Asami Konno
Encyclopedia
, born May 7, 1987, is a Japanese pop singer, best known as former fifth generation member of the all-girl Japanese pop group Morning Musume
. She joined the group in the August 2001, along with fellow fifth generation members Ai Takahashi
, Makoto Ogawa
, and Risa Niigaki
.
group Morning Musume
in 2001. Although her performance in the has been called mediocre even by the judge of the audition and producer of Morning Musume, Tsunku
, he said that she passed the audition because of her potential and the amount of effort she put into it.
She debuted on the group's thirteenth single, "Mr. Moonlight (Ai no Big Band)", released on October 31, 2001. In the same month, during a filming of music variety show Utaban
, she injured her leg and was not able to participate in the remaining performances of the group's national tour at that time.
Her first album appearance was 4th Ikimasshoi!, released on March 27, 2002.
In May of the same year, Konno was unexpectedly given the lead role for the second half of Morning Musume's annual play, Morning Town. In the summer of that year, she also debuted in a shuffle unit, as part of Odoru 11. Coincidentally, she was separated from all the other fifth generation members, who were in Happy 7
.
Later in September, all the fifth generation members were placed into a subgroup. Along with Risa Niigaki
, Konno was put into Tanpopo
as the third generation. They only released one single before becoming inactive.
Konno, along with many other members of Morning Musume at that time, starred in a drama entitled Angel Hearts which was released in 2002.
In 2003, when Morning Musume was split into two groups (Sakuragumi
and Otomegumi
) after the sixth generation members had joined, she was placed into Sakuragumis. Gatas Brilhantes H.P.
, Hello! Project's futsal
team, was also formed that year. Konno became one of its founding members, and remained with the unit until her graduation.
In July of the same year, she was added into Country Musume
with fellow Morning Musume member Miki Fujimoto
. Under this new formation, named "Country Musume ni Konno to Fujimoto", three singles were released. She also made a guest appearance in a drama, Kochira Hon Ikegami Sho 2 (which Ai Kago
starred in as a regular) that year, as a hit-and-run victim's sister.
She is considered to be one of the most intelligent members after achieving the highest mark during a special episode of Mecha-Mecha Iketeru!
in early 2003, where the "Bakajo Test" was given to see who was the "idiot girl" of Morning Musume
. She is also athletic, according to another special episode of Mecha-Mecha Iketeru! later that year (after the sixth generation joined) focusing on sports, placing as the fifth most athletic Morning Musume member.
In late 2004, Tsunku's choice of giving Konno the main vocals for "Namida ga Tomaranai Hōkago" yet again surprised many people, as it was known that she had rather weak vocals when compared to the other members.
In March 2006, she proved her athletic abilities by placing first in the 1500 meter race at Hello! Project's 2006 sports festival in the time of six minute
s and thirteen second
s, getting her the MVP award plus defeating the previous winner, Maimi Yajima
, whom Konno had lost to in Hello! Project's 2003 sports festival. On July 23, 2006, Konno graduated from Morning Musume and Hello! Project to continue her studies at a university. The last single and album she participated in were "Ambitious! Yashinteki de Ii Jan
" and Rainbow 7
respectively.
The news of Konno's acceptance to Keio University
, one of the top private universities in Japan, known for producing two prime ministers, was announced on December 11, 2006 by several news sources. On December 28, 2006, she confirmed these claims personally, in a message posted on the main Hello! Project website.
Although she was officially no longer part of Hello! Project at the time, on January 28, 2007, she appeared on stage at Hello! Project's 10th anniversary concert (the first graduated member to do so), giving her last messages to Asami and Miuna of Country Musume
, who were graduating that night.
On June 18, 2007, Up-Front Agency confirmed that Konno was returning to Hello! Project to rejoin members of Gatas Brilhantes H.P. in the group Ongaku Gatas
. Their first single, titled "Narihajimeta Koi no Bell
" was released on August 22, 2007. It was stated that Konno would remain an active member within the agency and Ongaku Gatas while continuing her university studies.
In early 2009, Konno graduated from Hello! Project with the rest of the elder club, though continued as a member of Ongaku Gatas, and continuing to tour with them. She was placed into M-Line, the official fan-club for graduated Morning Musume members. It was announced via the Hello! Project official site on October 1, 2010 that she would debut as a reporter for TV Tokyo
in April 2011.
} ||align="right"| 2004-08-24 || ISBN 4-8470-2816-3
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| 2 || ||align="right"| 2005-08-09 || ISBN 4-8470-2877-5
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| 3 || ||align="right"| 2006-03-31 || ISBN 4-04-894265-4
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| 4 || See You Again ||align="right"| 2006-07-10 || ISBN 4-8470-2939-9
|-
| 5 || ||align="right"| 2006-09-12 || ISBN 4-8470-2952-6
|-
!colspan="4"|Group
|-
| 1 || ||align="right"| 2002-08-13 || ISBN 4-8470-2721-3
|}
Source:
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|rowspan="3"| ||colspan="2" align="center"| 2006-06-09
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|colspan="2" align="center"| 2006-06-23
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|colspan="2" align="center"| 2006-06-30
|}
} ||align="right"| 2003-09-29 ||align="right"| 2003-12-26
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|rowspan="2"| ||align="right"| 2004-04-14 ||align="right"| 2004-04-20
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|align="right"| 2004-08-10 ||align="right"| 2004-08-17
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Morning Musume
, sometimes referred to as is a Japanese idol girl group, whose act generally revolves around singing and dancing to upbeat melodies. They are the lead group of Hello! Project, which is managed and produced by Tsunku, who composes nearly all the lyrics and melodies of their songs...
. She joined the group in the August 2001, along with fellow fifth generation members Ai Takahashi
Ai Takahashi
is a Japanese pop singer formerly associated with Hello! Project, and best known as leader of Morning Musume and Hello!Project until 2011, and former member of its popular subgroup, Mini Moni...
, Makoto Ogawa
Makoto Ogawa
is a Japanese pop singer and actress best known as a former member of Morning Musume. She joined the group in August 2001 along with fellow fifth generation members Ai Takahashi, Risa Niigaki, and Asami Konno.Ogawa is currently a member of Dream Morning Musume....
, and Risa Niigaki
Risa Niigaki
is a fifth generation member and current leader of the Japanese pop group Morning Musume. She joined Morning Musume in 2001 along with Ai Takahashi, Asami Konno and Makoto Ogawa. She grew up in Yokohama after moving there at age six. As of 2009, she was the longest-serving sub-leader of Morning...
.
Biography
Konno joined the J-popJ-pop
, an abbreviation for Japanese pop, is a musical genre that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in 1960s music, such as The Beatles, and replaced kayōkyoku in the Japanese music scene...
group Morning Musume
Morning Musume
, sometimes referred to as is a Japanese idol girl group, whose act generally revolves around singing and dancing to upbeat melodies. They are the lead group of Hello! Project, which is managed and produced by Tsunku, who composes nearly all the lyrics and melodies of their songs...
in 2001. Although her performance in the has been called mediocre even by the judge of the audition and producer of Morning Musume, Tsunku
Tsunku
, better known professionally as , is a prolific Japanese record producer, songwriter, and vocalist.He is best known for having two major roles in the Japanese music landscape: first as the lead singer of the popular rock group Sharam Q, and now as the producer, primary composer, lyricist and main...
, he said that she passed the audition because of her potential and the amount of effort she put into it.
She debuted on the group's thirteenth single, "Mr. Moonlight (Ai no Big Band)", released on October 31, 2001. In the same month, during a filming of music variety show Utaban
Utaban
was a long running Japanese music variety show, broadcast weekly from October 15, 1996 until March 23, 2010 on TBS. The name of the show is an abbreviation of , meaning "music program"...
, she injured her leg and was not able to participate in the remaining performances of the group's national tour at that time.
Her first album appearance was 4th Ikimasshoi!, released on March 27, 2002.
In May of the same year, Konno was unexpectedly given the lead role for the second half of Morning Musume's annual play, Morning Town. In the summer of that year, she also debuted in a shuffle unit, as part of Odoru 11. Coincidentally, she was separated from all the other fifth generation members, who were in Happy 7
Happy 7
Happy 7 may refer to:* Happy Seven, anime series* Happy 7, Hello! Project shuffle units...
.
Later in September, all the fifth generation members were placed into a subgroup. Along with Risa Niigaki
Risa Niigaki
is a fifth generation member and current leader of the Japanese pop group Morning Musume. She joined Morning Musume in 2001 along with Ai Takahashi, Asami Konno and Makoto Ogawa. She grew up in Yokohama after moving there at age six. As of 2009, she was the longest-serving sub-leader of Morning...
, Konno was put into Tanpopo
Tanpopo
was the first official subgroup of Japanese pop girl group Morning Musume formed in November 1998. They specialized in singing slow and mature songs, which morphed to an old-fashioned and upbeat style—a genre somewhat similar to that of the band from which it originated.-History: The group...
as the third generation. They only released one single before becoming inactive.
Konno, along with many other members of Morning Musume at that time, starred in a drama entitled Angel Hearts which was released in 2002.
In 2003, when Morning Musume was split into two groups (Sakuragumi
Morning Musume Sakuragumi
, meaning "Sakura Group", was one of the subgroups derived from the Japanese pop group Morning Musume in 2003. Its equivalent was Morning Musume Otomegumi. Like its counterpart, the sole purpose of Sakuragumi was to accommodate towns with smaller concert venues. The group was meant to embody the...
and Otomegumi
Morning Musume Otomegumi
was one of the subgroups that the Japanese pop group Morning Musume was divided into in 2003. Its counterpart was Morning Musume Sakuragumi. The group's name is made up of and , meaning "Young Girls' Group". Like Sakuragumi, purpose of Morning Musume Otomegumi was to perform in small towns with...
) after the sixth generation members had joined, she was placed into Sakuragumis. Gatas Brilhantes H.P.
Gatas Brilhantes H.P.
is the Hello! Project futsal club.- History :On April 23, 2007, nine new members from Mix Gatas were added to the team mainly from Berryz Kobo and °C-ute with one member from Hello! Project Eggs....
, Hello! Project's futsal
Futsal
Futsal is a variant of association football that is played on a smaller pitch and mainly played indoors. Its name is a portmanteau of the Portuguese futebol de salão and the Spanish fútbol de salón , which can be translated as "hall football" or "indoor football"...
team, was also formed that year. Konno became one of its founding members, and remained with the unit until her graduation.
In July of the same year, she was added into Country Musume
Country musume
is an all-female Japanese pop group within Hello! Project.- History :Country Musume was formed in 1999 and was billed as "Country Girls from Hokkaidō". The initial group consisted of members and Hokkaidō natives Rinne Toda, Azusa Kobayashi, and Hiromi Yanagihara....
with fellow Morning Musume member Miki Fujimoto
Miki Fujimoto
, professionally known by her birth name , is a Japanese pop singer and television actress. After failing the audition to join girl group Morning Musume with the fourth generation members, Fujimoto debuted as solo artist within Hello! Project in 2002 with the single "Aenai Nagai Nichiyōbi"...
. Under this new formation, named "Country Musume ni Konno to Fujimoto", three singles were released. She also made a guest appearance in a drama, Kochira Hon Ikegami Sho 2 (which Ai Kago
Ai Kago
is a Japanese singer, actress, author and former Guinness World Record holder.At age 12, Kago won the 4th National Audition of Morning Musume held by Up-Front Works Agency in 2000, which led to her admission into the extremely popular idol group as a 4th generation member. In the same year, she...
starred in as a regular) that year, as a hit-and-run victim's sister.
She is considered to be one of the most intelligent members after achieving the highest mark during a special episode of Mecha-Mecha Iketeru!
Mecha-Mecha Iketeru!
is a popular Japanese variety show, shown on Fuji TV. The hosts of the show are the owarai duo Ninety-Nine , and the show is usually attended by regulars Yoiko, Gokuraku Tombo, Oasiz, Shinji Takeda, Akiko Hinagata, and Sarina Suzuki. However, Gokuraku Tombo's Keiichi Yamamoto has not appeared on...
in early 2003, where the "Bakajo Test" was given to see who was the "idiot girl" of Morning Musume
Morning Musume
, sometimes referred to as is a Japanese idol girl group, whose act generally revolves around singing and dancing to upbeat melodies. They are the lead group of Hello! Project, which is managed and produced by Tsunku, who composes nearly all the lyrics and melodies of their songs...
. She is also athletic, according to another special episode of Mecha-Mecha Iketeru! later that year (after the sixth generation joined) focusing on sports, placing as the fifth most athletic Morning Musume member.
In late 2004, Tsunku's choice of giving Konno the main vocals for "Namida ga Tomaranai Hōkago" yet again surprised many people, as it was known that she had rather weak vocals when compared to the other members.
In March 2006, she proved her athletic abilities by placing first in the 1500 meter race at Hello! Project's 2006 sports festival in the time of six minute
Minute
A minute is a unit of measurement of time or of angle. The minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour or 60 seconds. In the UTC time scale, a minute on rare occasions has 59 or 61 seconds; see leap second. The minute is not an SI unit; however, it is accepted for use with SI units...
s and thirteen second
Second
The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock....
s, getting her the MVP award plus defeating the previous winner, Maimi Yajima
Maimi Yajima
is a member and the leader of C-ute, a J-pop group within Hello! Project. Her younger cousin, Akari Takeuchi, is also a member of Hello! Project, currently a "Hello Pro Egg"...
, whom Konno had lost to in Hello! Project's 2003 sports festival. On July 23, 2006, Konno graduated from Morning Musume and Hello! Project to continue her studies at a university. The last single and album she participated in were "Ambitious! Yashinteki de Ii Jan
Ambitious! Yashinteki de Ii Jan
is the thirtieth single of J-pop idol group Morning Musume. It was released on June 21, 2006. The Single V was released on June 28, 2006.There are regular and limited edition versions of this single. The regular version comes with a photocard in a poker card design...
" and Rainbow 7
Rainbow 7
is the seventh album by the J-pop idol group Morning Musume. It is the first album to feature 7th generation member Koharu Kusumi, and was released on February 15, 2006....
respectively.
The news of Konno's acceptance to Keio University
Keio University
,abbreviated as Keio or Keidai , is a Japanese university located in Minato, Tokyo. It is known as the oldest institute of higher education in Japan. Founder Fukuzawa Yukichi originally established it as a school for Western studies in 1858 in Edo . It has eleven campuses in Tokyo and Kanagawa...
, one of the top private universities in Japan, known for producing two prime ministers, was announced on December 11, 2006 by several news sources. On December 28, 2006, she confirmed these claims personally, in a message posted on the main Hello! Project website.
Although she was officially no longer part of Hello! Project at the time, on January 28, 2007, she appeared on stage at Hello! Project's 10th anniversary concert (the first graduated member to do so), giving her last messages to Asami and Miuna of Country Musume
Country musume
is an all-female Japanese pop group within Hello! Project.- History :Country Musume was formed in 1999 and was billed as "Country Girls from Hokkaidō". The initial group consisted of members and Hokkaidō natives Rinne Toda, Azusa Kobayashi, and Hiromi Yanagihara....
, who were graduating that night.
On June 18, 2007, Up-Front Agency confirmed that Konno was returning to Hello! Project to rejoin members of Gatas Brilhantes H.P. in the group Ongaku Gatas
Ongaku Gatas
is a Japanese girl group consisted of select members from Hello! Project's futsal club Gatas Brilhantes H.P. and Hello Pro Egg.-History:The group was formed in 2007. The group's name combines the Japanese word ongaku with the Portuguese word gatas, taken from the name of the Hello! Project futsal...
. Their first single, titled "Narihajimeta Koi no Bell
Narihajimeta Koi no Bell
is the debut single of Japanese girl group Ongaku Gatas, formed from members of Hello! Project's futsal team Gatas Brilhantes H.P. and Hello Pro Eggs, which was released on September 12, 2007 under the Zetima label ....
" was released on August 22, 2007. It was stated that Konno would remain an active member within the agency and Ongaku Gatas while continuing her university studies.
In early 2009, Konno graduated from Hello! Project with the rest of the elder club, though continued as a member of Ongaku Gatas, and continuing to tour with them. She was placed into M-Line, the official fan-club for graduated Morning Musume members. It was announced via the Hello! Project official site on October 1, 2010 that she would debut as a reporter for TV Tokyo
TV Tokyo
is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
in April 2011.
DVDs
| # | Title | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2006-04-12 | |
| 2 | – | |
| 3 | 2004 | |
| 4 | 2005 |
Dramas
- 2002 – Angel Hearts
- 2002 –
- 2003 – (Guest)
- 2004 –
- 2005 –
Movies
- 2002 –
- 2003 –
Photobooks
| # | Title | Release date | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo | |||
| 1 | |||
|-
| 2 || ||align="right"| 2005-08-09 || ISBN 4-8470-2877-5
|-
| 3 || ||align="right"| 2006-03-31 || ISBN 4-04-894265-4
|-
| 4 || See You Again ||align="right"| 2006-07-10 || ISBN 4-8470-2939-9
|-
| 5 || ||align="right"| 2006-09-12 || ISBN 4-8470-2952-6
|-
!colspan="4"|Group
|-
| 1 || ||align="right"| 2002-08-13 || ISBN 4-8470-2721-3
|}
Source:
Radio
| Program | Start date | End date |
|---|
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| || 2005-05-02 || 2005-05-13
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|rowspan="3"| ||colspan="2" align="center"| 2006-06-09
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|colspan="2" align="center"| 2006-06-23
|-
|colspan="2" align="center"| 2006-06-30
|}
TV shows
| Program | Start date | End date |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 2006 | |
| 2001 | 2006 | |
| 2001 | 2006 | |
|-
|rowspan="2"| ||align="right"| 2004-04-14 ||align="right"| 2004-04-20
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|align="right"| 2004-08-10 ||align="right"| 2004-08-17
|-
| ||align="right"| 2004-10-05 ||align="right"| 2004-12-15
|-
| ||align="right"| 2005-04-12 ||align="right"| 2006
|}
Internet
| Program | Start date | End date |
|---|---|---|
| 2005-06-06 | 2005-06-06 | |
| 2005 | 2006 | |