Morning Musume Happy 8ki Audition

モーニング娘。Happy８期オーディション (English: Morning Musume Happy 8th Generation Audition) is the audition to choose the eighth generation member(s) of Morning Musume. The single winner was 13-year-old Mitsui Aika.

Requirements

• Participants must have graduated elementary school, but may not be older than 21 years of age on 2007-04-01.
• Participants may not be part of or signed to public entertainment groups such as theatrical agencies.

First round

Participants are not required to send in their application forms, instead they can bring them to several examination events throughout Japan (see list below). There they will be interviewed and have to sing a simple song a cappella.

The results of the first round are announced at the examination location on that day.

• 2006-08-27 Naha, Okinawa - 5 girls chosen:
  • (16) Touma Rinne (當間鈴音), 11
  • (21) Sashida Anri (佐次田杏莉), 12
  • (106) Uezato Saki (上里彩希), 11
  • (31) Nakamura Shiho (仲村詩歩), 14
  • (102) Amuro Koharu (安室小春), 14
• 2006-09-02 Kagoshima, Kagoshima - 7 girls chosen, including:
  • (146) Kashiwagi Yuki (柏木由紀), 15
  • (66) Iwamoto Haruka (岩元遥佳), 14
  • (121) Higa Maria (比嘉万里愛), 12
  • (126) Sekine Chika (関根智華), 13
• 2006-09-03 Sapporo, Hokkaido - 16 girls chosen, including:
  • (501) Nishimura Kaede (西村楓), 13
  • (554) Watanabe Hikaru (渡邊ひかる), 12
  • (609) Satou Mayu (佐藤麻由), 11
  • (642) Nedefuji Rie (子出藤理恵), 17
  • (646) Nishimura Emika (西村笑花), 15
• 2006-09-10 Kanazawa, Ishikawa - 5 girls chosen, including:
  • (590) Yamato Yui (山戸唯), 14
  • (593) Takahashi Yuka (高橋有袈), 13
• 2006-09-17 Hiroshima, Hiroshima - 4 girls chosen
• 2006-09-17 Sendai, Miyagi - 8 girls chosen, including:
  • (703) Endou Kana (遠藤香南), 12
  • (826) Horaguchi Misa (洞口美沙)
• 2006-09-18 Fukuoka, Fukuoka - 10 girls chosen, including:
  • (75) Saitou Hikari (斎藤光), 11
  • (341) Okumura Minami (奥村陽), 16
  • (175) Agarie Hikari (東江日香理), 17
  • (176) Hanada Natsumi (花田奈都美), 15
• 2006-10-01 Osaka, Osaka - 18 girls chosen, including:
  • (356) Okuno Mayuka (奧野真由香), 12
  • (389) Kunimi Ai (国見愛), 12
  • (397) Mitsui Aika (光井愛佳), 13
  • (420) Takei Reina (武井玲奈), 12
  • (428) Morikawa Yumi (森川侑美), 18
  • (453) Mizuno Tamaki (水野環), 12
• 2006-10-07 Nagoya, Aichi - 19 girls chosen, including:
  • (495) Hori Erika (堀えりか), 13
  • (902) Meitoma Mayumi (命苫真由美), 17
  • (1022) Kito Momona (鬼頭桃菜), 13
  • (1133) Nakamura Wakana (中村若奈), 14
  • (1211) Yamanaka Madoka (山中まどか), 14
  • (1301) Horikawa Akina (堀川玲奈), 14
• 2006-10-22 Tokyo, Tokyo - 43 girls chosen, including:
  • (1412) Horie Mina (堀江聖夏), 13
  • (3806) Koizumi Miyuki (小泉美優紀), 15
  • (4487) Masuda Ayami (増田絢美), 13
  • (1617) Kameyama Ayami (亀山綾美), 17
  • (?) Takitsu Kumiko (瀧津久美子), 18
  • (4476) Kikkawa Yuu (吉川友), 14
  • (3863) Sato Sumire (佐藤すみれ), 12

There were 6883 applicants in total.

Second round

128 girls chosen from the first round.

For the second round, the videotape and profile of each girl is viewed by Tsunku, who then arbitrarily selects the ones he wants to go into the third round.

Third round

1. Sing SEXY BOY ~Soyokaze ni Yorisotte~, Osaka Koi no Uta, or Furusato
2. Give a performance to the rhythm of LOVE Machine.

• TVQ Kyusha Studio, Fukuoka - 2006-09-24 - 7 Girls from Naha, Kagoshima and Fukuoka
  • Uezato Saki (上里彩希), 11 - Furusato
  • Kashiwagi Yuki (柏木由紀), 15 - SEXY BOY ~Soyokaze ni Yorisotte~
  • Iwamoto Haruka (岩元遥佳), 14 - Furusato
  • Saitou Hikari (斎藤光), 11 - Furusato
  • Hanada Natsumi (花田奈都美), 15 - SEXY BOY ~Soyokaze ni Yorisotte~
  • Okumura Minami (奥村陽), 16 - Osaka Koi no Uta
  • Agarie Hikari (東江日香理), 17 - SEXY BOY ~Soyokaze ni Yorisotte~

• Osaka - 2006-10-15 - 10 Girls from Kanazawa, Osaka and Nagoya
  • Mizuno Tamaki (水野環), 12 - Osaka Koi no Uta
  • Morikawa Yumi (森川侑美), 18 - SEXY BOY ~Soyokaze ni Yorisotte~
  • Kunimi Ai (国見愛), 12 - Furusato
  • Mitsui Aika (光井愛佳), 13 - Furusato
  • Okuno Mayuka (奧野真由香), 12 - SEXY BOY ~Soyokaze ni Yorisotte~
  • Takahashi Yuka (高橋有袈), 13 - Furusato
  • Yamato Yui (山戸唯), 14 - Furusato
  • Hori Erika (堀えりか), 13 - Osaka Koi no Uta
  • Nakamura Wakana (中村若奈), 14 - Furusato
  • Yamanaka Madoka (山中まどか), 14 - SEXY BOY ~Soyokaze ni Yorisotte~

• Tokyo - 2006-11-05 - 9 girls from Sapporo, Sendai and Tokyo
  • Kameyama Ayami (亀山綾美), 17 - Osaka Koi no Uta
  • Koizumi Miyuki (小泉美優紀), 15 - SEXY BOY ~Soyokaze ni Yorisotte~
  • Kikkawa Yuu (吉川友), 14 - Furusato
  • Satou Sumire (佐藤すみれ), 12 - Osaka Koi no Uta
  • Masuda Ayami (増田絢美), 13 - Furusato
  • Watanabe Hikaru (渡邊ひかる), 12 - SEXY BOY ~Soyokaze ni Yorisotte~
  • Nishimura Emika (西村笑花), 15 - SEXY BOY ~Soyokaze ni Yorisotte~
  • Satou Mayu (佐藤麻由), 11 - SEXY BOY ~Soyokaze ni Yorisotte~

Fourth round

Six girls were chosen from the third round:

• Okumura Minami (奥村陽), 16
• Hanada Natsumi (花田奈都美), 15
• Kikkawa Yuu (吉川友), 14
• Mitsui Aika (光井愛佳), 13
• Satou Sumire (佐藤すみれ), 13
• Masuda Ayami (増田絢美), 13

They were taken to a mini training camp from 2006-11-18 to 2006-11-19 where they received dance and vocal lessons, and separately recorded Aruiteru in front of Tsunku.

On 2006-12-09, each girl performed a song in front of an audience of 18-25 year old women. Shortly before the event, Masuda Ayami removed herself from the competition for unspecified reasons.

• Okumura Minami - Do it! Now
• Satou Sumire - Roman ~MY DEAR BOY~
• Kikkawa Yuu - Memory Seishun no Hikari
• Mitsui Aika - Osaka Koi no Uta
• Hanada Natsumi - Ai Araba IT'S ALL RIGHT

Results

One winner revealed on the 2006-12-10 episode of Hello! Morning: Mitsui Aika.

External links

• Official page, Location list
• Source - http://mmeighth.tripod.com/