Hello! Project Wiki/News/2019


 * May 25, 2019 - Takeuchi Akari and Kawamura Ayano announced as ANGERME's next leader and sub-leader
 * ANGERME leader Wada Ayaka, who will be graduating from the group and Hello! Project on June 18, announced her successor on stage of the ANGERME Concert Tour 2019 Haru ~Rinnetenshou~ night performance in Chiba on May 25.


 * 2nd generation member and sub-leader Takeuchi Akari was chosen as the next leader of ANGERME. In addition, 6th generation member Kawamura Ayano will become a new sub-leader, joining Nakanishi Kana who has been a sub-leader alongside Takeuchi since 2015.


 * The selection of Kawamura was a surprise due to succession in Hello! Project and especially Morning Musume typically being based on member seniority, in which Kawamura is currently third from the bottom in ANGERME. However, Wada declared that seniority is not a rule in ANGERME and wants each member, not just the older ones, to think of taking action on their own instead of completely relying on someone else to do it. With that in mind, she chose Kawamura as a sub-leader. Nakanishi agreed with this decision, calling Kawamura a reliable hard-worker who understands the ins and outs of the group.


 * Due to age difference and career history not being important in ANGERME, Wada saw the creation of a new leadership system as a great opportunity and necessity to the group, and she hopes it will be kept for future generations.


 * Source: ANGERME Official Twitter, Wada Ayaka Official Blog Entry, Nakanishi Kana Official Blog Entry


 * May 16, 2019 - Asakura Kiki and Niinuma Kisora take a break from activities
 * On May 8, it was announced that Tsubaki Factory member Asakura Kiki would be taking a break from her activities due to back pain which is suspected to be symptoms of a lumbar disc herniation that she had been diagnosed with back in 2017.


 * As a result, Asakura will be absent from the rest of Tsubaki Factory Live Tour 2019 Haru・Ranman and from the upcoming musical starring Tsubaki Factory, Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 6 Gaiden ~Tasogare no Kamen~, where she was to play the lead role.


 * Only about a week later, on May 16, it was announced that Niinuma Kisora would also be taking a short break from activities. She had fallen down stairs on her way to work and was diagnosed with a tailbone fracture and a buttock contusion at the hospital, which will take one month for her to recover from. Just like Asakura, Niinuma will be absent from the rest of Tsubaki Factory's spring live tour and from their upcoming musical.


 * Source: Hello! Project (Asakura Kiki Announcement), Hello! Project (Niinuma Kisora Announcement)


 * May 4, 2019 - Results of Hello Pro Kenshuusei 2019 Test Event
 * On May 4, the annual public ability diagnosis test was held at Nakano Sun Plaza. In total there were 17 trainees being tested, 13 from Hello Pro Kenshuusei and 4 from Hello Pro Kenshuusei Hokkaido.


 * The winner of the public vote became Matsunaga Riai with 419 votes. Ishiguri Kanami won the Singing Award, Kudo Yume the Dance Award, Yamazaki Mei the Character Award, while Matsubara Yuriya won the Healing Award.


 * Source: Hello! Project


 * April 30, 2019 - BEYOOOOONDS to make their major debut in August
 * On April 30, the last day of the Heisei era, BEYOOOOONDS held the BEYOOOOONDS Ouen Kikaku FC Event 2019 ~Banshun no Jin ZIN~ at Yamano Hall.


 * The first part of the event was broadcasted live on LINE LIVE which started with a performance of "Megane no Otoko no Ko". In the following MC segment, the members discussed that a music video for the song had been filmed and was currently in the editing process. When the group and fans believed they were going to watch a preview of the music video, there was instead a video announcing that BEYOOOOONDS' major debut had been decided.


 * BEYOOOOONDS will make their major debut on August 7, 2019, becoming the first Hello! Project act to debut in the Reiwa era. Their first single will be a triple A-side featuring "Megane no Otoko no Ko" and two new unperformed tracks.


 * Source: Hello! Project, Pop'n'roll, natalie


 * January 16, 2019 - Kodama Sakiko has left Hello Pro Kenshuusei
 * On January 16, 2019 it was announced via the official event page for the Hello! Project Kenshuusei Happyoukai 2019 3gatsu ~SUN~ that Hello Pro Kenshuusei member Kodama Sakiko has ended her training.


 * Kodama joined Hello Pro Kenshuusei on January 15, 2016 as a part of 25th generation.


 * Source: Hello! Project


 * March 11, 2019 - Yanagawa Nanami graduates from Juice=Juice, Country Girls, and Hello! Project
 * Concurrent Juice=Juice and Country Girls member Yanagawa Nanami has graduated from both groups and Hello! Project on March 11, after she announced last November that she would be leaving this spring to focus on her education.


 * Following their first joint live on February 14 at Zepp Namba, Juice=Juice and Country Girls held Yanagawa's graduation live together on March 11 at Zepp Tokyo under the title Juice=Juice &amp; Country Girls LIVE ~Yanagawa Nanami Sotsugyou Special~.


 * Yanagawa first joined Hello Pro Kenshuusei in April 2015, then debuted in Hello! Project as a Country Girls member in November of the same year. Two years later, Yanagawa became a concurrent member of Juice=Juice. Upon her graduation, she was a Hello! Project member for a total of 1,223 days.


 * Source: Pop'n'roll


 * January 16, 2019 - Kodama Sakiko has left Hello Pro Kenshuusei
 * On January 16, 2019 it was announced via the official event page for the Hello! Project Kenshuusei Happyoukai 2019 3gatsu ~SUN~ that Hello Pro Kenshuusei member Kodama Sakiko has ended her training.


 * Kodama joined Hello Pro Kenshuusei on January 15, 2016 as a part of 25th generation.


 * Source: Hello! Project


 * January 2, 2019 - Morning Musume '19 LOVE Audition begins
 * The start of the Morning Musume '19 LOVE Audition, searching for new 15th generation member(s) to join Morning Musume '19, was announced during the first concert of the Hello! Project 20th Anniversary!! Hello! Project 2019 WINTER tour on January 2 at Nakano Sun Plaza.


 * The audition opened for applications on the same day and will close on February 15. Applicants must be in the fifth year of elementary school up to the second year of high school.


 * Source: Hello! Project, The Television, natalie