AKB48’s final original member, who had to shave her head, is leaving the group soranews24.com

Sometimes the substitute subject is a car or other machine that’s gradually had all of its parts replaced, but the fundamental debate is still the same: is the sum of parts still the same sum if none of the original parts remain?
That’s about to become a question that you can apply to Japan’s most popular idol singer group, AKB48.
With 48 full-status performers plus a roster of “trainee” junior members who are periodically rotated into the main group, AKB48 is essentially the immortal hydra of the idol industry, but soon it’s going to lose its last original member, 27-year-old Minami Minegishi.
▼ Minami MinegishiDespite the name, AKB48 was initially formed with a core group of 20 idols on December 8, 2005.
“I’ve been thinking about this for a long time and have decided to graduate while I still love AKB48,” Minegishi explained to the audience after announcing her pending graduation.