Miki Fujimoto

Template:Short description Template:Infobox musical artist Template:Nihongo<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (born February 26, 1985), professionally known by her birth name of Template:Nihongo, and nicknamed Mikitty, is a Japanese actress, singer and YouTuber. After failing the audition to join girl group Morning Musume with the fourth generation members, Fujimoto debuted as a solo artist within Hello! Project in 2002 with the single "Aenai Nagai Nichiyōbi". Fujimoto later joined Morning Musume in 2003 along with the sixth generation and eventually became the leader of the group in 2007.

Early life

Fujimoto was born and raised in the Takikawa area of Hokkaidō, Japan. She is the youngest of four children:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> she has an older brother (who won a defamation case alongside Fujimoto in 2009<ref>"Miki Fujimoto wins defamation case". Tokyograph. August 30, 2009.</ref>), and two older sisters.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite AV media</ref> Her father died on November 10, 2010.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Career

Early work: 2002–2003

Fujimoto originally started out as a solo singer in 2002 under the idol family Hello! Project, becoming the first of six members to debut under Hello! Project after losing a Morning Musume audition. She is often called by fans as Aya Matsuura's rival, but in fact, they are the best of friends. After a successful performance on the music program on New Year's Eve, "Kōhaku Uta Gassen", producer Tsunku added her to Morning Musume as a sixth generation member in 2003.

Although unintended, Fujimoto began a very brass and frigid image (which Fujimoto herself attributed to her unhappiness for being added to the group long after having been built up as a solo act).<ref name=":0" /> At this point in her career, she was given the nickname "Miki-sama" (美貴様、Miki the Great) by fans and the media alike due to her new image as someone who spoke her mind with a sharp tongue, even in the face of her seniors and instructors.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

She sang many of the lead lines in Morning Musume songs, especially after Natsumi Abe's graduation. She and fellow Morning Musume member Asami Konno were also lent to Country Musume, a group that features "Country Girls from Hokkaidō", such as Miki and Asami (the group has been known, however, to include members not from the rural island—such as former featured singers Rika Ishikawa and Miuna Saito).

In October 2002, she was placed in the one-shot unit, Gomattou with two other prominent pop soloists under Hello! Project, Maki Goto (a former Morning Musume member), and Aya Matsuura. She was also in Hello! Project Shuffle groups Odoru 11, 11Water, H.P. All Stars and Sexy Otonajan.

In 2003, when Morning Musume was split into two groups, she was placed in Morning Musume Otomegumi.

On June 15, 2006, it was announced that Fujimoto and Aya Matsuura would join in a new Hello! Project duo called GAM. Their debut single was released on September 13, 2006,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and after two other singles, their debut LP was released on May 23, 2007.

On May 6, 2007, after the graduation of then-leader Hitomi Yoshizawa, Fujimoto took her place as the fifth leader of Morning Musume.

Controversy

On May 24, 2007, Fujimoto was featured in the Japanese gossip magazine Friday pictured walking with Tomoharu Shōji, a member of the comedy duo Shinagawa Shōji. Friday explained that they had a two-hour dinner together, drove to Fujimoto's apartment, then went to the sauna, returning to Shōji's apartment just after midnight.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It soon became apparent that she was to be involved in a scandal that would jeopardize her position in Morning Musume. Up-Front Agency's initial response to the article was that they had no intention to deal with the situation since there was no proof of them dating.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On the May 26, 2007 edition of Young Town Doyōbi (a radio show with Ai Takahashi, Fujimoto and Sanma Akashiya), she confirmed that the pictures were of her, and confirmed her relationship with Shōji. Fujimoto was later called by the head of Up-Front Agency, Naoki Yamazaki, about the situation. Instead of ordering her to end the relationship, the agency left the decision to Fujimoto. Since she had no desire of ending the relationship, and she did not want to further betray the staff, fellow members, and her fans,<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref> she decided the best course of action would be to immediately resign from the group.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On June 1, 2007, Fujimoto announced her immediate resignation from Morning Musume.<ref name="res1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="res2">Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref> However, she remained with GAM (finishing their tour in progress at the time) and remained contracted with Hello! Project and Up-Front Agency.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Fujimoto's tenure as leader of Morning Musume of just 25 days remains a record within Hello! Project, and has become a source of notoriety within Japanese media.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life

In March 2009, Fujimoto announced her engagement to Shōji and graduated from Hello! Project. They married on July 3, 2009, at a ceremony held in Hawaii. The couple have three children: a son born in 2012,<ref>"幸せ♥♡ ("Happy")". Miki Fujimoto's Blog. March 27, 2012. Ameba. Template:In lang</ref> and two daughters born in 2015 and 2020.<ref>"Miki Fujimoto Announces Birth of Second Child". Nihongogo. August 2015.</ref>

Later career

On April 23, 2008, Fujimoto released a collaboration kayōkyoku single, Template:Nihongo, featuring Takao Horiuchi.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Later that year, Fujimoto played the part of Rizzo in the fall musical, Grease.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2011, Fujimoto took part of the special revival unit Dream Morning Musume, though her concert and television appearances were limited, due to her concurrent pregnancy (with her first child).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Fujimoto had a brief stint as an owner of a chain of yakiniku restaurants in Japan: Yakiniku Mikitei (焼肉美貴亭). The first location opened on her 26th birthday, February 26, 2011, to much success. Three more restaurants were opened. The restaurant chain, however, was short-lived, and closed on June 29, 2012, following various incidents.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2017, Fujimoto appeared in the film Kamen Rider Ex-Aid the Movie: True Ending.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In October 2019, Fujimoto opened her YouTube channel: Hello! Mikitty<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>. Her husband often appears in her videos, with frequent appearances by former Hello! Project members, and her three children.

On March 12, 2023, in celebration of her 21st Debut Anniversary, Fujimoto held a 20 Complete Years<ref>20周年 (nijūshūnen, lit. 20 complete years) in Japanese</ref> Anniversary Live Concert at Huric Hall Tokyo, featuring Asami Konno and Reina Tanaka as special guests, with surprise appearances by Maki Goto and Ichiro Ito (of Every Little Thing).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref>

Discography and releases

Albums

Title	Release date	First week sales	Total sales
Miki 1	2003-02-26	93,475	128,502

Singles

Title	Release date	First week sales	Total sales
Template:Nihongo	2002-03-13	25,610	43,670
Template:Nihongo	2002-06-12	24,730	40,450
Template:Nihongo	2002-09-04	38,490	62,000
Template:Nihongo	a 2002-11-07	36,290	48,555
Template:Nihongo	2003-02-05	37,410	50,737
Template:Nihongo	2008-04-23	5,771	22,889

DVDs

Title	Release date
Template:Nihongo	2002-10-02
Template:Nihongo	2003-04-25
Template:Nihongo	2003-06-18

Photobooks

Title	Release date	Publisher	ISBN	Photobook information
Template:Nihongo	2003-04-11	Wani Books	Template:ISBN	Photobook with Aya Matsuura.
Template:Nihongo	2003-04-22	Kadokawa Shoten	Template:ISBN	First solo photobook.
Template:Nihongo	2004-01-24	Wani Books	Template:ISBN	Second solo photobook.
Template:Nihongo	2005-02-25	Wani Books	Template:ISBN	Third solo photobook.
Template:Nihongo	2005-12-17	Wani Books	Template:ISBN	Fourth solo photobook.
Template:Nihongo	2006-11-25	Wani Books	Template:ISBN	Fifth solo photobook.

Acting

Movies

• 2003 – Template:Nihongo
• 2017 – Kamen Rider Ex-Aid the Movie: True Ending

Theatrical animation

• 2023 – Doraemon: Nobita's Sky Utopia – Paradapia Teacher
• 2025 – Doraemon: Nobita's Art World Tales – Queen Arturia

Dramas

• 2002 – Template:Nihongo
• 2004 – Template:Nihongo
• 2009 – Template:Nihongo
• 2009 – Template:Nihongo

Theater

• 2008 – Template:Nihongo

Musicals

• 2006 – Template:Nihongo as Hecate
• 2008 – Grease: The Musical as Rizzo

Radio

• 2002–2003 – Template:Nihongo
• 2002–2007 – Template:Nihongo
• 2004–2007 – Template:Nihongo

External links

• old/official Hello! Project profile
• J.P ROOM Inc official site
• Miki Fujimoto Official Blog
• Template:IMDb name
• Hello! Project StatsTemplate:Dead link
• Yankinuki Mikitei company website
• Miki Fujimoto's YouTube channel