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, and Hachama.
Artists
Up-Front Promotion
All groups under Up-Front Promotion are collectively known as
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 ...
.
Groups
*
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 ...
*
Angerme
, formerly , is a Japanese idol girl group from the musical collective Hello! Project, which originally consisted of four former Hello! Pro Egg (''Hello! Project'' trainees) members that left Egg in 2010 and became full-time members of ''Hello! P ...
*
Juice=Juice
Juice=Juice, pronounced "Juice Juice", is a nine-member Japanese idol girl group formed in 2013. The group originally consisted of six trainee members of Hello! Project. They have released one studio album and twelve singles.
Juice=Juice was no ...
*
Camellia Factory
is a Japanese idol group, formed in late April 2015 under the umbrella of Hello! Project. It is currently composed of twelve members. Their sister group was Magnolia Factory.
History 2015: Formation
On April 29, the group was announced by ...
*
Beyooooonds
, is a Japanese idol
An is a type of entertainer marketed for image, attractiveness, and personality in Japanese pop culture. Idols are primarily singers with training in acting, dancing, and modeling. Idols are commercialized through merch ...
** Chica#Tetsu
** Rain Forest River Ocean
** SeasoningS
*
Ocha Norma
is a Japanese idol girl group that formed in 2021. They released their debut single, "Koi no Crouching Start / Omatsuri Debut da ze!", on July 13, 2022.
History
On March 7, 2021, it was announced by Mizuki Fukumura
is a Japanese singer, ...
Soloists/Entertainers
*
Sayumi Michishige
is a Japanese singer, actress and model. She is a former sixth-generation member and former leader of the J-pop group Morning Musume. Following the departure of fifth-generation member Risa Niigaki on October 12, 2013, Michishige has the longe ...
*
Chinami Tokunaga
(born May 22, 1992) is a Japanese singer. She is a former member of the J-pop idol group Berryz Kobo.
History
Tokunaga was born in Kanagawa, Japan. In 2002, she passed the Hello! Project Kids audition and became a member of Hello! Project. ...
*
Risako Sugaya
is a former Japanese singer and actress. She first gained recognition when she joined Hello! Project Kids and later became one of the lead vocalists of the girl group Berryz Kobo from 2004 to 2015.
Career 2002–2004: Hello! Project Kids, 4 ...
Trainees
*
Hello Pro Kenshūsei
(formerly known as until January 2012) is a pre-debut training group established by Japanese entertainment agency Up-Front Group within Hello! Project
is a Japanese musical collective consisting of all female recording artists and groups ...
Up-Front Works
Groups
* Bitter & Sweet
* Brothers 5
*
Dream Morning Musume
is a Japanese female pop group, consisting of 10 former members of the Japanese girl group Morning Musume. It was created in 2011. As with Morning Musume, the group is managed by the Up-Front Agency and produced by Tsunku.
During the announcem ...
*
Lovendor
is a Japanese all-female band.
History
The band was formed in 2012 around Morning Musume member Reina Tanaka. Originally there were four members: Reina Tanaka (vocals), Marina Okada (vocals), Yuki Uozumi (guitar), Marin Miyazawa (guitar).
In ...
*
Pink Cres.
was a Japanese girl group formed by Up-Front Create in 2016. The group consisted of three members: Miyabi Natsuyaki, Hikaru Kobayashi, and Yūka Nihei.
History
Miyabi Natsuyaki was a member of the Japanese idol girl group Berryz Kobo since 2 ...
*
Sharam Q
was a Japanese rock band composed of lead singer , on guitar, on drums and on keyboards.
Biography
They debuted with in 1992. They were not an instant hit initially, but their fourth single broke the top 50 of the Oricon charts. Even ...
*
Up Up Girls Kakko Kari
is a Japanese female idol group. The group was formerly named . The name of the group is abbreviated or .
History
2004 to 2011
In 2004, Hello! Project held a nationwide audition titled "Hello Pro Egg Audition 2004". Out of over 10,000 appli ...
Soloists/Entertainers
*
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 ...
*
Airi Suzuki
is a Japanese singer, actress, model, and radio personality associated with Up-Front Works. In 2002, she joined Hello! Project as a member of Hello! Project Kids and later debuted as one of the lead vocalists of the Japanese girl group Cute in ...
* Akira Inaba
* Akira Kagawa
*
Chisato Moritaka
(born 11 April 1969) is a Japanese pop singer who also is notable as a songwriter. She is affiliated with Up-Front Create, a subsidiary of the Up-Front Group.
*
Chisato Okai
(born June 21, 1994, in Saitama, Japan) is a former Japanese pop singer, actress, model, and television personality. She first gained recognition when she joined Hello! Project Kids and later became one of the main vocalists of the Japanese i ...
*
Eric Fukusaki
is a Peruvian singer based in Japan. Born and raised in Lima, he began singing in competitions during his adolescence and placing first in several. After successfully auditioning for the Up-Front Works record label, he debuted alongside Munehik ...
*
Erina Mano
is a Japanese idol singer and actress formerly associated with Hello! Project. She joined in 2006 as a member of Hello Pro Egg, as a trainee. In 2007, she became a member of the Hello! Project futsal team Gatas Brilhantes H.P. and its musical ...
* Gen Takayama
* Hirofumi Bannba
* Jirou Sugita
* Junko Yanagisawa
* Kan
*
Mai Satoda
is a former member of the Hello! Project group Country Musume, singer, model and talent.
Personal life
Her husband is Japanese baseball player Masahiro Tanaka, who pitched for the New York Yankees from 2014 to 2020.
Biography
She was also a me ...
*
Maimi Yajima
is a Japanese singer and actress. She was a member and the leader of Cute, a girl idol group within Hello! Project.
Career
Yajima first joined Hello! Project in 2002 as one of the fifteen children chosen from the Hello! Project Kids audition ...
*
Mari Yaguchi
is a Japanese singer, actress, and television personality. She joined the girl group Morning Musume in 1998 as a second generation member and was the leader of subgroups within Hello! Project, such as Mini-Moni, Morning Musume Sakuragumi, and ZY ...
*
Miki Fujimoto
(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 Morning Musume with the fourth generation members, Fujimoto de ...
*
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 ...
*
Nozomi Tsuji
, known professionally by her birth name (born June 17, 1987) is a Japanese media personality, singer, and blogger. In 2000, she began her career as a singer for Japanese girl band Morning Musume. Tsuji later found success with related groups ...
Shoko Aida
is a female J-pop artist and actress. She was born in Higashimurayama, Tokyo, and debuted as a member of the J-Pop duo Wink. She began working as a solo artist on 1 April 1996, one month after Wink dissolved. She collaborated with Kaori Iida f ...
*
Takao Horiuchi
is a Japanese pop and enka singer. He won a 1990 Japan Record Award
is a major music awards show, held annually in Japan that recognizes outstanding achievements in the Japan Composer's Association. Until 2005, the show aired on New Year's Ev ...
*
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 ...
*
You Kikkawa
is a Japanese singer and actress. Kikkawa achieved early fame portraying Kobeni Hanasaki from '' Kirarin Revolution Stage 3'' and later debuted as a solo singer with the song, "Kikkake wa You!"
Career 2006–2010: Pre-debut, ''Kirarin Revoluti ...
*
Yuko Nakazawa
is a Japanese pop and enka singer, and actress, best known as one of the original members of the all-female J-pop group Morning Musume. She is also a member of Japanese pop group Dream Morning Musume.
Biography
Yuko Nakazawa was born in Kyo ...
Subsidiaries
Zetima
was originally founded in May 1993 as , a joint venture between the Up-Front Group and
Warner Music Japan
Warner Music Group's labels include the following.
Flagship labels
*Atlantic Records
*Elektra Records
*Parlophone Records
*Warner Records
Atlantic Records Group
* 1st & 15th Entertainment
* Nipsey Hussle, All Money In
* Mike Caren, Artist Par ...
. In April 1998, Up-Front merged One Up with Y.J. Sounds to form Zetima. At the same time, Up-Front ended its distribution deal with Warner Music Japan and switched to
Sony Music Entertainment Japan
, often abbreviated as SMEJ or simply SME, and also known as Sony Music Japan for short (stylized as ''SonyMusic''), is a Japanese music arm for Sony. Founded in 1968 as CBS/Sony, SMEJ is directly owned by Sony Group Corporation and is opera ...
.
;Artists
*
Shoko Aida
is a female J-pop artist and actress. She was born in Higashimurayama, Tokyo, and debuted as a member of the J-Pop duo Wink. She began working as a solo artist on 1 April 1996, one month after Wink dissolved. She collaborated with Kaori Iida f ...
*
Beyooooonds
, is a Japanese idol
An is a type of entertainer marketed for image, attractiveness, and personality in Japanese pop culture. Idols are primarily singers with training in acting, dancing, and modeling. Idols are commercialized through merch ...
*
Camellia Factory
is a Japanese idol group, formed in late April 2015 under the umbrella of Hello! Project. It is currently composed of twelve members. Their sister group was Magnolia Factory.
History 2015: Formation
On April 29, the group was announced by ...
*
Hello! Project shuffle units
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 ...
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 ...
*
Chisato Moritaka
(born 11 April 1969) is a Japanese pop singer who also is notable as a songwriter. She is affiliated with Up-Front Create, a subsidiary of the Up-Front Group.
*
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 ...
* Takui Nakajima
*
Yuko Nakazawa
is a Japanese pop and enka singer, and actress, best known as one of the original members of the all-female J-pop group Morning Musume. She is also a member of Japanese pop group Dream Morning Musume.
Biography
Yuko Nakazawa was born in Kyo ...
*
Pink Cres.
was a Japanese girl group formed by Up-Front Create in 2016. The group consisted of three members: Miyabi Natsuyaki, Hikaru Kobayashi, and Yūka Nihei.
History
Miyabi Natsuyaki was a member of the Japanese idol girl group Berryz Kobo since 2 ...
*
Airi Suzuki
is a Japanese singer, actress, model, and radio personality associated with Up-Front Works. In 2002, she joined Hello! Project as a member of Hello! Project Kids and later debuted as one of the lead vocalists of the Japanese girl group Cute in ...
;Former artists
*
Buono!
was a subgroup of the Japanese girl groups Berryz Kobo and Cute (Japanese idol group), Cute, formed in 2007 by Up-Front Promotion and associated with Hello! Project. The members consisted of Momoko Tsugunaga and Miyabi Natsuyaki from Berryz Kob ...
*
Cute
Cuteness is a subjective term describing a type of attractiveness commonly associated with youth and appearance, as well as a scientific concept and analytical model in ethology, first introduced by Konrad Lorenz. Lorenz proposed the concept ...
*
Dream Morning Musume
is a Japanese female pop group, consisting of 10 former members of the Japanese girl group Morning Musume. It was created in 2011. As with Morning Musume, the group is managed by the Up-Front Agency and produced by Tsunku.
During the announcem ...
*
Lovendor
is a Japanese all-female band.
History
The band was formed in 2012 around Morning Musume member Reina Tanaka. Originally there were four members: Reina Tanaka (vocals), Marina Okada (vocals), Yuki Uozumi (guitar), Marin Miyazawa (guitar).
In ...
*
Ongaku Gatas
was a Japanese girl group consisted of select members from Hello! Project's futsal club Gatas Brilhantes H.P. and Hello Pro Egg.
History
The group was formed in 2007. The group's name combines the Japanese word ''ongaku'' (music) with the Port ...
*
Sharam Q
was a Japanese rock band composed of lead singer , on guitar, on drums and on keyboards.
Biography
They debuted with in 1992. They were not an instant hit initially, but their fourth single broke the top 50 of the Oricon charts. Even ...
Hachama
has a distribution deal with
Pony Canyon
, also known by the shorthand form , is a Japanese mass media publishing company founded on October 1, 1966. The company publishes mainly physical home media on compact discs, including music, films and TV shows and video games. It is affiliate ...
.
;Artists
*
Angerme
, formerly , is a Japanese idol girl group from the musical collective Hello! Project, which originally consisted of four former Hello! Pro Egg (''Hello! Project'' trainees) members that left Egg in 2010 and became full-time members of ''Hello! P ...
*
Juice=Juice
Juice=Juice, pronounced "Juice Juice", is a nine-member Japanese idol girl group formed in 2013. The group originally consisted of six trainee members of Hello! Project. They have released one studio album and twelve singles.
Juice=Juice was no ...
*
Akari Uemura
is a Japanese pop singer and idol pop singer signed to Hello! Project as a member of Japanese pop idol group Juice=Juice and Hello! Pro Kenshuusei. She was first introduced at the 2012 March ''Nama Tamago Show!'' concert. Her official nickname is ...
;Former artists
*
Alma Kaminiito
was a J-pop and Latin pop music duo based in Japan. It consisted of Eric Fukusaki of Peru and Munehiko Ohno from Japan. The pair released two singles in 2012: its debut "Akane" and the double A-side "Amatsubu Pearl"/"Dakishimetai Dakishimetai". A ...
*
Eric Fukusaki
is a Peruvian singer based in Japan. Born and raised in Lima, he began singing in competitions during his adolescence and placing first in several. After successfully auditioning for the Up-Front Works record label, he debuted alongside Munehik ...
*
Gatas Brilhantes H.P.
was a futsal team representing Hello! Project. The team was founded on September 9, 2003 and was later disbanded on March 7, 2015.
History
On April 23, 2007, nine new members from Mix Gatas were added to the team mainly from Berryz Kobo an ...
* Yuubi Matsui
*
Peaberry
Peaberry, known in Spanish as caracolillo, is a type of coffee bean. Normally the fruit ("cherry") of the coffee plant contains two seeds ("beans") that develop with flattened facing sides, but sometimes only one of the two seeds is fertilized, ...
Piccolo Town
had a distribution deal with King Records from April 2001 to August 2013, when it switched to
Pony Canyon
, also known by the shorthand form , is a Japanese mass media publishing company founded on October 1, 1966. The company publishes mainly physical home media on compact discs, including music, films and TV shows and video games. It is affiliate ...
in September 2013.
;Artists
* Bitter & Sweet
;Former artists
*
Aa!
was a Japanese girl group in Hello! Project, formerly made up of leader and Morning Musume member Reina Tanaka, Miyabi Natsuyaki and Airi Suzuki, two Hello! Project Kids.
History
The group's name was chosen by producer and writer Tsunku to rep ...
*
Berryz Kobo
was a Japanese girl group formed by Up-Front Promotion in 2004 and associated with Hello! Project. The group's members consisted of Hello! Project Kids members Saki Shimizu, Momoko Tsugunaga, Miyabi Natsuyaki, Chinami Tokunaga, Maasa Sudo, Yuri ...
Gomattō
was a one-shot Hello! Project group, similar to the Hello! Project shuffle units, that released one single called "Shall We Love?".
The formation of Gomattō was announced in October 2002. The idea behind the trio was an R&B style dance-based g ...
*
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 ...
*
Sayaka Ichii
is a Japanese pop singer and former member for Japanese girl group Morning Musume. She is now a TV talent and planning to debut as an actress.
History Morning Musume and Hello Project
Joined the girl group Morning Musume in 1998. She, along wit ...
*
Yui Okada
(born December 28, 1987, in Yao, Osaka, Japan) is a gravure model, model and race queen, former member of Japanese idol pop group v-u-den that was associated with Hello! Project. She remained within the group until its disbandment in 2008, after ...
*
v-u-den
was a Japanese idol girl group associated with Hello! Project. The group was formed in August 2004 and consists of members Rika Ishikawa (Morning Musume), Erika Miyoshi, and Yui Okada, with Ishikawa being the leader. The group officially disband ...
*
ZYX ZYX or Zyx may refer to:
* Zyx, a region in the North Caucasus inhabited by the Zygii
* Zyx (cartoonist) (1950–2015), French-Canadian cartoonist
* ZyX (company), a Japanese company that makes erotic video games
* ZYX (gene), a gene that encod ...
Rice Music
was originally founded in March 1995 as . After being absorbed into Zetima in 1998, the label was resurrected in September 2004 to focus on
Kayōkyoku
is a Japanese pop music genre, which became a base of modern J-pop. ''The Japan Times'' described ''kayōkyoku'' as "standard Japanese pop" or " Shōwa-era pop".
''Kayōkyoku'' represents a blend of Western and Japanese musical scales. Music i ...
and
enka
is a Japanese music genre considered to resemble traditional Japanese music stylistically. Modern ''enka'', however, is a relatively recent musical form, which adopts a more traditional musical style in its vocalism than ''ryūkōka'' music, p ...
. Like Piccolo Town, Rice Music had a distribution deal with King Records from September 2004 to August 2013, when it switched to
Pony Canyon
, also known by the shorthand form , is a Japanese mass media publishing company founded on October 1, 1966. The company publishes mainly physical home media on compact discs, including music, films and TV shows and video games. It is affiliate ...
in September 2013.
;Artists
* Hirofumi Banba
*
Takao Horiuchi
is a Japanese pop and enka singer. He won a 1990 Japan Record Award
is a major music awards show, held annually in Japan that recognizes outstanding achievements in the Japan Composer's Association. Until 2005, the show aired on New Year's Ev ...
Sanae Jōnouchi
Sanae Kimura (; born 17 May 1968), known by her birth name of Sanae Jōnouchi (), is a Japanese enka singer, actress and radio presenter.
Life and career
Born in Kamisu, while in her second year of junior high school Jōnouchi made her sin ...
* Yuki Maeda
* Nori Yamaguchi
Up-Front Works
is Up-Front Group's in-house label that specializes in limited edition releases that are sold either online or exclusively at music chains such as
Tower Records
Tower Records is an international retail franchise and online music store that was formerly based in Sacramento, California, United States. From 1960 until 2006, Tower operated retail stores in the United States, which closed when Tower Records ...
. The label previously had distribution deals with
Pony Canyon
, also known by the shorthand form , is a Japanese mass media publishing company founded on October 1, 1966. The company publishes mainly physical home media on compact discs, including music, films and TV shows and video games. It is affiliate ...
, Daiki Sound, and
Universal Music Japan
, often referred to as just Universal Music Japan or UMJ, is a Japanese subsidiary of the Universal Music Group founded in 1990. It is the largest subsidiary for a foreign company in the country regarding music distribution. The company is resp ...
before 2019.
;Artists
*
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 ...
* Akira Inaba
*
You Kikkawa
is a Japanese singer and actress. Kikkawa achieved early fame portraying Kobeni Hanasaki from '' Kirarin Revolution Stage 3'' and later debuted as a solo singer with the song, "Kikkake wa You!"
Career 2006–2010: Pre-debut, ''Kirarin Revoluti ...
*
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 ...
* Kamiishinaka Kana
*
Sayumi Michishige
is a Japanese singer, actress and model. She is a former sixth-generation member and former leader of the J-pop group Morning Musume. Following the departure of fifth-generation member Risa Niigaki on October 12, 2013, Michishige has the longe ...
*
Karin Miyamoto
is a Japanese singer. She is a former member of Juice=Juice, an all-female pop group within Hello! Project.
Hello! Project groups and units
* Hello Pro Egg / Hello Pro Kenshusei
* Shin Minimoni (2009)
* Reborn Eleven (2011)
* Juice=Juice (2 ...
*
Chisato Moritaka
(born 11 April 1969) is a Japanese pop singer who also is notable as a songwriter. She is affiliated with Up-Front Create, a subsidiary of the Up-Front Group.
Maimi Yajima
is a Japanese singer and actress. She was a member and the leader of Cute, a girl idol group within Hello! Project.
Career
Yajima first joined Hello! Project in 2002 as one of the fifteen children chosen from the Hello! Project Kids audition ...
Up-Front Indies
is Up-Front Group's indie in-house label founded in May 2019.
;Artists
*
Hello Pro Kenshusei
(formerly known as until January 2012) is a pre-debut training group established by Japanese entertainment agency Up-Front Group within Hello! Project
is a Japanese musical collective consisting of all female recording artists and groups ...
Chichūkai Label
was founded in 2003, with music inspired by those of the countries by the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...
, most prominently
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
and
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
, or even
cover version
In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
s of songs from those countries. The label was handled by
Epic Records Japan
Epic Records Japan is a Japanese record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment Japan. Its founder was Shigeo Maruyama.
Between 1978 and 1988 the label operated as a wholly owned subsidiary: Epic/Sony Inc. () was established in August 1978
until December 2009, when Up-Front consolidated it with Zetima.
;Former artists
*
Shoko Aida
is a female J-pop artist and actress. She was born in Higashimurayama, Tokyo, and debuted as a member of the J-Pop duo Wink. She began working as a solo artist on 1 April 1996, one month after Wink dissolved. She collaborated with Kaori Iida f ...
*
Kaori Iida
is a Japanese pop singer and actress, associated with Hello! Project and best known as a founding member of the girl band Morning Musume. She has also recorded with the Morning Musume side project band Tanpopo and is currently a solo artist. Dur ...
Michiyo Heike
, (born (same reading) on April 6, 1979, married name unknown) is a Japanese pop singer-songwriter from Osaka Prefecture and raised in Nabari, Mie. She first become known after her appearance on the Japanese talent show ''Asayan'' in the late 19 ...
(1997-2001)
*
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 ...
**
Asuka Fukuda
(born December 17, 1984) is a Japanese pop singer, and she was a member of Japanese girl group Morning Musume from 1997 until April 18, 1999. Her only album with the group is the 1998 release ''First Time (Morning Musume album), First Time''. ...
(1997-1999)
** Aya Ishiguro (1997-2000)
**
Sayaka Ichii
is a Japanese pop singer and former member for Japanese girl group Morning Musume. She is now a TV talent and planning to debut as an actress.
History Morning Musume and Hello Project
Joined the girl group Morning Musume in 1998. She, along wit ...
(1998-2000)
**
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 ...
(1999-2007)
**
Kei Yasuda
is a Japanese singer, musician and actress under the Hello! Project. She was a member and co-leader of the Japanese girl group Morning Musume. Yasuda, along with Mari Yaguchi and Sayaka Ichii, were the second generation of singers to be recru ...
(1998-2003)
**
Eri Kamei
is a Japanese pop singer and model. She is a former member of the Japanese pop group Morning Musume. She joined in late 2003 as a sixth generation member along with Miki Fujimoto, Sayumi Michishige, and Reina Tanaka. She graduated on December 1 ...
Lin Lin
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 ...
(2007-2010)
**
Kanon Suzuki
Kanon may refer to:
Buddhism
* Kanon, a Japanese name for Guanyin, a Buddhist spiritual figure
Media and literature
* ''Kanon'' (video game), a Japanese visual novel by Key, later adapted into anime series
* ''Kanon'' (manga), a manga by Chiho ...
Riho Sayashi
Riho Sayashi (鞘師里保 ''Sayashi Riho''; born May 28, 1998 in Hiroshima, Japan) is a Japanese dancer, actress, and singer. She is a former ninth generation member of the Japanese pop group Morning Musume, along with Mizuki Fukumura, Erina Iku ...
(2011-2018)
**
Haruna Iikubo
is a Japanese actress and former pop singer. She is a former tenth-generation member and sub-leader of the pop group Morning Musume and former model for the Japanese fashion magazine '' Love Berry''.
Biography Early life
Haruna Īkubo was born ...
Atsuko Inaba
(born March 13, 1974) is a former Japanese female singer who was affiliated with Hello! Project.
Career
She began her career as a Japanese idol with the all-girl group Osaka Performance Doll from 1993 to 1996. She then joined the new Hello! P ...
(1999-2009)
*
Melon Kinenbi
were an all-girl Japanese pop group within Hello! Project. They were formed after they successfully passed the 2nd Morning Musume & Michiyo Heike Imotobun Audition. Melon Kinenbi is the oldest group in the history of Hello! Project not to have ...
(1999-2010)
*
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 ...
(2000-2017)
* Sheki-Dol (2000-2002)
* W (2004-2006)
**
Ai Kago
is a Japanese actress and former singer. In 2000, Kago debuted as a 4th generation member of the idol girl group Morning Musume. During her time in the group, she was also part of Mini-Moni and other Hello! Project sub-groups. In 2004, Kago depa ...
(2000-2007)
*
Coconuts Musume
was a Japanese idol girl group formed by Up-Front Promotion in 1999 and associated with Hello! Project. It was promoted as the "girls from Hawaii". After nine years, the group officially disbanded when Ayaka Kimura graduated from Hello! Project. ...
(1998-2008)
** Chelsea Ching (1998-2000)
** April Barbaran (1998-2000)
** Danielle DeLaunay (1998-2001)
** Lehua Sandbo (2000-2002)
**
Mika Todd
was a Japanese idol girl group formed by Up-Front Promotion in 1999 and associated with Hello! Project. It was promoted as the "girls from Hawaii". After nine years, the group officially disbanded when Ayaka Kimura graduated from Hello! Project. ...
(1998-2004)
**
Ayaka Kimura
, born October 30, 1981 and known professionally as , is a Japanese actress and former singer. From 1998 to 2008, Nagate was part of Hello! Project as a member of the Japan-based girl group Coconuts Musume.
History
Nagate joined Hello! Pr ...
(1998-2008)
*
Country Musume
was a Japanese female idol music group that is a part of Hello! Project.
On November 5, 2014, Country Musume was renamed .Hiromi Yanagihara (1999)
** Azusa Kobayashi (1999-2002)
** Rinne Toda (1999-2002)
**
Asami Kimura
was a Japanese female idol music group that is a part of Hello! Project.
On November 5, 2014, Country Musume was renamed .Miuna Saito
was a Japanese female idol music group that is a part of Hello! Project.
On November 5, 2014, Country Musume was renamed .Nana Nakayama (2005-2009)
* Shim Min (2003-2006)
*
V-u-den
was a Japanese idol girl group associated with Hello! Project. The group was formed in August 2004 and consists of members Rika Ishikawa (Morning Musume), Erika Miyoshi, and Yui Okada, with Ishikawa being the leader. The group officially disband ...
(2004-2008)
**
Yui Okada
(born December 28, 1987, in Yao, Osaka, Japan) is a gravure model, model and race queen, former member of Japanese idol pop group v-u-den that was associated with Hello! Project. She remained within the group until its disbandment in 2008, after ...
(2004-2010)
*
Hello! Project Kids
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 ...
(2002-2005)
*
Berryz Kobo
was a Japanese girl group formed by Up-Front Promotion in 2004 and associated with Hello! Project. The group's members consisted of Hello! Project Kids members Saki Shimizu, Momoko Tsugunaga, Miyabi Natsuyaki, Chinami Tokunaga, Maasa Sudo, Yuri ...
(2004-2014)
** Maiha Ishimura (2002-2005)
**
Momoko Tsugunaga
is a former Japanese singer, actress, and radio personality. Tsugunaga joined Hello! Project as a member of Hello! Project Kids at the age of 10 and later became part of the girl groups Berryz Kobo and Buono! Following Berryz Kobo's hiatus, sh ...
(2002-2017)
*
Cute
Cuteness is a subjective term describing a type of attractiveness commonly associated with youth and appearance, as well as a scientific concept and analytical model in ethology, first introduced by Konrad Lorenz. Lorenz proposed the concept ...
(2005-2017)
**
Megumi Murakami
is a Japanese choreographer and former singer and actress. She first gained recognition when she joined Hello! Project Kids and later became the lead vocalist of the girl group Cute until her retirement in 2006.
Career 2002–2005: Hello! P ...
(2002-2006)
**
Kanna Arihara
, known professionally as , is a Japanese talent, actress, and a former singer.
Arihara began her career as a trainee of the umbrella idol group Hello! Project and later debuted as a member of Cute in 2006. After departing from the group in ...
(2004-2009)
**
Erika Umeda
is a Japanese singer and former model. She was a member of the Japanese idol girl group ZYX and Cute up until departing to pursue a solo career in modeling. In 2013, she returned to her music career with the release of her debut solo single "Cru ...
(2002-2009)
**
Mai Hagiwara
is a former Japanese singer and actress. At age 6, she auditioned for Hello! Project Kids in 2002 and later became part of Cute, a Japanese idol girl group associated with Hello! Project.
Career 2002–2005: Hello! Project Kids, 4Kids
In ...
(2002-2017)
* Miki Korenaga (2004-2010)
*
Angerme
, formerly , is a Japanese idol girl group from the musical collective Hello! Project, which originally consisted of four former Hello! Pro Egg (''Hello! Project'' trainees) members that left Egg in 2010 and became full-time members of ''Hello! P ...
**
Saki Ogawa
, formerly , is a Japanese idol girl group from the musical collective Hello! Project, which originally consisted of four former Hello! Pro Egg (''Hello! Project'' trainees) members that left Egg in 2010 and became full-time members of ''Hello! P ...
(2009-2011)
**
Yuuka Maeda
is a former Japanese singer and actress. After joining Hello Pro Egg, a trainee program associated with Hello! Project, she achieved early fame as Amulet Heart in Shugo Chara Egg! before debuting in S/mileage, a Japanese idol girl group associat ...
(2009-2011)
** Fuyuka Kosuga (2011)
**
Kanon Fukuda
, known professionally as , is a Japanese singer and Voice acting in Japan, voice actress. She is a member of Metamuse and a former member of Hello! Project idol group Angerme and Shugo Chara Egg!.
Biography Hello!Pro Egg
Fukuda Kanon joined H ...
(2009-2019)
**
Meimi Tamura
is a Japanese actress and singer. She is a former member of the Hello! Project group Angerme.
Early life and background
Meimi Tamura's mother was a Troupe Organizer, and acted at Gunma Prefecture in Japan. Her elder sister, Karen Tamura, was a ...
Ayaka Wada
is a Japanese singer and idol signed to YU-M Entertainment. She was a first generation member and the leader of Angerme as well as the leader of Hello! Project.
*
Biography
Wada joined Hello! Project as a member of Hello! Pro Egg in June 20 ...
(2009–2019)
**Mizuki Murota (2014-2020)
*
Country Girls Country Girl(s) may refer to:
Literature
* ''Country Girl'' (memoir), a 2012 book by Edna O'Brien
Music
* ''A Country Girl'', a long-running British 1902 musical
* Country Girls (band), a Japanese female idol group
Albums
* ''Country Girl'' ( ...
(2014-2019)
**Uta Shimamura (2014-2015)
**
Nanami Yanagawa
Nanami Yanagawa (梁川奈々美; born January 6, 2002) is a former Japanese pop singer, a second generation member of Japanese girl group Juice=Juice and a member of Country Girls.
Biography
Nanami was born on January 6, 2002, in Kanagawa, Jap ...
Magnolia Factory
was a Japanese girl Japanese idol, idol group, formed by Up Front Group under the umbrella of Hello! Project in January 2015. The group was initially composed of eight girls who were members of Hello Pro Kenshusei. Their sister group was Camelli ...
Petitmoni
was a sub-unit of the Japanese idol girl group Morning Musume and associated with Hello! Project. It was formed by Up-Front Promotion in November 1999 as the second sub-group of Morning Musume.
History
Founded November 1999, the group initi ...
(1999-2013)
*
Tanpopo
was a sub-group of the Japanese idol girl group Morning Musume and associated with Hello! Project. It was formed by Up-Front Promotion in November 1998 as Morning Musume's first sub-group. While the main group Morning Musume features predominan ...
(1999-2011)
*
Minimoni
was a sub-unit of the Japanese idol girl groups Morning Musume and Coconuts Musume. It was formed by Up-Front Promotion in 2000 and associated with Hello! Project. The group was founded by Morning Musume members Mari Yaguchi, Nozomi Tsuji, ...
(2000-2004)
*
Morning Musume Sakuragumi
, meaning "Sakura Group", was one of the subgroups derived from the Japanese pop group Morning Musume in 2003. Its less successful equivalent was Morning Musume Otomegumi. Like its counterpart, the sole purpose of Sakuragumi was to accommodate t ...
(2003-2004)
*
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 ...
(2003-2004)
*
Morning Musume Tanjō 10nen Kinentai
was a Japanese girl group and sub-group of Morning Musume. The group was made up of five past and then-present members of Morning Musume and created to celebrate their 10th anniversary.
Members
* 1st generation: Kaori Iida, Natsumi Abe
* 3rd ...
(2007)
*
Buono!
was a subgroup of the Japanese girl groups Berryz Kobo and Cute (Japanese idol group), Cute, formed in 2007 by Up-Front Promotion and associated with Hello! Project. The members consisted of Momoko Tsugunaga and Miyabi Natsuyaki from Berryz Kob ...
Romans
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
(2003)
* Tomoiki Ki wo Uetai (2005-2013)
** Rie Kaneko (2009-2013)
** Asuna Okai (2009-2010)
** Mia Sainen (2009-2010)
** Kaori Sano (2009-2010)
*
Ongaku Gatas
was a Japanese girl group consisted of select members from Hello! Project's futsal club Gatas Brilhantes H.P. and Hello Pro Egg.
History
The group was formed in 2007. The group's name combines the Japanese word ''ongaku'' (music) with the Port ...
(2007-2010)
**
Arisa Noto
is a Japanese singer, actress, voice actress and choreographer. She is a member of StylipS, a former member of Ongaku Gatas and was part of Hello! Project.
Career
Noto joined Hello! Project in June 2004 and became part of the group's trainee ...
(2004-2009)
** Yuri Sawada (2004-2009)
*
Nochiura Natsumi
was a one-off Hello! Project unit formed in 2004. The members were Maki Goto, Aya Matsuura and Natsumi Abe.
The group was composed of soloists, similar to Gomattou, and released their only single, , on October 6, 2004. It reached 4th place on ...
(2004-2005)
*
Ecomoni
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 ...
(2004-2007)
*
Aa!
was a Japanese girl group in Hello! Project, formerly made up of leader and Morning Musume member Reina Tanaka, Miyabi Natsuyaki and Airi Suzuki, two Hello! Project Kids.
History
The group's name was chosen by producer and writer Tsunku to rep ...
(2003-2009)
*
ZYX ZYX or Zyx may refer to:
* Zyx, a region in the North Caucasus inhabited by the Zygii
* Zyx (cartoonist) (1950–2015), French-Canadian cartoonist
* ZyX (company), a Japanese company that makes erotic video games
* ZYX (gene), a gene that encod ...
(2003-2009)
*
Def.Diva
Def.Diva (often stylized as DEF.DIVA) was a "special group" formed in 2005 from the Hello! Project idol umbrella, and consisted of Aya Matsuura, Maki Goto, Natsumi Abe and Rika Ishikawa. The band's name is an abbreviation of the phrase "Definite ...
MilkyWay
is a Japanese manga series by An Nakahara. The series ran in the ''shōjo'' manga magazine ''Ciao'' from March 2004 to June 2009, with side stories running in ''Pucchigumi'' in 2006. The manga sold a cumulative total of over 10 million c ...
(2008-2009)
**
Sayaka Kitahara
, (born on November 29, 1993 in Saitama Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese voice actress, actress and former singer.
Biography
In 2004, Sayaka Kitahara became a member of Hello Pro Egg, under Hello! Project. In 2008, she became a part of the unit ...
(2004-2011)
*
High-King
was a Japanese girl group associated with Hello! Project. The group was created to promote Morning Musume's production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's ''Cinderella'', titled . Their sound is said to have an R&B feel.
History
The group's debut si ...
(2008-2015)
*
Shugo Chara Egg!
, also known as ''My Guardian Characters'', is a Japanese shōjo manga series created by the manga author duo, Peach-Pit. The story centers on elementary school girl Amu Hinamori, whose popular exterior, referred to as "cool and spicy" by her clas ...
(2008-2010)
**
Irori Maeda
is a Japanese pop singer and former member of the Japanese idol group AKBN0 (later known as N Zero). She is a former Hello Pro Egg member. She joined Hello! Project in 2006 as a member of Hello! Pro Egg. In 2011, she left Hello Project for AKB ...
Lilpri
, also known as , is a Japanese shōjo anime directed by Makoto Moriwaki. It was adapted from the Sega arcade game of the same name. It was also adapted into two manga series by Mai Jinna.
Plot
Ringo Yukimori was walking with her mom and f ...
(2010-2011)
Shuffle units
*
Kiiro 5
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 ...
Sexy 8
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 ...
(2002)
*
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 ...
(2002)
*
Salt5
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 ...
(2003)
*
7Air
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 ...
Elegies
An elegy is a poem of serious reflection, and in English literature usually a lament for the dead. However, according to ''The Oxford Handbook of the Elegy'', "for all of its pervasiveness ... the 'elegy' remains remarkably ill defined: sometime ...
(2005)
*
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 ...
(2005)
*
Puripuri Pink
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 ...
(2005)
*
Hello! Project Mobekimasu
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 ...
(2011-2013)
Affiliated with Up-Front Works
*
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 ...
(2000-2009)
*
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 ...
(2000-2009)
*
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 ...
(2001-2011)
*
Makoto Ogawa
is a Japanese singer and actress, best known as a former member of Japanese girl group Morning Musume. She joined the group in August 2001 along with fellow fifth generation members Ai Takahashi, Risa Niigaki, and Asami Konno. On March 31, 20 ...
(2001-2009)
*
Saki Shimizu
is a J-pop singer. Her career began in 2002 when she passed the audition for Hello! Project Kids, an all-female teen pop group within Hello! Project. She continued to sing in that group and became a part of two smaller groups composed of H ...
(2002-2017)
*
Maasa Sudou
is a Japanese actress, singer, and tarento. She is a former member of Berryz Kobo, a J-pop idol group within Hello! Project.
Career
Sudo was born in Tokyo. In 2002, she successfully passed the Hello! Project Kids audition. Sudo was a member o ...
(2002-2015)
*
Yurina Kumai
is a Japanese pop singer and fashion model. She is a member of Berryz Kobo (activities suspended indefinitely) and former member of Hello! Project Kids. Her signature color is green.
Born in Kanagawa, Japan. Her blood type is B, and her heigh ...
(2002-2015)
*
Koharu Kusumi
is a Japanese actress, model, television personality, singer, and voice actress. In 2005, she became the only seventh generation member of the Japanese girl group Morning Musume, a part of Hello! Project.
While Kusumi was in Morning Musume, she p ...
(2005-2016)
*
Up Up Girls Kakko Kari
is a Japanese female idol group. The group was formerly named . The name of the group is abbreviated or .
History
2004 to 2011
In 2004, Hello! Project held a nationwide audition titled "Hello Pro Egg Audition 2004". Out of over 10,000 appli ...
** Minami Sengoku (2004-2017)
*
Aika Mitsui
is a Japanese singer. She is a member of Hello! Project and a former member of the J-pop group Morning Musume, joining as a member of the eighth generation from the audition in Japan during December 2006. Mitsui's audition process was documented ...
(2006-2018)
*
Ships
A ship is a large watercraft that travels the world's oceans and other sufficiently deep waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research, and fishing. Ships are generally distinguished ...
(2008-2009)
*
Alma Kaminiito
was a J-pop and Latin pop music duo based in Japan. It consisted of Eric Fukusaki of Peru and Munehiko Ohno from Japan. The pair released two singles in 2012: its debut "Akane" and the double A-side "Amatsubu Pearl"/"Dakishimetai Dakishimetai". A ...
All of the musical groups under TNX are collectively known as
Nice Girl Project!
, often shortened to NGP, was a Japanese idol musical collective formed by Tanabe Agency, Space Craft Group, Up-Front Group, and TNX. The project was created by Tsunku and launched on October 15, 2007. Nice Girl Project! began its full-time activi ...
.
* Nice Girl Myu
* GTT Club
* MM Gakuen Gasshoubu
* Gyaruru
**
Ami Tokito
is a Japanese female pop singer and gravure idol. She made her debut in 2005 Miss ''Young Jump'', winning Tsunku's honorable award.
She started acting as a child actress using her former stage names, Sachie Komatsu and Hikaru Asakura.
She feat ...
* Nice Girl Project! Kenshusei
*
Canary Club
is a Japanese girl group, founded by Tsunku in 2007 within his Nice Girl Project!.
The group debuted in 2007 with the single "SWEET & TOUGHNESS" as a nine-member group. After two albums, six singles and various line-up changes between 2007 and ...