is a J-pop

J-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...

 singer. Her career began in 2002 when she successfully passed the audition for Hello! Project Kids

Hello! Project Kids

is a Japanese music group of fifteen young girls chosen out of 27,958 applicants in 2002. The group was formed as a part of the Hello! Project. The group has so far published a number of records under both group names and the Hello! Project Kids title....

, an all-female teen pop group 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...

. Since then, she has continued to sing in that group and has become a part of two smaller groups composed of Hello! Project Kids members, Berryz Kobo and ZYX

ZYX

was a short-lived Japanese pop group made up of five Hello! Project Kids members led by Mari Yaguchi of Morning Musume. Yaguchi acted as a mentor and the group released two singles. ZYX is important in that it is the first unit that Hello! Project Kids officially joined with the second being Aa!...

. Currently, she is Captain of Berryz Kobo.

History

In 2002, Shimizu successfully passed the Hello! Project Kids Audition.

Being a member of Berryz Kobo, she also participates in the band's weekly radio show Berryz Kobo Kiritsu! Rei! Chakuseki!.

In that same year, she was cast as one of the main characters in "Koinu Dan no Monogatari". Many members of Hello! Project Kids

Hello! Project Kids

is a Japanese music group of fifteen young girls chosen out of 27,958 applicants in 2002. The group was formed as a part of the Hello! Project. The group has so far published a number of records under both group names and the Hello! Project Kids title....

 and 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...

 participated in this film.

In 2003, Shimizu was chosen to join the group ZYX

ZYX

was a short-lived Japanese pop group made up of five Hello! Project Kids members led by Mari Yaguchi of Morning Musume. Yaguchi acted as a mentor and the group released two singles. ZYX is important in that it is the first unit that Hello! Project Kids officially joined with the second being Aa!...

, which consisted of five Hello! Project Kids

Hello! Project Kids

is a Japanese music group of fifteen young girls chosen out of 27,958 applicants in 2002. The group was formed as a part of the Hello! Project. The group has so far published a number of records under both group names and the Hello! Project Kids title....

 and 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...

, who acted as a mentor. They released two singles: Iku ZYX! Fly High and Shiroi Tokyo. They remained active until 2004, when Saki and Momoko Tsugunaga

Momoko Tsugunaga

is a J-pop singer. Her career began in 2002 when she successfully auditioned for the Hello! Project Kids followed by 15 other girls, and was selected as one of the eight members of Berryz Kobo. Since then, she has continued to sing in that group and has become a part of three smaller groups...

 were selected to become members of Berryz Kobo.

In 2004, all of 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...

 participated in a large shuffle group that produced one single, "All For One & One For All!" This song is considered one of the themes of 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...

.

On December 31, 2006, Shimizu took the stage at the 57th edition of Kōhaku Uta Gassen as a backup dancer in 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...

's performance of Aruiteru

Aruiteru

is the thirty-first single of J-pop idol group Morning Musume, released on November 8, 2006. "Aruiteru" sold approximately 55,694 copies and reached number one in both the daily and weekly Oricon charts....

, along with the remaining members of Berryz Kobo, 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....

 and C-ute.

In 2008 Shimizu became a member of 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...

's new unit High-King

High-King

is a Japanese idol group within Hello! Project. The group was created to promote Morning Musume's production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, titled . Their sound is said to have an R&B feel....

 This shuffle unit came out with the single, , to promote 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...

's Cinderella Musical.

In 2009, 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...

, the producer of 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...

, went to South Korea

South Korea

The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

 to announce that he intended to hold auditions. A few from 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...

 accompanied him there, including Shimizu, 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...

, 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...

, Reina Tanaka

Reina Tanaka

is one of the sixth generation members of the J-pop group Morning Musume. Her professional first name is spelled in hiragana to distinguish her from the Japanese actress Rena Tanaka, whose name is spelled using the same kanji , who is similarly from Fukuoka Prefecture.- Biography :Tanaka auditioned...

, Linlin, and 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"...

.

Radio

• Berryz Kobo Kiritsu! Rei! Chakuseki! (March 30, 2005 – March 31, 2009)

• Berryz Kobo Beritsuu! (April 10, 2009 – current) (Co-host: Tokunaga Chinami and Sudo Maasa)

External links

• Berryz Kobo: Official Hello! Project profile
• Kpopwiki:Saki Shimizu
• Shimizu Saki: Official Blog