Sakura Gakuin 2012 Nendo - "My Graduation Toss" Interview

I recently found this interview that the girls did with Kawaii Girl Japan in 2012 and it made me realise just how much has changed in that time!

Perhaps the most ironic difference is that Yui-chan said she wanted "to be taller than all of the other members" and everyone laughed. But now, she is one of the tallest members; she is now taller than Moa-chan and is just 3cm shorter than Suu-chan (who is two years older than her!)

I'd also just like to point out Mariri's facial expression at 6:03 of the video, how adorable Suu-chan's laugh is, and how Nenedon's new year resolution was to work out as much as she ate, haha!

Uniforms of Sakura Gakuin - current uniform (2013-present)

In 2013 they debuted their new-look uniform.
They kept their red ties/ribbons and V-neck, but
introduced a new beige-y coloured blazer and
blue-ish plaid skirt. They also kept the logo
on their blazers the same. 

Uniforms of Sakura Gakuin - second uniform (late 2010-2012)

Later on in 2010 they changed their uniform style.
They coordinated their tie colour to red
(elementary school students still wearing ribbons),
to match the red rim of their new V-necks and new
red plaid skirts. They re-vamped their logo and
blazer also.

Uniforms of Sakura Gakuin - first uniform (early 2010)

Sakura Gakuin Uniform, April 2010
The first SG uniform consisted of a  black skirt,
shirt and tie (or ribbon) and black blazer with a
logo with an 'S' on it.  Members wore different coloured ties,
or ribbons if they were elementary school. 

   

Here is another picture of the first uniform
(minus the blazer).

Who are Sakura Gakuin?

For many Fukei, Sakura Gakuin need no introduction. However, if you're a new fan of the girls, I hope to tell you everything you need to know about them!

Sakura Gakuin is a female idol group formed in 2010 by the agency Amuse Inc. Its name literally means 'Cherry Blossom Academy' in English. It is a school-themed group, so the members are called 'students', the staff are called 'senseis' (teachers), they wear a school uniform, and the leader of the group is called the 'student council president'. Just like a school, once a member reaches a certain age they must 'graduate'; ie, leave the group. For Sakura Gakuin, a member must graduate when they leave Junior High School (9th Grade). Graduations are always emotional events, as it is a final farewell to the members who are leaving, and since the idols spend so much time together, it is like having to 'say goodbye to an elder sister' as one member so aptly put it.
Each year, the members who make up the group are called a 'class' or 'Nendo'. So in 2010 it would have been '2010 Nendo' (Class of 2010), in 2011 it would have been '2011 Nendo' and so on. Right now, we are in '2014 Nendo' of Sakura Gakuin.
The group also have various sub-units which they call 'clubs' or 'extra curricular activities'. There have been 7 clubs in Sakura Gakuin: Twinklestars (baton club), BABYMETAL (heavy music club), Sleepiece (Go-Home Club), Mini Pati (cooking club), SCOOPERS (newspaper club), Pastel Wind (tennis club) and Kagaku Kyumei Kikoh LOGICA? (science club). Twinklestars, Sleepiece and SCOOPERS have since retired.
BABYMETAL is still going strong and are receiving worldwide fame, however since their frontwoman is Nakamoto Suzuka (aka SU-METAL) who graduated from Sakura Gakuin in 2012, and since Kikuchi Moa (MOAMETAL) and Mizuno Yui (YUIMETAL) will graduate at the end of 2014 Nendo, the group is no longer considered a sub-unit of Sakura Gakuin.
From 2014 Nendo onward, Sakura Gakuin is completely made up of transfer students. These are idols who are 'transferred' in to "replace" a previous member who has graduated. All of the original members (ie the 8 members present at the group's formation) have all graduated and become 'Super Ladies'. Kikuchi Moa and Mizuno Yui joined in 2010, however they were transferred in 3 months after Sakura Gakuin's formation, and so were considered to be the first transfer students.
Confusing, huh?
Please continue to support Sakura Gakuin, its members and its graduates! 

The original 8 members of Sakura Gakuin; Ayami, Ayaka, Airi, Suzuka, Raura, Hinata, Nene and Marina.
They look so young here and now are all Graduates! The SG family has expanded considerably since then, however the Super Ladies remain in the centre of their activities, often attending their concerts, graduations and transfer ceremonies and remaining in close contact with their fellow members!

Member Post #19 - MEGUMI OKADA

Okada Megumi-chan is one of the new members of Sakura Gakuin, having joined in 2014. She appears to have made quite a close friendship with our vice principal, Yui Mizuno. She is one of the two students wearing the ribbon of Elementary School this year.
Megumi-chan is 12 years old.

Member Post #18 - SARA KURASHIMA

Kurashima Sara-chan is one of the newest additions to the Sakura Gakuin family, joining in 2014. She has only been in the group a few months, and so has not yet joined any sub-units, however has expressed an interest in joining LOGICA? She already has a reputation among the members of the group for being Shirai's lookalike!
Sara-chan is 12 years old.

Member Post #17 - AIKO YAMAIDE

Yamaide Aiko-chan joined Sakura Gakuin in 2013. She is currently the youngest member of the group, and one of the two members to wear the ribbon of Elementary School. Aiko-chan's favourite subject in school is English and when attending Sakura Gakuin activities stays in the Sakura Gakuin dorm with Shirai-san.
Aiko-chan is 11 years old.

Member Post #16 - SAKI SHIRAI

Shirai Saki-chan joined Sakura Gakuin in 2013. She is not yet in any sub-units, though she has said she is interested in joining LOGICA? Saki-chan is often referred to by her surname of Shirai as there are two Saki's in the group.
Shirai-san is 13 years old.

Member Post #15 - SAKI OOGA

Ooga Saki-chan joined Sakura Gakuin in 2012. She is also known as 'Baby-chan' as she looks younger than she is, and gets a lot of attention from other Idol groups (and the Fukei!) for being 'kawaii' (cute). She is in Pastel Wind. She is referred to as Baby-chan more often than Saki-chan as there are two Saki's in Sakura Gakuin!
Baby-chan is 14 years old.

Member Post #14 - RINON ISONO

Isono Rinon-chan joined Sakura Gakuin in 2011. She is the last remaining member of Kagaku Kyumei Kikoh LOGICA? after fellow members Marina and Hinata graduated this March. The fact that LOGICA? didn't retire this year as other sub-unit Sleepiece did hints that Amuse staff are trying to fill the two spaces with a new line-up.
Rinon-chan is 13 years old.

Member Post #13 - YUNANO NOTSU

Notsu Yunano-chan joined Sakura Gakuin in 2012. She is the Chairman of Talk for 2014 Nendo and is in Pastel Wind. She has a close bond with Hana Taguchi as they knew each other outside of the group through their modelling before they joined Sakura Gakuin.
Yunano-chan is 14 years old and will graduate the group next year with  Moa Kikuchi, Yui Mizuno and Hana-chan.

Member Post #12 - HANA TAGUCHI

Taguchi Hana-chan was transferred into Sakura Gakuin in 2011 alongside Rinon Isono. She is what people call a 'skip grader' (being born in 2000 she should supposedly be Jr. High Year 2, but since she was born at the start of 2000 she is old enough to be in Jr. High Year 3). She is the Chairman of (Fighting) Spirit for 2014 Nendo and is in Mini Pati and Pastel Wind. She will graduate at the end of the year alongside Moa Kikuchi, Yui Mizuno and Yunano Notsu.
Hana-chan is 14 years old.

Member Post #11 - YUI MIZUNO

Mizuno Yui-chan joined Sakura Gakuin in 2010 as one of the first Transfer Students. She is the Performance Chairman (Vice Principal) for 2014 Nendo, and is the eldest member of the group. She is in Mini Pati but is best known as YUIMETAL in BABYMETAL. Yui-chan is best friends with Moa Kikuchi and in her spare time collects stickers! She also has a slight obsession with tomatoes, in fact her daily custom is to have at least one tomato a day!
Yui-chan will turn 15 this year and will soon be leaving on BABYMETAL's Metal Resistance World Tour.

Member Post #10 - MOA KIKUCHI

Kikuchi Moa-chan joined Sakura Gakuin in 2010 as one of the first Transfer Students. She is in Mini Pati and is best known as MOAMETAL in BABYMETAL. She is the Fourth Generation Student Council President and the second-oldest member of the group. Moa-chan is best friends with Yui Mizuno, who she joined Sakura Gakuin with (and will leave Sakura Gakuin with) and are now both in the same sub-units.
Moa-chan will turn 15 this year and will soon be departing on BABYMETAL's Metal Resistance World Tour.

Member Post #9 - HINATA SATO

Sato Hinata-chan joined Sakura Gakuin in 2010 as an original member. She was the Chairman of Mood in 2013 Nendo and was in Kagaku Kyumei Kikoh LOGICA?  and Twinklestars. She graduated in March 2014 alongside fellow original members Raura, Nene and Marina.
She is rumoured to be continuing in the Entertainment Industry with Amuse Inc.

Member Post #8 - RAURA IIDA

Iida Raura-chan joined Sakura Gakuin in 2010 Nendo as part of the original 8 line-up. She was known to be level-headed and seemed to be a mother figure for her kohai. She was the Performance Chairman (vice principal) for 2013 Nendo and was in Sleepiece and Twinklestars. She graduated in March 2014.
Raura-chan is rumoured to be continuing in the entertainment industry after her graduation.

Member Post #7 - NENE SUGISAKI

Sugisaki Nene-chan was another original member of Sakura Gakuin. She had a reputation in the group for always being hungry (hence her nickname of Nene-don, which was allocated to her due to the speed at which she could eat udon!) She was the Chairman of Talk for 2013 Nendo, and was also in numerous sub-units such as Twinklestars, Sleepiece and Pastel Wind. She graduated in March 2014.
After her graduation, Nene-don decided she no longer wished to be in the entertainment industry and moved back to Ibaraki (her hometown) to study to become a nurse. Just two months after her graduation, her artist profile on Amuse Inc.'s webpage was removed, hinting that she had already cancelled her contract with the agency and put her time as an entertainer to an end.
At her Graduation Ceremony, she was quoted saying "Even though Nene will not be in this world (entertainment industry) I will feel connected with the Fukei (fans) whenever I look up at the sky."
~ Ganbatte kudasai to Nene-don, we hope that you'll grow to be the best nurse in Ibaraki ~

Member Post #6 - MARINA HORIUCHI

Horiuchi Marina-chan joined Sakura Gakuin as an original member in 2010. She was the Third Generation Student Council President and throughout her four years in the group was in a number of sub-units; Sleepiece, Twinklestars and Logica? She was a positive and reliant member of the group.
Marina-chan graduated alongside Nene Sugisaki, Raura Iida and Hinata Sato in March 2014. The graduation of these four members means that from 2014 Nendo (class of 2014) onward, there will be no more original members left in the group; instead, Sakura Gakuin is now purely made up of transfer students.
Marina-chan is now juggling High School with continuing to work with Amuse Inc. on her career in the entertainment industry.

Member Post #5 - MARIRI SUGIMOTO

Sugimoto Mariri-chan had a brief spell in Sakura Gakuin from May 2012 to March 2013. She was the tallest member of the group throughout that time despite only being Elementary Year 6 (even taller than Suzuka-chan, who was the eldest student by then!)
Mariri-chan left the group alongside her Senpai, Suzuka-chan in March 2013 to focus on her modelling career.

Member Post #4 - SUZUKA NAKAMOTO

Nakamoto Suzuka-chan (also known as Suu-chan or SU-METAL) was one of the original members of Sakura Gakuin, joining at the beginning of 2010 Nendo. She was a bubbly and happy-go-lucky member of the group and was the Second Generation Student Council President. She graduated on March 31st 2013.
Though she has graduated, she is still the lead vocalist for its sub-group BABYMETAL alongside Moa Kikuchi (MOAMETAL) and Yui Mizuno (YUIMETAL), to which she goes under the stage name of SU-METAL.
Before her professional debut, she attended Actors School Hiroshima. Like Ayami-chan, she was first in the three-piece group Karen Girl's. Once the group disbanded in 2009, she began performing in musicals until she was enrolled into Sakura Gakuin in 2010. She had to move from Hiroshima to Tokyo in order to be in the group. Her older sister, Himeka Nakamoto, was also an Idol in Nogizaka46.
She is 16 years old and is currently juggling High School with her commitments to BABYMETAL. She aspires to be a singer/songwriter in the future.

Member Post #3 - AYAKA MIYOSHI

Miyoshi Ayaka-chan joined Sakura Gakuin's original line-up in 2010. She graduated in April 2012, but remains in contact with members of the group; especially Airi-chan. She was a cool, level-headed member of the group with a sensible personality.
Ayaka-chan is soon to turn 18 and remains in the entertainment industry as an actor and model.

Members Post #2 - AYAMI MUTO

Muto Ayami-chan was one of the original line-up of Sakura Gakuin and the group's First Generation Student Council President. Ayami-chan graduated in April 2012, but along with the rest of the graduates remains in contact with the group and the members. Ayami-chan was a confident and well-liked member of the group.
She was originally in the three-piece group Karen Girl's along with Suzuka Nakamoto and Yuika Shima. When Karen Girl's was disbanded in 2009, she and Suzuka then joined the first line-up of Sakura Gakuin in 2010.
She is 18 years old and remains in the entertainment industry as a solo artist. Her debut album 'Eien To Shunkan' so far has been a success.

Member Post #1 - AIRI MATSUI

Matsui Airi-chan was one of the original members of Sakura Gakuin. She graduated alongside fellow Senpais Ayami Muto and Ayaka Miyoshi in April 2012. Up until her graduation, she was the tallest member of the group; however she was shy and sensitive, though extremely talented.
She will turn 18 this year and continues to work in the entertainment industry as a model and actor.