[2026] Maria Makino to graduate | Summary of reasons, career, graduation concert, and future plans

Morning Musume '26 member Maria Makino will graduate at the Nippon Budokan on June 24, 2026. Based on official announcements, this article summarizes the facts regarding the reasons for her graduation, her career history, her final photobook, and her future plans.

[2026] Maria Makino to graduate | Reasons, career, graduation concert, and future plans summary

Morning Musume '26's sub-leader, Maria Makino, will graduate after the concert at Nippon Budokan on June 24, 2026. We will answer many questions, such as "Why is she graduating at this time?" and "What will happen after graduation?", based on official announcements and factual information.

What you will learn from this article (conclusion first)

Q. When will Maria Makino graduate?

A. On Wednesday, June 24, 2026, I will graduate from Morning Musume '26 and Hello! Project after the final performance of the spring tour at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo.

Q. What was your reason for graduating?

A. According to the official announcement, she requested to leave the group, stating that she "had been able to fully enjoy her activities with Morning Musume, and now wants to pursue her next dream." This is considered a positive graduation, respecting her wishes.

Q. Will you retire from the entertainment industry after graduation?

A. This is not a retirement. While her future plans after graduation are undecided, it is expected that she will continue her talent activities, as evidenced by the release of her final photobook on June 24th, the day of her graduation.

Who is Maria Makino? | Profile
When is graduation? Graduation performance at Nippon Budokan
Reasons for Graduation | Official Announcement
A journey of approximately 12 years | Career history from joining to graduation
A character known for his "love of baseball"
Last photobook and graduation commemorative activities
What are your plans after graduation?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Who is Maria Makino? | Profile

Maria Makino was born on February 2, 2001, and is a 25-year-old from Nishio City, Aichi Prefecture. She is a 12th generation member of Morning Musume '26 and serves as its sub-leader. Her nicknames are "Marian♡LOVErin" and "Lovelin," and her image color is pink.

【2026年】牧野真莉愛が卒業｜理由・経歴・卒コン・今後まとめ

With her exceptional proportions and glamorous looks, she graced the covers of many magazines and was often referred to as the "gravure queen." She served as the group's visual ace and frontwoman for many years.

item	Content
name	Maria Makino
date of birth	February 2, 2001 (age 25)
Birthplace	Nishio City, Aichi Prefecture
Affiliation	Morning Musume. '26 (12th generation, sub-leader)
Nickname	Marian♡LOVErin, Lovelin
Graduation Day	June 24, 2026

2. When is graduation? Graduation performance at Nippon Budokan

Makino's graduation concert will be held on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. This will be the final show of the "Morning Musume '26 Concert Tour Spring - Rays Of Light -" and will be a special day titled "~Makino Maria Graduation Special~".

Doors open at 5:00 PM and the show starts at 6:00 PM. Rosie Chronicle has also been confirmed as the opening act. This spring tour will be held in various locations across Japan, including a show in Makino's hometown of Aichi, and will conclude with a performance at the Budokan.

3. Reasons for Graduation | Content of Official Announcement

Up-Front Promotion, her management agency, and the Hello! Project official website announced the reasons for her graduation on April 9, 2026.

The official announcement states that she requested to leave Morning Musume, saying, "I was able to fully enjoy my activities with Morning Musume, so I want to pursue my next dream." Respecting her wishes, the decision to graduate was reached after discussions. It is presented as a decision based solely on her own positive will.

Makino herself released a statement saying, "I spent about two years as a Hello! Project trainee and about 12 years as a Morning Musume member, and I have decided to graduate from Morning Musume during this spring's tour." She added, "I want to firmly imprint the images of all of you who have supported me in my own eyes and heart." While there are various speculations online regarding the reasons for her graduation, no specific alternative reasons have been given in official announcements or reports from major media outlets.

4. A journey of approximately 12 years | Career history from joining to graduation

From a young age, Ms. Makino admired Morning Musume and repeatedly auditioned for the group. Here's a chronological summary of her journey.

season	event
November 2012	Joined Hello! Project Trainees
September 30, 2014	She officially joined Morning Musume as a 12th generation member.
2016	First time as the sole center in the single "Sou Janai"
July 2025	Appointed as sub-leader
April 9, 2026	Announced Graduation
June 24, 2026	Graduation performance at Nippon Budokan

Including her time as a trainee, she was active in Morning Musume for approximately 14 years, and as a member for about 12 years. This is one of the longest tenures among all the group's past members. When she first joined, she was a young girl with a childlike innocence, but she eventually grew into a central figure and face of the group.

5. A character known for his "love of baseball"

One essential aspect of discussing Ms. Makino is her deep love for professional baseball. Known as a huge fan of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, her presence cheering from the stands at the stadium was often a topic of conversation.

Her love for baseball was evident even when she announced her graduation. When she officially announced her graduation at the first performance of the spring tour on April 11, 2026, she used the phrase "About two years as a Hello! Project trainee, about twelve years as a Morning Musume member," which was reminiscent of what Nippon Ham Fighters manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo said when he announced his retirement, and it became a big topic of conversation among fans. Her straightforward and unique character, which transcends the boundaries of an idol, has attracted many people.

6. The final photobook and graduation commemorative activities

Various events have been announced to commemorate her graduation. Among them, the one attracting the most attention is her final photobook, "Morning Musume. Makino Maria" (Wani Books), which will be released on June 24, 2026, the day of her graduation.

Furthermore, prior to her graduation, a digital version of her past photobook, "Blooming MARIA25," will be released on June 17, 2026, and other releases reflecting on her activities to date have been continuing. As the culmination of Makino's career, who was known as the "Gravure Queen," she is attracting a great deal of attention from fans.

7. What are your plans for activities after graduation?

Some are worried that she might retire from the entertainment industry after graduation, but she has not announced any retirement at this time. Her specific plans after graduation are still undecided.

On the other hand, the fact that her final photobook will be released on the day of her graduation suggests that she will continue her activities as a gravure model and talent. When she announced her graduation, she said she wanted to "move towards her next dream," and there are high expectations for her activities on a new stage. We await an official announcement in the future.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1. When will Maria Makino graduate?

A. I will graduate on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, after the final performance of the spring tour at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo.

Q2. What was your reason for graduating?

A. According to the official announcement, this is a positive graduation, respecting the individual's request to "pursue their next dream." No other specific reasons have been officially stated.