Graduation
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
v-u-den Disband
Submitted 2008-06-30 12:21 AM
After three years and nine months together, v-u-den disbanded today at the end of their concert tour "Shoka Biyudensetsu V ~Saishuu Densetsu~".
Leader Ishikawa Rika will concentrate on her music career as a part of Ongaku Gatas. Miyoshi Erika will focus on an acting career, and Okada Yui will continue with her variety television appearances and gravure modelling work.
Hello! Project News Update 2008-04-30
Submitted 2008-04-30 04:04 PM
In addition to Ayaka, Mutou Mika also graduated from the Hello! Project on the 30th of April. She joined the Hello! Project Eggs in 2006 as a Gatas trainee before being put into Ongaku Gatas, and has left to concentrate on her schoolwork. Source
Mano Erina will have her first fan club event since becoming a soloist. She will be joined by Berryz Koubou's Captain Shimizu Saki and C-ute's leader Yajima Maimi. The two shows will take place at the Stellar Ball in the Epson Shinagawa Aqua Stadium on June 29th, and include handshaking events. Source
In the early hours of April 29th, producer Tsunku's wife Kanako gave birth to twins. The babies, a girl and a boy, are the couples first children, and names have not yet been decided. Mother and babies are all said to be in good health.
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Coconuts Musume Ayaka Graduates
Submitted 2008-04-30 11:38 AM
It was announced today that Ayaka has left the Hello! Project, effective immediately. With no Elder Club concerts on the horizon it means she will not be getting a graduation ceremony.
One of the longest serving members, Ayaka joined the Hello! Project in 1999 as leader of the Hawaiian group Coconuts Musume. She became well known for her Surprise English Lessons, which introduced many international fans to the company.
After Mika graduated four years ago the group was effectively ended, and Ayaka was left at a loose end. She continued to work on multiple radio shows and perform at Elder Club and the big Hello! Project concerts.
Ayaka has said that she will be concentrating on her acting career.
Official Announcement
Mano Erina Promoted to Soloist
Submitted 2008-03-02 10:48 AM
Hello! Project Egg Mano Erina will be graduating from the Eggs and from Ongaku Gatas to start training for a solo career within the Hello! Project.
Erina had become the most visible of the Eggs, being pushed as one of the main faces in Ongaku Gatas alongside the established names.
She will leave Ongaku Gatas at the end of their current tour today, and graduate from the Eggs during the third Hello! Project Egg concert on March 29th.
Announcement
Tsunku's Comments
Yoshizawa Hitomi graduates from Morning Musume
Submitted 2007-05-06 02:15 PM
With the final concert of the Sexy 8 Beat tour over, leader Yoshizawa Hitomi has completed her graduation from Morning Musume. It took place in front of a 15,000 strong crowd at the Saitama Super Arena just north of Tokyo, and the fans held up white glowsticks during the ceremony.
The concert also marked the first on-stage appearances of new Chinese members Junjun and Linlin as members of the group.
Yoshizawa joined the group in April 2000 as part of the fourth generation. She will remain in the Hello! Project, and her first job will be to replace an unwell Tsuji Nozomi in the play "Itsu no Hi ka Kimi Kaeru".
Asami and Miuna Graduate / KonKon reappears
Submitted 2007-01-29 01:17 AM
Country Musume members Asami and Miuna today graduated from the Hello! Project during the final concert of the winter tour at the Yokohama Arena.
Former H!P member Konno Asami unexpectedly appeared on stage during the ceremony to deliver a graduation message to her former "Country Musume ni Konno to Fujimoto" and Gatas group-mates. This was her first public appearance since leaving the company in July to study for her upcoming entry to Keio University, and the first time a H!P graduate has ever returned to appear on stage.
Asami will be staying in Tokyo to take up an "animal related" job, while Miuna will take up an unspecified career involving "helping people".
Yoshizawa to graduate from Morning Musume
Submitted 2007-01-03 12:19 AM
Morning Musume leader Yoshizawa Hitomi will graduate the group at the end of the groups spring concert tour. The final concert will take place on May 6th in the Saitama Super Arena. Yoshizawa, 21, will remain active in the Hello! Project in an unknown role. Official announcement
Sub-leader Fujimoto Miki will take over control of the group, and next in line Takahashi Ai will become the new sub-leader.
Tsunku's comments
Yossi's comments
Asami and Miuna to graduate from the Hello! Project
Submitted 2006-11-25 06:33 AM
Country Musume and Gatas members Asami and Miuna have today announced that they will be graduating from the Hello! Project after the Winter H!P Tour finishes on January 28th, 2007.
Asami will be training to work with animals, while Miuna will leave to start in an unspecified job.
Country Musume will continue through the last remaining member, Satoda Mai, presumably in the same way as its sister group Coconuts Musume does with Ayaka.
Official Announcement
Ogawa Makoto graduates / Happy 8 starts / 31st Single
Submitted 2006-08-27 11:21 PM
With the final performance of the Ribbon no Kishi musical completed, fifth generation member Ogawa Makoto today graduated from Morning Musume to study overseas in an unnamed English speaking country for an unconfirmed length of time. Ogawa joined the group from the Morning Musume LOVE Audition 21 shown exactly five years ago yesterday, and is said to be staying as part of the Hello! Project.
The eighth generation auditions began today in Okinawa, with the first round running for the next two months. The winner(s) will most likely not be ready in time for Morning Musume's 31st single, which has just been announced as a 8th of November release.
Konno Asami graduates (updated)
Submitted 2006-07-24 12:15 AM
Morning Musume's 5th generation member Konno Asami has graduted from Hello! Project at the final concert in the Wonderful Heartsland tour.
Update: As this was also her last concert, Ogawa Makoto, who graduates in August, made her graduation speech. This came as a surprise to fans, who had not prepared glowsticks or any tributes as they had for Konno. Ogawa will appear in the upcoming Ribbon no Kishi musical, before graduating from Morning Musume in August to study overseas.
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