Ai Kago

Infobox musical artist

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Name = Ai Kago
加護 亜依
Img_capt =
Background = solo_singer
Alias = Aibon, Kago-chan
Born = birth date and age|1988|2|7
Died =
Origin = Yamatotakada, Nara, Japan
Genre = Japanese pop
Occupation = Singer, actress, author
Years_active = 2000–2007, 2008–present
Label = Zetima, R&A Promotions Co.,Ltd
Associated_acts = W, Morning Musume, Tanpopo, MiniMoni, Sakuragumi, 3-nin Matsuri, Happy 7, Salt5
URL = [http://biscuitclub.fc.yahoo.co.jp/ Biscuit Club] nihongo|Ai Kago|加護 亜依|Kago Ai|extra=born February 7, 1988 in Yamatotokada, Nara, Japan is a Japanese pop singer under R&A Promotions Co.,Ltd, actress and published author.

At age of 12, Kago won the 4^th National Audtion of Morning Musume held by Up-Front Works Agency in 2000, which led her admission into the extremely popular girl band as one the 4^th generation members. In the same year, she became a founding member of Mini Moni. In 2004, she "graduated" from both the aforemention groups and formed W with Nozomi Tsuji.

In 2006, the underaged Kago was caught illegally smoking tobacco by the media, this resulted her immediate year-long suspension by Up-Front Works Agency. In 2007, toward the end of her suspension, she was once again caught smoking and romantically involved with an 37 years old man, this time resulted in her contract being terminated. After a year of hiatus, she was signed by R&A Promotions Co.,Ltd and resumed her career as actress and singer.

Biography

Kago's given name, "Ai", is a homonym for nihongo|love|愛|ai. Kago has sometimes said in interviews that she was named that by her parents because she was conceived out of wedlock. As written "亜依" it has no real meaning.

At age 12, Kago auditioned for Morning Musume when their fourth-generation auditions were held in 2000; at the final auditions, Kago met fellow finalist Nozomi Tsuji, and the two became best friends almost immediately. Kago's recording debut with Morning Musume was on their ninth single, "Happy Summer Wedding".

Kago and Tsuji quickly became two of the band's most popular members, a status that increased when, along with fellow Morning Musume member Mari Yaguchi and Coconuts Musume member Mika Todd, they co-founded the side project MiniMoni, which became one of the most popular Morning Musume subgroups. Kago would also, almost simultaneously, become a second generation member of the first Morning Musume subgroup, Tanpopo.

Ai Kago has been involved in some of Hello! Project's most popular shuffle groups, including 3nin Matsuri in 2001 with Rika Ishikawa and Aya Matsuura, Happy 7 in 2002 and Salt5 in 2003.

After the "indefinite hiatus" of MiniMoni, Kago and Tsuji debuted their new duo, W, as they began to wind down their commitments with Morning Musume and the about-to-disband MiniMoni. They graduated from Morning Musume in August of 2004 and have since concentrated full time on W, releasing two albums, an EP, and six singles to date.

Kago and Tsuji shared the world record for the largest hula hoop spun at height|m=4.08 in diameter. They set their record on January 1 2004, during a live New Year's Day television special at Nippon Television Network, Tokyo, Japan. The record appeared in the 2005 and 2006 editions of the Guinness Book of World Records and was the second time that she and Tsuji have held the record, having previously held the record between January 2003 and June 2003. The record was eventually broken by Ashrita Furman (USA) in September 2005.

Scandal

On February 9, 2006 it was confirmed that the magazine nihongo|"Friday"|フライデー (the same one that provoked Mari Yaguchi's sudden departure from Morning Musume) would be publishing photos of Kago caught smoking. The legal age for smoking in Japan is 20, and Kago had just turned 18 two days prior. On February 10, Hello! Project issued a press statement saying that the singer had been suspended "indefinitely." [cite web |url=http://www.helloproject.com/newslist/kago_060210_060210047.htm |title=Hello! Project official site: Kago announcement |accessdate=2007-03-12 |language=Japanese]

According to an interview in the March 9, 2007 issue of "Friday"–the very same magazine responsible for her suspension–Kago revealed she had been serving tea, answering phones and doing assorted secretarial work at the [http://www.up-front-works.jp/ Up-Front Works] agency since January 23, 2007, when her employers found it fit for her to return to Tokyo, after she spent most of 2006 secluded at her family's residence in Nara.

In the same interview the young idol claimed to have had undergone several changes in regard to her outlook on life, to have become more responsible. Additionally she met up with the other members for the first time at Yokohama Arena, after a lengthy period of time, though the group couldn't quite recognize her at first, given the fact she had lost some weight.

The agency said that they were working on her comeback, though the details were not clear. [cite web |url=http://www.zasshi.com/ZASSHI_SOKUHOU/data/friday.html |title=Official Friday Magazine website |language=Japanese] [cite web|url= http://www.hello-online.org/index.php?act=helloonline&CODE=news&topic=56|title= Kago Ai is back! Friday interview|date= 2007-02-22|publisher= Hello!Online|archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20070810033947/http://www.hello-online.org/index.php?act=helloonline&CODE=news&topic=56|archivedate= 2007-08-10] [cite web |url=http://ikimasshoi.jphip.net/index.php/?p=858 |title=Ikimasshoi summary]

On March 26, 2007 following a newly publicized scandal involving Kago dating a 37 year old man as well as smoking again, it was announced by Up Front Agency that her contract had been canceled. An English translation of the announcement: [cite web|url= http://www.helloproject.com/newslist/kago_0703261829.html|title= Official Announcement Regarding Kago's Contract |date= 2007-03-26|language= Japanese] cquote|"To whom it may concern:"

"Regarding our client Kago Ai and the article in the weekly magazine that went on sale on March 26th, the information in the article has been verified with Kago herself, to our regret."

"One year ago, when Kago was 17 and the smoking problem happened, we still considered her future in this company, and as punishment, she was imposed to house arrest in her parents' home. Seeing how she had progressed over that year, it was decided to start from scratch and start preparing for a comeback by bringing her to Tokyo and having her do clerical and other office duties, starting on January 23rd. Although this worked out well for two months, there was another incident and the comeback plan was abandoned. After consulting with the family, as she is a minor, it has been confirmed, and she has been released from her contract." "We're very sorry that it has come to this, and accept full responsibility." "We feel a renewed sense of responsibility for the future, especially when it comes to minors." "2007/3/26""Kawaguchi Yuukichi, Representative Director", "Up Front Agency"

Post-Hello! Project life

On May 5 2007, the Tokyo Broadcasting System's newscast reported that Kago's mother was trying to sign her to a new talent agency in her hometown of Nara. [cite web|url= http://jinryuichi-hnph.blogspot.com/2007/05/kago-ai-is-back-in-showbiz.html|title= Kago Ai is Back In Showbiz?|date= 2007-05-05]

On August 25, 2007, an interview with Kago's mother in the magazine "Josei Seven" revealed that after parting company with Hello! Project, Ai Kago left Japan and started residing in New York City. [cite web|url= http://www.helloblog.co.uk/comment.php?commentID=185|title= Aibon, What Would Your Mother Say?|date= 2007-08-25|accessdate= 2007-08-27] [cite web |url=http://entameblog.seesaa.net/article/50776539.html |title="Josei Seven" interview with Ai Kago's mother |accessdate=2007-08-27 |language=Japanese]

On April 6, 2008, it was reported by Yahoo! News that Kago was returning to the entertainment industry. [cite web|url= http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20080406-00000004-oric-ent|title= Ai Kago and entertainment activities to resume|date= 2008-04-06|accessdate= 2008-04-08|publisher= Yahoo! Japan|language= Japanese] Also, in an interview by OhmyNews, Kago admitted that she had begun smoking to feel more like an adult without realizing the impact it would have on her peers and young fans. She stated that she had actually not gone to New York, but rather to Los Angeles for three months in 2007 with her boyfriend. She said she took the trip because she felt like a criminal in Japan. While in LA she met many new people who encouraged her (including Winona Ryder) [ [http://www.hello-online.org/index.php?act=helloonline&CODE=article&topic=420 Kago Ai Official Blog: Translations 2008.04.25 - 2008.04.27 - Hello!Online ] ] and was able to reflect on her situation and begin her turn around. She also admitted to having considered suicide and having inflicted self-injury upon herself by cutting her wrist. At the end of the interview Kago states that even though she is now 20 years old and can legally smoke cigarettes, she no longer does or has any desire to. [cite web|url= http://www.hello-online.org/index.php?act=helloonline&CODE=article&topic=384|title= Kago Ai new video interview!|date= 2008-04-06|accessdate= 2008-04-08|publisher= Hello!Online] [ [http://www.hello-online.org/index.php?act=helloonline&CODE=article&topic=420 Kago Ai Official Blog: Translations 2008.04.25 - 2008.04.27 - Hello!Online ] ]

On April 24, 2008, Ai Kago announced on her personal blog website, " [http://biscuitclub.fc.yahoo.co.jp/index.php Biscuit Club] ", that she will be appearing in Hong Kong movie Kung Fu Chef with Sammo Hung. [ [http://www.hello-online.org/index.php?act=helloonline&CODE=article&topic=418 Kago Ai Official Blog: Translations 2008.04.22 - 2008.04.24 - Hello!Online ] ]

On August 25, 2008, Ai Kago released a book entitled "Kago Ai LIVE ~ Kago Ai no Miseinen Hakusho" On a July 13, 2008 post to her personal blog website, " [http://biscuitclub.fc.yahoo.co.jp/index.php Biscuit Club] ", Ai Kago describes the book as "a book where I talk to young teens about their various troubles and dreams. Idols-in-waiting, exchange students, high school girls, otaku. The teenage years can be tough, and I had a lot of troubles in those days. But it's important to break through those troubles." [ [http://www.hello-online.org/index.php?act=helloonline&CODE=article&topic=492 Kago Ai Official Blog: Translations 2008.07.11 - 2008.07.14 - Hello!Online] ]

Trivia

* Kago was crowned the "kusojo" ("crap girl") of Morning Musume after finishing last in the Mechaike Okajo Taiikusai Special (also known as the Mechaike Okajo Sports Festival).
* A character she often draws is a cupid-like girl who is usually flying and winking. She uses it mostly for her signatures. Fact|date=June 2008
* According to Arina Tanemura, the hairstyle of Mitsuki Koyama from her manga Full Moon O Sagashite was modeled after Kago when she was in Mini Moni.
* She is the youngest person to join Morning Musume, as she turned 12 just two months prior to joining. There have been other girls to join when they were 12 (such as Asuka Fukuda, Nozomi Tsuji and later Risa Niigaki and Koharu Kusumi), but they were only a couple of months away from turning 13. It is unlikely that Kago's record will be broken due to age requirements.

Appearances

Movies

*"Pinch Runner" (2000) (Brief appearance just before the credits, with other 4th gen members.)
*"" (2002)

Dramas

* "Angel Hearts" (2002)
* (2002)
* (2003)
* (2004)
* (2004)
* (2005)
* (2005)

TV shows

* (2000–2006)
*

References

External links

* [http://biscuitclub.fc.yahoo.co.jp/ Biscuit Club] official fanclub and blog
* (also a source for this article)
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20070406181726/http://www.helloproject.com/artist/08/index.html W's profile on Hello! Project's official site (prior to disbandment)]
*

s-ttl|rows=2|title=Youngest member of Morning Musume
years=2000-2001

Persondata
NAME=Kago, Ai
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=加護 亜依 (Japanese)
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Japanese idol
DATE OF BIRTH=February 7, 1988
PLACE OF BIRTH=Yamatotokada, Nara, Japan
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=