(born February 26, 1985), professionally known by her birth name of , and nicknamed Mikitty, is a Japanese actress and former pop singer. After failing the audition to join
girl group
A girl group is a music act featuring several female singers who generally harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female pop music singing groups, many of who ...
Morning Musume
, formerly simply and colloquially referred to as , are a Japanese girl group, holding the second highest overall single sales (of a female group) on the Oricon charts as of February 2012, with the Oricon record of most top ten singles with an ...
with the fourth generation members, Fujimoto debuted as a solo artist within
Hello! Project
is a Japanese musical collective consisting of all female recording artists and groups under Up-Front Promotion, a subsidiary of Up-Front Group. The name was initially used as Michiyo Heike and Morning Musume's fan club name in 1999, but has s ...
in 2002 with the single " Aenai Nagai Nichiyōbi". Fujimoto later joined Morning Musume in 2003 along with the sixth generation and eventually became the leader of the group in 2007.
Early life
Fujimoto was born and raised in the Takikawa area of
Hokkaidō
is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel.
The la ...
, Japan. She has an older brother, who won a defamation case alongside Fujimoto in 2009.
Career
Early work: 2002–2003
Fujimoto originally started out as a solo singer in 2002 under the idol family
Hello! Project
is a Japanese musical collective consisting of all female recording artists and groups under Up-Front Promotion, a subsidiary of Up-Front Group. The name was initially used as Michiyo Heike and Morning Musume's fan club name in 1999, but has s ...
, becoming the first of six members to debut under Hello! Project after losing a Morning Musume audition. She is often called by fans as
Aya Matsuura
is a Japanese actress and pop singer, from Himeji, Hyogo, Japan.
Career
2000–2009: Hello! Project
Aya auditioned in 2000 for the fourth Morning Musume & Heike Michiyo Protegee Audition and was selected along with Sheki-Dol to become a part o ...
's rival, but in fact, they are the best of friends. After a successful performance on the music program on New Year's Eve, "
Kōhaku Uta Gassen
, more commonly known simply as ''Kōhaku'', is an annual New Year's Eve television special produced by Japanese public broadcaster NHK. It is broadcast live simultaneously on television and radio, nationally and internationally by the NHK net ...
", producer
Tsunku
, known professionally as , is a Japanese singer, record producer, and songwriter. He is the lead singer of the rock band Sharam Q.
As a songwriter, Tsunku is the primary producer for Morning Musume and other Hello! Project acts, such as Coconut ...
added her to Morning Musume as a sixth generation member in 2003. At the time, she was the 3rd oldest person to join the group, as she was nearly 18 years old, although with the addition of Chinese member, Junjun, she is now the 4th oldest. She is also one of five members to debut as a part of the Hello! Project before joining Morning Musume (the others being Eighth Generation member
Linlin
Qian Lin (born March 11, 1991), better known in Japan as , is a Chinese singer. She is a former Morning Musume member and leader of the Hello! Project sub-group Shin Minimoni. She was announced to be joining as the eighth generation of Morning ...
, Ninth Generation member
Mizuki Fukumura
is a Japanese singer, dancer, and actress. She is a ninth-generation member, current leader of the pop group Morning Musume as well as the current and seventh leader of Hello Project. Prior to becoming part of Morning Musume, Fukumura was known ...
, Tenth Generation member Haruka Kudo, and Eleventh Generation member
Sakura Oda
is a Japanese pop singer and dancer. She is an 11th-generation member of the pop group Morning Musume. Prior to joining Morning Musume, Oda was a Hello! Pro Egg member.
Career
In the summer of 2011, Sakura Oda took part in the S/mileage 2nd ge ...
, who were all part of
Hello! Pro Egg
(formerly known as until January 2012) is a pre-debut training group established by Japanese entertainment agency Up-Front Group
is a Japanese holding company for various entertainment companies. Its subsidiaries include the talent agenc ...
prior to joining Morning Musume).
She sang many of the lead lines in
Morning Musume
, formerly simply and colloquially referred to as , are a Japanese girl group, holding the second highest overall single sales (of a female group) on the Oricon charts as of February 2012, with the Oricon record of most top ten singles with an ...
songs, especially after
Natsumi Abe
is a Japanese singer and actress, a former member of Morning Musume, and currently a member of Dream Morning Musume.
Biography Career
She was born in Muroran, Hokkaidō, Japan.
On August 13, 2003, she released her first single, "22 Sai no Wat ...
's graduation. She and fellow Morning Musume member
Asami Konno
, known by her birth name
is a Japanese television presenter and former singer and actress.
She debuted in August 2001 with the girl group Morning Musume and participated in musical projects within Hello! Project. After leaving the group on Ma ...
were also lent to
Country Musume
was a Japanese female idol music group that is a part of Hello! Project.
On November 5, 2014, Country Musume was renamed .Rika Ishikawa
, is a Japanese actress and model associated with Hello! Project and best known as a former member of the pop group Morning Musume. She was the leader of the Japanese pop idol trio v-u-den until June 2008. She has performed as a solo singer, as ...
and
Miuna Saito
was a Japanese female idol music group that is a part of Hello! Project.
On November 5, 2014, Country Musume was renamed .Gomattou with two other prominent pop soloists under
Hello! Project
is a Japanese musical collective consisting of all female recording artists and groups under Up-Front Promotion, a subsidiary of Up-Front Group. The name was initially used as Michiyo Heike and Morning Musume's fan club name in 1999, but has s ...
,
Maki Goto
is a Japanese singer, lyricist, and former actress. Born and raised in Edogawa, Tokyo, Goto began her musical career in 1999 when she joined Morning Musume as the only third generation member. Her first single with the group, " Love Machine", t ...
(a former Morning Musume member), and
Aya Matsuura
is a Japanese actress and pop singer, from Himeji, Hyogo, Japan.
Career
2000–2009: Hello! Project
Aya auditioned in 2000 for the fourth Morning Musume & Heike Michiyo Protegee Audition and was selected along with Sheki-Dol to become a part o ...
. She was also in Hello! Project Shuffle groups
Odoru 11
was a Japanese idol project group formed by Up-Front Promotion in 2000 and associated with Hello! Project. Beginning in 2000, the Shuffle Unit project was a yearly collaboration among existing Hello! Project acts, where members were recombined ...
Sexy Otonajan
was a Japanese idol project group formed by Up-Front Promotion in 2000 and associated with Hello! Project. Beginning in 2000, the Shuffle Unit project was a yearly collaboration among existing Hello! Project acts, where members were recombined i ...
.
In 2003, when
Morning Musume
, formerly simply and colloquially referred to as , are a Japanese girl group, holding the second highest overall single sales (of a female group) on the Oricon charts as of February 2012, with the Oricon record of most top ten singles with an ...
was split into two groups, she was placed in
Morning Musume Otomegumi
was one of the subgroups that the Japanese pop group Morning Musume was divided into in 2003. Its counterpart was Morning Musume Sakuragumi. The group's name is made up of and , meaning "Young Girls' Group". Like Sakuragumi, purpose of Morning ...
.
Breakthrough: 2003–2008
On June 15, 2006, it was announced that Fujimoto and
Aya Matsuura
is a Japanese actress and pop singer, from Himeji, Hyogo, Japan.
Career
2000–2009: Hello! Project
Aya auditioned in 2000 for the fourth Morning Musume & Heike Michiyo Protegee Audition and was selected along with Sheki-Dol to become a part o ...
would join in a new Hello! Project duo called GAM. Their debut single was released on September 13, 2006, and after two other singles, their debut LP was released on May 23, 2007.
On May 6, 2007, after the graduation of then-leader
Hitomi Yoshizawa
is a Japanese former singer and actress. In 2000, Yoshizawa debuted as a 4th generation member of the idol girl group Morning Musume and became their leader in 2005 until leaving the group in 2007. Following her departure, Yoshizawa continued to ...
, Fujimoto took her place as the fifth leader of
Morning Musume
, formerly simply and colloquially referred to as , are a Japanese girl group, holding the second highest overall single sales (of a female group) on the Oricon charts as of February 2012, with the Oricon record of most top ten singles with an ...
.
On April 23, 2008, Fujimoto released a collaboration single, , featuring Takao Horiuchi. In fall of 2008, Fujimoto played the part of Rizzo in the fall musical, '' Grease''.
Personal life
In March 2009, Fujimoto announced her engagement to Tomoharu Shōji from the comedy duo
Shinagawa Shoji
is a Japanese comedy duo ''( kombi)'' consisting of Hiroshi Shingawa (品川祐) and Tomoharu Shōji (庄司智春) who have featured in a number of television shows. They are employed by Yoshimoto Kogyo, and are mainly active in Tokyo. They gr ...
and graduated from Hello! Project. Fujimoto and Shoji married on July 3, 2009, in
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
. On March 27, 2012, Fujimoto gave birth to the couple's first child, a son.
Outside of her career as a performer, Miki has opened a chain of
yakiniku
''Yakiniku'' (焼き肉 or 焼肉), meaning " grilled meat", is a Japanese term that, in its broadest sense, refers to grilled meat cuisine. "Yakiniku" originally referred to western "barbecue" food, the term being popularized by Japanese writer ...
restaurants in Japan. The first Yakinuku Mikitei opened on her 26th birthday, February 26, 2011, to much success. Three more restaurants were opened. The restaurant chain was short-lived, and closed on June 29, 2012, following various incidents.
On August 1, 2015, Fujimoto gave birth to the couple's second child, a daughter.
Their third child was born in 2020.
Controversy
On May 24, 2007, Fujimoto was featured in the Japanese gossip magazine ''Friday'' pictured walking with Tomoharu Shōji, a member of the comedy duo Shinagawa Shōji. ''Friday'' explained that they had a two-hour dinner together, drove to Fujimoto's apartment, then went to the sauna, returning to Shōji's apartment just after midnight. It soon became apparent that she was to be involved in a scandal that would jeopardize her position in Morning Musume. After seeing the article,
Up-Front Agency
is a Japanese holding company for various entertainment companies. Its subsidiaries include the talent agency Up-Front Promotion and Up-Front Works, a music production and sales company that manages such record labels as Zetima, Piccolo Town, ...
had no intention to deal with the situation since there was no proof of them dating. On the May 26, 2007 edition of ''Young Town Doyōbi'' (a radio show with
Ai Takahashi
(born September 14, 1986) is a Japanese singer and actress formerly associated with the Hello! Project and is best known as the leader of Morning Musume and Hello! Project until 2011. She is also a former member of its popular subgroup Mini Moni ...
, Fujimoto and
Sanma Akashiya
is a Japanese comedian, TV presenter, radio personality and actor most commonly known as Sanma-san. His real name is . His talent agency is Yoshimoto Kogyo and his shishô (master) back when he studied ''rakugo'' is Shōfukutei Matsunosuke.
Tog ...
), she confirmed that the pictures were of her, and that she had been going out with Tomoharu Shōji. She also mentioned that she spoke to the head of Up-Front Agency, Naoki Yamazaki, about the situation. On June 1, 2007, Fujimoto resigned from her position in Morning Musume. She continued with GAM and remained contracted with Hello! Project and Up-Front Agency.