Hey! Say! JUMP's Yuto Nakajima Announces "Immediate Graduation" - 'a-nation' on 8/31 to Proceed with 7 Members: A Comprehensive Overview of STARTO Inc.'s Accelerating "Disbandment and Withdrawal" Trends

Hey! Say! JUMP's Yuto Nakajima (32) announced that he will graduate from the group on August 28, 2025. He will not leave the agency and will remain with STARTO ENTERTAINMENT, focusing on his acting career. The group will perform as "seven members" at 'a-nation 2025' on August 31. The agency explained, "During discussions for the 20th anniversary, he expressed his desire to 'become independent and focus on individual activities,' and everyone respected his decision." Online reactions were mixed with shock and support, with comments like "Wait, what?" and "This is too sudden." In 2025, STARTO is undergoing significant restructuring, including the disbandment of KAT-TUN on March 31, the disbandment of Kansai Jr.'s "Lil Kansai" on April 1, the simultaneous departure of 36 Jr. members, the formation of three new Jr. groups (ACEes, KEY TO LIT, B&ZAI), and the addition of five new members to timelesz. They are also reforming organizational aspects by outsourcing training and talent discovery to an external company, J-pop Legacy. Nakajima's decision to "focus on acting" reflects STARTO's current talent policy, which prioritizes optimizing individual careers.