Umeda Erika

Umeda Erika (梅田えりか) is a former Japanese singer. She is a former model signed to ILLUME, as well as a former member of Hello! Project groups ℃-ute, ZYX, and Hello! Project Kids.
In 2009 she left Hello! Project to become a model, but in 2013 she returned to singing as a solo artist. She released her debut album in 2014. In 2018, she became the producer and training instructor of the girl group Turtle Lily.
==Biography==
===Early Life===
Umeda Erika was born on May 24, 1991 in Kanagawa, Japan.
Prior to joining Hello! Project Kids, Umeda was a student at Up-Front Music School.
===2002===
Umeda Erika took part in the 2002 auditions held to determine the line-up of the new Hello! Project Kids and passed on June 30 along with fourteen other girls.Hello! Morning. Broadcast Date: 2002-06-30.
===2003 - 2004===
Umeda made her first official appearance in the entertainment industry when she was included in the line-up of the new unit, ZYX, along with four other Hello! Project Kids members and Morning Musume's Yaguchi Mari. Umeda released two singles with the unit before it became inactive. While she was in ZYX, Umeda continued her duties as a member of Hello! Project Kids, namely performing as backing dancers for Morning Musume at concerts. In late 2004 Umeda took part in her first Hello! Project shuffle unit, H.P. All Stars, taking part alongside all the members of Hello! Project at the time. The shuffle unit released one single and became inactive by January 2005. In 2004 Umeda joined Little Gatas.
===2005===
In 2005, Umeda Erika was assigned as a member of Hello! Project group ℃-ute alongside seven other Hello! Project Kids members.Tsunku. "℃-ute （キュート） に関して" (in Japanese). Tsunku Official Website. 2005-06-11. These seven members had been passed over when it came to the forming of Berryz Koubou, which had originally been formed to teach the Hello! Project Kids about being in a group by rotating the line-up amongst the Kids. Originally ℃-ute was releasing on an indie label, but in 2007 they made their major debut.
===2006===
Umeda Erika released four indie singles as a part of ℃-ute in this year as a preparation for their major debut in 2007. ℃-ute also released their first album, "Cutie Queen VOL.1".
===2007===
On February 21, 2007 ℃-ute released their debut single, "Sakura Chirari". On the first day in the charts it ranked third on the Oricon charts, a feat not even accomplished by Hello! Project's mother group Morning Musume (who had ranked 6th on their debut single). With their debut single, they became the youngest group (with the average age of 13) to rank in the top 10.
On April 23, Umeda joined the Hello! Project futsal team, Gatas Brilhantes H.P., from Mix Gatas as a goalkeeper.
===2008===
Umeda continued her duties within ℃-ute, releasing four singles and a third studio album.
===2009===
℃-ute released their fourth studio album, "④ Akogare My STAR", on January 28th and their 8th major single is scheduled to be released on April 15th, titled "Bye Bye Bye!".
When five members of ℃-ute and Berryz Koubou left the Hello! Project futsal team Gatas Brilhantes H.P., Umeda Erika still remained on the team as a goalkeeper.
On August 1, Hello! Project announced that Umeda would be graduating to pursue a future as a fashion model.『℃-ute　梅田えりか』に関する大事なお知らせ (in Japanese) Hello! Project Official Site. 2009.08.01 (archived) Umeda graduated from ℃-ute and Hello! Project on October 25, 2009.
===2010===
Umeda Erika signed with a new model agency called ILLUME Models.
Umeda Erika has just opened up a blog on Ameba. The title of the blog is Erika no SWEET DIARY.
===2011===
On July 16, Umeda was signed into her new model agency called Peach;Co.Ltd.
===2013===
On October 24, Umeda announced that she is switching careers, becoming a singer again. Her first solo live "Umeda Erika First Solo Live ~Starting Over~" was on December 22 at Hatsudai Doors.
On October 25, Umeda opened her own official website.
On December 22, her first solo album, erika, was announced. It was released on February 12, 2014.
===2018===
On September 22, she appeared as a guest at Okai Chisato FC Live ② ~Katte ni Hello Pro 20 Shuunen Omedetou! 2007-2012~ alongside Arihara Kanna.
On September 25, she became the training instructor of Turtle Lily, an idol group produced by her.
===2021===
On August 15, Umeda announced that she quietly married radio personality Goto Hirokatsu. They are expecting their first child to be born by the end of the year.https://www.instagram.com/p/CSlJ0TUp2gI/ She moved out of Tokyo to begin a new life in Niigata, and opened a new blog to discuss life and parenting.✿.•*¨*•ご報告.•*¨*•.✿ (in Japanese) Umeda Erika Official Blog. 2021.08.15.
On December 31, she announced the birth of her first child, as well as the difficult pregnancy that preceded it. She was diagnosed with a high risk of miscarriage and spent several weeks on bedrest, and was later found to have moderate cervical dysplasia. Despite the complications, both she and the child are currently in good health.ご報告 (in Japanese) Umeda Erika Official Blog. 2021.12.31.
===2023===
On September 17, she announced via Instagram that she had given birth to her second child, a son, in June. https://www.instagram.com/p/CxSOqyrLCBw/
==Personal Life==
==Profile==
==Discography==
===Albums===
*[2014.02.12] erika
===Solo Songs===
*[2008] Do Don Ga Don Ondo
===Discography Participated In===
==Concerts==
*[2013.12.22] Umeda Erika First Solo Live ~Starting Over~ (梅田えりか　ファーストソロライブ〜Starting Over〜)
*[2014.02.09] Umeda Erika Live 2014 Album "erika" Launch Live (梅田えりか LIVE 2014 アルバム「erika」発売記念ライブ)
*[2014] Umeda Erika First Solo Live Tour 2014 ~♡(Kokoro Kara no) Omotenashi
==Works==
===Movies===
*[2002-12] Koinu Dan no Monogatari (仔犬ダンの物語; Puppy DAN's story)
===TV Programs===
*[2002–2007] Hello! Morning (ハロー! モーニング)
*[2006] ℃-ute has come. ~℃-ute ga Yatte Kita~ (℃-ute has come.～キュートガヤッテキタ～) (2 episodes)
*[2007–2008] Haromoni@ (ハロモニ@)
*[2008] Berikyuu! (ベリキュー!)
*[2008–2009] Yorosen! (よろセン!)
*[2010-2011] Haken OL wa mita! (ハケンOLは見た!)
===Commercials===
*[2010] ABC MART (ABCマート)
*[2012] Universal Studios Japan (ユニバーサル・スタジオ・ジャパン)
===Infomercials===
*[2011] Fuji-Q Highland (富士急ハイランド)
===Music Videos===
*[2011] HAVE A NICE DAY~EPISODE1 (さよなら初恋編) - Shiki-canta
===Ads===
*Joyful Eri (ジョイフル 恵利) (Long-sleeved kimono catalog)
*As-me ESTELLE (As-meエステール)
*Apron (アプロン) (White coat catalog)
*Shimamura (しまむら)
*TOC (テーオーシーグループ)
*Nissen "Slattgir." ( ニッセン「Slattgir.」)
*Senshukai Co., Ltd. (千趣会)
===Radio===
*[2006–2007] CUTIE PARTY (with Murakami Megumi (2006), with Yajima Maimi (2006-2007)
*[2008–2009] ℃-ute Cutie☆Paradise (キューティー☆パラダイス) (with Suzuki Airi)
===Runway===
*[2010-] Girls Award (ガールズアワード)
*[2011] Claudia Bridal (クラウディアブライダル)
*[2012] BEAUTY STYLE COLLECTION
*[2012-] Tokyo Girls Collection (東京ガールズコレクション)
===Theater===
* [2007] Neruko wa ℃-ute
* [2008] Keitai Shosetsuka
* [2009] Atarumo Hakke!?
*[2014.04.04-09] Goodbye Joker (グッバイ・ジョーカー)
==Trivia==
*Umeda Erika was the oldest member of the Hello! Project Kids.
*Umeda's Gatas Brillhantes number is 18 and her position was the goalkeeper.
*Umeda was also a back-up dancer in performances of Fujimoto Miki's "Boogie Train '03".
*More recently, she has named her favorite food as yakiniku, her least favorite food as bitter melon, her charm point as "a row of 3 moles on the right of my cheek", her strong point as "I have a lot of energy", her weak point as "short tempered" and her hobbies as shopping and eating tapioca.
*Yaguchi Mari gave her the nickname "Ume-chan".
*Despite being the oldest of the Hello! Project Kids, she felt that she wouldn't have been responsible enough to be leader, so she passed down leadership of ℃-ute to the second oldest member, Yajima Maimi.
*She and Tsugunaga Momoko are the only members to be in both ZYX and its revival.
*Umeda was the first member of ℃-ute to actually have a graduation ceremony.
*She went to Hawaii with the rest of ℃-ute. But was only a part of the Fanclub event. She did not take part of the Alo Hello! DVD.
*She and Okai Chisato were the only ones in ℃-ute to have brown hair.
*She was modeling under the same agency as Kusumi Koharu, ILLUME MODELS.
*She used to not like meat, but in 2007 she stated that even though she still had some kinds of meat she didn't like, now she liked meat in general and that she loved barbecue.
==Honorary Titles==
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==References==
==External Links==
*Twitter
*Instagram
*Official Blog (inactive)
*YouTube Channel
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Category:Multiethnic Members
Category:Umeda Erika
Category:C-ute
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Category:Little Gatas
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Category:1991 Births
Category:2002 Additions
Category:2009 Departures
Category:ZYX
Category:H.P. All Stars
Category:Hello! Project Akagumi
Category:Blood Type A
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Category:Members born in Heisei Period
Category:Hello! Project Graduates
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Category:Members featured in Hello! Morning
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Category:Members from Kanagawa
Category:Soloists
Category:Gemini
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