Entire Elder Club to graduate from the Hello! Project
Submitted 2008-10-19 10:45 PM
In a shocking announcement, all 22 members of the Elder Club will be graduating from the Hello! Project on March 31st 2009. They will have their final graduation concerts on the 31st of January and 1st of February at Yokohama Arena.
The people leaving includes all of the graduated Morning Musume members currently left in the Hello! Project: Nakazawa Yuko, Iida Kaori (currently on maternity leave), Abe Natsumi, Yasuda Kei, Yaguchi Mari, Ishikawa Rika, Yoshizawa Hitomi, Tsuji Nozomi (also on maternity leave), Konno Asami, Ogawa Makoto, and Fujimoto Miki.
Also to leave are Inaba Atsuko, Satoda Mai (Country Musume), Maeda Yuki, Matsuura Aya, Miyoshi Erika, and Okada Yui, plus the groups Melon Kinenbi and the non-H!P egg members of Ongaku Gatas (who have all already listed except for Korenaga Miki).
Presumably this also spells the end for groups such as EcoMoni, and the futsal team Gatas Brilhantes (including the four other Gatas-only members).
As it is today, this would leave 47 full members in the Hello! Project, with Takahashi Ai as the oldest and most experienced member.
The fate of the graduating members is unclear, however many are likely to stay with Up Front, such as Melon Kinenbi who have already announced that they will continue on as a group.
Announcement
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