#4 – Graduation Rush! What’s Next for Morning Musume? (卒業ラッシュ！モーニング娘。の今とこれから)
Welcome to J-pop Kissa. Take a break. Picture this. A cozy table in a retro Japanese cafe. And you’ve just joined me here. I’m Terrence, a longtime fan of J-pop and Japanese entertainment, especially since the ’90s. While we sip something warm, I’ll share what’s been on my mind about the music, dramas, movies, and more. Let’s take a break together. Welcome to episode 4 of J-pop Kissa. A lot has happened this week in Japanese entertainment industry. Well, especially J-pop, at least in my mind. Uh, so today I definitely want to talk about what’s been on my mind. Um, and the first big one is going to be about Morningum. So, Morning us is a group for those that do not know that has been around for more than 27 years now. I believe they came out or they they formed in 1997. So, they started out as a group made by a producer called um Zungu. And he used to have his own band um and he was huge in the ‘9s. And I’ll talk about that maybe in another episode, but anyway. So he was in charge of this audition looking for the female rock vocalist and the five girls that ended up coming together to become this group um were actually ones that didn’t make it in that audition. So, one girl got picked and she won. And then these remaining five girls, Zungu, decided to bring them together to form a group and see if they could um do something with that. And they had this huge um show following the whole audition process and also following their formation. And they had to sell, for example, 50,000 copies of their single. And if they could do that then they could officially debut as a group. So um that’s actually what happened and they came together and then throughout the history of the group they had this system where um members would decide to leave and they would call it graduation. So they would graduate from the group and then Zunku made something really revolutionary at the time in the music industry um in Japan is that he started adding members. So at different periods he would suddenly announce a new audition for new members and then these new members would became for example the second generation, the third generation and so on. So thanks to that the group has been able to stay consistent um and in a sense that they’ve become they’ve been really relevant and they’ve been around for so many years and all these new members would take on the music from all the years past. So it’s just passing on to tra tradition and this group would continue to form and evolve. Um and each era has something very uniquely different. So there’s always been something really entertaining and the fact that not all of them are necessarily professionals from the beginning because they come from auditions. The company tends to see potential in them and then so they will bring them in. Some of them just start day one to be really talented. They sing really well or they dance really well. Um or it could be that their personality is very entertaining. Um, but some may not have seemingly that talent from day one and then you see them grow over the years. So there’s always something to root for and I think that was the original concept of why they’re called morning mus. So morning is coming from the idea is that these girls coming together. It’s like a set you get a breakfast in some restaurants where there’s an egg, there’s a toast, there’s um coffee and you basically get a little bit of what you want and it’s like selling as a set. So that was the idea that came from their group. And then Musu just means girls. Um so morning girls in a way. So again, it’s been around since forever. Um, and I actually got really into them when I was still in middle school. Um, so that was I think I believe the sec first or second year after they were formed and then they got their first number one and it was around the time when the first member decided to leave the group. So it was a very puzzling concept to me like first of all why does this group have eight people in it? It’s just huge. Um, now it seems like it’s so normal. When you look at K-pop, for example, when you see all these other groups in J-pop, there are so many people. Um, by the time it was just a baffling idea to me to have why these so many people like how do they get paid? Um, and then and then some girl would leave and then they suddenly add people. So, what is that all what does that all mean? And so that was something intriguing, but I was most intrigued by their music and you could hear how the music evolved throughout the years, fitting the era, but always keeping this original sound. Um, and Morning Nume is part of um this bigger umbrella called Hollow Project. And within there, there are also other groups as well. Um, but there is a very unique sound to Hollow Project and their songs and the style. And I’ll definitely get more into that um later because this is going to be a recurring theme because it’s a big part of my um music passion. So as I mentioned earlier, this group is about evolution and constant change. So people leaving is such a big part of this group. So it’s not a surprise when someone’s leaving. And that’s exactly what happened this week when the oldest member who was the ninth generation and she joined um in 2011. Um so her name was Ika and she was with the group for basically 14 years and ultimately became a leader coming when she joined as an amateur and didn’t really know how to sing and dance. And in the end, you know, she brought her own personality and her color and she was the leader. Um, but she finally graduated in her own concert. Um, so it was really the end of an era in so many ways because if you think about it, being with a group for 14 years, there’s a lot of influence in that. Um, but as part of that, there were a lot of announcements that happened over the past week. So, I’ll get into a little bit of that. It’s a lot of details, so please follow with me here. So before the graduation concert people then wondered well who is going to be the next leader and how it usually is decided is whoever is the oldest or whoever has been the most senior member. So if you join in an earlier generation or the earliest generation then usually that person would be the leader or within that who’s the oldest for example. So when they looked at all the remaining members, so the ninth generation, Ika was the last one. 10th generation, they actually all graduated at various moments before. And so the next oldest person is um the 11th generation. So Oda Sakura. So she is clearly the best singer of their group. She can sing everything. She it was clear from the beginning how well she could sing. Um but she’s also been around for a very long time. So she has been with the group since I believe so she’s been with the group for about 13 years already. Um and and so it’s wondering like okay so when is she graduating but you know if she is a Nick senior member so maybe she’s a NY leader but then it was announced that she will remain as a sub leader and then who is actually in turn going to be the next leader is the next generation after that the 12th generation and the oldest member there is called nonakamiki she is someone who has lived overseas and she can speak English very Well, she’s also been a very big promoter of the group in her own original ways like going on YouTube and creating these PowerPoint presentations on how what what the individual members are like, how to group for them. And so she’s actually been a very big advocate for the group in a very different way. Um and and so and clearly she also had music talent and she even organized an online concert I think or it was a broadcasted for the group. So she even was like a producer in so many ways. So she was announced to be the next leader after I graduated. So that was actually surprising but at the same time it made sense. also thinking that you know as I mentioned a has Sakura has been the the 11th generation like she has been around for 13 years and she will be about 20 or 28 next year which is also the timing of that when she will graduate from the group. So it’s also very surprising that they’re announcing this early that she will actually graduate sometime in 2026. We don’t know exactly when um but basically instead of I guess it makes sense that instead of having her become the leader and then leave again um within the year or so that she will stay on as a subleader to support um while and then she will graduate um in the next year. So that’s a really big announcement, not surprising, but it is indicating of a somewhat of a change because the group has relied on her so much for her vocal abilities. And not all members are as talented her as her as in singing. And this may be very subjective um and some fans will feel differently, but she clearly can sing. So that will be a big transition for their group and it’s going to happen. And and I brought up age um earlier and the reason why is that a lot of these members join in their teenage years. Um very rarely. I don’t think anyone joined after they were 20. um except for the original group where the leader at the time um she was 24 I believe when the group was formed. So it’s it’s you know at so this means that you know by the time they do leave the group they’re either in their early 20s or their mid20s but now getting into late 20s is a very different dynamic. Um, and you know, one could argue they should be able to do whatever they want forever how long they want, no matter what age they may be. But, you know, when you think about your life, um, you know, going to school or being in a job, if you’re there for a few years, you know, that’s already a long time. And then for some of these members have been there for more than 10 years or even nine, eight, I know that’s been a lifetime. So it makes sense that she really wants to graduate and really go and pursue something else. Whatever that is, we don’t know yet. She it hasn’t been announced. Um but that is one graduation that was announced before I graduated. And then the another 12th generation 12th gen uh member called Makin Maria um she is going to be the sub leader. So you can now see this new generation where the 12th generation is going to lead this group going forward. Um but then after EK graduated really literally earlier this week announcement was made and that was also a shock to a lot of people in that two more members are announced to graduate by the end of this year. So one of them is also a 12th generation. Um her name is Haga Akane. Um and then another member is the 13th generation. Um who is Yokoyama. So Haga and Yokoyama they have been with a group for 9 to 11 years and both of them are in are 23 or 24 years old now. So again going back to the idea that if you’ve joined as a teen now that you’re going into your adulthood you know when you’re thinking about next stages um I guess for them this is the time for them to try new things and leave and what’s even more significant about these two is that they are leaving show to all together a lot of the former morning news members um they have left to continue their activities whether Whereas singers, actors, um talents as they call in Japan, it’s like you do sort of any kind of media related work. Um a lot of them has stayed on. So even if you were a fan of them and they left the group, the fact that you can still see them somehow or support their work in some ways, um that’s for me as a fan of some of those older members as well, like that’s a relief. I said, “Oh, I can still support them.” Um, but for some of them, some of the smaller minority of the of members, like you know, you don’t really get to see them anymore. Um, so that’s a little bit sad. And so I can imagine how a lot of fans are mourning the loss of these two already, even though we know that they’re still a few months before their final concert. Um, but yeah, so that means that even more people are leaving. So what that means is that this group as I mentioned has a lot of people after IKA IKA left there are 10 members now. So 10 may still seem like a big number. Um but to put into perspective, um up until maybe even last year or the year before, they had um 12 people and before that they had 13. And and it was always a little bit more than 10. And and you may think, well, what’s the you know, why why does it matter? Well, in a way it doesn’t because the group started out as five um way back in 1997 and then they generally evolved to about eight and then 10ish um for a very long time. So, it’s really around the same. But when you have that many members, one is that you definitely see kind of different talents coming through and it’s great to see that um in different songs when they’re singing a very specific line that’s for them or maybe someone’s really good at dancing. So you there there are different elements you can support and also their dances become much more dynamic because there you can do different formations and Mon has been known for their formation dances um and and the entertainment aspect of it. So, so that is something that um is interesting to see now that they are getting smaller. But the second aspect of it is that um there are the newer members in the group that are now probably going to be more more and more focused going forward. So the remaining members of the group are the 15th to 17th generations. Um and they were born between 2004 to 2008. So they’re about like 17 to 20 21 uh 22 years old right now. So when they are the ones that are going to be there as the you know they’re the majority of it it’s going to bring there’s well with the older members leaving it will give them an ability to be in the spotlight even more. It’ll give them an ability to influence what the group is like and for the songs that are made for them. you know, there’s going to be much more of a thought of what it means for these members to sing whatever songs they may be singing. So, it’s definitely going to be a different color. And going back to when we talked about how all these other people are going to leave soon, it’s going to be a transition. From the announcements, it sounds like they started talking about when they would graduate from at least 2023. And what 2023 was was when the leader at the time uh also ninth generation um left and the and she was actually also thinking of leaving the group um even before the pandemic but because of the pandemic and different other members are leaving. They’ve asked her to stay on much longer than she wanted. Um, and and it was great. We got more years with her, but she was a leader since 2014 all the way up to 2023. So that so she was a leader for 11 years. So, some fans feel that maybe she was there for too long, which I don’t necessarily feel it’s a fair topic because, you know, some it’s not her decision obviously and you know, all members bring their own color to it and it’s not so much about who is in their group or were more worthy to leave soon. Like, I feel like it’s just it’s just a rabbit hole that you don’t want to go into and it’s just unfair to them. But it, you know, the fact that she was with her group for so long, I think that she she had a lot of opportunity to sing a lot of the parts, um, it it was an era with her name in it. Like she hasn’t like there’s a fans call each era something different and then her era was basically just her name in a sense. Um, so so it was clear that that she had a big influence. So now it’s going to be interesting to see that all these people that have been around since the early 2010s leaving and now what does it mean when the newer members are around and then we also think that well once leaves next year and also Haga and Yokohama leaving Yoku leaving this year it’s going to be seven people. So, what that will indicate, as fans of this group will know, is that an audition is going to come soon. They will announce that they’re going to add members. I’m most likely imagine that probably within the next month or two they’re going to announce something and maybe if they’re really quick they’ll announce the new members around um the timing of Hagyama leaving by the end of the year or maybe it’s in the earlier time of 2026. I don’t know yet. But I definitely feel that now it’s going to be a rush to add more members so that the group can continue to sustain itself and allow the member new members to grow into themselves while the older members start to think about their own graduation. So it’s like a succession planning in a company in a way. Um and so I think a lot more changes will be happening. Um, for newer fans, this may be a shock to see, you know, if it’s someone that you like that’s graduating to leave, but we’ve all gotten used to it over the years. So, this will be nothing but good news um for the group as it continues to um innovate and be relevant um going into, you know, the 20 um 7th or the 8th or the 29th year. And you know, the 30-year anniversary is coming around the corner. That’s insane if you think about any group that’s around for so long. And you know, yes, the members are different, but the music is really relevant still. Um, and I think if you think about the idol industry in Japan, this group will and everything related like the Hollow Project, like the different groups that have been around for over the over the years and also the solo artist, you know, there are people that can still name the key songs that have influenced and yes, popularity have, you know, come and go, but they’ve, you know, remained s um consistent and they continue to fill, you know, big concert halls and arenas. So, you know, there’s nothing but something. There’s just something exciting that’s around the corner. And I’m very curious as to what the graduation songs will be like by the end of the year um for the two and also going forward. So, yeah. So, if you haven’t listened to Morning Musa at all and you may imagine that they’re like a K-pop group in some or if you think about, you know, groups, you know, think of K-pop, but J-pop in general is very different and there are different types as well, but Morning Mus has their own color. Um, and I will definitely add in links to the descriptions um for you to discover. Um, definitely they had two singles that came out. Well, two songs that came out this year timing with Ika’s graduation. Um, but I’ll also add in one or two of my favorite. Um, so yeah. So, graduation rush for morning with is the big news in my head. Um, and so that is one that I definitely wanted to talk about. So, I was definitely going to talk about other topics that have been on my mind about J-pop this week, but I feel like now that I’ve spent so many minutes talking about Morning Mus um that this deserves its own time and I feel like everyone should digest it um and absorb and research. Um, so I will talk about the other topics in my ne next episode. Um, so please look forward to that as well. Um, but yeah, so thanks for joining me today at the table. Um, and I’ll be back soon with those other topics. But until then, take care and enjoy your next cup of J-pop and entertainment. Post-prouction disclaimer and correction. There are uh some numbers that I want to correct myself um on that currently there are 11 members for morning musing that after the two graduating this year and also Oda Sakar graduating next year it will be eight people in total. Um and also the former former leader of Monus Fukumura. Um she was with the group for nine years and not 11 years as I mentioned. Apologize for the confusion.
In this episode, host and long-time fan Terence talks about the graduation rush currently happening within the legendary Japanese idol group, Morning Musume。Who are they, and what do graduations really mean in idol culture? Terence reflects on the group’s recent changes, the significance of upcoming graduations, and shares his thoughts on the future of Morning Musume。as they approach their 28th anniversary.
Who is Morning Musume。’25?
Morning Musume。’25 was formed from an audition on the TV Tokyo show ASAYAN. Five unsuccessful applicants from the “Sharan Q Rock Vocalist Audition” were given a challenge: sell 50,000 copies of their indie single Ai no Tane in five days. Upon success, they made their major debut with the single Morning Coffee.
Their 7th single LOVE Machine became their first million-seller, and the group went on to break numerous records among female groups.
Since January 1, 2014, the group has added the Western calendar year to the end of their name. As of January 1, 2025, they are known as “Morning Musume。’25 (Morning Musume Two-Five).”
🎵 Links to songs and profiles below!
このエピソードでは、ホストであり長年のファンでもあるテレンスが、伝説的なアイドルグループ・モーニング娘。に現在起きている“卒業ラッシュ”について英語で語ります。モーニング娘。とは何者なのか？そして、アイドル文化において“卒業”とはどういう意味を持つのか？
グループの最近の変化や今後の卒業発表の意味を振り返りつつ、デビュー28周年を迎えようとしているモーニング娘。の未来について思いを巡らせます。
モーニング娘。’25
テレビ東京系「ASAYAN」でのオーディション企画、「シャ乱Qロックヴォーカリストオーディション」に落選した5人が、インディーズのCDシングル「愛の種」を5日間で5万枚売り切ることを条件にメジャーデビューを果たす。グループ名の由来は「いろいろついてくる、盛り沢山、おトク感、親しみやすい」を表したもの。シングル「モーニングコーヒー」でメジャーデビュー。７thシングル「LOVEマシーン」で初のミリオンを記録。その後、女性グループが持つ数々の記録を更新し続けている。
2014年1月1日よりアーティスト名の後ろに、西暦の年号を入れて表記する。
それに伴い2025年1月1日よりアーティスト名が「モーニング娘。’25（モーニングムスメ トゥーファイブ）」に改名。
モーニング娘。オフィシャルサイトのプロフィール (https://www.helloproject.com/morningmusume/profile/) より
🎵 曲とプロフィールのリンクは下からチェック！
Official Site Profile (https://www.helloproject.com/morningmusume/profile/)
Leader: Miki Nonaka (リーダー: 野中美希) (https://www.helloproject.com/morningmusume/profile/miki_nonaka/)
Sub-Leader: Sakura Oda (サブリーダー：小田さくら） (https://www.helloproject.com/morningmusume/profile/sakura_oda/)
Sub-Leader: Maria Makino (サブリーダー：牧野真莉愛） (https://www.helloproject.com/morningmusume/profile/maria_makino/)
Graduating this year in 2025 (２０２５年に卒業する予定):
Akane Haga (羽賀朱音) (https://www.helloproject.com/morningmusume/profile/akane_haga/)
Reina Yokoyama (横山玲奈) (https://www.helloproject.com/morningmusume/profile/reina_yokoyama/)
Latest Single:
Morning Musume。’25 – “Ki ni Naru so no ki no tua” (モーニング娘。’25『気になるその気の歌』)
Music Video (https://youtu.be/lrDY5wpMto4?si=zCXffUxzcmOoYE1N)
Morning Musume。’25 – “Akaruku ii ko” (モーニング娘。’25『明るく良い子』)
Music Video (https://youtu.be/sFBGnQsRRqs?si=2Pfuby4vp3zGJor-)
Music Video History:
Morning Coffee (モーニングコーヒー) (1998) (https://youtu.be/S1zTityRnO8?si=K2DrXgyW0-OgwcKF) – 1st Single
LOVE Machine (LOVEマシーン) (1999) (https://youtu.be/NXxPsjN8-Vw?si=fszZowMbNsXSQuMT) – 1st Million Hit
Onna to Otoko no Lullaby Game (女と男のララバイゲーム) (2010) (https://youtu.be/mAy_ZbN4RP8?si=_RjUbC-IfOayF9FP)
One・Two・Three (2012) (https://youtu.be/z2VLNZYyAaE?si=B0ZbKgLmqaLYLXth)
Ephemeral Saturday Night (泡沫サタデーナイト！) (2016) (https://youtu.be/IiV-aaLo9SM?si=S4ebGbvhI2tJFjuU)
Teenage Solution (2021) (https://youtu.be/bfZAkBXEUZU?si=I0-upOiHp28UJXEp)
SaiKIYOU (最KIYOU) (2024) (https://youtu.be/SdzaettYxyc?si=WJWlj72vWCgj5Lkq)
📌 Note: Two numbers mentioned in the episode were incorrect. A brief correction is included at the end of the recording.
📌 ※エピソード内で触れた数字に誤りが2つありました。録音の最後に訂正を追加しています。