Minami Minegishi

Minami Minegishi (峯岸 みなみ , Minegishi Minami , born November 15, 1992) is a Japanese singer and actress, represented by Production Ogi. She was a member of the Japanese idol girl group AKB48, and its subunit no3b. She is noted for having the longest tenure among the group's original members from 2005 to 2021.

Minegishi debuted with AKB48 Team A in 2005. She ranked 14th in the AKB48 2012 general election with 25,638 votes. She is one of the three members of AKB48 sub-group no3b, with whom she played in the drama Mendol, Ikemen Idol in 2008 and sang its theme song as the fictional band "Persona". She has also been a frequent guest on television variety shows. Beyond appearing in commercials as a member of AKB48, she has also appeared in some by herself.

On January 31, 2013, the weekly tabloid Shukan Bunshun reported that she had spent a night at the apartment of Alan Shirahama with a member of the boy band Generations from Exile Tribe. A few hours later, it was announced through the AKB48 official blog that she would be demoted from one of the official members of Umeda Team B to kenkyūsei (trainee) status as of February 1. She thus became the first AKB48 member to be demoted to kenkyūsei in four years since Miki Saotome in late January 2009. On the same day, the AKB48 official channel published a video of Minegishi with her head shaved (or more accurately reduced to a crew cut), apologizing to her fans for her "thoughtless behavior" and hoping that the management would let her stay in the group, with other members that she loved. In the YouTube statement, Minegishi explained that she cut her hair in a state of shock induced by reading the Shukan Bunshun scoop, when she could not calm down. However, in Japan, cutting one's hair is a way of showing contrition.[10]

In an article for The Japan Times, titled: "AKB48 member’s ‘penance’ shows flaws in idol culture", Ian Martin noted: "What is happening here is that the protection of fans’ fragile fantasies automatically trumps the basic human right to a life outside that fantasy framework. Though as lawyer Hifumi Okunuki pointed out in a Japan Times article on Jan. 22, such an arrangement is probably illegal under Japanese labor laws."[11][12]

Numerous international media reported this incident, including Agence France-Presse,[13] BBC,[10] CNN,[14] Daily News,[15] The Guardian,[16] ABC,[17] The Huffington Post,[18] Radio Programas del Perú,[19] Aftonbladet,[20] Spiegel Online,[21] Al Jazeera English[22] and the Manila Bulletin.[23]

On August 24, 2013, AKB48 announced the reinstatement of Team 4, with Minegishi reinstated as a full member as well as the captain; the rest of the members were promoted from the 13th and 14th generation trainees, later affectionately known as the "Minegishi Children" (峯岸チルドレン ) .[24][25]

On December 8, 2019, Minegishi announced her graduation. Her graduation concert was initially scheduled to occur on April 2, 2020 at Yokohama Arena,[26] but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[27] Her graduation song, "Mata Aeru Hi Made" (また会える日まで , "Until The Day We Meet Again") , was included in AKB48's 57th single "Shitsuren, Arigatō", released on March 18, 2020.

Her postponed concert was eventually rescheduled to May 22, 2021, and was held at Pia Arena MM in Yokohama.[28] She officially graduated from AKB48 on May 28, ending her 16-year membership with the group.[29]

On August 16, 2022, Minegishi announced her marriage to Tokai On Air leader Tetsuya.[30] On March 1, 2024, Minegishi announced through her social media account that she and Tetsuya are expecting their first child together.[31]