On October 8th, Nogizaka46 member and current captain Umezawa Minami appeared on the TBS program Sunday Japon.
Commenting on the NG list situation specifically, she said
Speaking from my perspective as a fellow artist and also as the captain of my group, there are frequently times when I am called to speak not as myself but on behalf of the group. Because what I say will have an impact on the group as a whole, out of caution I will frequently defer to the company instead. A situation like this seems to be one where the priorities seem out of place, and must be unsettling.
Then, she was asked to comment about the potential name change with many of the current Johnny’s groups
The group’s name is something that is as precious to me as my own personal name. It is something that carries with it a large amount of weight and responsibility. The decision to change one’s group name is not one they took lightly, and must come with a lot of mixed feelings for both the talents and fans. Given the fact that you also have to take into consideration the feelings of the victims, it must have been an incredibly difficult situation and decision to make.
