Interviewer: There have been graduation rumors for a while now, but why did you choose this timing?

Minegishi:: First of all, I didn’t want my graduation to look like I was running away. I’ve been active all this time because I love AKB, so it’d be a shame to quit over a scandal. Regardless of what people think, I wanted to quit when I felt good about it.

Interviewer: And that time has finally come.

Minegishi:: AKB has been incredibly fun this year. I got called to the national handshake events for the first time in a while, I got to go on a concert tour as a part of Team K, and so on. The girls from my generation getting married one after another is part of the reason I’m graduating, but, and this is actually very personal, my Team K kouhai are a large part of the reason too. Over the course of the tour they really came to understand me and I really felt needed. I want to graduate while people appreciate me, and this was the moment when my own feelings and my relationships and bonds with the other members clicked.

Interviewer: AKB48 is in a tough situation right now and there are those who want you to stay. In November Kashiwagi Yuki-san announced on TV, “I’ll continue being an idol until I’m 30,” so at the very least she won’t graduate for two more years.

Minegishi:: Yukirin’s announcement did play a big role in me choosing to graduate. I’m not someone who tackles being an idol head-on, I’m more the type who thinks things are fun as long as they get people talking. I’ve also had a lot of people tell me “Stay until you’re 30” and “You should stay until the end.” It’s easy for me to get teased with “You’re still here?” and get my wages, but if I scandal it’ll cause trouble again. It’d be great if I could contribute a lot to AKB, but that’s difficult for me now. Yukirin made her announcement while I was thinking about things like that. She’s popular, she goes on tour with the younger girls, she does solo concerts. She’s the kind of girl who should be in AKB until she’s 30.

Interviewer: Kashiwagi-san is still fighting on the front lines as an idol, isn’t she? Looking back at your life in AKB, when do you think your peak was?

Minegishi:: Probably about the 2nd year after debuting. I was a back dancer for Acchan until that point, but I started dancing in the front during theater performances and I was a front member for singles too. I suddenly got a push so people on 2chan were writing that I was “an executive’s mistress.” (laughs) But the group rapidly got bigger after that. The third row of senbatsu isn’t a position where you feel a lot of responsibility, but I would only put forth a bit of effort during variety shows and was able to enjoy a nice view with everyone. Every day was fun in my late teens and I thought life was easy. (laughs)

Interviewer: At the end of your teens, while you were like that, the biggest incident in AKB history happened… You were caught in a romance scandal, shaved your head, and apologized on YouTube. That was a huge story in Japan and around the world.

Minegishi:: I didn’t think it would turn out that way. I just wanted to bring it to a personal end, and I feel really bad that it led to a tendency for people to think Japanese idols are strange and to go after idol otakus.

Interviewer: Why did you do that?

Minegishi:: I think I was probably trying to be exciting like modern YouTuber’s do. I did want to properly apologize, but I also wanted people to talk about it. But it went completely beyond what I intended.

Interviewer: After that you got demoted to a kenkyuusei and had to start back at one.

Minegishi:: I had almost no interaction with the kenkyuusei at that point. The staff tried to be considerate and told them, “Call her Mii-chan.”

Interviewer: There’s no way they could do that!

Minegishi:: That was the first time I thought about quitting AKB. But I’d decided to stay even after shaving my head, so I figured I needed to become someone who was a plus for the group. Until then I’d always put myself first, but after that I started also thinking I wanted my kouhai to improve.

Interviewer: After that you became the captain of Team 4, which had all the kenkyuusei from that time, and you led the kenkyuusei from the 48 groups around the country to take on the “Kenkyuusei Budoukan”, which is considered a legendary concert among fans. And now you’re very loved by the members who stand at the head of the group.

Minegishi:: I don’t understand why my kouhai are so good to me. There’s no merit in it for girls like YuuNaa (14th Gen Okada Nana & 13th Gen Murayama Yuiri), is there?

Interviewer: They’re top class in terms of popularity and skill, they’re serious, and their personalities are good as well. It makes me wonder why, too.

Minegishi:: I actually think it might be a negative for them. (laughs) But they respect me regardless of whether it benefits them or not and they let people know it. If girls like that are saying it, it makes me think maybe I’m not such a bad person after all.

Interviewer: What do you think will happen to AKB48 after you’re gone?

Minegishi:: With all of the 1st Gens gone I think it’ll be the start of a true chapter two. I imagine it’s probably a really exciting development for people who support AKB.

Interviewer: With a goal of holding another concert in Tokyo Dome.

Minegishi:: But I hope Yukirin’s graduation concert is in Tokyo Dome.

Interviewer: Is that possible?

Minegishi:: Idols these days have a strong social media presence, have edgy songs, and new, original dances that all fit the current age, but I think AKB has been fighting on a different front. I think we’re idols that are appropriate for any age group or social class. We might be unfashionable, but I want the group to stay that way. Hmm, who do you think are the top idols right now?

Interviewer: Personally, for female idols I think it’s Nogizaka46. They do dome tours and things like that.

Minegishi:: Middle and high school students do talk about who they like in Nogizaka, don’t they? In the past it was people like Acchan, Tomochin, and Mariko-sama. Now when I talk to people who are 23 or 24 they say, “I used to watch you guys.” I get emotional thinking about how we were a part of those people’s youths. When I announced my graduation there were even people who told me I was the first idol they liked, even though I was so carefree in the third row at the time. I mean, seriously? (laughs)

Interviewer: That means you were their first love.

Minegishi:: That’s the theme, isn’t it? There aren’t many AKB fans in the prime of their youth anymore, are there?

Interviewer: In the worst case you could be consoling them in their old age…

Minegishi:: Everyone who supports us is important, but idols want to be the objects of first love and to have fans roughly the same age as them. The current AKB is cute and I don’t think they’re losing to other groups in that respect.

Interviewer: Lastly, what direction do you plan on going in?

Minegishi:: I haven’t decided yet. My strategy is to panic once I’ve lost everything. I’ll think about it while I’m appearing on more variety shows thanks to my graduation.

Interviewer: So you’ve got another month or two.

Minegishi:: Also, people have this idea that I’ll expose a lot of things about AKB after I graduate, but it’s not happening! That’s how much I loved AKB.

Interviewer: But aren’t you worried, not having anything decided?

Minegishi:: Then Weekly Playboy, please use me! But in all seriousness, I want to continue doing stage acting. In plays without any handsome co-stars. (laughs)

Interviewer: You won’t be an idol anymore, so you’re free to have romance!

Minegishi:: Ah, it not causing an uproar anymore is kind of sad… Maybe I’ll turn serious instead. But I want to be a YouTuber.

Interviewer: Didn’t you learn anything from the shaved head incident?!

Minegishi:: The world has a negative image of me and I want to do something about that. I’m not a bad girl if you get to know me. People say I’m fun and nice. YouTubers are close to their viewers and I hope I can use it as a tool to improve my image. It’d also be nice if I can tie that into getting more public work like stage plays.

[Picture Caption] She suggested announcing her graduation on YouTube, but her good friends Takahashi Minami and Kojima Haruna told her, “You should do it properly,” and stopped her.