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Ai Kago (加護 亜依 Kago Ai) (born February 7, 1988 in Yamatotokada, Nara, Japan) is a Japanese singer, actress, author and former Guinness World Record holder. At age 12, Kago won the 4th National Audition of Morning Musume held by Up-Front Works Agency in 2000, which led to her admission into the extremely popular idol group as a 4th generation member. In the same year, she became a founding member of Minimoni. In 2004, she graduated from both the aforementioned groups and formed W with Nozomi Tsuji. In 2006, photos of the under-age Kago smoking were leaked by the media. As a result, she was immediately suspended for one year by Up-Front Works Agency. In 2007, toward the end of her suspension, she was caught once again smoking and was found to be romantically involved with a 37-year-old man. This resulted in her contract being terminated permanently. After a hiatus that lasted a year, she signed a contract with R&A Promotions Co.,Ltd and resumed her career as an actress and a singer.
[edit] NameKago'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. Written "亜依", it has no real meaning. [edit] Professional career as a singer[edit] Hello! ProjectOn April 16, 2000, Kago, along with Rika Ishikawa, Hitomi Yoshizawa, and Nozomi Tsuji, were inducted into the idol group Morning Musume as its fourth generation. Their recording debut was in the group's ninth single "Happy Summer Wedding". Kago and Tsuji's addition to the group received positive critical response. With an increasing fan base, they, along with fellow Morning Musume member Mari Yaguchi and Coconuts Musume member Mika Todd, formed a new subgroup named Minimoni. In addition to this, Kago was also admitted into established subgroup Tanpopo as a second generation member. From 2001 to 2004 Kago participated in the annual Hello! Project shuffle units, being part of the smallest units the first three times (3-nin Matsuri in 2001, Happy 7 in 2002, and Salt5 in 2003) and joining the 46-member H.P. All Stars in 2004. In August 2004, Kago and Tsuji graduated from Morning Musume together after Minimoni began their indefinite hiatus. Under the arrangement of the Up-Front Works Agency, Kago and Tsuji formed a new pop duo, W, releasing two albums and six singles together. [edit] ScandalOn 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 publish photos showing Kago smoking. The legal age for smoking in Japan is 20, and Kago had just turned 18 two days prior to the incident. 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 under house arrest 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 the Up Front Agency that her contract had been canceled. An English translation of the announcement:[5]
[edit] Post-Hello! Project lifeOn May 5, 2007, the Tokyo Broadcasting System's newscast reported that Kago's mother was trying to sign her to a new talent agency in her hometown of Nara.[6] On August 25, 2007, an interview with Kago's mother in the magazine Josei Seven revealed that after parting company with Hello! Project, Ai Kago left Japan and started residing in New York City.[7][8] On April 6, 2008, it was reported by Yahoo! News that Kago was returning to the entertainment industry.[9] Also, in an interview by OhmyNews, Kago admitted that she had begun smoking to feel more like an adult without realizing the impact it would have on her peers and young fans. She stated that she had actually not gone to New York, but rather to Los Angeles for three months in 2007 with her boyfriend. She said she took the trip because she felt like a criminal in Japan. While in LA she met many new people who encouraged her (including Winona Ryder) [10] and was able to reflect on her situation and begin her new life. She also admitted to having considered suicide and having inflicted self-injury upon herself by cutting her wrists. At the end of the interview, Kago states that even though she is now 20 years old and can legally smoke cigarettes, she no longer does or has any desire to do so.[10][11] On April 24, 2008, Ai Kago announced on her personal blog website, "Biscuit Club", that she will be appearing in Hong Kong movie Kung Fu Chef with Sammo Hung.[12] On July 4, 2008, in an interview with Akashiya Sanma, she stated that she had been in Kyoto filming for a movie about Princess Sen, followed by a joint Singapore/Hong Kong project. [edit] 2009 ScandalKago allegedly had a relationship with actor Hidejiro Mizumoto. Mizumoto's wife Asato sued them both, stating that she has proof of the affair and that it was the cause for her pending divorce.[13] [edit] As a hula hoop performerKago and Tsuji shared the world record for the largest hula hoop spun at 4.08 m (13 ft 41⁄2 in) 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 Guinness Book of World Records and was the second time that Tsuji held the record, having previously held the record between January 2003 and June 2003. The record was eventually broken by Ashrita Furman (USA) in September 2005. [edit] As an author On August 25, 2008, Kago released a book entitled Kago Ai Live—Miseinen Hakusho (ＬＩＶＥ—未成年白書). On a July 13, 2008 post to her personal blog website, "Biscuit Club", Kago described the book as "a book where I talk to young teens about their various troubles and dreams. Idols-in-waiting, exchange students, high school girls, and otaku. The teenage years can be tough, and I had a lot of troubles in those days. But it's important to break through those troubles." [14] [edit] TriviaAi Kago inspired the hairstyle of the lead character Mitsuki Koyama in the manga and anime Full Moon o Sagashite, according to the manga's author Arina Tanemura.[15] [edit] DiscographyFor releases as a member of Morning Musume and W, please see the Morning Musume discography and W (Double You) discography).
[edit] Filmography[edit] Film
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