2016 and was part of the group’s fourth generation. We at Ongaku to You wish Amane the best in her future endeavors.

Maiko Fukagawa Announces Departure from HKT48

Maiko Fukagawa of HKT48 revealed that she will be graduating from the group with her last performance being on February 22. The reason Maiko is stepping down from the group is because she is wanting to concentrate on her education in order to become a dietitian. We want to wish Maiko the best of luck in her future endeavors and schooling.

Mai Shiraishi announces graduation from Nogizaka46

It was announced that the upcoming twenty-fifth single for Nogizaka46 will be long-time member Mai Shiraishi’s final single with the group. Shiraishi is part of the first generation of members for Nogizaka46, founded in 2011. With Shiraishi’s departure there will only be ten founding members left in the group. The next single is set to drop in March but no official date has been set. We’ll keep you posted as we receive more details about their next single and we wish Shiraishi the best in her future endeavors.