Hello! Project

'''Hello! Project''' (ハロー！プロジェクト), often shortened to H!P, is the name for a collection of female groups and artists all produced by Tsunku, a member of Sharam Q. Morning Musume is the main group of Hello! Project, with a number of Morning Musume ex-members forming the majority of the solo artists in H!P. Besides the core groups and solo artists that form H!P's line-up, various special units are formed by mixing these groups and solo artists. Shuffle units, usually formed by shuffling all the H!P members into three temporary units, were formed once a year but since 2006 the idea has been dropped.

The group is managed by the Up-Front Agency. Almost all Hello! Project artists' recordings are published by Up-Front Works on either the zetima, PICCOLO TOWN or hachama record labels. But Iida Kaori's Mediterranean styled works are released under the Chichukai label and Maeda Yuki's under the Rice Music label. Country Musume's older work was released on the Potato Label, Coconuts Musume's older works were originally released on the Sony record label, Sheki-Dol's first singles were released on SPREE RECORDS and Heike Michiyo's older works on Warner Music Japan, but they eventually all moved to zetima.

While there is a range of music and styles covered by the Hello! Project artists, all remain more-or-less firmly in the bubblegum pop category. Morning Musume is a good starting point, but each artist and group offers their own style.

Groups

 * Morning Musume
 * Hello! Project Kids
 * Berryz Koubou
 * °C-ute
 * Buono!
 * Hello! Pro Egg
 * Tomoiki Ki wo Uetai
 * Shugo Chara Egg!
 * Ice Creammusume
 * Ecomoni
 * SI☆NA
 * Guardians 4

Solo Artists

 * Tsukishima Kirari starring Kusumi Koharu
 * Mano Erina

Other Projects

 * Gatas Brilhantes H.P. (Futsal)
 * Metro Rabbits H.P. (Kickball)

Former Groups

 * Tanpopo
 * Taiyou to Ciscomoon / T&C Bomber
 * Kominato Miwa
 * RuRu
 * Shinoda Miho
 * Sheki-Dol
 * Kitagami Ami
 * Oki Ibuki
 * Suenaga Mami
 * Arai Saki
 * Petitmoni
 * Minimoni
 * Country Musume
 * W
 * Kago Ai
 * GAM
 * Coconuts Musume
 * April
 * Chelsea
 * Danielle
 * Lehua
 * Mika
 * Ayaka
 * v-u-den
 * Melon Kinenbi
 * Ongaku Gatas

Former Artists

 * Graduated from H!P as Solo Artists
 * Miyoshi Chinatsu
 * Ishii Rika
 * Heike Michiyo
 * Shimmin (H!P foreign student from Korea)
 * Goto Maki
 * Nakazawa Yuko
 * Iida Kaori
 * Abe Natsumi
 * Yasuda Kei
 * Yaguchi Mari
 * Ishikawa Rika
 * Yoshizawa Hitomi
 * Tsuji Nozomi
 * Konno Asami
 * Ogawa Makoto
 * Fujimoto Miki
 * Inaba Atsuko
 * Satoda Mai
 * Maeda Yuki
 * Matsuura Aya
 * Miyoshi Erika
 * Okada Yui
 * Kusumi Koharu
 * Graduated from Morning Musume and H!P
 * Fukuda Asuka
 * Ishiguro Aya
 * Ichii Sayaka
 * Kusumi Koharu
 * Graduated from Country Musume and H!P
 * Yanagihara Hiromi (deceased)
 * Kobayashi Azusa
 * Rinne
 * Asami
 * Miuna
 * Graduated from Berryz Koubou and H!P
 * Ishimura Maiha
 * Left °C-ute and H!P
 * Murakami Megumi
 * Arihara Kanna
 * Umeda Erika

Shuffle Units

 * 2000
 * Akagumi 4
 * Kiiro 5
 * Aoiro 7
 * 2001
 * 3nin Matsuri
 * 7nin Matsuri
 * 10nin Matsuri
 * 2002
 * Happy 7
 * Sexy 8
 * Odoru 11
 * 2003
 * SALT5
 * 7AIR
 * 11WATER
 * 2004
 * H.P. All Stars
 * 2005
 * Sexy Otonajan
 * Elegies
 * Puripuri Pink

Special Units

 * Gomattou
 * ZYX
 * ROMANS
 * Morning Musume Otomegumi
 * Morning Musume Sakuragumi
 * Aa!
 * Nochiura Natsumi
 * DEF.DIVA
 * Morning Musume Tanjou 10nen Kinentai
 * Kira☆Pika
 * Athena & Robikerottsu
 * High-King

The Shuffle Units were temporary groups usually formed during the summer. The original concept was to shuffle all the members from Hello! Project to form three new groups who would then release three singles at the same time to see which group would sell the most. This idea was probably dropped due to low sales during 2003 when all songs were released on one single. Since then the shuffle units have become more of an annual tradition rather than a contest. In 2004 all members of the Hello! Project formed a single unit, H.P. All Stars and in 2005 only eleven members were shuffled between three groups. Since 2006 there have not been any new shuffle units.

The Special Units only released one or two singles and were never mentioned again, so it can be assumed they will not be active anymore.

Auditions
For Morning Musume Auditions see Morning Musume.

1st Morning Musume & Heike Michiyo Protegee Audition

 * date: 1999.2.??
 * number of applicants: 3,264
 * selected: 三佳千夏 (Miyoshi Chinatsu)

2nd Morning Musume & Heike Michiyo Protegee Audition

 * date: 1999.05.12 (application details were included with Morning Musume's 5th single Manatsu no Kousen)
 * second interview in June 1999
 * number of applicants: 4000
 * selected: Saito Hitomi, Murata Megumi, Ohtani Masae and Shibata Ayumi (see Melon Kinenbi)

3rd Morning Musume & Heike Michiyo Protegee Audition

 * date: 1999.09.09 (application details were included with Morning Musume's 7th single LOVE Machine)
 * second interview in November 1999
 * number of applicants: unknown
 * selected: none

4th Morning Musume & Heike Michiyo Protegee Audition

 * date: 2000.05.17 (application details were included with Morning Musume's 9th single Happy Summer Wedding)
 * second interview in June 2000
 * number of applicants: 1500
 * selected: Matsuura Aya, also selected: Sheki-Dol (who debuted earlier than Aya)

Pacific Dream Pop Singer Contest

 * held in Hawaii in November 1998
 * number of applicants: 1500
 * result: Ayaka, Mika Todd, Chelsea Ching, April Barbaran and Danielle Delaunay passed the examination by Makoto of Sharan Q (see Coconuts Musume)

Hello! Project Kids Audition

 * applicant recruitment via Hello! Morning in 2002
 * number of applicants: 27958
 * selected: 15 people (see Hello! Project Kids)

Hello! Pro Egg Audition

 * applicant recruitment via Hello! Morning in 2004
 * number of applicants: 10570
 * selected: 32 people, including Okada Yui of v-u-den and 4 futsal trainees of Gatas Brilhantes H.P. (see Hello! Pro Egg)

Hello! Project Kansai Audition 2005

 * date: 2005-10-24 to 2005-11-21
 * applicant recruitment via Hello! Morning in 2005
 * number of applicants: Unknown
 * selected: Iwashima Manami, Abe Asami, Nakayama Nana, and Suma Ai (see Hello! Pro Kansai)

Radio
Many of the groups/girls in Hello! Project host radio shows or have in the past. They include guest speakers, upcoming release previews, the girls' selected choices of music and often funny radio skits or segments.

Radio Drama
Hello! Project Radio Drama CD Volume One (2003-10-29)

1. Nani mo nai Machi - Takahashi Ai, Konno Asami, Ogawa Makoto 2. Tameki to Kame - Yaguchi Mari, Yasuda Kei 3. Ame Yadori - Fujimoto Miki, Iida Kaori, Yoshizawa Hitomi

Hello! Project Radio Drama CD Volume Two (2003-10-29)

1. Radio Friends - Goto Maki, Yaguchi Mari, Saitou Hitomi 2. Hoshizuna no Jima, Watashi no Jima Nakazawa Yuko, Matsuura Aya

Hello! Project Radio Drama CD Volume Three (2004-03-31)

1. Onsen Iki no Bus Yurarete - Abe Natsumi, Inaba Atsuko, Tsuji Nozomi, Kago Ai 2. Aa Sakura Bashi - Konno Asami, Ishikawa Rika 3. Crepe no Iru Machi - Fujimoto Miki, Takahashi Ai, Niigaki Risa

Hello! Project Radio Drama CD Volume Four (2004-06-09)

1. Gocchin x2 - Goto Maki, Inaba Atsuko 2. EMA - Yoshizawa Hitomi, Shibata Ayumi, Murata Megumi 3. THE☆BENGTOYAH - Yaguchi Mari, Ogawa Makoto, Fujimoto Miki, Konno Asami 4. Pantheon no Toko - Ishikawa Rika, Kamei Eri, Kago Ai

Hello! Project Radio Drama CD Series Two Volume One (2004-07-14)

1. Sayonara Ashita - Ishikawa Rika, Yoshizawa Hitomi, Hamamura Jun 2. The • Miss Tsuutenkaku - Iida Kaori, Ohtani Masae, Saitou Hitomi 3. Ojiichan no Mukashibanashi - Konno Asami, Tanaka Reina, Hamamura Jun, Horiuchi Takao

Hello! Project Radio Drama CD Series Two Volume Two (2004-07-14)

1. Shimizu no Futai Kara - Tsuji Nozomi, Takahashi Ai, Inaba Atsuko 2. Dochinko Mangaishi - Abe Natsumi, Fujimoto Miki, Satoda Mai, Inaba Atsuko 3. Naniwa Angels - Nakazawa Yuko, Kago Ai, Matsuura Aya, Hamamura Jun, Horiuchi Takao

TV Shows

 * 1999-01-05 to 2002-03-26 Idol wo Sagase! (アイドルをさがせ！)
 * 2000-01-04 to 2000-09-29 Morning Musume no Heso (モーニング娘. のへそ)
 * 2000-04-02 to 2007-04-01 Hello! Morning (ハロー！モーニング)
 * 2000-10-02 to 2001-03-30 Bishoujo Nikki (美少女日記)
 * 2001-04-02 to 2001-09-28 Bishoujo Kyouiku (美少女教育)
 * 2001-10-01 to 2002-03-29 Shin Bishoujo Nikki (新・美少女日記)
 * 2002-04-01 to 2002-09-27 Bishoujo Kyouiku II (美少女教育II)
 * 2002-04-02 to 2002-12-24 Morning Musume Tsuushin (モーニング娘. 通信)
 * 2002-09-30 to 2003-03-28 Bishoujo Nikki III (美少女日記III)
 * 2003-03-31 to 2003-09-27 Sexy Onnajyuku (セクシー女塾)
 * 2003-09-29 to 2003-12-26 Soreyuke! Gorokkies (それゆけ!ゴロッキーズ)
 * 2004-01-05 to 2004-04-02 Yoroshiku! Senpai (よろしく!センパイ)
 * 2004-04-05 to 2004-10-01 Futarigoto (二人ゴト)
 * 2004-10-04 to 2004-12-24 Majokko Rikachan no Magical Biyuuden (魔女っ娘. 梨華ちゃんのマジカル美勇伝)
 * 2005-01-05 to 2005-04-01 Musume Document 2005 (娘. ドキュメント2005)
 * 2005-04-04 to 2006-05-05 Musume DOKYU! (娘DOKYU!)
 * 2006-03-03 to 2006-11-24 Hello Pro Hour (Online only)
 * 2006-05-08 to 2006-09-29 Musume DOKYU! Eruda Yonchoume no Hitobito (娘DOKYU!～絵流田4丁目の人々～)
 * 2006-10-02 to 2008-03-28 Uta Doki! Pop Classics (歌ドキッ！～ポップクラシックス～)
 * 2006-11-04 to 2007-02-17 °C-ute has come.
 * 2007-04-08 to 2008-09-28 Haromoni@
 * 2008-03-31 to 2008-10-03 Berikyuu! (ベリキュー！)
 * 2008-10-06 to Present Yorosen! (よろセン！)