An audition advertisement
Morning Musume 11ki Member "Suppin Utahime" Audition (モーニング娘。11期メンバー「スッピン歌姫」オーディション; Morning Musume 11th Generation Member "Makeup-less Songstress" Audition) was the audition to choose eleventh generation members for Morning Musume. It was announced on May 18, 2012, at Niigaki Risa's and Mitsui Aika's graduation concert at the Nippon Budokan.
Tsunku said he would "be focusing more on the talents that will be present at this year’s auditions instead of the looks of the members".
Audition Details[]
- Application Requirements
- Female, Minimum of age 10 and maximum of 17 years of age by March 31, 2012.
- Must not be under contract with any agencies or as a performing arts talent.
- Must have consent from legal guardian if under age.
- Total Applicants: 7,000+
- Training Camp Choreographer: YOSHIKO
- Training Camp Singing Teacher: marron
- Broadcast:
- Hello! SATOYAMA Life
- GirlPop TV
Audition Process[]
First Round[]
The application deadline was June 25, 2012.
Second Round[]
The second round began on July 15, 2012. The videotape and profile of each girl was viewed by Tsunku, who then arbitrarily selected the ones he wanted to go into the third round. All the candidates were interviewed during this 2nd round. The 2nd round was from July 15th to the 30th in 6 places across the country:
- Sapporo
- Sendai
- Tokyo
- Nagoya
- Osaka
- Fukuoka
Third Round[]
The 56 candidates, not counting Hello Pro Kenshuusei members, gathered in Tokyo for further screening. From there, they were selected, and invited to the training camp.
- In this round the girls had to:
- Show a special skill.
- Dance What’s Up? Ai wa Dou na no yo~.
- Give a performance to the rhythm of Be Alive.
- Sing a song of their choice.
- (36) Ogami Hinako - Unknown
- (102) Ono Haruka - Unknown
- (122) Hamaura Ayano - Unknown
- (125) Ogata Risa - Unknown
- (176) Kaneko Rie - Unknown
- (178) Oda Sakura - Unknown
- (179) Yoshihashi Kurumi - Unknown
- (180) Nomura Minami - Unknown
- (199) Takagi Sayuki - Unknown
- (200) Otsuka Aina - Unknown
- (201) Murota Mizuki - Unknown
- (224) Kosuga Fuyuka - Unknown
- (225) Okamura Rise - Unknown
- (226) Tanabe Nanami - Unknown
- (Unknown) Wada Sakurako - Ookii Hitomi
- (Unknown) Ogawa Rena - Unknown
- (Unknown) Yamagishi Riko - Unknown
- (Unknown) Uemura Akari - Unknown
- (Unknown) Mogi Minami - Unknown
- (Unknown) Kaga Kaede - Unknown
- (Unknown) Makino Maria - Unknown
- (Unknown) Kishimoto Yumeno - Unknown
- (Unknown) Ichioka Reina - Unknown
- (Unknown) Hirose Ayaka - Unknown
- (Unknown) Fujita Ayaka - Unknown
- (Unknown) Oshikiri Sayaka - Unknown
- (Unknown) Okada Sayana - Unknown
Fourth Round[]
They were taken to a training camp from where they received dance and vocal lessons, separately recorded Be Alive and danced in group to What’s Up? Ai wa Dou na no yo~ and One•Two•Three in front of Tsunku and the dance teacher.
- 6 girls were chosen for the fourth round:
- Ono Haruka (小野はるか), 16
- Ichioka Reina (一岡怜奈), 13
- Oda Sakura (小田さくら), 13
- Kishimoto Yumeno (岸本ゆめの), 12
- Hamaura Ayano (浜浦彩乃), 12
- Makino Maria (牧野真莉愛), 11
The finalists were revealed for the first time when footage of the fourth round was broadcast on September 13, only a day before the results were announced.
Results[]
The winner:Oda Sakura
The winner and only 11 generation member was Oda Sakura.
The results were announced on September 14 at an open rehearsal for the Morning Musume Tanjou 15 Shuunen Kinen Concert Tour 2012 Aki ~Colorful Character~, which fans could attend by winning a lottery, at Harmony Hall Zama in Kanagawa. At the same time an announcement video was uploaded to the official Morning Musume YouTube channel.
Trivia[]
- At the beginning of the auditions, Tsunku said: "That's right, last year Morning Musume continuously recruited, and we will mass recruit an 11th generation who exhibit ideals like "I love to sing!".
- All members from Hello Pro Kenshuusei participated in this audition. It was the first time ever in the history of Hello! Project.
- This is the first audition in which a Kenshuusei member was the only member that was added to Morning Musume.
- NICE GIRL Project! members Ogata Risa, Hirose Ayaka, Okada Sayana, Oshikiri Sayaka and Fujita Ayaka participated in this audition.
- Okada Sayana later became a member of Cute Bits.
- Oshikiri Sayaka later became a performer.
- Hirose Ayaka and Ogata Risa later transferred to Hello Pro Kenshuusei.
- In January 2015, Hirose Ayaka became a member of Kobushi Factory, her and the remaining members of Kobushi Factory later on graduated from the group after the group disbanded in March 2020.
- In April 2015, Ogata Risa became a member of Tsubaki Factory.
- Ogami Hinako, a Morning Musume 10th Member ~Genki Jirushi~ Audition finalist, participated in this audition, and later became a member of the idol group Passcode.
- Hamaura Ayano later became a member of Kobushi Factory in January 2015.
- Hamaura and the remaining members of Kobushi Factory later on graduated from the group after the group disbanded in March 2020.
- Kishimoto Yumeno, Ichioka Reina, Makino Maria, Kaga Kaede and Wada Sakurako, who participated in this audition, later joined Hello Pro Kenshuusei in November 2012.
- Makino Maria was eventually added to Morning Musume in September 2014 as part of the 12th generation.
- Wada Sakurako later became a member of Kobushi Factory in January 2015.
- Wada and the remaining members of Kobushi Factory later on graduated from the group after the group disbanded in March 2020.
- Kishimoto Yumeno later became a member of Tsubaki Factory in April 2015.
- Kaga Kaede later became a member of Morning Musume in December 2016 as part of the 13th generation.
- Ichioka Reina later became the leader of CHICA#TETSU in July 2017.
- Haga Akane participated in this audition and later joined Hello Pro Kenshuusei in 2013. She later joined Morning Musume in 2014 as part of the 12th generation.
- All finalists are now under UP-FRONT PROMOTION except Ono Haruka.
- It is believed by many people that the sole purpose of holding the 11th generation auditions was to properly place Oda Sakura in Morning Musume.
