Ogata Haruna has announced that she will graduate from Morning Musume ’18 and Hello! Project.

According to her graduation notice, she decided to graduate from the group in order to focus completely on her university studies. She commented that she feels unable to pursue her dreams of attending college while being an idol, which is why she decided to graduate.

Haruna mentions that she didn’t pass her initial entrance exams, but plans to attend a 2 year junior college program starting in April. Upon completing that program, she hopes to be able to transfer to a full 4 year university.

Her graduation is set for a performance at Nippon Budokan at the end of Morning Musume ’18’s spring concert tour on June 20th.

Being an idol is something that many chose to leave behind in order to pursue a career that will benefit them for life, which is completely understandable. Dancing on stage and performing can only take you so far, which is why many members decide to concentrate on their studies in order to achieve a career.

Sure, it’s hard for some fans to say goodbye but idols have dreams and ambitions of their own. That’s why it’s great to see that Haruna is taking the necessary steps in order to achieve her goals. Thankfully, her final performance will be at Nippon Budokan since that will ensure that she gets a proper sendoff.

For now we wish the best of luck to Ogata and hope that she’s able to focus well on her studies to attend the university of her choice. Good luck Ogata!

Hello! Project | Morning Musume 12th Generation Ameblo