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Yoshizawa Hitomi

Revision as of 04:21, 22 January 2010 by Celedam (talk | contribs) (→‎Trivia)
Yoshizawa Hitomi (2009)

Yoshizawa Hitomi (吉澤ひとみ) is a Japanese pop singer, actress, and semi-professional athlete. She is best known as a former member and leader of the idol group Morning Musume. She graduated from the group on May 6, 2007.

She is currently listed as a solo artist in Up-Front Agency, but she has not yet released any musical works as such. Instead, she is focused on HANGRY & ANGRY, Gatas Brilhantes H.P., and occasional appearances as a variety talent.

Profile

History

Yoshizawa Hitomi (2000)

Yoshizawa was a fourth generation member of Morning Musume, along with Ishikawa Rika, Tsuji Nozomi, and Kago Ai. She was selected from the third round of Morning Musume auditions on ASAYAN in early 2000. She debuted on the group's ninth single "Happy Summer Wedding."

In July 2000, she replaced Ichii Sayaka in Petitmoni and went on to release three singles and one album with the subgroup. When the subgroup's line-up was reshuffled in 2002, with Ogawa Makoto and Ayaka replacing Goto Maki and Yasuda Kei, Yoshizawa became the new leader. However, unlike the other reshuffled subgroups Tanpopo and Minimoni, the new line-up of Petitmoni never released a single. They had one original song, "WOW WOW WOW," but it was only released on the Petit Best 4 album and performed during concerts.

She was made the center on Morning Musume's 13th single "Mr. Moonlight ~Ai no Big Band~," which firmly established her tomboy character and gave a huge boost to her popularity.

Yoshizawa was placed in Morning Musume Sakura Gumi in January 2003 and released two singles as a part of the subgroup before it went inactive.

She was an original member of the futsal team Gatas Brilhantes H.P. when it was formed in September 2003, and she has been the team captain since 2004.

With Iida Kaori's graduation in January 2005, Yaguchi Mari became the leader of Morning Musume and Yoshizawa became the subleader. However, when Yaguchi abruptly resigned from the group in April 2005, Yoshizawa was bumped up to the leader position with Fujimoto Miki as subleader.

In April 2006, she was named an official supporter of the Japanese women's soccer league, Nadeshiko League.

She graduated from Morning Musume on May 6, 2007, at the Saitama Super Arena performance at the end of the Morning Musume Concert Tour 2007 Spring ~Sexy 8 Beat~. From there, she joined the Hello! Project Elder Club and also became the leader of Ongaku Gatas.

In 2008, Yoshizawa and Ishikawa formed a visual kei duo called HANGRY & ANGRY under Up-Front Works' Gothuall label. The duo was formed to promote h.Naoto's "HANGRY & ANGRY" fashion line.

Yoshizawa, along with the rest of the Elder Club, officially graduated from Hello! Project on March 31, 2009 (i.e. the end of the agency's fiscal year). However, the Elder Club graduation concert was held on February 1, 2009, at Yokohama Arena.

Trivia

  • Yoshizawa's most popular and frequently used nickname is 「よっすぃ」 which can be romanized as Yossy, Yossui, Yossie, or Yossi, depending on personal preference. She said on the October 22, 2007 episode of Ongaku Gatas no Guts10☆Gatas that her own preference is "Yossy." Yaguchi Mari originally gave her the nickname when she joined Morning Musume.
  • Only her seniors and close friends call her "Yocchan" (given to her by Abe Natsumi) or "Yoshiko" (given to her by Satoda Mai and Ayaka).
  • Fujimoto Miki is the only one to call her "Kabutomushi" (rhinoceros beatle), a nickname earned due to a silly game they played with each other during the Ribbon no Kishi stage musical.
  • Graduated from Risshisha High School with a correspondence course.
  • Her Morning Musume mentor was Yaguchi Mari.
  • Is related to marathon runner Takahashi Naoko.
  • Though well-known as the "tomboy" of Morning Musume, the other members have repeatedly said that Yoshizawa is actually much more girlish and delicate than her public image.
  • Although Tsunku initially pegged her as an "intelligent beauty" type during the fourth generation auditions, Yoshizawa's character was cemented after playing the boyishly handsome center role in "Mr. Moonlight ~Ai no Big Band~."
  • She was almost named "Sayaka," but when she was born, she had such big eyes that her father named her "Hitomi" ("eyes").
  • Extremely skilled in sports, especially volleyball, even receiving a recommendation in middle school.
  • She is very close friends with Satoda Mai and Ayaka, as well as with Ishikawa Rika, Yasuda Kei, Goto Maki, Fujimoto Miki, Ogawa Makoto, Kago Ai and Mitsui Aika.
  • Her favorite part of her face are her multiple beauty spots.
  • Her father was initially extremely opposed to her joining Morning Musume, so much so that he called a family meeting about it after she was selected to join the group. However, by the time her debut single, Happy Summer Wedding, came out, he was reportedly humming it around the house.
  • She said in a 2004 interview that the animal she is most like is a tiger.
  • She thinks the sexiest part of her body is her upper lip.
  • She once listed her hands and her voice as charm points.
  • Yoshizawa has had the most solo lines in one single out of all the Morning Musume members. She had 31 solo lines in Mr. Moonlight ~Ai no Big Band~.
  • She was close to becoming the kusojo (crap girl) in the Mechaike Okajo Taiikusai Test, but the title ended up going to Kago Ai.

Works

Movies

TV Dramas

  • [2002] おれがあいつであいつがおれで (Ore ga Aitsu de Aitsu ga Ore de)
  • [2002] はいからさんが通る (Haikara-san ga Tooru)
  • [2004] もっと恋セヨ乙女 (Motto Koiseyo Otome)
  • [2007] 新幹線ガール (Shinkansen Girl)

Theatre

Radio

  • [2000] プッチモニダイバー (Petitmoni Diver)
  • [2001-2002] ヘッチャラ平家★ヨロシクよっすぃ～ (Hecchara Heike * Yoroshiku Yossy)
  • [2003-2004] いきなりイナバ★よろしくヨッスィー (Ikinari Inaba * Yoroshiku Yossy)
  • [2007] 音楽ガッタスのGUTS10☆ガッタス (Ongaku Gatas no Guts10 * Gatas)

Photobooks

Yossy. Pocket Morning Musume. (Volume. 1) 8teen Hello! Yossy

External links

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