AKB48's Yuki Kashiwagi Believes Group's Dating Ban Is Necessary

AKB48's Yuki Kashiwagi believes that having a dating ban is necessary for the group because they're idols, the singer told Mantan Web.
AKB48's dating ban has gained lots of attention once again as the group found itself in a huge scandal when group member Minami Minegishi was found spending the night with GENERATIONS' member Alan Shirahama and later shaved her head in repentance for breaking the no-dating rule. While some netizens have questioned the necessity of such strict rules, Kashiwagi believes they are just part of idol life.
"I joined AKB48 when I was a 9th grader and never had any doubts about the concept. It's just completely natural to me...Relationships, private life, freedom. I gave up these kind of things because I devote myself to AKB48," she stated.
Kashiwagi also believes the dating ban is necessary to keep fans interested in them.
"If we get into relationships, I wonder if fans' support of members will fade...In order to unify everyone's mind, a dating ban is necessary. After giving it a lot of thought, I've reach the conclusion that idols should always put their fans first and think about what they can do to please them," she said.
Topics such as the group's dating ban, the competition for center position after Atsuko Maeda's graduation and more are all discussed in AKB48's newly released documentary film "Documentary of AKB48: No Flower Without Rain".