currently known by her stage name as Ayaka Nagate (長手 絢香), is an actress currently signed to Tristone Entertainment. Before her debut as an actress, she was the sole remaining member of Coconuts Musume

Coconuts Musume

is a group from Hello! Project that was formed and promoted as the "girls from Hawaii". After nine years, the group officially disbanded when Ayaka Kimura graduated from Hello! Project.- Members :* 1998–2008 –...

 within Hello! Project

Hello! Project

is the umbrella name for all female idol Japanese pop recording artists collective that are under contract with the Up-Front Group. The "mothership" group of Hello! Project is the super-group Morning Musume. Hello! Project's current leader is Risa Niigaki, the leader of Morning Musume...

.

History

Ayaka joined Hello! Project

Hello! Project

is the umbrella name for all female idol Japanese pop recording artists collective that are under contract with the Up-Front Group. The "mothership" group of Hello! Project is the super-group Morning Musume. Hello! Project's current leader is Risa Niigaki, the leader of Morning Musume...

 in 1999 after being discovered by Makoto, fellow Sharan Q

Sharan Q

is a Japanese pop rock band composed of lead singer , on guitar, on drums and on keyboards.- Biography :They debuted with in 1992. They were not an instant hit initially, but their fourth single broke the top 50 of the Oricon charts. Eventually, the single got a lot of attention since it...

 bandmate of 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...

, with four other girls, forming Coconuts Musume

Coconuts Musume

is a group from Hello! Project that was formed and promoted as the "girls from Hawaii". After nine years, the group officially disbanded when Ayaka Kimura graduated from Hello! Project.- Members :* 1998–2008 –...

. Having lived most of her teenage years in Hawaii

Hawaii

Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...

 and attending English schools in Japan, Ayaka is fluent in both Japanese and English. She is best known by foreign fans for her "Ayaka no Totsugeki Eikaiwa

Eikaiwa

or often shortened to , are English conversation schools, usually privately operated, in Japan. It is a combination of the word and.Although the Japanese public education system mandates that English be taught as part of the curriculum from fifth grade, the focus is generally on English grammar...

 (Ayaka's Surprise English Lessons)" TV segment, where she would test the English skills 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...

 members.

On April 30, 2008, Ayaka graduated from Coconuts Musume and Hello! Project to pursue her dream of being an actress. The following day, it was revealed that she had signed with Tristone Entertainment, going under the stage name of Ayaka Nagate.

On July 14, 2008 it was announced that she and professional golfer had married.

On October 2, 2008, she appeared in the one-shot drama, as .

External links

• Hello! Database entry
• Kpopwiki:Ayaka Kimura
• Ayaka's Official Blog