Hello! Project Wiki/News/2017


 * June 30, 2017 - Tsugunaga Momoko retires from entertainment
 * After 15 years as an idol, former Berryz Koubou member and Country Girls playing manager Tsugunaga Momoko graduated from Hello! Project on June 30.


 * 8,000 fans gathered for the Tsugunaga Momoko Last Live ♥Arigatou Otomomochi♥ at an outdoor venue in Odaiba. During the concert, Tsugunaga brought back her famous "Momochi-musubi" twintails, and the five younger members of Country Girls also appeared to perform alongside her and give their farewells.


 * While Tsugunaga has left behind the record for the longest tenure in Hello! Project at 5479 days, she has decided to retire from entertainment to continue her dream of becoming an early education teacher, which she had already graduated from university for in 2014. As she is also the last member of Hello! Project Kids to leave, and on the same day as their 15th anniversary, many fans feel that a chapter in Hello! Project's history has finally been closed.


 * Source: Oricon


 * June 25, 2017 - Reorganization of Hello! Project 2017 (UPDATED)
 * On June 25, Hello! Project Station staff provided fans with a teaser trailer for an "extra edition" of Hello! Project Station that would uploaded on Monday, June 26 at 21:00. (It is not a regular weekly Hello! Project Station episode, which is uploaded on Wednesdays.)


 * It is a special episode about their plans for Hello! Project's 20th anniversary and unveiled their new system for Hello! Project, starting with the transfers of three Country Girls members and the debuts of three Hello Pro Kenshuusei members.


 * In it, it was announced that Danbara Ruru and Yanagawa Nanami have joined Juice=Juice, Morito Chisaki has joined Morning Musume '17, Funaki Musubu and Kawamura Ayano have joined ANGERME, and Ichioka Reina has become the leader of a new group. They will begin activities with their new groups in the Hello! Project 2017 SUMMER concert tour, and members of Ichioka's new group will be announced at a later time.


 * Source: Hello! Project Station (Trailer), Hello! Project Station, Hello! Project


 * June 12, 2017 - ℃-ute have disbanded after 12 years
 * On June 12, a day after their 12th anniversary, ℃-ute held the ℃-ute Last Concert in Saitama Super Arena ~Thank you team℃-ute~. The five members Yajima Maimi, Nakajima Saki, Suzuki Airi, Okai Chisato, and Hagiwara Mai performed a total of 36 songs. Saitama Super Arena was filled with 20,000 fans, including former members Umeda Erika, Murakami Megumi, and Arihara Kanna. Another 10,000 watched the concert from live theater viewings nationwide and internationally.


 * Former Hello! Project leaders Nakazawa Yuko and Michishige Sayumi and current Hello! Project leader Wada Ayaka made a surprise appearance halfway through the concert to offer their congratulations to the group. Also, after delivering their last messages to the fans in the encore, ℃-ute sang "To Tomorrow", at the end of which 47 members of Hello! Project came on stage as a send-off.


 * ℃-ute returned for a double encore and when they left the stage, a digital clock reading the date and "9:10 PM" was displayed, marking the time they officially disbanded.


 * Source: BARKS, natalie


 * June 9, 2017 - Future activities of Country Girls
 * On June 9, it was announced that after Tsugunaga Momoko's graduation from the group, Country Girls will mainly have their activities during school holidays and long vacations. The group will keep on performing at Hello! Project concerts and releasing new songs, however, they will probably be only released digitally.


 * Simultaneously with their Country Girls activities, Morito Chisaki, Yanagawa Nanami and Funaki Musubu will move to another Hello! Project group, while Yamaki Risa and Ozeki Mai are going to focus on their studies.


 * Source: Hello! Project, UP-FRONT LINK


 * May 27, 2017 - Future plans for each ℃-ute member have been announced
 * On May 27, each ℃-ute member announced on their blog what their future plans are after the group disbands and they all leave Hello! Project.


 * Yajima Maimi will join M-line club and wants to try out various activities including acting. Nakajima Saki wants to become an actress and also continue working in satoyama-related activities and PR. Suzuki Airi will become a solo singer, which she will start next spring. Okai Chisato wants to focus on appearing on variety TV shows. Hagiwara Mai will retire from showbiz and study English overseas.


 * Source: ℃-ute Blog (Yajima Entry), ℃-ute Blog (Nakajima Entry), ℃-ute Blog (Suzuki Entry), ℃-ute Blog (Okai Entry), ℃-ute Blog (Hagiwara Entry)


 * May 22, 2017 - Buono! have disbanded
 * On May 22, 15,000 fans gathered at Yokohama Arena for Buono!'s last concert Buono! Live 2017 ~Pienezza!~.


 * Suzuki Airi will be leaving Hello! Project when ℃-ute disbands on June 12, leader Tsugunaga Momoko will also be graduating and retiring from the entertainment industry on June 30 to become a school teacher, and Natsuyaki Miyabi formed a new group, PINK CRES., last April. As a result, Buono! has effectively disbanded.


 * Source: BARKS


 * May 12, 2017 - Fujii Rio to graduate from Kobushi Factory and Hello! Project
 * On May 12, it was announced that Fujii Rio will be graduating from Kobushi Factory and Hello! Project at the end of the Hello! Project 2017 SUMMER concert tour.


 * Fujii, who is currently in her first year of university, has decided she wants to continue her old dream of becoming a teacher or nurse. In order to focus on her studies, she has decided to graduate at the end of summer vacation and the start of the new school semester.


 * Source: Hello! Project, UP-FRONT LINK


 * May 5, 2017 - New Hello Pro Kenshuusei section, leader, and debuts announced at the spring test
 * On May 5, during the Hello! Project Kenshuusei Happyoukai 2017 ~Haru no Koukai Jitsuryoku Shindan Test~, representative director  made a surprise appearance on stage and made several announcements.


 * Nishiguchi first announced that Takase Kurumi and Kiyono Momohime have been selected to be debut in a new theater section, different from Engeki Joshibu.


 * The second announcement was that Inoue Hikaru has been appointed as the new leader of Hello Pro Kenshuusei.


 * Lastly, Ichioka Reina, Danbara Ruru, and Kawamura Ayano will debut as Hello! Project members in the near future. It will first depend on a sit down discussion with their parents to decide if they want to form a new unit or join an existing one.


 * More details on the five members' debuts will be revealed at a later date.


 * Source: Hello! Project, Kumai Yurina Blog, Hirose Ayaka Blog


 * April 29, 2017 - Kudo Haruka to graduate from Morning Musume '17 and Hello! Project
 * On April 29, during the daytime show of Morning Musume '17 Concert Tour Haru ~THE INSPIRATION!~, 10th generation member Kudo Haruka made a sudden announcement that she will be graduating from Morning Musume '17 and Hello! Project at the end of their fall 2017 tour.


 * Kudo first joined Hello! Project as a Hello Pro Egg in March 2010 and joined Morning Musume in September 2011. During these seven years, she has had the opportunity to star in several Gekiharo and Engeki Joshibu theatrical productions and found it enjoyable. Now after fulfilling her dream of joining Morning Musume, she wants to devote herself to acting.


 * Source: Hello! Project, UP-FRONT LINK


 * January 11, 2017 - ANGERME's Aikawa Maho takes a break from activities (UPDATED)
 * On January 11, an UP-FRONT PROMOTION representative announced that Aikawa Maho would halt her activities from ANGERME for a while in order to rest and receive treatment for panic disorder. She had reported headaches, dizziness, nausea, breathing difficulties and panic attacks which led to her being unable to participate in Hello! Project 2017 WINTER concerts, and her subsequent diagnosis.


 * On March 3, an update was released that Aikawa would continue to be absent for all ANGERME concerts, as well as the Hello! Project Hina Fest 2017, from March to mid-May.


 * Source: UP-FRONT LINK, Hello! Project (Update)


 * January 6, 2017 - Morning Musume's Sato Masaki takes a break from activities  (UPDATED)
 * After missing Hello! Project COUNTDOWN PARTY 2016 and the beginning of the Hello! Project 2017 WINTER tour due to her back injury; it was announced on January 6 that Sato Masaki would take break from activities until late February 2017.


 * On February 24, it was announced that Sato would be returning from hiatus on March 18, on the opening day of Morning Musume '17's spring concert tour.


 * Due to being in recovery during the production period, Sato was not featured in the A-sides of Morning Musume '17's 63rd single, "BRAND NEW MORNING / Jealousy Jealousy".


 * Source: UP-FRONT LINK, UP-FRONT LINK (Update)