Country Girls

Country Girls (カントリー・ガールズ), formerly known as Country Musume (カントリー娘. ), is an all-female J-pop group within Hello! Project. The group, which debuted in 1999, is known for its concept of being a group of "country girls from Hokkaido". The group's activities became inactive when Satoda became the sole member in 2007. On November 5, 2014, the group was revived with 6 new members.

Country Musume's highest selling single is Hajimete no Happy Birthday! with 142,340 copies sold.

Members

 * Note: All following generations are unofficial, but presumed.

3rd Generation (2002)

 * Satoda Mai (里田まい) (General Manager)

5th Generation (2014)

 * Tsugunaga Momoko (嗣永桃子) (Playing Manager)
 * Yamaki Risa (山木梨沙; TBA)
 * Inaba Manaka (稲場愛香; TBA)
 * Morito Chisaki (森戸知沙希; TBA)
 * Shimamura Uta (島村嬉唄; TBA)
 * Ozeki Mai (小関舞; TBA)

1st Generation (1999)

 * Kobayashi Azusa (小林梓) (Left: July 31, 1999; Leader 1999)
 * Yanagihara Hiromi (柳原尋美) (Died: July 17, 1999)
 * Rinne (りんね) (Graduated in late 2002; Leader 2000-2002)

2nd Generation (2000)

 * Asami (あさみ) (Graduated: January 28, 2007; Leader 2002-2007)

4th Generation (2003)

 * Miuna (みうな) (Graduated: January 28, 2007)

Borrowed Members

 * From Morning Musume
 * Ishikawa Rika
 * Konno Asami
 * Fujimoto Miki

1999
On April 27th, Country Musume was formed by Tsunku and Japanese talent and fellow Up-Front Agency artist, Tanaka Yoshitake (the group’s original producer) and was billed as "Country Girls from Hokkaido". The initial group consisted of members and Hokkaido natives Rinne, Kobayashi Azusa, and Yanagihara Hiromi.

The 4-week audition cycle was unusual since it didn’t only consist of the traditional voice and dance lessons, but also a physical challenge: consisting of working at the Hanabatake farm in southern Hokkaido.

The purpose of the physical challenge was to show how responsible the girls were and how well they work as a team to fit the “country girls from Hokkaido” image, since Hokkaido is seen as the countryside of Japan–and the audition was open to all of Japan, not just Hokkaido. Thus, producer Tanaka called for the physical challenge to see who can live up to a “Hokkaido” image.

Following the trend of their sister group, Morning Musume, Kobayashi, as the oldest member, was given the title as leader of the group. After working on their debut single with plenty of support from other singers such as Moritaka Chisato and Nakazawa Yuko, they were able to successfully record and complete the promotion video.

On July 16th, Yanagihara was killed in a car accident, just days before their first single was released, at the age of 19. Yanagihara’s family was given the decision to whether Country Musume should continue their work and release their single as scheduled, to which they approved. On August 23rd, Kobayashi decided to leave the group for personal reasons. After a two-month hiatus, Rinne started performing as a solo act, but under the Country Musume name, making two singles.

2000
In May, Asami was added to the group, Rinne became group leader and the duo released one more single.

However, by the end of the year, producer Tanaka decided to give Tsunku the producer’s position of the group, due to his difficulty in finding more members to join Rinne and Asami. The first change that Tsunku made was to “lend” members of Morning Musume into the group.

2001
Their popularity rose when Morning Musume's Ishikawa Rika, who is from Kanagawa, was lent into the group in April. Country Musume had their first charting single in Japan with the release of "Hajimete no Happy Birthday!". The trio, under the name Country Musume ni Rika Ishikawa (Morning Musume), released two singles and an album.

2002
On January 2nd, Satoda Mai was recruited into the group, although she initially auditioned to be a Morning Musume member. The quartet released one single before Rinne, the remaining original member, bid farewell on October 13th to pursue a career within Up-Front Agency as a stage actress. Leaving, Asami to become the new leader of the group. Afterwards, Asami, Ishikawa and Satoda released one more single.

2003
On April 27th, Country Musume had a major shift in its roster. Miuna, who is from Shizuoka, was recruited into the group. The group featured Morning Musume members and Hokkaido natives Konno Asami and Fujimoto Miki, replacing Ishikawa Rika. Under this new formation named Country Musume ni Konno to Fujimoto, the quintet has released three singles as of date.

2004
In 2004, Country Musume participated on the fifth edition of Hello! Project's Folk Songs series, where various H!P artists sing covers of Japanese and Western folk songs.

2005
In 2005, Country Musume performed in the Hello! Project 2005 Winter ~A HAPPY NEW POWER!~ concert tour as a part of Hello! Project Akagumi. Country Musume also toured with v-u-den and Inaba Atsuko.

2006-2007
On November 25th, 2006, it was announced that Asami and Miuna would be graduating from Country Musume and Hello! Project together on January 28, 2007, at the final performance of Hello! Project 2007 Winter ~Shuuketsu! 10th Anniversary~. Since Konno and Fujimoto have also since graduated from Morning Musume, they are no longer “lent” to Country Musume. Thus, Satoda Mai is currently the only member, and continues to work under the Country Musume name. This is the second time that Country Musume consists of only one member.

2009
In 2009, Satoda Mai graduated from Hello! Project. After graduating, Satoda continues to be the only member of Country Musume under UP-FRONT PROMOTION.

2013
On October 1, the group was transferred from UP-FRONT PROMOTION to.

2014
On January 2, Tsunku revealed that he was considering to re-start Country Musume. On February 11, an audition for new Country Musume members was announced. Satoda Mai will not be participating in the unit, as she now resides outside of Japan. On August 7, it was announced that the auditions had ended and no new members were chosen.

On November 5, it was announced that Country Musume was renamed to Country Girls and 5 new girls were added: Inaba Manaka, Yamaki Risa, Morito Chisaki, Shimamura Uta and Ozeki Mai. Satoda Mai will be the group's General Manager/ Supervisor. Tsugunaga Momoko will also be a member of the group, becoming the playing manager when she graduates from Berryz Koubou. The new unit will debut in the upcoming Hello! Project winter concert tour.

Discography

 * Main article: Country Musume Discography

Albums
Best Albums
 * 1) [2001.12.12] Country Musume Daizenshuu 1
 * 2) [2006.08.23] Country Musume Daizenshuu 2
 * 1) [2008.10.12] Country Musume Mega Best

Singles

 * 1) [1999.07.23] Futari no Hokkaido
 * 2) [1999.11.30] Yukigeshiki
 * 3) [2000.04.27] Hokkaido Shalala
 * 4) [2000.07.31] Koi ga Suteki na Kisetsu
 * 5) [2001.04.18] Hajimete no Happy Birthday! (Country Musume ni Ishikawa Rika)
 * 6) [2001.10.17] Koibito wa Kokoro no Ouendan (Country Musume ni Ishikawa Rika)
 * 7) [2002.04.17] Iroppoi Onna ~SEXY BABY~ (Country Musume ni Ishikawa Rika)
 * 8) [2002.11.13] BYE BYE Saigo no Yoru (Country Musume ni Ishikawa Rika)
 * 9) [2003.07.24] Uwaki na Honey Pie (Country Musume ni Konno to Fujimoto)
 * 10) [2003.11.12] Senpai ~LOVE AGAIN~ (Country Musume ni Konno to Fujimoto)
 * 11) [2004.08.04] Shining Itoshiki Anata (Country Musume ni Konno to Fujimoto)

Photobooks

 * [2004.03.20] Miminomi & Country Musume ni Konno & Fujimoto (Morning Musume) in Hello Project 2004 Winter (With Miminomi)

DVDs

 * [2003.11.17] Country Musume Single V Clips 1 (カントリー娘. シングルVクリップス 1)
 * [2007.02.10] Country Musume LIVE2006 ~Shibuya des Date~ (カントリー娘. LIVE2006　～Shibuya des Date～) (Fanclub release)

Trivia

 * Out of the active and former members of Country Musume, Rinne, Asami, Satoda Mai and Inaba Manaka were from Hokkaido prefecture.
 * From March 31, 2009 to November 4, 2014, the group was not part of Hello! Project. As of November 5, 2014, Country Girls (excluding Satoda Mai) will be under Hello! Project, but will not be produced by Tsunku.
 * Yamaki Risa and Inaba Manaka are the first Country Girls members to come from Hello Pro Kenshuusei.
 * Morito Chisaki, Shimamura Uta, and Ozeki Mai are the first members to be born after the group's formation.
 * Satoda Mai hopes that Country Girls will expand into the United States.