Members of Morning Musume

Main article: Morning Musume

This page consists of all current and former members of the J-pop group Morning Musume.

Table of the members 1997-2010

Members

Current (as of September 2011)

• Risa Niigaki (新垣里沙) (23)
• Sayumi Michishige (道重さゆみ) (22)
• Reina Tanaka (田中れいな) (22)
• Aika Mitsui (光井愛佳) (18)
• Mizuki Fukumura (譜久村聖) (15)
• Erina Ikuta (生田衣梨奈) (14)
• Riho Sayashi (鞘師里保) (13)
• Kanon Suzuki (鈴木香音) (13)
• Haruna Iikubo (飯窪 春菜) (17)
• Ayumi Ishida (石田 亜佑美) (14)
• Masaki Satō (佐藤 優樹) (12)
• Haruka Kudō (工藤 遥) (12)

First generation (1997)

• Yuko Nakazawa (中澤裕子, graduated April 15, 2001)
• Aya Ishiguro (石黒彩, graduated January 7, 2000)
• Kaori Iida (飯田圭織, graduated January 30, 2005)
• Natsumi Abe (安倍なつみ, graduated January 25, 2004)
• Asuka Fukuda (福田明日香, graduated April 18, 1999)

Second generation (1998)

• Kei Yasuda (保田圭, graduated May 5, 2003)
• Mari Yaguchi (矢口真里, left April 14, 2005)
• Sayaka Ichii (市井紗耶香, graduated May 21, 2000)

Third generation (1999)

• Maki Goto (後藤真希, graduated September 23, 2002)

Fourth generation (2000)

• Rika Ishikawa (石川梨華, graduated May 7, 2005)
• Hitomi Yoshizawa (吉澤ひとみ, graduated May 6, 2007)
• Nozomi Tsuji (辻希美, graduated August 1, 2004)
• Ai Kago (加護亜依, graduated August 1, 2004)

Fifth generation (2001)

• Ai Takahashi (高橋愛, graduated September 30, 2011)
• Asami Konno (紺野あさ美, graduated July 23, 2006)
• Makoto Ogawa (小川麻琴, graduated August 27, 2006)
• Risa Niigaki (新垣里沙)

Sixth generation (2003)

• Miki Fujimoto (藤本美貴, left June 1, 2007)
• Eri Kamei (亀井絵里, graduated December 15, 2010)
• Sayumi Michishige (道重さゆみ)
• Reina Tanaka (田中れいな)

Seventh generation (2005)

• Koharu Kusumi (久住小春, graduated December 6, 2009)

Eighth generation (2006/2007)

• Aika Mitsui (光井愛佳)
• Junjun (ジュンジュン, graduated December 15, 2010)
• Linlin (リンリン, graduated December 15, 2010)

Ninth generation (2011)

• Mizuki Fukumura (譜久村聖)
• Erina Ikuta (生田衣梨奈)
• Riho Sayashi (鞘師里保)
• Kanon Suzuki (鈴木香音)

Tenth generation (2011)

• Haruna Iikubo (飯窪春菜)
• Ayumi Ishida (石田亜佑美)
• Masaki Satō (佐藤優樹)
• Haruka Kudō (工藤遥)

Leadership

Leaders

#	Name	Period of time
1st	Yuko Nakazawa	Formation – April 15, 2001
2nd	Kaori Iida	April 16, 2001 – January 30, 2005
3rd	Mari Yaguchi	January 31, 2005 – April 14, 2005
4th	Hitomi Yoshizawa	April 15, 2005 – May 6, 2007
5th	Miki Fujimoto	May 7, 2007 – June 1, 2007
6th	Ai Takahashi	June 2, 2007 – September 30, 2011
7th	Risa Niigaki	October 1, 2011 - present

Subleaders

This position was established on April 21, 2001, when Kaori Iida became the second leader.

#	Name	Period of time
1st	Kei Yasuda	April 16, 2001 – May 5, 2003
2nd	Mari Yaguchi	May 6, 2003 – January 30, 2005
3rd	Hitomi Yoshizawa	January 31, 2005 – April 14, 2005
4th	Miki Fujimoto	April 15, 2005 – May 6, 2007
5th	Ai Takahashi	May 7, 2007 – June 1, 2007
6th	Risa Niigaki	June 2 2007 - September 30, 2011

Notable tenures

Members of Morning Musume rarely stay in the group for more than seven years, and to date only seven members have done this.

Member	Tenure	Time in group
Risa Niigaki	August 2001 – present	10 years, 2 months and 25 days
Ai Takahashi	August 2001 – September 2011	10 years, 1 months and 4 days
Sayumi Michishige	January 2003 – present	8 years, 10 months and 1 day
Reina Tanaka	January 2003 – present	8 years, 10 months and 1 day
Eri Kamei	January 2003 – December 2010	7 years, 10 months and 26 days
Kaori Iida	September 1997 – January 2005	7 years, 4 months and 23 days
Hitomi Yoshizawa	April 2000 – May 2007	7 years and 20 days

Mentors

Often, when a new member joins the group, a senior member is assigned to be one of the newly-added girls' mentor. The second, fifth, sixth, and eighth generations, however, did not have assigned mentors.^[1]

• Third generation

• Sayaka Ichii → Maki Goto

• Fourth generation

• Kei Yasuda → Rika Ishikawa
• Mari Yaguchi → Hitomi Yoshizawa
• Kaori Iida → Nozomi Tsuji
• Maki Goto → Ai Kago

• Seventh generation

• Sayumi Michishige → Koharu Kusumi^[1]

• Ninth generation

• Aika Mitsui → Mentor to all ninth generation members

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Music Fighter. 2008-04-18.