Morning Musume Members
This page consists of all current and former members of the Japanese girl group Morning Musume. The group is known for their ever-fluctuating line-up, with "graduations" and auditions held nearly every year. Current members 9th generation (2011) * (Will graduate in July 8, 2025) 11th generation (2012) * 12th generation (2014) * * * 13th generation (2016) * 15th generation (2019) * (Hiatus) * * 16th generation (2022) * 17th generation (2023) * * Former members 1st generation (1997) * Yuko Nakazawa * Aya Ishiguro * Kaori Iida * Natsumi Abe * Asuka Fukuda 2nd generation (1998) * Kei Yasuda * Mari Yaguchi * Sayaka Ichii 3rd generation (1999) * Maki Goto 4th generation (2000) * Rika Ishikawa * Hitomi Yoshizawa * Nozomi Tsuji * Ai Kago 5th generation (2001) * Ai Takahashi * Asami Konno * Makoto Ogawa * Risa Niigaki 6th generation (2003) * Miki Fujimoto * Eri Kamei * Sayumi Michishige * Reina Tanaka 7th generation (2005) * Koha ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Morning Musume
, formerly and commonly known as and colloquially referred to as , is a Japanese girl group, holding the second highest overall single sales (of a female group) on the Oricon, Oricon charts as of February 2012, with the Oricon record of most top-ten singles, having 64 of them. Morning Musume was formed in 1997 by rock singer-songwriter turned record producer Tsunku, who later composed the vast majority of the group's songs over the decade. They are the lead group of Hello! Project that specialises in upbeat, pop-oriented music coupled with dance performance. The group produced several splinter groups, and often collaborates with other Hello! Project acts, including Country Musume, Berryz Kobo, Cute (Japanese idol group), Cute, Melon Kinenbi, and V-u-den. The group's name can be translated as "Morning Girls" or "Morning Daughters"; it consists of members mostly in their late adolescence and early 20s. History 1997-1998: Formation and beginnings Japanese producer Tsunku started ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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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. Biography Morning Musume career (2001–2011) In 2001, Ai Takahashi joined the Japanese idol group ''Morning Musume'' as part of the group's fifth generation of performers, along with Makoto Ogawa, Asami Konno, and Risa Niigaki. Her audition involved a three-day training camp where participants were expected to learn a new song, a dance routine and a script. Takahashi was one of nine applicants selected out of 25,000 for the camp. Her debut with the group was on their single " Mr. Moonlight: Ai no Big Band", and her first appearance on a Morning Musume full-length release was their fourth studio album, ''4th Ikimasshoi!''. Her first appearance within a Hello! Project shuffle unit release was on the 2002 single "Shiawase Beam! Su ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Riho Sayashi
is a Japanese actress, singer and dancer. She is a former member of the Japanese pop group Morning Musume and the duo Peaberry. In 2019, she became a touring member of Babymetal, including in their performance at Glastonbury Festival 2019. Career Prior to joining Morning Musume, Sayashi was a student of Actor's School Hiroshima (ASH), which graduates include Suzuka Nakamoto, Himeka Nakamoto, members of Perfume, and Ruru Dambara. 2010: Early career Sayashi was one of the winners of the Jc&Jk actress audition and got a chance to perform in Morning Musume's ''Fashionable'' stage play. 2011–2015: Morning Musume Sayashi passed Morning Musume's ninth generation auditions, along with Erina Ikuta, Kanon Suzuki, and former Hello! Pro Egg member Mizuki Fukumura. The ninth generation members debuted in Morning Musume January 2, at the Hello! Project 2011 Winter ~Kangei Shinsen Matsuri~ concert. Sayashi's first single with Morning Musume is titled " Maji Desu ka Ska!". On Ma ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Mizuki Fukumura
is a Japanese singer and actress. She is a former ninth-generation member, leader of the pop group Morning Musume as well as the seventh leader of Hello Project. Prior to becoming part of Morning Musume, Fukumura was known as a member of the second generation Shugo Chara! Egg!, and for her role of Amulet Heart in the live action segment of '' Shugo Chara! Party!''. Career 2006–2010: Auditions, early career and Shugo Chara! Egg! In 2006, a contest for the anime series ''Kirarin Revolution'' titled the "Kirarin Girl Contest 2006" was held. Fukumura, aged 10, entered the contest and came in second place.- As a Hello! Project fan since early childhood, Fukumura had long dreamed of joining Hello Project. Her mother, being supportive, told her about the auditions for Hello! Pro Egg. She passed the audition and became an official member of Hello! Pro Egg on June 22, 2008, along with Rie Kaneko and Akari Takeuchi. The announcement and introduction of the new members was made at ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Qian 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 Musume on March 15, 2007. Along with Li Chun, she is one of the only two members in the history of Morning Musume that are of non- Japanese origin. Biography Linlin was born in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. In the second grade of elementary school (1999), she was spotted by a local television station. Since then, she has been active in the entertainment industry, appearing in many television dramas and other shows as a host in China. Through the recommendation of a friend of Tsunku, the producer of Hello! Project (which Morning Musume is under), Linlin joined Hello! Project as a part of Hello! Pro Egg, a training center for practicing singing and dancing. On March 15, 2007, she (along with Junjun) were officially announced to be joini ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Li Qinyao
Li Chun (born January 11, 1988), known professionally as Li Qinyao, is a Chinese actress and former singer. From 2007 to 2010, she was a member of the Japanese girl group Morning Musume under the stage name . As an actress, Li has appeared in television and film projects including ''Moon Embracing the Stars'' and ''Eastern Battlefield.'' Career 2007-2010: Morning Musume In 2006, Li auditioned for '' Super Girl'', but failed to enter the top 10. Tsunku, who planned on expanding Hello! Project into overseas Asian markets, offered her and the other eliminated ''Super Girl'' contestants an opportunity to enter an audition for Morning Musume in Beijing, China, which was kept secret from the members of Morning Musume themselves. Li accepted in spite of her family's disapproval due to the Japanese-Chinese tensions. On March 15, 2007, Li was officially announced as an eighth generation member in Morning Musume as a "foreign exchange student" along with Lin Lin. On March 18, 2007, s ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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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 during the late 2006 episodes of Hello! Morning. She performed Ayumi Hamasaki's " Blue Bird" in round one of her audition and Morning Musume's " Furusato" and " Osaka Koi no Uta" in rounds two and three. She graduated from Morning Musume on May 18, 2012. She retired from the entertainment industry to pursue culinary studies in New Zealand on November 3, 2018. Biography 2006-2012 (Morning Musume) On December 10, 2006, she alone out of five (originally six, but Ayami Masuda dropped out) audition finalists was chosen to join Morning Musume. An article published on December 11, 2006 revealed that Mitsui wouldn't be present in the 57th edition of Kōhaku Uta Gassen but would instead be featured in the group's 32nd single, Egao Yes ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Koharu Kusumi
is a Japanese actress, model, television personality, and singer. In 2005, she became the only seventh generation member of the Japanese idol girl group Morning Musume, a part of Hello! Project. While Kusumi was in Morning Musume, she provided the voice for Kirari Tsukishima, the main character of the anime series '' Kirarin Revolution'', and portrayed her in real life on '' Oha Suta''. In addition, she was featured in several musical releases affiliated with the series, including both solo releases under the name and group releases for the units Kira Pika and Milky Way. After leaving Morning Musume in 2009, Kusumi pursued modeling, discussing her career changes in her 2011 autobiography, ''17-sai no Tenshoku''. After making her runway debut in 2011, she modeled exclusively for magazines '' CanCam'' and ''Steady'', while also making regular appearances on variety shows. At the same time, Kusumi continued to perform at music events and took part in Dream Morning Musume. Kusumi a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Reina Tanaka
is a Japanese singer and musical actress. She is the leader of the Japanese rock band Lovendor. From 2002 to 2013, she was one of the main vocalists of the girl group Morning Musume and participated in other music acts under the Hello! Project name. Career 2001–2013: Morning Musume Tanaka auditioned for a spot in Morning Musume's 5th Generation in 2001 and passed, but had to leave the training camp for being under the age limit. She attempted again in 2002 for a position in the 6th Generation and passed along with members Eri Kamei and Sayumi Michishige. She provided the main vocals for the single " Shabondama". She was featured in two solo versions of " Memory Seishun no Hikari" on a fan club release CD. In 2003, Tanaka became a member of the sub-unit Aa!, along with Miyabi Natsuyaki and Airi Suzuki, two Hello! Project Kids members. They released one single, "First Kiss", on October 29, 2003. Later, in 2004, she participated in singing " All for One & One for All!", a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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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 held the longest tenure of any member in the group's history even after her graduation. She went on to hold this record until surpassed by ninth-generation members Mizuki Fukumura and Erina Ikuta in December 2022. Michishige was born in Ube, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. She joined Morning Musume in 2003 along with Eri Kamei, Miki Fujimoto, and Reina Tanaka, who all debuted with Morning Musume on the group's nineteenth single, " Shabondama". In 2005, she was assigned as mentor to seventh-generation member Koharu Kusumi, until Kusumi left the group in December 2009. Michishige was also a member of the Hello! Project unit Ecomoni, along with former Morning Musume member Rika Ishikawa. During her term in Morning Musume, she portrays a visual-focused ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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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 15, 2010, in Yokohama Arena along with Junjun and Linlin. Career Kamei was born in Arakawa, Tokyo. She was selected from the Morning Musume Love Audition 2002 to join Morning Musume as a member of the sixth generation. She first appeared on the single " Shabondama" and her first album was '' Ai no Dai 6 Kan''. Towards late 2004, Kamei is thought to have opened up after receiving her own segment on the Japanese variety show Hello! Morning, where she had been a regular since her debut. In the segment, known as , she, along with her co-host Yuko Nakazawa, and most often several guests promote the latest products from the Hello! Project. Her segment was removed from the show in the winter of 2005, but she still stars in the rest of th ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Miki Fujimoto
(born February 26, 1985), professionally known by her birth name of , and nicknamed Mikitty, is a Japanese actress, singer and YouTuber. After failing the audition to join girl group Morning Musume with the fourth generation members, Fujimoto debuted as a solo artist within Hello! Project 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, Japan. She is the youngest of four children: she has an older brother (who won a defamation case alongside Fujimoto in 2009), and two older sisters. Her father died on November 10, 2010. Career Early work: 2002–2003 Fujimoto originally started out as a solo singer in 2002 under the idol family Hello! Project, becoming the first of six members to debut under Hello! Project after losing a Morning Musume audition. She is often called by f ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |