Ai Kago
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| Ai Kago 加護亜依 |
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| Background information | ||
| Also known as | Aibon | |
| Born | February 7, 1988 (age 19) | |
| Origin |  Yamatotakada, Nara, Japan |
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| Died | N/A | |
| Genre(s) | Japanese Pop | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer | |
| Years active | 2000-2007 | |
| Label(s) | zetima | |
| Associated acts |
W (Double You), Morning Musume, Tanpopo, MiniMoni, 3nin Matsuri, Happy 7, SALT5 | |
Ai Kago (加護亜依 Kago Ai?) (born February 7, 1988 in Yamatotakada, Nara, Japan, nicknamed "Aibon") is a former member of the Hello! Project Japanese pop collective. Debuting as a fourth generation member of Morning Musume, she later became a founding member of Mini Moni, a second-generation member of Tanpopo, a member of the Morning Musume splinter group Sakuragumi, a participant in the shuffle groups 3nin Matsuri, Happy 7, and SALT5 and appeared as half of the duo W (Double You)
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[edit] Profile and Facts
- Nicknames: Aibon (あいぼん), Kago-chan (加護ちゃん)
- Sign: Aquarius
- Blood Type: AB
- Height: 150 cm / 4′11″
- Favorite Foods: nata de coco (fruity desserts), pastries, ramen
- Hobby: Cooking, peeling pears
- Specialty: Mimicry
[edit] Biography
Kago's given name, "Ai", is a homonym for love (愛 ai?). Kago has sometimes said in interviews that she was named that by her parents because she was conceived out of wedlock. As written "亜依" it has no real meaning.
At age 12, Kago auditioned for Morning Musume when their fourth-generation auditions were held in 2000; at the final auditions, Kago met fellow finalist Nozomi Tsuji, and the two became best friends almost immediately. Kago's recording debut with Morning Musume was on their ninth single, "Happy Summer Wedding".
Kago and Tsuji quickly became two of the band's most popular members, a status that increased when, along with fellow Morning Musume member Mari Yaguchi and Coconuts Musume member Mika Todd, they co-founded the side project MiniMoni, which became one of the most popular Morning Musume subgroups. Kago would also, almost simultaneously, become a second generation member of the first MoMusu subgroup, Tanpopo.
Ai Kago has been involved in some of Hello! Project's most popular shuffle groups, including 3nin Matsuri in 2001 with Rika Ishikawa and Aya Matsuura, Happy 7 in 2002 and SALT5 in 2003.
After the "indefinite hiatus" of MiniMoni, Kago and Tsuji debuted their new duo, W (Double You), as they began to wind down their commitments with Morning Musume and the about-to-disband MiniMoni. They graduated from Morning Musume in August of 2004 and have since concentrated full time on W (Double You), releasing two albums, an EP, and six singles to date.
She also appears in the Guinness Book of World Records (2006), along with her best friend and Morning Musume/MiniMoni/W bandmate Nozomi Tsuji, under the record of "largest hula hoop spun". It is the second time that she and Tsuji have held the record, having previously held the record between January and June 2003.
[edit] Scandal
On February 9, 2006 it was confirmed that the magazine Friday (フライデー?) (the same one that provoked Mari Yaguchi's sudden departure from Morning Musume) would be publishing photos of Kago caught smoking. The legal age for smoking in Japan is 20, and Kago had just turned 18 two days prior. On February 10, Hello! Project issued a press statement saying that the singer had been suspended "indefinitely."[1]
According to an interview in the March 9, 2007 issue of Friday–the very same magazine responsible for her suspension–Kago revealed she had been serving tea, answering phones and doing assorted secretarial work at the Up-Front Works agency since January 23, 2007, when her employers found it fit for her to return to Tokyo, after she spent most of 2006 secluded at her family's residence in Nara.
In the same interview the young idol claimed to have had undergone several changes in regard to her outlook on life, to have become more responsible. Additionally she met up with the other members for the first time at Yokohama Arena, after a lengthy period of time, though the group couldn't quite recognize her at first, given the fact she had lost some weight.
The agency said that they were working on her comeback, though the details were not clear.[2][3][4]
On March 26, 2007 following a newly publicized scandal involving Kago dating a 37 year old man as well as smoking again, it was announced by Up Front Agency that her contract had been cancelled. An English translation of the announcement[5]:
| “ | To whom it may concern:
Regarding our client Kago Ai and the article in the weekly magazine that went on sale on March 26th, the information in the article has been verified with Kago herself, to our regret. One year ago, when Kago was 17 and the smoking problem happened, we still considered her future in this company, and as punishment, she was imposed to house arrest in her parents' home. Seeing how she had progressed over that year, it was decided to start from scratch and start preparing for a comeback by bringing her to Tokyo and having her do clerical and other office duties, starting on January 23rd. Although this worked out well for two months, there was another incident and the comeback plan was abandoned. After consulting with the family, as she is a minor, it has been confirmed, and she has been released from her contract. We're very sorry that it has come to this, and accept full responsibility. We feel a renewed sense of responsibility for the future, especially when it comes to minors. 2007/3/26 Kawaguchi Yuukichi, Representative Director, Up Front Agency |
” |
[edit] Trivia
- Her signature hairstyle, up until the "Miss Love Tantei" video, was high pigtails.
- Her favorite season is winter, because of its various holidays and festivals.
- Kago has a childhood scar at the top of her right arm, which is why she is commonly seen in concerts etc. with an extra piece of material covering the spot.
- A common character she draws is a cupid-like girl whom is commonly flying and winking. She uses it mostly for her signatures.
- One of her favorite animals is the elephant. She often draws a cartoon elephant with a heart on its head.
- There is a whiteboard which sits backstage of many Hello! Project concerts. Kago has said that she usually, while waiting, doodles on the board, commonly drawing her signature and various characters including an elephant, flying girl etc.
- She barely escaped being crowned the Bakajo (idiot girl) when Morning Musume participated in a trick-test called Mechaike Bakajo Kimatsu. Instead, Nozomi Tsuji got the title, making Kago the second less knowledgeable in the group at the time.
- Kago finished last place and therefore was crowned the Kusojo (crap girl) in a test of physical ability called, Mechaike Okajo Taiikusai. Seven months later, on Hello! Morning's final Mini Moni special, she defeated her fellow Mini Moni members in an obstacle course after some positive encouragement from (now former) Morning Musume leader Kaori Iida, to prove she wasn't crap.
- Kago and Tsuji shared the world record for the largest hula hoop spun at 4.08 m (13.4 ft) in diameter. They set their record on January 1, 2004, during a live New Year's Day television special at Nippon Television Network, Tokyo, Japan. The record appeared in the 2005 and 2006 editions of the Guiness Book of World Records. Unfortunately, the record was eventually broken by Ashrita Furman (USA) in September 2005. It is not known if Kago will ever attempt to regain the record.
- She can ride the unicycle.
- She has been seen around a piano from time to time, suggesting that she may know how to play it.
- In the Mechaike Bakajo Kimatsu test (a test within Morning Musume), Kago Ai was referred to as "Japan's favorite".
- In an interview, when asked who she admired, Ai Kago replied Tsunku because of his hard work towards the girls at Hello! Project.
[edit] Appearances
[edit] Dramas
- Angel Hearts (2002)
- Kochira Hon Ikegami Sho (こちら本池上署?) (2002)
- Kochira Hon Ikegami Sho 2 (こちら本池上署 2?) (2003)
- Kochira Hon Ikegami Sho 3 (こちら本池上署 3?) (2004)
- Kochira Hon Ikegami Sho 4 (こちら本池上署 4?) (2004)
- Kochira Hon Ikegami Sho 5 (こちら本池上署 5?) (2005)
[edit] TV Shows
- Hello! Morning (ハロー！モーニング。?) (2000 — 2006)
- Futarigoto (二人ゴト?)
[edit] References
- ^ Hello! Project official site: Kago announcement. Retrieved 2007-03-12.
- ^ (Japanese) Official Friday Magazine website
- ^ (English) Hello! Online summary
- ^ (English) Ikimasshoi summary
- ^ http://www.helloproject.com/newslist/kago_0703261829.html
[edit] External links
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This article contains Japanese text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of kanji or kana. |
- ThePPN:Kago Ai (also a source for this article)
- W's profile on Hello! Project's official site (prior to disbandment)
