On June 18, idol group AKB48 Team 8 member Okubora Chinatsu, who is Gifu prefecture's representative, announced her graduation from the group.

She explained the reason for her graduation on the team's official site, "It's been about 2 months since our activities began, and it was getting difficult for me to continue the activities while coping with my schoolwork, so I started feeling that I would not be able to stay as the way I am in front of you fans if I continued this."

As Team 8 has a concept that is "idols that go to see you" with 47 members chosen from each prefecture, there will be an audition to elect a new representative of Gifu, which will be only for the residents in Gifu prefecture.

Source & Image: Oricon