Morning Musume 12ki Member "Mirai Shoujo" Audition

Morning Musume 12th Generation Member "Mirai Shoujo" Audition (モーニング娘. 12期メンバー「未来少女」オーディション) is the audition to choose twelfth generation members for Morning Musume. The auditions were announced on March 16, 2013, the first day of the Morning Musume Concert Tour 2013 Haru Michishige☆Eleven SOUL ~Tanaka Reina Sotsugyou Kinen Special~.

Audition Details

 * Application Requirements: Female, Minimum of age 10 and under 17 years of age.
 * Application Deadline: April 30, 2013; June 30, 2013
 * Total Applicants: 6,000+ (as of April 30, 2013)
 * Training Camp Choreographer: Yoshiko (Morning Musume's Choreographer)
 * Broadcast: On Hello! SATOYAMA Life

First round
The application deadline was April 30, 2013. However, due to a large amount of submitted applications after the deadline, applicants can also go to a specific location between May 25 and June 30th to audition in person. They must bring their paperwork and will perform a song acapella. Except for the audition events in Tokyo, auditioners will find out the same day if they move on to round two.
 * May 25, Hiroshima
 * May 26, Fukuoka
 * June 1, Sendai
 * June 2, Sapporo
 * June 8, Tokyo
 * June 9, Osaka
 * June 15, Tokyo
 * June 22, Nagoya
 * June 23, Tokyo
 * June 30, Osaka

Second Round

 * The second round will start in July.
 * The videotape and profile of each girl will be viewed by Tsunku, who then arbitrarily selects the ones he wants to go into the third round. (Currently Postponed)

Comments by Tsunku and members

 * Tsunku said: "To be able to take on the future of Morning Musume, I want to discover a spontaneous girl with an original image as if she’s from the future who will surely establish the era of tomorrow. If there is no valuable person in the audition, the number of Hello! Project members is not important for us. We are not a small profit and quick return group. We are professional. So nobody will pass the audition."
 * Tsunku asked the group: "What kind of 12th gen member do you want?"
 * Michishige Sayumi said: "As it is right now, when I say I'm the cutest it's not even a joke as I am the cutest, so I want a girl who's unbelievably cute so I end up being a joke when I say I'm the cutest."
 * Tanaka Reina said: "I want a yankee. As I'm graduating, the bothersome one will be gone. Someone who has a lot of confidence and makes their surroundings feel stronger."
 * Fukumura Mizuki said: "We don't have any more colors so isn't it enough already..."
 * Ikuta Erina said: "Eeeh, let's see. I thought that I was the girl of the future. No, no, really, I am a future girl. But I want a girl who's able to win over me."
 * Sayashi Riho said: "I want a reliable girl to join! Because like if another girl like Masaki-chan joins.... No, no, I like you Masaki-chan! But... but if a lot of girls like her joins..."
 * Iikubo Haruna said: "Two new members!"
 * Ishida Ayumi said: "Ah... mm... eeh... Right.... I'll believe in you, Tsunku-san, and just wait."
 * Sato Masaki said: "Eeeh... a normal girl."
 * Kudo Haruka said: "Eh, is it not too early? I don’t want someone too boyish to join. Leave that to me!"
 * Oda Sakura said "Earlier, before the concert, I told Suzuki-san how it seems likely that there will be an announcement like this..." Suzuki Kanon then responded: "Eh, you did?"

Trivia

 * All members from Hello! Pro Kenshuusei, except Juice=Juice's members, can participate in this audition and will automatically pass to the third round.
 * Tsunku told a journalist: "I would like to keep Morning Musume under 20 members. I hope the new member(s) to surpass the current members. If we are weak in personality, we will go by number of members. So AKB48's impact might be weaker."
 * Tsunku had previously commented on the TV show Mono mane Grand Prix that he wanted a girl named Fukumoto Manaka to join Morning Musume. It is possible that he planned on adding her through this audition. When Fukumoto was asked about the audition, she said she wants to be a solo singer rather than an idol.
 * There was a billboardpromoting the audition, that had one empty yellow box that said "Next is you!!"
 * A 17-year-old girl from Kagoshima, going by the presumably fake name, Nikaido Aya, is auditioning and asked Tsunku on Twitter where the secondary screening is, Tsunku answered her question by telling her to contact the office.
 * Former Hello! Pro Kenshuusei member Yamaga Kanae, age 18, is rumored to be auditioning.
 * Before the deadline was extended, 6,000+ girls had already sent applications in.