Kobushi Factory

Kobushi Factory (こぶしファクトリー; Magnolia Factory) is a Japanese pop group under Hello! Project, originally formed with eight members from Hello Pro Kenshuusei in early January 2015.

Kobushi Factory's highest selling single is "Dosukoi! Kenkyo ni Daitan / Ramen Daisuki Koizumi-san no Uta / Nen ni wa Nen (Nen'iri Ver.)" with 47,866 copies sold while their lowest selling major label single is "Shalala! Yareru Hazu sa / Ee ja nai ka Ninja nai ka" with 23,593 copies sold.

Members

 * Hirose Ayaka (広瀬彩海;) Leader
 * Nomura Minami (野村みな美; )
 * Hamaura Ayano (浜浦彩乃; )
 * Wada Sakurako (和田桜子; )
 * Inoue Rei (井上玲音; )


 * Former Members
 * Fujii Rio (藤井梨央; ) (Removed July 6, 2017)
 * Ogawa Rena (小川麗奈; ) (Graduated September 6, 2017)
 * Taguchi Natsumi (田口夏実; ) (Removed December 6, 2017)

2015: Formation and Major Debut
On January 2, during the Hello! Project 2015 WINTER concert, a new Hello! Project unit consisting of Hello Pro Kenshuusei members Fujii Rio, Hirose Ayaka, Nomura Minami, Ogawa Rena, Hamaura Ayano, Taguchi Natsumi, Wada Sakurako and Inoue Rei was announced. The group name was originally supposed to be announced in January, however it was postponed until February 25.

On March 8, during Hello Pro Kenshuusei Happyoukai 2015 ~3gatsu no Nama Tamago Show!~, Hirose Ayaka was announced leader of Kobushi Factory, while Fujii Rio was announced sub-leader of the group.

From March 26 to April 5, Kobushi Factory starred in the Engeki Joshibu musical Week End Survivor alongside Sudo Maasa. Kobushi Factory released their first DVD single, "Nen ni wa Nen / Survivor," on March 26, 2015 at the musical venue. "Survivor" is the tie-in song to the musical.

During April and May, the group performed as an opening act at Morning Musume '15 Concert Tour Haru ~GRADATION~, ANGERME's Budokan concert and Juice=Juice First Live Tour 2015 ~Special Juice~.

On May 16, Kobushi Factory performed a joint live with Country Girls and Tsubaki Factory called Hello! Project New Fes! 2015. The second joint live with Tsubaki Factory, Hello! Project New Fes! II was held on September 23 and September 26 later in the year.

On June 14, it was announced that Kobushi Factory would release their first major label single "Dosukoi! Kenkyo ni Daitan / Ramen Daisuki Koizumi-san no Uta / Nen ni wa Nen (Nen'iri Ver.)" on September 2.

On September 28, Kobushi Factory performed at the Honkaku Ongaku Joshi-sai -Sono Kyuu-.

From November 6 to January 30, 2015, Kobushi Factory's first concert tour Kobushi Factory Live Tour 2015 ~ The First Ring! ~ took place. The day before the first concert, they officially left Hello Pro Kenshuusei.

On November 16, Kobushi Factory performed at the Honkaku Ongaku Joshi-sai -Sono Juuichi-, making their second appearance at the live idol event.

On November 20, it was announced Kobushi Factory won a Newcomer Award at the 57th Japan Record Awards and were nominated for the Best Newcomer Award, which they successfully won during the December 30 broadcast.

2016
On January 11, Kobushi Factory performed at Radio NIKKEI's Idol Generation vol.34 event, and at FM-FUJI's GIRLS❤GIRLS❤GIRLS premium live at Shinjuku ReNY on January 26.

On February 17, Kobushi Factory released their second single, "Sakura Night Fever / Chotto Guchoku ni! Chototsu Moushin / Osu! Kobushi Tamashii."

On February 29, Kobushi Factory performed at the Honkaku Ongaku Joshi-sai -Sono Juushi-, making their third appearance at the live idol event. On March 12, they performed at the ''PINK!SS & Kopinks! Last Live 2016 MOMENT memories/memorize, along with Juice=Juice, and were guests at idol group TSURI×BIT's live TSURI×BIT Presents Ore Toku Dayo! Zennin Shugo! ~Spring Special~'' on March 14.

On July 27, they released their third single, "Samba! Kobushi Janeiro / Bacchikoi Seishun! / Ora wa Ninkimono." The third A-side "Ora wa Ninkimono" is a cover of Crayon Shin-chan's third opening theme and was the requirement song for the Ai Odorisai 2016 ~Idol Matsuri~ contest, which Kobushi Factory were the official supporters of.

On September 26, it was announced that Kobushi Factory would host a regular corner on the multi-network music info program Uta-navi! titled "Kobushi Factory no Dosukoi! Teikiben." The corner began in October, with members taking turns as hosts.

2017
From February 23 to March 4, Kobushi Factory starred in the musical JK Ninja Girls. It was also announced that the group would also be starring in their first movie, an adaptation of the musical, which was theatrically released on July 17.

On May 12, sub-leader Fujii Rio announced she would graduate from the group and Hello! Project at the end of the Hello! Project 2017 SUMMER concert tour.

On June 14, they released their 4th single, "Shalala! Yareru Hazu sa / Ee ja nai ka Ninja nai ka". "Ee ja nai ka Ninja nai ka" was the theme song for the JK Ninja Girls movie.

On July 6, an update on the Hello! Project website stated that Fujii Rio's contract with had been terminated due to lack of compliance in the rules.

On July 15, Kobushi Factory appeared without Ogawa Rena on TBS's Ongaku no Hi 2017 in a pre-recorded performance. They were part of a special Hello! Project unit with Morning Musume '17 and a selection of members from ANGERME and Tsubaki Factory.

On September 6, after being on hiatus since July due to anxiety neurosis, Ogawa Rena decided to graduate from Kobushi Factory and Hello! Project.

On December 6, an update on the Hello! Project website stated that Taguchi Natsumi's contract with UP-FRONT PROMOTION had been terminated due to a lack of self-consciousness and responsibility as a member of Kobushi Factory.

Group Name Origin
The word kobushi has multiple meanings. In this case it is supposed to represent both the coming of spring and grace of the kobushi magnolia (辛夷), as well as the strength of a fist (拳). Factory follows a similar naming pattern as earlier 8-member group Berryz Koubou, koubou (工房) meaning workshop.

Discography
Singles=
 * Indies Singles
 * [2015.03.26] Nen ni wa Nen / Survivor (DVD Single)


 * Major Singles
 * 1) [2015.09.02] Dosukoi! Kenkyo ni Daitan / Ramen Daisuki Koizumi-san no Uta / Nen ni wa Nen (Nen'iri Ver.)
 * 2) [2016.02.17] Sakura Night Fever / Chotto Guchoku ni! Chototsumoushin / Osu! Kobushi Tamashii
 * 3) [2016.07.27] Samba! Kobushi Janeiro / Bacchikoi Seishun! / Ora wa Ninkimono
 * 4) [2017.06.14] Shalala! Yareru Hazu sa / Ee ja nai ka Ninja nai ka


 * -|Albums=
 * Studio Albums
 * 1) [2016.11.30] Kobushi Sono Ichi


 * Soundtrack Albums
 * 1) [2017.03.29] Butai "JK Ninja Girls" Original Soundtrack
 * 2) [2017.09.06] Eiga & Butai "JK Ninja Girls" Original Soundtrack


 * -|DVDs=
 * [2015.08.05] Engeki Joshibu Musical "Week End Survivor"
 * [2015.09.26] Hello! Project New Fes! 2015 (with Country Girls and Tsubaki Factory)
 * [2015.11.06] Kobushi Factory DVD Magazine Vol.1
 * [2016.04.02] BS-TBS Kaikyoku 15 Shuunen Tokubetsu Kikaku COOL JAPAN ~DOU~ "Best Fifteen ~Country Girls, Kobushi Factory, Tsubaki Factory Hen~" (with Country Girls and Tsubaki Factory)
 * [2016.05.03] Kobushi Factory DVD Magazine Vol.2
 * [2016.09.17] Kobushi Factory DVD Magazine Vol.3
 * [2016.10.19] Kobushi Factory Live Tour 2016 Haru ~The Cheering Party!~

Calendars

 * [2015.09.19] Kobushi Factory 2016 Calendar
 * [2016.09.17] Kobushi Factory 2017 Calendar
 * [2017.xx.xx] Kobushi Factory 2018 Calendar

Photobooks

 * [2017.07.17] Eiga "JK Ninja Girls" Official Photobook

Books

 * [2015.07.11] Hello! Project Maruwakari BOOK 2015 SUMMER
 * [2016.01.02] Hello! Project Maruwakari BOOK 2016 WINTER
 * [2016.07.16] Hello Pro Maruwakari BOOK 2016 SUMMER
 * [2017.01.01] Hello Pro Maruwakari BOOK 2017 WINTER
 * [2017.07.15] Hello Pro Maruwakari BOOK 2017 SUMMER

Theater

 * [2015] Week End Survivor
 * [2017] JK Ninja Girls

Movies

 * [2017] JK Ninja Girls

Trivia

 * Prior to the official announcement, Miyoshi Erika had leaked the unit in a blog post on December 27, 2014 by saying she had interviewed the "Hello Pro New Unit" members. She edited the blog post later that day to remove mention of the unit.
 * All the members are born between 1999 and 2001, making this the first group to have all members born after Hello! Project's formation.
 * Kobushi Factory and Tsubaki Factory are the only Hello! Project groups that don't consist of any legal adults.
 * Hirose Ayaka and Inoue Rei were both previously members of NICE GIRL Project! Kenshuusei and had only been members of Hello Pro Kenshuusei for a month before debuting in this unit.
 * Hamaura Ayano and Taguchi Natsumi have been in Hello Pro Kenshuusei the longest out of any of the members having joined the program in February of 2011.
 * Hamaura Ayano hopes that the group will become the most famous within Hello! Project.
 * Berryz Koubou member Shimizu Saki helped in deciding the group's name.
 * Shimizu Saki has noted how alike this group is to Berryz Koubou when they first formed.
 * The group is considered the successor of Berryz Koubou, due to their name deriving from Berryz Koubou (Berryz Workshop).
 * Wada Sakurako hopes to follow their senior group, Berryz Koubou, by lasting for more than 10 years.
 * Kobushi Factory currently hold the record for achieving #1 on Oricon's weekly chart the earliest out of the Hello! Project main groups, with their second single "Sakura Night Fever / Chotto Guchoku ni! Chototsu Moushin / Osu! Kobushi Tamashii".

Awards

 * [2015.11.20] "The 57th shining! Japan Record Award" - Newcomer Award
 * [2015.12.20] "2015 Idol Best Performance award" (awarded by president of Tower records, Minewaki Ikuo)
 * [2015.12.30] "The 57th shining! Japan Record Award" - Best Newcomer Award