Iida Kaori

Iida Kaori (2009)

Iida Kaori (2005)

Iida Kaori in Morning Musume promoting the single "The☆Pea~ce!" (2001)

Iida Kaori is a former leader and first generation member of Morning Musume and Hello! Project soloist. She is currently an Up-Front Agency soloist and part of Morning Musume OG.

Profile

• Name: Iida Kaori (飯田圭織)
• Nicknames: Johnson, Kaorin, Kao-tan
• Birthday: August 8, 1981 (1981-08-08)
• Birthplace: Muroran, Hokkaidō, Japan
• Blood type: A
• Height: 168 cm (5'6.14")
• Hobbies: Drawing, cooking
• Special skills: Communicating, making puns
• Favorite words: LOVE & PEACE
• Favorite color: Red
• Favorite flowers: Roses, tulips
• Favorite season: Summer
• Favorite food: Oysters, scallions, cream bread
• Disliked food: Fried tofu, bacon
• Hello! Project groups:
  • Morning Musume (1997–2005)
  • Tanpopo (1998–2002)
  • Aoiro 7 (2000)
  • 10nin Matsuri (2001)
  • Odoru 11 (2002)
  • Morning Musume Otomegumi (2003–2004)
  • 11WATER (2003)
  • H.P. All Stars (2004)
  • Hello! Project Akagumi (2005)
  • Puripuri Pink (2005)
  • Elder Club (2006–2007; 2009)
  • Morning Musume Tanjou 10nen Kinentai (2007)
• Special Groups:
  • Afternoon Musume (2010)
• UP-FRONT groups:
  • Ganbarou Nippon Ai wa Katsu Singers (2011)

History

Iida Kaori was one of the first five original members of Morning Musume and graduated on January 30, 2005, giving her the longest tenure of the first generation members. She began a solo career while still a member of Morning Musume and released two Mediterranean cover albums, two Japanese albums, and two singles. In addition to being a member of Morning Musume, Iida was in several subgroups and shuffle units.

On July 6, 2007, it was announced that Iida was 10 weeks pregnant with her first child and to marry ex-7HOUSE member Kenji. Then, in late July, it was announced that the marriage papers were filed on the day after the pregnancy and marriage announcement, July 7. Iida then went on maternity leave but the name of her son was never publicly revealed.

On November 28, 2008, newspapers reported that Iida's 6-month-old child had passed away of chronic renal failure on July 27, 2008. Iida held a memorial service on September to lay his ashes. Up-Front Agency's message concerning the situation stated that the child was hospitalized soon after being born due to renal problems, and after having some discussions, both the agency and Iida agreed that she would return to show business. She performed on stage on January 2009. She graduated Hello! Project and Elder Club in 2009 and is now part of Morning Musume OG.

Kaori announced that she was pregnant with her second child on December 25, 2012 with an expected due date in the Spring of 2013. She later gave birth to a healthy baby boy on May 13, 2013.

Trivia

• From the date Morning Musume was formed (September 7, 1997) to the date she graduated (January 30, 2005), Iida's tenure in Morning Musume lasted 2,702 days.
• Is an experienced acoustic guitar player.
• Her nickname "Johnson" comes from the hosts of Utaban constantly referring to her as such. The origin comes from the 1999.02.16 episode where Ishibashi Takaaki decided to associate each member with a baseball player (so he could remember them easier), and Iida supposedly resembled Davey Johnson. Iida's nickname was the only one that stuck.
• Is the only member of Hello! Project to have been in a shuffle unit each year. Each time she has been in the largest group, with the exception of 2005. The group she was in, Puripuri Pink, tied with Elegies as the largest, each with four members.
• Attended Hokkaido Sapporo Tousei High School and later transferred to Tokyo Municipal Yoyogi High School, where she was the same year as SPEED member Uehara Takako.
• Loves to draw and has published a few children books.
• Her long hair was a trademark of her image, but she cut it short not long after her graduation from Morning Musume. Since then, she has grown it out long again.
• Fans and members have remarked that she must be "communicating with aliens," due to her frequent blank and spacey expressions.
• She is the one who came up with the nickname "Ayaya" for Matsuura Aya.
• Maeda Yuki joined Hello! Project thanks to Iida.
• Prior to joining Morning Musume, she appeared in a battery commercial back in Sapporo. She was even a finalist in Komuro Tetsuya's auditions held by ASAYAN at the same time.
• She once said in an interview that her future dream was to be a happy mother.
• She considers herself her rival.
• She was a contestant on the fourth series of Shall We Dance?, the Japanese version of Dancing With the Stars.

Discography

Albums

• [2003.04.23] Osavurio ~Ai wa Matte Kurenai~ (オサヴリオ～愛は待ってくれない～)
• [2003.10.22] Paradinome ~Koi ni Mi wo Yudanete~ (パラディノメ ～恋に身をゆだねて～)
• [2004.12.29] Avenir ~Mirai~ (アヴニール～未来～)
• [2005.12.21] Plein d'Amour ~Ai ga Ippai~ (プラン・ダムール～愛がいっぱい～)
• [2016.07.20] ONDAS

Singles

• [2004.02.04] Aegekai ni Dakarete (エーゲ海に抱かれて)
• [2004.07.28] Door no Mukou de Bell ga Natteta (ドアの向こうでBellが鳴ってた)

Compilations / Other

• [2001.??.??] Iida Kaori - "Anata no Kami no Kaori" (Fan Club single)
• [2004.12.22] Hello! Project - Petit Best 5 (#14 Aegekai ni Dakarete)
• [2005.12.21] Hello! Project - Petit Best 6 (#10 Sakura no Hana ga Saku Koro)

DVD

• Aegekai (エーゲ海) (with Aida Shoko)
• Guts Ishimatsu Shuen Gojuunotou (ガッツ石松主演 五重塔)

Concerts

• [2007.??.??] Shounan SPECIAL LIVE 2007 ~Ajisai~ Vol. 6 Iida Kaori (湘南SPECIAL LIVE 2007～あじさい～Vol. 6 飯田圭織)

Morning Musume OG Concerts

• [2011.04.23] Dream Morning Musume Concert Tour 2011 Haru no Mai ~Sotsugyousei DE Saikessei~ (ドリームモーニング娘。コンサートツアー2011春の舞～卒業生 DE 再結成～)

Photobooks

• [2002.05.01] Kaori KAORI Kaori (かおりKAORI圭織)
• [2003.09.??] Pocket Morning Musume. (Volume 2) (ポケットモーニング娘。) (with Abe Natsumi, Yaguchi Mari, and Goto Maki)
• [2004.01.30] Aegekai (エーゲ海) (with Aida Shoko)
• [2005.03.16] Hello! Project 2005 Winter All-Stars Dairanbu ~A HAPPY NEW POWER! Iida Kaori Sotsugyo Special~ (オールスターズ大乱舞～飯田圭織卒業スペシャル～)

Essay Book

• [2001.12.??] Kokoro no Sketch Book. (心のスケッチブック。)
• [2002.12.??] Lion no Marujan (ライオンのマルジャン) (with Kamata Toshi)

Works

Movies

• [2010] Koisuru Bentou Danshi

Anime

• [2011] Pink no Bulldog ~Utau WAN WAN~ - as Kororo

Theater

• [2011.03.15-21] SAMURAI Banka ~Boushuu Bakumastuhen~ (SAMURAI挽歌～房州幕末編～)

References

External Links

• Official Profile
• Official Fanclub Page
• UP-FRONT WORKS: Iida Kaori discography
• Wikipedia Profiles: Japanese: 飯田圭織 | English: Kaori Iida
• Iida Kaori official blog
• IMDb entry
• Asayan Profile