Hello! Project

'''Hello! Project''' (ハロー!プロジェクト, Harō! Purojekuto) is the umbrella name for all female idol Japanese pop recording artists collective that are under contract with the Up-Front Group. The group is managed by the Up-Front Agency. Almost all Hello! Project artists' recordings are published by Up-Front Works on either the zetima, PICCOLO TOWN or hachama record labels. But Iida Kaori's Mediterranean styled works are released under the Chichukai label and Maeda Yuki's under the Rice Music label. Country Musume's older work was released on the Potato Label, Coconuts Musume's older works were originally released on the Sony record label, Sheki-Dol's first singles were released on SPREE RECORDS and Heike Michiyo's older works on Warner Music Japan, but they eventually all moved to zetima. But Kikkawa Yuu's releases are under Universal Japan. The "mothership" group of Hello! Project is the supergroup Morning Musume. The main producer and songwriter is Tsunku, the lead singer of Sharan Q. The current leader of Hello! Project is Morning Musume leader, Takahashi Ai, who inherited the title from the now graduated Hello! Project member Nakazawa Yuuko.

1997-2000
In 1997, rock group Sharam Q, fronted by Tsunku, began auditions for a female vocalist. These auditions aired via reality show Asayan, and resulted in Michiyo Heike being crowned winner. Tsunku, however, decided to give five of the runners-up, Yuko Nakazawa, Natsumi Abe, Kaori Iida, Asuka Fukuda and Aya Ishiguro, a chance to become a group in their own right. The girls were set the task of selling 50,000 copies of "Ai no Tane", their demo single, in just five days. The girls sold the required number of copies in four days, and subsequently became an official group.

Morning Musume's debut single, "Morning Coffee", was released on January 28, 1998 on the One Up Music label and charted at #6 on the Oricon weekly chart. The group's first official appearance was a joint live in August 1998, at Shibuya Public Hall (now Shibuya C.C. Lemon Hall), under the name "Michiyo Heike and Morning Musume" (平家みちよとモーニング娘. ), the fanclub of the two acts called "Hello!". The first official "units" were Tanpopo and Petitmoni, created in October 1998. The first "Michiyo Heike & Morning Musume Imotōbun Audition" took place, resulting in the "second generation" of Morning Musume to be added, made up of Sayaka Ichii, Mari Yaguchi and Kei Yasuda.

In January 1999, auditions for Country Musume were held on "Idol o Sagase!" (アイドルをさがせ!, Search For an Idol!). In April of that year the girls' official fanclub was renamed "Hello! Project". Auditions were once again held on Asayan between April and July, resulting in Taiyō to Ciscomoon and Coconuts Musume, with Country Musume's official formation announced. In July, the first live concert as Hello! Project, "Hello! Project '99 at Yokohama Arena", was held.

The first shuffle units were formed in March 2000, releasing the "theme" of Hello! Project as a B-side. The first Hello! Project television show, "Hello! Morning", was created in April.

2001-2005
In March 2001, Morning Musume co-founder and leader Yuko Nakazawa announced her graduation from the group. The actual graduation took place in April, and Nakazawa was subsequently named as leader of the entirety of Hello! Project. Nakazawa's was the first graduation in the history of Hello! Project, and garnered considerable media attention as a result, the first time the group had truly caught the attention of the mainstream press.

Between April and June 2002, the first, and to date only, Hello! Project Kids auditions were held. These auditions resulted in the future members of Berryz Kobo and C-ute, also spawning off-shoot auditions such as auditions for Hello! Pro Egg and Hello! Project Kansai. On July 31, a major reform of all of the groups within Hello! Project began, which was referred to as "Haromageddon" (ハローマゲドン) (a pun on Hello (ハロー, Harō) and Armageddon (ハルマゲドン, "Harumagedon")) and "the 7/31 incident" by fans.

2006-present
Beginning in 2006, with the graduation of more and more Hello! Project members, an increasing number of fans began to lose interest in the groups and abandon them, cancelling their fanclub memberships and refusing to buy merchandise. This wave came to be known as the "Second coming of Haromageddon". In February of that year, former Morning Musume member and sub-leader of duo W, Ai Kago was caught smoking in public while underage and dating a much older man. Kago was suspended from her activities and eventually began an attempt to return to recording.

On March 26, 2007, Kago was again caught smoking. Her contract was instantly terminated and she underwent no graduation ceremony, as had become standard for leaving members, due to having disgraced herself. In June, it was announced that Asami Konno, who had graduated from Hello! Project a year prior to study at university, would be returning. Konno became the first person to have graduated from Hello! Project to return. In October Tsunku established a new unit, the Nice Girl Project, as well as The Possible, a group made up of Hello! Pro Eggs. Soon after, Maki Goto, who had been inactive for some time, graduated from Hello! Project as a soloist. She later transferred to Avex.

In 2007, Hello! Project started the Taiwanese "Morning Family New Star Audition"; an audition aimed at recruiting new Taiwanese members to join Hello! Project.

In April 2008, the debut of Hello! Project Kansai group Sina (SI☆NA?) was announced. The group still have yet to actually debut; though they occasionally appear on television shows and radio they have never recorded a song. In September it was announced that, as a result of the Taiwanese auditions, the group Ice Creamusume (アイスクリー娘. ) would be formed, consisting of six members. Duo Francis & Aiko, both still only children, was also announced from the same audition. On October 19, 2008, Hello! Project announced its entire Elder Club would be graduating on March 31, 2009. 2008 also marked the first time in a decade that Morning Musume had not performed at the annual Kōhaku Uta Gassen event, after ten consecutive appearances. The only Hello! Project member to appear on that year's show was Mai Satoda, marking the first appearance of a member of Country Musume.

In February 2009, it was announced that Hello! Project would begin a series of auditions in South Korea. On February 1, 2009, at the Yokohama Arena, Hello! Project held its largest concert ever—the Hello! Pro Awards '09: Elder Club Graduation Special (決定！ハロ☆プロアワード’０９　～エルダークラブ卒業記念スべシャル～, Kettei! Hello Pro Awards '09: Elder Club Sotsugyō Kinen Special?)—featuring 21 groups and 72 members. Former Morning Musume member Nozomi Tsuji performed in her first official event in a year and nine months, after marrying actor Taiyō Sugiura in June 2007 and giving birth to her daughter, Noa, that November. During the concert, former Hello! Project leader Nakazawa Yuuko passed her leadership position to Morning Musume leader Takahashi Ai. This mass-graduation caused another large surge of fan backlash, resulting in even more fanclub cancellations and merchandise boycotts, and is considered the "third coming of Haromageddon". Later in 2009, several of the old, dormant units were revived. Tanpopo, Minimoni, Petitmoni, ZYX, Aa! and v-u-den all returned with new line-ups, and High-King returned from hiatus with its original members. These groups became a new concert unit, "Champloo". In August, Morning Musume released their 40th single.

In February 2009, it was announced that Hello! Project would begin a series of auditions in South Korea. The winner was Jang Da Yeon, who is currently training for her debut.

At the end of October, 2010, Suzuki Airi from °C-ute appeared on the cover of the December issue of UP to boy magazine together with Mayu Watanabe from AKB48. That was the first gravure collaboration between Hello! Project and AKB48.

All artists part of Elder Club graduated from Hello! Project on March 31, 2009. Hello! Project now consists of the current members of Morning Musume, Berryz Koubou, °C-ute, S/mileage, Hello! Pro Taiwan, Hello! Pro Korea, and Hello! Pro Egg along with soloist Mano Erina

Members
{| style="width: 607px; height: 236px"
 * valign="top"|

Groups

 * Morning Musume
 * Berryz Koubou
 * °C-ute
 * S/mileage
 * Lilpri
 * Buono!
 * valign="top"|

Soloists

 * Mano Erina
 * valign="top"|

Trainees

 * Hello! Pro Egg
 * Tomoiki Ki wo Uetai
 * }

Revived groups
{| style="width: 595px; height: 86px"
 * High-King
 * Aa!
 * Minimoni (Shin Minimoni)
 * Petitmoni (Petitmoni V)
 * ZYX-α
 * v-u-den (Zoku v-u-den)
 * Tanpopo (Tanpopo#)
 * valign="top"|

Hello! Pro Taiwan

 * Big Missy
 * valign="top"|

Hello! Pro Korea

 * Jang Da Yeon
 * }

Former Artists and Groups
To graduate from Hello! Project means to leave the project. There is also the possibility of leaving a subgroup and remaining in Hello! Project as a soloist. (See Sotsugyō) {| style="width: 627px; height: 1192px"
 * valign="top"|

Concert Units

 * Elder Club

Former Artists

 * Graduated from Hello! Project as a solo artist
 * Miyoshi Chinatsu
 * Heike Michiyo
 * Ishii Rika
 * Simmin (Hello! Project Foreign Student)
 * Goto Maki
 * Nakazawa Yuuko
 * Iida Kaori
 * Abe Natsumi
 * Inaba Atsuko
 * Matsuura Aya
 * Yasuda Kei
 * Yaguchi Mari
 * Tsuji Nozomi
 * Ishikawa Rika
 * Yoshizawa Hitomi
 * Konno Asami
 * Ogawa Makoto
 * Fujimoto Miki
 * Maeda Yuki
 * Miyoshi Erika
 * Okada Yui
 * Korenaga Miki
 * Graduated from Morning Musume and Hello! Project
 * Fukuda Asuka
 * Ishiguro Aya
 * Ichii Sayaka
 * Kusumi Koharu
 * Kamei Eri
 * Junjun
 * Linlin
 * Graduated from Berryz Koubou and Hello! Project
 * Ishimura Maiha
 * Graduated from °C-ute and Hello! Project
 * Umeda Erika
 * Left °C-ute and Hello! Project
 * Murakami Megumi
 * Arihara Kanna
 * Graduated from S/mileage
 * Ogawa Saki
 * Graduate from Ongaku Gatas and Hello! Project
 * Mutō Mika
 * Graduated from Hello Pro Egg and Hello! Project as a group
 * THE Possible
 * Akiyama Yurika
 * Hashimoto Aina
 * Morozuka Kanami
 * Okada Robin Shouko
 * Oose Kaede
 * Goto Yuki
 * Graduated from Hello! Project as a group 
 * Melon Kinenbi
 * Saito Hitomi
 * Murata Megumi
 * Ohtani Masae
 * Shibata Ayumi
 * Graduated from SI☆NA and Hello! Project
 * Nakayama Nana
 * Graduated from Hello! Pro Egg and H!P
 * Ohyanagi Maho (大柳まほ)
 * Kawashima Miyuki (川島幸)
 * Hashida Mirei (橋田三令)
 * Ogura Manami (小倉愛実)
 * Yutoku Ayumi (湯徳歩美)
 * Mutou Mika (武藤水華)
 * Sawada Yuri (澤田由梨)
 * Noto Arisa (能登有沙)
 * valign="top"|

Disbanded Groups

 * Tanpopo
 * T&C Bomber
 * Shinoda Miho
 * Honda Ruru
 * Kominato Miwa
 * Petitmoni
 * Mini Moni
 * Sheki Dol
 * Oki Ibuki
 * Kitagami Ami
 * Suenaga Mami
 * Arai Saki
 * W
 * Kago Ai
 * GAM
 * Coconuts Musume
 * Chelsea Ching
 * April Barbaran
 * Danielle Delaunay
 * Lehua Sandbo
 * Mika Todd
 * Ayaka Kimura
 * Country Musume
 * Yanagihara Hiromi
 * Kobayashi Azusa
 * Toda Rinne
 * Kimura Asami
 * Saito Miuna
 * Satoda Mai
 * v-u-den
 * EcoMoni
 * Ongaku Gatas
 * MilkyWay
 * Ice Creamusume
 * Shenshen
 * Anchii
 * Peipei
 * Youko
 * Reirei
 * Guuchan
 * SI☆NA
 * }

{| style="width: 499px; height: 519px"
 * valign="top"|

One-Shot and Special Units

 * Gomattou
 * ZYX
 * ROMANS
 * Morning Musume Sakuragumi
 * Morning Musume Otomegumi
 * Aa!
 * Nochiura Natsumi
 * DEF.DIVA
 * Morning Musume Tanjō 10 Nen Kinentai
 * Kira☆Pika
 * Athena & Robikerottsu
 * High-King
 * Shugo Chara Egg!
 * Guardians 4
 * valign="top"|

Shuffle Units

 * 2000: The Color Groups
 * Akagumi 4
 * Kiiro 5
 * Aoiro 7


 * 2001: Party Groups
 * 3-nin Matsuri
 * 7-nin Matsuri
 * 10-nin Matsuri


 * 2002: Happiness Groups
 * Happy 7
 * Sexy 8
 * Odoru 11


 * 2003: Elemental Groups
 * SALT5
 * 7AIR
 * 11WATER


 * 2004: One School Group
 * H.P. All Stars


 * 2005: Elegance Groups
 * Elegies
 * Sexy Otonajan
 * Puripuri Pink


 * Chanpuru Groups
 * High-King
 * v-u-den
 * Aa!
 * ZYX-α
 * Minimoni
 * Petitmoni
 * Tanpopo
 * }

Album
2 Hello! Project Shuffle Unit Mega Best 2008.12.10

(ハロー! プロジェクト シャッフルユニット メガベスト)

Musicals

 * Ribbon no Kishi: The Musical (August 1, 2006 – August 27, 2006)
 * Cinderella: The Musical (2008)

Sports festivals

 * Hello! Project Daiundōkai (March 31, 2001 at Saitama Super Arena)
 * Hello! Project Daiundōkai (November 3, 2002 at Osaka Dome)
 * Hello! Project Sports Festival 2003 (November 16, 2003 at Osaka Dome)
 * Hello! Project Sports Festival 2003 (November 22, 2003 at Tokyo Dome)
 * Hello! Project Sports Festival 2004 (November 14, 2004 at Toyota Stadium)
 * Hello! Project Sports Festival 2004 (December 5, 2004 at Saitama Super Arena)
 * Hello! Project Sports Festival 2006 ~Hello!Diva Athlete~ (March 19, 2006 at Saitama Super Arena)

Radio Shows
Many of the groups/girls in Hello! Project host radio shows or have in the past. They include guest speakers, upcoming release previews, the girls' selected choices of music and often funny radio skits or segments.

TV Shows

 * 1999-01-05 to 2002-03-26 Idol wo Sagase! (アイドルをさがせ！)
 * 2000-01-04 to 2000-09-29 Morning Musume no Heso (モーニング娘. のへそ)
 * 2000-04-02 to 2007-04-01 Hello! Morning (ハロー！モーニング)
 * 2000-10-02 to 2001-03-30 Bishoujo Nikki (美少女日記)
 * 2001-04-02 to 2001-09-28 Bishoujo Kyouiku (美少女教育)
 * 2001-10-01 to 2002-03-29 Shin Bishoujo Nikki (新・美少女日記)
 * 2002-04-01 to 2002-09-27 Bishoujo Kyouiku II (美少女教育II)
 * 2002-04-02 to 2002-12-24 Morning Musume Tsuushin (モーニング娘. 通信)
 * 2002-09-30 to 2003-03-28 Bishoujo Nikki III (美少女日記III)
 * 2003-03-31 to 2003-09-27 Sexy Onnajyuku (セクシー女塾)
 * 2003-09-29 to 2003-12-26 Soreyuke! Gorokkies (それゆけ!ゴロッキーズ)
 * 2004-01-05 to 2004-04-02 Yoroshiku! Senpai (よろしく!センパイ)
 * 2004-04-05 to 2004-10-01 Futarigoto (二人ゴト)
 * 2004-10-04 to 2004-12-24 Majokko Rikachan no Magical Biyuuden (魔女っ娘. 梨華ちゃんのマジカル美勇伝)
 * 2005-01-05 to 2005-04-01 Musume Document 2005 (娘. ドキュメント2005)
 * 2005-04-04 to 2006-05-05 Musume DOKYU! (娘DOKYU!)
 * 2006-03-03 to 2006-11-24 Hello Pro Hour (Online only)
 * 2006-05-08 to 2006-09-29 Musume DOKYU! Eruda Yonchoume no Hitobito (娘DOKYU!～絵流田4丁目の人々～)
 * 2006-10-02 to 2008-03-28 Uta Doki! Pop Classics (歌ドキッ！～ポップクラシックス～)
 * 2006-11-04 to 2007-02-17 °C-ute has come.
 * 2007-04-08 to 2008-09-28 Haromoni@
 * 2008-03-31 to 2008-10-03 Berikyuu! (ベリキュー！)
 * 2008-10-06 to 2009-03-27 Yorosen! (よろセン！)