As one of the last 2nd generation members, Kobayashi Kana announced her graduation on the second day of AKB48’s Request Hour 2016.

Kana’s center-position song, KurukuruPa ranked at #26 in this years Best 100 selection.  After she performed, she took the center stage and made her announcement:

“Today, I have an announcement to make. This coming April, I will have been in AKB48 for 10 years.  This is a crucial turning point.  Truly, first to all the fans, the members, and Akimoto-san: even as clumsy and ungraceful as I am, you allowed me be a part of AKB48 until now. I cannot begin to express my gratitude. Towards the end of last year, I was in bad health but that has nothing to do with right now. This time, with myself, facing forward, I’ve decided to do whatever I can do, and I’ve decided to graduate.” (今日はここで私から発表があります。ＡＫＢ４８に入って、４月で１０年たちます。節目ということで。本当に、ファンのみなさんはじめ、メンバー、秋元（康）さんはじめスタッフのみなさん、不器用な私を今日までＡＫＢ４８でいさせてくれて、本当に感謝してもしきれません。年末に体調を崩していたのですが、それとは関係なく、今回、自分自身と向き合って、私には私にできることをしようと思って、卒業を決めました)

Other details that Kana revealed during this time: she currently has the most theater performances, at 889 performances. She wanted to announce her graduation when she reached 1000 performances, but she feared that she’d become 30 years old before that happened.

Her graduation date is not yet decided.