The only member of AKB48's 1.5th Generation, Mariko Shinoda had her final theater performance last night, and graduates from the idol group after seven and a half years. Being the captain of Team A, she passes the captaincy to Yui Yokoyama.

New Team A Captain Yui Yokoyama comments, “I would like to make a team that Shinoda-san would think it was a right decision to appoint me. I will make the new Yokoyama team A while succeeding Shinoda team A, but please allow me to depend on you just today.”

Remaining first generation members Minami Takahashi, Tomomi Itano, Minami Minegishi and Haruna Kojima, and Team K Captain Yuko Oshima were present at the theater performance's encore where they performed Shinoda's graduation song “Namida no Seijanai”. As usual, Takahashi bursts into tears as she sung her part.

Takahashi said, “Sorry, it was all because I started crying”, and Kojima replied, “Yeah, it was kind of too early.” Moments later, Takahashi opened a letter from Shinoda's mother, which made the latter's tears fall.

After performing her last song “Anata ga Itekuretakara”, she said with a smile, “After the graduation, I will focus on works related to fashion. I will work hard to be able to become a person who people look up to.” Fans send her off with high-fives at the AKB48 Cafe, Shinoda's starting point.

via tokyohive