Asami Konno

**Asami Konno** born May 7, 1987, is a Japanese pop singer formerly under the Hello! Project label, having since graduated from the label along with the rest of the Elder Club on March 31, 2009. Before her graduation, Asami Konno had been a former member of Morning Musume, Country Musume and Tanpopo, as well as having taken part in the shuffle units Odoru 11, 11WATER and H.P. All Stars. She was also a member of the Morning Musume splinter group, Morning Musume Sakura Gumi. She joined Morning Musume through the 2001 auditions as a part of the 5th generation.

## History

### 2001-2003

Konno auditioned for the japanese pop group Morning Musume while it was holding it's fifth generation auditions. She very nearly didn't get into the group, as the competitions judge and even Morning Musume's producer, Tsunku, said her performance was mediocre at best. However Tsunku decided to give her a chance and she made it into the fifth generation line-up alongside Ai Takahashi, Risa Niigaki and Ogawa Makoto. Tsunku said that Konno passed the audition because of her potential and because of the amount of effort she'd put into her performance.

She debuted on the group's thirteenth single, "Mr.Moonlight ~Ai no Big Band~," released on October 31. In the same month, during a filming of music variety show Utaban, she injured her leg and was not able to participate in the remaining performances of the group's national tour at that time.

She is considered to be one of the most intelligent members of the group after achieving the highest marks during a special episode of Mecha-Mecha Iketeru! (shortly after the fifth generation joined) where the Bakajo Test was given to see who was the "idiot girl" of Morning Musume.

Konno made her first album appearance as a part of Morning Musume on the group's fourth album, "4th Ikimasshoi!," released on March 27, 2002. The album is currently their second highest selling album.

In May, Konno was unexpectedly given the lead role for the second half of Morning Musume's annual play, Morning Town.

It was also in this year that Konno was put into her first shuffle unit, Odoru 11. Coincidentally, she was separated from all the other fifth generation members, who were in Happy 7.

September, all the fifth generation members were placed into a sub-group. Along with Risa Niigaki, Konno was put into Tanpopo as the group's third generation. They only released one single before becoming inactive.

Konno, along with many other members of Morning Musume at that time, starred in a drama entitled Angel Hearts which was released in 2002.

In 2003, Morning Musume was split into two seperate groups, Morning Musume Sakura Gumi and Morning Musume Otome Gumi. Konno was placed into Sakura Gumi and released two singles before the two groups merged again.

Gatas Brilhantes H.P., Hello! Project's futsal team, was also formed in this year. Konno became one of its founding members, quitting only when she was graduating entirely from Hello! Project.

In July of the same year, she was added into Country Musume, (whose theme was "girls from Hokkaidō") with fellow Morning Musume member Miki Fujimoto. Under this new formation, named "Country Musume ni Konno to Fujimoto," three singles were released.

She also made a guest appearance in a drama, Kochira Hon Ikegami Sho 2 (which Ai Kago starred in as a regular) that year, as a hit-and-run victim's sister.

In another special episode of the television show Mecha-Mecha Iketeru!, that Morning Musume had starred in two years prior, Konno proved to be quite athletic, placing fifth as the most athletic member of Morning Musume.

Morning Musume released the singles "Do it! Now" and "Koko ni Iruzee!" as well as their fifth studio album, "No.5," on March 26, 2003.

Konno was included in the 2003 Elemental Shuffle Groups as a member of 11WATER.

### 2004-2006

In late 2004, Tsunku's choice of putting Konno on the main vocals for "Namida ga Tomaranai Houkago" surprised many people, as it is known that she has rather weak vocals when compared to the other members of Morning Musume.

Morning Musume's sixth album, "Ai no Dai 6kan," was released in this year.

In December 2004, Konno joined her fellow Hello! Project members on the 2004 shuffle unit single, "ALL FOR ONE & ONE FOR ALL!," credited to the H.P. All Stars.

Konno continued her duties within Morning Musume, releasing five singles, those being "THE Manpower!!!," "Osaka Koi no Uta," "Iroppoi Jirettai", "Chokkan 2 ~Nogashita Sakana wa Ookiizo!~" and "SEXY BOY ~Soyokazeni Yorisotte~".

She also joined the Hello! Project concert unit, Hello! Project Akagumi.

In February, Konno was featured on Morning Musume's seventh album, "Rainbow 7." Other than the single "Ambitious! Yashinteki de Ii jan," it was to be her last release as a member of Morning Musume before she graduated.

In March 2006, she proved her athletic abilities once more by placing first in the 1500 meter race at Hello! Project's 2006 sports festival in the time of six minutes and thirteen seconds, getting her the MVP award plus defeating the previous winner, Yajima Maimi, whom Konno had lost to in Hello! Project's 2003 sports festival.

On July 23, 2006, Konno graduated from Morning Musume and Hello! Project to continue her studies at a university. The news of Konno's acceptance to Keio University, one of the top private universities in Japan, known for producing two prime ministers, was announced on December 11, 2006 by several news sources. On December 28, 2006, she confirmed these claims personally, in a message she sent to Hello! Project which was posted on the main website.

### After Morning Musume

On June 18, 2007, Up-Front Agency confirmed that Konno was returning to Hello! Project to rejoin members of Gatas Brilhantes H.P. in the group Ongaku Gatas. Their first single, titled "Narihajimeta Koi no BELL," was released on August 22, 2007.

Konno remained an active member within the agency, and Ongaku Gatas, while continuing her university studies. In this year Ongaku Gatas released one more single, "Yattarouze!".

Konno continued playing for Gatas Brillhantes and Ongaku Gatas released their third single, "Come Together." Ongaku Gatas released their debut album, "1st GOODSAL," on February 6, 2008.

Asami Konno was set to graduate March 31, 2009 alongside the rest of the Elder Club.

She performed at the Hello Pro Award '09 ~Elder Club Sotsugyō Kinen Special~ concert on February 1, 2009.

On October 1, 2010, it was announced on the Hello! Project homepage that Konno would be an announcer for TV Tokyo starting April 2011.

In March, It was announced that Konno Asami left Gatas Brillhantes H.P. to start her new job as an announcer for TV Tokyo. Her message appeared on the official Gatas site alongside a message from the team captain Hitomi Yoshizawa.

On April 4, Konno Asami officially left Gatas Brillhantes H.P. to start her new job as an announcer for TV Tokyo.

Konno Asami and fellow former 5th generation member Makoto Ogawa made a special appearance at the Morning Musume Concert Tour 2011 Aki Ai BELIEVE ~Takahashi Ai Sotsugyou Kinen Special~ on the day before Ai Takahashi's graduation.

It was announced on Tokyo Hive that she and her co-host (Moe×Kon) would be releasing a single titled "Jyunjyou☆Fighter".

On April 24, the president of TV Tokyo announced that Konno would be taking a break from work due to poor health. She returned to work on July 1.

On March 29, Konno, Ima Kara Odorutte yo, a odottemita-style TV program hosted by Konno, in which she visits and dances along with other women, aired on TV Tokyo. It was originally supposed to be a one-off show, but it became a regular program beginning in May.
On June 24, Konno and other Morning Musume OG members performed a medley of their old hits on the TV Tokyo Ongakusai (2).

On December 10, Konno opened an official Twitter account.

On January 28, Konno announced that she would leave TV Tokyo after working for as an announcer for 6 years to prioritize starting a family. March 31 was her last day of work, but she officially left the company on May 31 after taking her entitled paid vacation.
On August 15, she opened an Ameba blog titled "Morimori Gohan to Kosodate Nikki" (Fulfilling Meals and Parenting Diary) to document her everyday life since becoming a housewife such as her pregnancy, eventually giving birth and raising her first child, and cooking meals.
Although she remained in the public eye through social media, Konno was not currently active in the entertainment industry during this time. She had not officially stated whether she had retired or was on indefinite hiatus.

On June 26, Konno made her first TV appearance since leaving TV Tokyo as the second subject of the TBS TV show Pro Yakyuusenshu no Tsumatachi (Wives of Pro Baseball Players), which followed her day as a housewife and mother.

On August 8, Konno made her first appearance at a Hello! Project concert since 2011 as an MC at the Hokkaido stops of the Hello! Project 2020 Summer COVERS ~The Ballad~.

On July 29, in an interview with Chanto magazine, Konno revealed her struggles making the transition to being a full-time housewife. After moving away from Tokyo, she initially fought with a sense of loneliness and isolation, including days when her only interactions were with her baby and a supermarket manager. She noted that the work of childcare was stressful, particularly in an environment where there were no adult coworkers available to tell her she had done a good day's work. She has since moved back to her hometown, Sapporo, and is doing better now that she is physically closer to her sister, who is also raising a family.

On August 23, Konno announced the birth of a healthy baby boy, who was born a week early after a difficult pregnancy. This is her second son and third child overall.

On May 12, Konno created a YouTube Channel.

On March 12, Konno appeared as a guest during Fujimoto Miki 20 Shuunen Kinen! Dai Kansha Live! ~Mikitty Idol Yarimasu! Haru no Dai Shuukai! ~Ashita kara 21 Shuunen~.

## Appearance

Asami is seen wearing a red top with white fluff on it, red joggers and blue shoes. She also has brown hair.