Former AKB48 member Hanada Mei has claimed that management pressured her to shave her head as a show of “sincerity”, only for her contract to be terminated anyway.
On Tuesday (23 June), AKB48 operator DH announced that it had ended its exclusive contract with the 21-year-old, who had already been on an activity hiatus.
That same day, Hanada posted a video on X showing herself with closely cropped hair, apologising for meeting a fan in private while still an active AKB48 member.
The incident has drawn comparisons to former AKB48 member Minami Minegishi, who shaved her head and posted a public apology in 2013 after breaking the group’s no-dating rule.
In the nine-minute video, Hanada appears with closely cropped hair and a face mask, dressed in a white jacket and black shirt, reading from a piece of paper.
Source: @mei_hanada on X
She apologised for what she called careless behaviour, explaining that while active as an AKB48 member, she had privately met a particular fan and held hands with them on the street.
Hanada acknowledged that her actions showed a lack of awareness as an idol, and said immediate contract termination would not have been unreasonable.
However, she alleged that once the fan connection was discovered, management cited Minegishi’s past head-shaving incident and told her that if she wanted to remain in AKB48, she should shave her head to show sincerity.
She said other incidents had reinforced the feeling that she could not continue AKB48 activities unless she cut her hair, so she went through with it despite having treasured it.
Source: @mei_hanada on Instagram
DH addressed the matter in a statement on 23 June, saying Hanada had repeatedly been late since around December 2025 while citing poor health.
Source: @akb48 on Instagram
The company said it had prioritised her health by suspending her activities so she could identify the cause and focus on treatment.
During that process, DH said it discovered Hanada had been in contact with one fan in particular.
According to the agency, Hanada explained that the meetings were coincidental and happened only twice, but hearings with relevant parties found she had met the fan multiple times.
DH said connections with specific fans are prohibited in AKB48, as they undermine member safety, fairness between members, and fans’ trust.
The company added that it had repeatedly sought discussions with Hanada about a possible return since she had expressed a wish to resume activities, but she allegedly refused to engage in those discussions.
The agency also denied her claim that management made her shave her head, saying a staff member confirmed there was “absolutely no instruction of that kind”.
DH further said Hanada had asked for disciplinary action against members who had spoken badly about her, and for the ban on the specific fan to be lifted.
The company said these were matters within management’s discretion and could not be accepted immediately.
Taking these circumstances together, DH said it concluded that contract termination was unavoidable, noting that this was the first such termination in AKB48’s history.
“We sincerely apologise to fans and all parties involved for the great concern and inconvenience caused,” DH said.
In a follow-up post on X, Hanada said she could not forgive being made to shave her head, only for management to later claim they did not remember telling her to do so.
She added that she felt betrayed and would “fight for years” if necessary.
Hanada also thanked those who had sent her supportive messages, apologising that she could only express her gratitude through the post.
Addressing comments about her hair, she said that although some had described her current hairstyle as “very short” rather than shaved, it had since grown out and had initially been much shorter.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from @mei_hanada on X and Instagram.