It has just been announced that Morning Musume ’16 member Kanon Suzuki will be graduating from both Morning Musume ’16 and Hello!Project at the end of their upcoming Spring 2016 tour. Kanon released a statement where she revealed that she wants to “help people”.

There are many forms of “Being helpful to people”… but from now on, I feel strongly that I want to help people in another way, I want to make people smile, I want to make them happy. For this first step, I decided “I want a work related to the welfare of people” to go towards to my dream.

The SATOYAMA and SATOUMI movements played a big role in helping her come to this decision. The SATOYAMA and SATOUMI movements were campaigns started by Hello!Project’s management company UP-FRONT PROMOTION. Their goal was to help preserve Japan’s oceans and beaches, as well as help protect the life, culture, and forestry in Japan’s Satoyama area.

Kanon Suzuki first joined Hello!Project in 2011 as a 9th generation member of Morning Musume, and made her debut in the single “Maji Desu ka Ska!”. She gained notoriety, especially online, due to her more full figure.

(via Barks and Up-front Link)