AKC Courtneyyyyyy Culture Festival #210: Kohara Haruka
Feb. 18th, 2026 07:11 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sonofgodzillaAlongside Noro Kayo, Ohori Megumi, and Sato Yukari, Kohara Haruka was one of the early AKB48 members moved over to SDN48 on 22nd September 2009, joining former SKE48 member, Ichihara Yuri in the two months before she up and quit, presumably over the move, and a host of other older members who later went on to become SDN's first generation.
Originally auditioning for AKB in 2007, she passed and quickly became a member of the kenkyuusei, appearing on their recording of Oogoe Diamond as well as appearing on the recording of Shonichi that appeared on Namida Surprise!, having been transferred into Team B in early 2009.
2009 must have been a tumultuous year for Haruchan. Originally promoted in Team B in January, she was then moved into Team K in August during the team shuffle event, however, before she could even debut with her new team, it was announced she was one of the members comprising SDN in September. I'm not often critical of decisions made during early AKB because I mostly have nostalgia goggles on, but this passing around of older members like they were a hot potato, and, indeed, the final fate of SDN remains a real sticking point for me.
Regardless of Haruchan's inability to rank during the first five senbatsu elections, two of which she did not participate in, when it came to the smaller circle of SDN members, she came in ninth place and, as a result is present in the lineups for all of the group's releases, from GAGAGA, to Ai, Chuseyo, to MIN・MIN・MIN, to Kudokinagara Azabu Juuban duet, a duet with presenter and television personality, Mino Monta, for which she appeared as Wcentre with Yukarin, and, at last, Makeoshimi Congratulation.
It feels frustrating even now that Haruchan and other members of SDN did not get more recognition. It's not as if she did anything wrong, in early AKB, she appeared during the second stage performances by Himawari-gumi, the multi-team lineups that included many of the Kami 7, she put in shifts in the AKB48 Café & Shop, and she took every transfer to every new team like it was a chance to really show what she was made. AKS let Kohara Haruka down, just as they let all of SDN48 down.
Following her graduation, Haruchan went on to work in gravure before joining a number of former SDN members—Kazue Akita, Okochi Misa, and formerly Kimoto Yuki, Fukuda Akane, and Fujikoso Yumi—as the idol group R, whose releases are really hard for me to find, but whose singles I would love to have copies of. Look at how awesome they all seem in their promo photos!
In 2021, Haruchan got married and gave birth to her first child. She's still a member of R, and whilst the group doesn't seem to be doing much as of 2022, I really, really hope we get to see more of them again any year now!
AKS may have let SDN48 down, but I'm going to continue to support these members no matter what!
Originally auditioning for AKB in 2007, she passed and quickly became a member of the kenkyuusei, appearing on their recording of Oogoe Diamond as well as appearing on the recording of Shonichi that appeared on Namida Surprise!, having been transferred into Team B in early 2009.
2009 must have been a tumultuous year for Haruchan. Originally promoted in Team B in January, she was then moved into Team K in August during the team shuffle event, however, before she could even debut with her new team, it was announced she was one of the members comprising SDN in September. I'm not often critical of decisions made during early AKB because I mostly have nostalgia goggles on, but this passing around of older members like they were a hot potato, and, indeed, the final fate of SDN remains a real sticking point for me.
Regardless of Haruchan's inability to rank during the first five senbatsu elections, two of which she did not participate in, when it came to the smaller circle of SDN members, she came in ninth place and, as a result is present in the lineups for all of the group's releases, from GAGAGA, to Ai, Chuseyo, to MIN・MIN・MIN, to Kudokinagara Azabu Juuban duet, a duet with presenter and television personality, Mino Monta, for which she appeared as Wcentre with Yukarin, and, at last, Makeoshimi Congratulation.
It feels frustrating even now that Haruchan and other members of SDN did not get more recognition. It's not as if she did anything wrong, in early AKB, she appeared during the second stage performances by Himawari-gumi, the multi-team lineups that included many of the Kami 7, she put in shifts in the AKB48 Café & Shop, and she took every transfer to every new team like it was a chance to really show what she was made. AKS let Kohara Haruka down, just as they let all of SDN48 down.
Following her graduation, Haruchan went on to work in gravure before joining a number of former SDN members—Kazue Akita, Okochi Misa, and formerly Kimoto Yuki, Fukuda Akane, and Fujikoso Yumi—as the idol group R, whose releases are really hard for me to find, but whose singles I would love to have copies of. Look at how awesome they all seem in their promo photos!
In 2021, Haruchan got married and gave birth to her first child. She's still a member of R, and whilst the group doesn't seem to be doing much as of 2022, I really, really hope we get to see more of them again any year now!
AKS may have let SDN48 down, but I'm going to continue to support these members no matter what!
