Karen Iwata’s AKB48 Graduation Announcement Shakes Fans!

| 48 / 46 Group | Posted by Kai Okudara on Jan.05.2016

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Karen Iwata announced her graduation from AKB48 during the afternoon performance of the Koasa Shunpei special live “Eve wa Adam no Abarebane” at the AKB48 Theater on January 5, 2016. While details about her final performance and events as a member of AKB48 have yet to be revealed as she just announced it, Iwata took to Twitter to assure fans that it was a positive graduation and hoped that they would support her until her final day.

卒業発表させていただきました✨💦
突然の発表で驚かせてしまってごめんなさい。
前向きな卒業なので、最後まで応援して頂けたら嬉しいです！
また夜、ゆっくり今の気持ちを書きます。

とりあえず夜公演もがんばる！！😎⭐️ pic.twitter.com/FOKyVYTRF8

— 岩田華怜 (@karen0513_) January 5, 2016

Karen Iwata joined AKB48 as a 12th generation member in 2011, shortly after the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami had left her living in a shelter with her family in Miyagi prefecture. She was one of the key members in AKB48’s Tohoku Earthquake Relief efforts and was the host of a NHK program where she shared her experiences during that time. She also sang as part of the single “Hana wa Saku” which was organized by NHK World.

While she was only selected as a senbatsu member for 2012’s “Manatsu no Sounds Good!”, Karen was a regular fixture of the coupling songs of AKB48 singles. She was a also member of the subunit NO NAME from the anime AKB0048 and also voiced the character of Nagisa Motomiya, one of the kenkyuusei hoping to become a member of the group in the future.

Whatever it is that Karen decides to reveal about her future plans or reasons for graduating, she has overcome enough things to get where she is now so it isn’t that difficult to believe that she has even bigger dreams that she will be reaching for!

Related Links

AKB48 Official site: http://www.akb48.co.jp/

Karen Iwata Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/karen0513_