Nozomi Tsuji
Encyclopedia
, known professionally by her birth name of (born June 17, 1987) is a Japanese tarento
and a former member of the pop idol group Morning Musume
, its subgroup Mini Moni
, and the duo W. She has participated in the shuffle groups 10-nin Matsuri, Odoru 11, and 11Water, H.P. All Stars, as well as being a member of the Morning Musume splinter group Morning Musume Otomegumi
.
. Group producer Tsunku
originally planned on selecting only three members; Rika Ishikawa
, Hitomi Yoshizawa
, and Ai Kago
were chosen. He made the decision to add Tsuji as a fourth member, creating Morning Musume's fourth generation. "Happy Summer Wedding
" was released on May 17, 2000, marking Tsuji's debut just one month before turning age thirteen. In January 2001, she formed Mini Moni
with Mari Yaguchi
and Ai Kago
.
: during a special "final exam" episode featuring Morning Musume, the two were both the least knowledgeable when given surprise pop quizzes on several grade school problems, Tsuji being the least knowledgeable and Kago being second, resulting in Tsuji being crowned Bakajo, which means "idiot girl".
From January 2003 to June 2003, she was a temporary world record holder in the Guinness World Records
for spinning the largest Hula Hoop
(12.5 m). She regained the title in January 2004 and simultaneously held it with Kago until September 2005, when Ashrita Furman
of Brooklyn, New York City surpassed their record. Tsuji was also goalkeeper for Gatas Brilhantes H.P.
, the Hello! Project futsal
team. In November 2003, the 16-year-old Tsuji released her first solo photobook, Nono. In May 2004, Tsunku announced the graduation of both Tsuji and Kago from Morning Musume and created the group W, featuring the pair. On August 1, 2004, they officially graduated from Morning Musume. She appeared in several episodes of Mini Moni's 2005 television series, Brementown Musicians. For a Christmas special, Tsuji contributed to Hello! Project Shirogumi, eventually embarking on the December 2005 ~A HAPPY NEW POWER!~ Concert Tour.
In February 2006, photographs of Kago smoking were published to Friday Magazine. Additional controversy surfaced because she was two years below the Japanese legal smoking age; Hello! Project soon issued a press statement, stating that the singer had been "suspended indefinitely". The ban lasted an entire year. During this time, Tsuji was not allowed to speak to Kago and continued to make appearances on television.
's official website announced on January 30, 2007 that Tsuji would be voice-acting as a guest for Keroro Gunso the Super Movie 2: The Deep Sea Princess
. In line with Mari Yaguchi's involvement in the 2007 Japanese adaptation of the popular 1955 Broadway
play, "Damn Yankees
", Tsuji was scheduled to be double cast alongside Rika Ishikawa in , which opened on May 4, 2007 at the Nissei Theatre in Tokyo, where she was to perform until the 22nd, but due to experiencing health problems (gastroenteritis
, according to the official Hello! Project website), she was eventually replaced by Hitomi Yoshizawa
.
In March 2007, after Ai Kago's contract cancellation with Hello! Project, W disbanded. Several weeks later, news about Tsuji's new unit, Gyaruru, was released. It was intended to be made up of Tsuji alongside Ami Tokito
and Gal Sone. Tsuji voiced Athena in the animation series Robby & Kerobby, and released a single "Koko ni Iruzee!
" in May 2007 as the character, a cover version of the Morning Musume song by the same name. In May 2007, she announced her engagement and pregnancy to Taiyo Sugiura
, who she had met eleven months before. A press conference was held in which both entertainers expressed their apologies to the public, amidst both praise and criticism coming from other renowned artists. Hitomi Yoshizawa
, who worked alongside Tsuji while they were both in Morning Musume, replaced and was forced to learn all the required lines for When Will You Return? in a relatively short period of time. Akiko Wada
stated: "She says she's going out with the guy, going to get married, then reveals she's pregnant. It's all too neat. The kid has no sense of responsibility." Tsuji commented: "I will return to the public eye when things calm down after childbirth." Asami Abe
was forced to fill her position in Gyaruru, and Risa Niigaki
eventually played her role as Athena in Robby & Kerobby. Tsuji married Sugiura on June 21, 2007. She changed her name to , but has continued to use Tsuji as her stage name. Tsuji gave birth to her first child, a daughter named , on November 26, 2007.
On June 19, 2008, Tsuji made an appearance at the Yuko Nakazawa Birthday Live 2008 event, handing a birthday cake
to Nakazawa. On January 30, 2009, Tsuji started an online blog on Ameba, the title of which is commonly rendered as either . It was well-received and quickly became one of the most popular blogs on the website. A May 2009 survey concluded that she was voted "Best Mom" by Japanese middle and high school girls. Tsuji performed at Hello Pro Award '09 ~Elder Club Sotsugyō Kinen Special~ on February 1, 2009, her first concert performance in nearly two years. At a September 2010 Tohato
press conference, she spoke up about the marriage: "Have a good fight once a while, and say everything you need to say." She gave birth to her second child, a son named , on December 26, 2010.
} || 2002-05-22 || Wani Books
|| ISBN 4-8470-2710-8 || Duo photobook with Ai Kago
|-
| 1 || || 2003-11-10 || Wani Books || ISBN 4-8470-2782-5 || First solo photobook
|-
| 2 || || 2006-11-18 || Takeshobo || ISBN 978-4-8124-2953-2 || Second solo photobook
|}
Tarento
is a Japanese rendering of the English word "talent" and is used as a catch-all term for mass media personalities who regularly appear on television. Detractors of the phenomenon have referred to it in an English sense as "famous just for being famous" because many that fall into this career line...
and a former member of the pop idol 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...
, its subgroup Mini Moni
Mini Moni
is a former subgroup of Japanese pop girl group Morning Musume, and a current group within Hello! Project. They were one of Morning Musume's most popular subgroups for their entire existence, because of the combination of their outrageous music videos and live performances, and their widely varied...
, and the duo W. She has participated in the shuffle groups 10-nin Matsuri, Odoru 11, and 11Water, H.P. All Stars, as well as being a member of the Morning Musume splinter group Morning Musume 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...
.
Early life
Tsuji was born in Tokyo, Japan. She is the second and youngest child of two daughters.Early work: 2000–2001
In 2000, when Tsuji was twelve years old, she auditioned for the pop group Morning MusumeMorning 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...
. Group producer 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...
originally planned on selecting only three members; Rika Ishikawa
Rika Ishikawa
, is a Japanese pop singer and TV/radio hostess, associated with the Hello! Project banner and best known as a former member of the pop group Morning Musume. She was the leader of the trio v-u-den until June 2008...
, Hitomi Yoshizawa
Hitomi Yoshizawa
is a former leader of the pop group Morning Musume and current member of the duo Hangry & Angry as Hangry. She is the current leader of the Hello! Project futsal team Gatas Brilhantes H.P...
, and 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...
were chosen. He made the decision to add Tsuji as a fourth member, creating Morning Musume's fourth generation. "Happy Summer Wedding
Happy Summer Wedding
is the ninth single of the J-pop idol group Morning Musume, released on May 17, 2000. It sold a total of 1,370,000 copies, becoming a number-one hit in Japan...
" was released on May 17, 2000, marking Tsuji's debut just one month before turning age thirteen. In January 2001, she formed Mini Moni
Mini Moni
is a former subgroup of Japanese pop girl group Morning Musume, and a current group within Hello! Project. They were one of Morning Musume's most popular subgroups for their entire existence, because of the combination of their outrageous music videos and live performances, and their widely varied...
with Mari Yaguchi
Mari Yaguchi
, known professionally by her birth name of is a Japanese pop artist and former member of Hello! Project. She is a former member of Morning Musume and Tanpopo, one of its first sub groups, and also founded Minimoni...
and 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...
.
Breakthrough: 2002–2006
As the youngest two members of the group, she and Kago assumed the roles of the hyperactive troublemakers of Morning Musume. The two were featured in a May 2002 duo compilation photobook, Tsuji Kago. Fans took to them quickly, dubbing them "The Twins", based on their similar looks and personalities. They both retained these personalities for their initial years with Morning Musume, but by 2003, younger members had joined the group; Kago and Tsuji resorted to maintaining their strong friendship. They were also known as "Two Top" on the television comedy show 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...
: during a special "final exam" episode featuring Morning Musume, the two were both the least knowledgeable when given surprise pop quizzes on several grade school problems, Tsuji being the least knowledgeable and Kago being second, resulting in Tsuji being crowned Bakajo, which means "idiot girl".
From January 2003 to June 2003, she was a temporary world record holder in the Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
for spinning the largest Hula Hoop
Hula hoop
A hula hoop is a toy hoop that is twirled around the waist, limbs or neck.Although the exact origins of hula hoops are unknown, children and adults around the world have played with hoops, twirling, rolling and throwing them throughout history...
(12.5 m). She regained the title in January 2004 and simultaneously held it with Kago until September 2005, when Ashrita Furman
Ashrita Furman
Ashrita Furman has set more than 300 Guinness records since 1979 and currently holds131 Guinness records. He has set records on all seven continents and in more than 30 different countries...
of Brooklyn, New York City surpassed their record. Tsuji was also goalkeeper for 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....
, the Hello! Project 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. In November 2003, the 16-year-old Tsuji released her first solo photobook, Nono. In May 2004, Tsunku announced the graduation of both Tsuji and Kago from Morning Musume and created the group W, featuring the pair. On August 1, 2004, they officially graduated from Morning Musume. She appeared in several episodes of Mini Moni's 2005 television series, Brementown Musicians. For a Christmas special, Tsuji contributed to Hello! Project Shirogumi, eventually embarking on the December 2005 ~A HAPPY NEW POWER!~ Concert Tour.
In February 2006, photographs of Kago smoking were published to Friday Magazine. Additional controversy surfaced because she was two years below the Japanese legal smoking age; Hello! Project soon issued a press statement, stating that the singer had been "suspended indefinitely". The ban lasted an entire year. During this time, Tsuji was not allowed to speak to Kago and continued to make appearances on television.
Pregnancy and hiatus: 2007–2010
Hello! ProjectHello! 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...
's official website announced on January 30, 2007 that Tsuji would be voice-acting as a guest for Keroro Gunso the Super Movie 2: The Deep Sea Princess
Keroro Gunso the Super Movie 2: The Deep Sea Princess
is a comedy, adventure film based on the anime and manga series Sgt. Frog.-Summary:During a stormy night a fleet is attacked by another Kiruru, that is easily destroyed by two unnamed entities. The next morning, Natsumi returns home while noticing a girl losing her balloon as the fleet is...
. In line with Mari Yaguchi's involvement in the 2007 Japanese adaptation of the popular 1955 Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
play, "Damn Yankees
Damn Yankees
Damn Yankees is a musical comedy with a book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop and music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story is a modern retelling of the Faust legend set during the 1950s in Washington, D.C., during a time when the New York Yankees dominated Major League...
", Tsuji was scheduled to be double cast alongside Rika Ishikawa in , which opened on May 4, 2007 at the Nissei Theatre in Tokyo, where she was to perform until the 22nd, but due to experiencing health problems (gastroenteritis
Gastroenteritis
Gastroenteritis is marked by severe inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract involving both the stomach and small intestine resulting in acute diarrhea and vomiting. It can be transferred by contact with contaminated food and water...
, according to the official Hello! Project website), she was eventually replaced by Hitomi Yoshizawa
Hitomi Yoshizawa
is a former leader of the pop group Morning Musume and current member of the duo Hangry & Angry as Hangry. She is the current leader of the Hello! Project futsal team Gatas Brilhantes H.P...
.
In March 2007, after Ai Kago's contract cancellation with Hello! Project, W disbanded. Several weeks later, news about Tsuji's new unit, Gyaruru, was released. It was intended to be made up of Tsuji alongside Ami Tokito
Ami Tokito
is a Japanese pop singer and gravure idol. She made her debut in 2005 Miss Young Jump, winning Tsunku's honorable award.She started acting as a child actor using her former stage names, Sachie Komatsu and Hikaru Asakura....
and Gal Sone. Tsuji voiced Athena in the animation series Robby & Kerobby, and released a single "Koko ni Iruzee!
Koko ni Iruzee!
is the sixteenth single of J-pop idol group Morning Musume and was released October 30, 2002 under Zetima Records with the catalog number EPCE-5182.- Track listing :# – 4:28#* Lyrics and composition by Tsunku; Arrangement by .# – 4:40...
" in May 2007 as the character, a cover version of the Morning Musume song by the same name. In May 2007, she announced her engagement and pregnancy to Taiyo Sugiura
Taiyo Sugiura
-Early life:Sugiura was born in Okayama, Japan. He has a brother, Takao , who is two years younger. Sugiura attended Neyagawa 1st Junior High School and Osaka Sangyo University Senior High School, where he graduated from in 1999....
, who she had met eleven months before. A press conference was held in which both entertainers expressed their apologies to the public, amidst both praise and criticism coming from other renowned artists. Hitomi Yoshizawa
Hitomi Yoshizawa
is a former leader of the pop group Morning Musume and current member of the duo Hangry & Angry as Hangry. She is the current leader of the Hello! Project futsal team Gatas Brilhantes H.P...
, who worked alongside Tsuji while they were both in Morning Musume, replaced and was forced to learn all the required lines for When Will You Return? in a relatively short period of time. Akiko Wada
Akiko Wada
is a female Japanese singer and television performer of Korean ancestry, originally hailing from , Ikuno-ku, Osaka. Born Kim Bok-Ja , like many Zainichi Koreans, she also had a name for everyday use, which was Japanicized . On her selection of Japanese citizenship, her name became , which upon...
stated: "She says she's going out with the guy, going to get married, then reveals she's pregnant. It's all too neat. The kid has no sense of responsibility." Tsuji commented: "I will return to the public eye when things calm down after childbirth." Asami Abe
Asami Abe
is a Japanese singer and actress, also known as the younger sister of pop idol Natsumi Abe. She started her career doing commercials for Nintendo Puzzle Collection, and she has also appeared in a few TV dramas....
was forced to fill her position in Gyaruru, 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...
eventually played her role as Athena in Robby & Kerobby. Tsuji married Sugiura on June 21, 2007. She changed her name to , but has continued to use Tsuji as her stage name. Tsuji gave birth to her first child, a daughter named , on November 26, 2007.
On June 19, 2008, Tsuji made an appearance at the Yuko Nakazawa Birthday Live 2008 event, handing a birthday cake
Birthday cake
The birthday cake has been an integral part of the birthday celebrations in Western cultures since the middle of the 19th century. Certain rituals and traditions, such as singing of birthday songs, associated with birthday cakes are common to many Western cultures. The Western tradition of adding...
to Nakazawa. On January 30, 2009, Tsuji started an online blog on Ameba, the title of which is commonly rendered as either . It was well-received and quickly became one of the most popular blogs on the website. A May 2009 survey concluded that she was voted "Best Mom" by Japanese middle and high school girls. Tsuji performed at Hello Pro Award '09 ~Elder Club Sotsugyō Kinen Special~ on February 1, 2009, her first concert performance in nearly two years. At a September 2010 Tohato
Tohato
is a Japanese food company specialising in snack food.-Products:*All Raisin*Beano*Bōkun Habanero*Caramel corn*ふわ丸 Ninja snack*Harvest*Poteco*Chokobi -Advertisement campaign:...
press conference, she spoke up about the marriage: "Have a good fight once a while, and say everything you need to say." She gave birth to her second child, a son named , on December 26, 2010.
Book: 2011–present
On June 17, 2011, her 24th birthday, Tsuji released a book of essays under Kodansha Limited, Non-chanpuru -mother-. The book focuses on her experiences and advice concerning motherhood. Tsuji has stated that she would like to have more children.Discography
Single
| # | Title | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2007-05-16 |
Photobooks
| # | Title | Release date | Publisher | ISBN | Photobook Photobook A photo-book or photobook is a book in which photographs make a significant contribution to the overall content. The most critically acclaimed photo-books celebrate the creative work of an individual photographer, but can also result from the collaboration between a photographer and a writer, an... information |
|---|
| – |
Wani Books
is a Japanese publishing company focused on manga-related publication, including magazines and books. The company was established in November 1979. It publishes one manga magazine Comic Gum.- Wink Up : is an idol magazine published since July 1988....
|| ISBN 4-8470-2710-8 || Duo photobook with 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...
|-
| 1 || || 2003-11-10 || Wani Books || ISBN 4-8470-2782-5 || First solo photobook
|-
| 2 || || 2006-11-18 || Takeshobo || ISBN 978-4-8124-2953-2 || Second solo photobook
|}
Others
| Title | Release date | Publisher |
| U+U=W | 2004-12-04 | Takeshobo Co., Ltd |