A post on 5ch’s Hello! Project board claimed that “of the members who joined during the Reiwa era, only four have actually quit: Rio Kitagawa, Shiori Yagi, Kanami Ishiguri, and Sumire Tashiro.” In the tenure rankings, Erina Ikuta tops the list at 5,301 days, with several members having stayed active for over five years. The thread split into two camps: some argued the agency has shifted away from its old “graduate them and let them earn as solo acts” policy toward keeping members long-term to earn as a group, while others countered that unpopular members should instead be cut loose when their contracts come up for renewal.
By the way, here are the currently active Hello! Project members who joined during the Reiwa era:
16 Yua Kudo 2004/09/28 2019/06/14
17 Rea Matsunaga 2005/07/07 2019/06/14
16 Yua Kudo 2004/09/28 2019/06/14
17 Rea Matsunaga 2005/07/07 2019/06/14
Wait, BEYOOOOONDS actually joined during the Heisei era?
Re: #6
Their major debut was in Reiwa, but they'd already joined Hello! Project back in Heisei 30 (2018).
Their major debut was in Reiwa, but they'd already joined Hello! Project back in Heisei 30 (2018).
Re: #6
The major debut announcement landed on the very last day of Heisei, so the members themselves technically just barely made it in under Heisei.
The major debut announcement landed on the very last day of Heisei, so the members themselves technically just barely made it in under Heisei.
Just cut the ones with no future already.
Re: #14
They did end up cutting Haga, Yokoyan, and Makino — just way too late.
They did end up cutting Haga, Yokoyan, and Makino — just way too late.
Homare and Mei (fan nickname for Homare Okamura and Airi Yamazaki) will soon pass Haruna Iikubo's tenure, and once they do, that's officially veteran territory, I'd say.
Tenure as of 2026/09/03:
5,301 days — Erina Ikuta
5,102 days — Sakura Oda (2012/09/14–)
4,818 days — Ayumi Ishida
4,714 days — Mizuki Fukumura
4,356 days — Miki Nonaka (2014/09/30–)
4,329 days — Sayumi Michishige
4,285 days — Maria Makino
4,084 days — Akane Haga
3,918 days — Risa Niigaki
3,775 days — Reina Tanaka
3,728 days — Masaki Sato
3,687 days — Ai Takahashi
3,280 days — Reina Yokoyama
2,887 days — Eri Kamei
2,695 days — Kaori Iida
2,635 days — Haruna Iikubo
2,630 days — Homare Okamura / Airi Yamazaki (2019/06/22–) 👈
Tenure as of 2026/09/03:
5,301 days — Erina Ikuta
5,102 days — Sakura Oda (2012/09/14–)
4,818 days — Ayumi Ishida
4,714 days — Mizuki Fukumura
4,356 days — Miki Nonaka (2014/09/30–)
4,329 days — Sayumi Michishige
4,285 days — Maria Makino
4,084 days — Akane Haga
3,918 days — Risa Niigaki
3,775 days — Reina Tanaka
3,728 days — Masaki Sato
3,687 days — Ai Takahashi
3,280 days — Reina Yokoyama
2,887 days — Eri Kamei
2,695 days — Kaori Iida
2,635 days — Haruna Iikubo
2,630 days — Homare Okamura / Airi Yamazaki (2019/06/22–) 👈
Re: #22
Is Oda going to overtake Ikuta at this rate?
Is Oda going to overtake Ikuta at this rate?
Re: #22
Those numbers are all off by one day — the math's wrong.
Those numbers are all off by one day — the math's wrong.
Re: #22 is also calculating elapsed days from join date to graduation date (or today), not actual tenure in days — same mistake.
The old agency was obsessed with churning through joins and graduations, using Chisato Moritaka as their model case for building talent who could also make it solo. Looks like they've now started steering toward keeping people earning within the group long-term instead, in step with the times.
When you've already sunk cost and time into one talent, having her graduate and waste that investment is a real opportunity loss for a company.
As long as the member herself wants to keep working in the group, it's smart to keep her earning — and with the whole "graduation as a business model" approach losing its shine, seeing older idol acts like Kawaii Lab's group actually sell well is bound to make management rethink things.
When you've already sunk cost and time into one talent, having her graduate and waste that investment is a real opportunity loss for a company.
As long as the member herself wants to keep working in the group, it's smart to keep her earning — and with the whole "graduation as a business model" approach losing its shine, seeing older idol acts like Kawaii Lab's group actually sell well is bound to make management rethink things.
Re: #24
Big factor was two things colliding at once: Miyamoto's solo push turning into an obvious failure, and Juice=Juice blowing up as a whole group thanks to the "Moreme" craze (a viral photogenic filter/selfie trend). Kojima Hana's addition also opened the door to accepting "reborn" members [idols who left one group to join another], so going forward Hello! Project is going to look nothing like it used to.
Big factor was two things colliding at once: Miyamoto's solo push turning into an obvious failure, and Juice=Juice blowing up as a whole group thanks to the "Moreme" craze (a viral photogenic filter/selfie trend). Kojima Hana's addition also opened the door to accepting "reborn" members [idols who left one group to join another], so going forward Hello! Project is going to look nothing like it used to.
Re: #24
Completely agree, but if they're keeping Hello! Project members long-term, I still want them to firmly tap the shoulder of the seriously unpopular ones once they hit the 5-year mark. Don't let them hog a precious spot — give the new girls a shot instead.
Completely agree, but if they're keeping Hello! Project members long-term, I still want them to firmly tap the shoulder of the seriously unpopular ones once they hit the 5-year mark. Don't let them hog a precious spot — give the new girls a shot instead.
They officially declared Sayumi Michishige's tenure as "4,329 days" at her graduation, so that's just how it is now.
Re: #32
That was just staff being dumb enough to take a Wikipedia miscalculation at face value.
That was just staff being dumb enough to take a Wikipedia miscalculation at face value.
Re: #32
Sayumi Michishige's actual tenure was 4,330 days, but at her graduation concert they announced 4,329.
Instead of the actual number of days she was a member from January 19, 2003 to November 26, 2014 (4,330 days), a calculation slip meant they announced the elapsed days between those two dates (4,329 days) instead.
Sayumi Michishige's actual tenure was 4,330 days, but at her graduation concert they announced 4,329.
Instead of the actual number of days she was a member from January 19, 2003 to November 26, 2014 (4,330 days), a calculation slip meant they announced the elapsed days between those two dates (4,329 days) instead.
If anything this is the worst-case outcome — it's turned into a system where people who shouldn't even be there stick around forever. BEYOOOOONDS, Tsubaki Factory, Hirayama, Goto… it's bad.
Re: #34
The reality is that just as "Mita" (a fan nickname for a cluster of veteran members) is finally about to be wiped out, "Taniko" (another such nickname) is still hanging on.
The reality is that just as "Mita" (a fan nickname for a cluster of veteran members) is finally about to be wiped out, "Taniko" (another such nickname) is still hanging on.
Even so, Morning Musume already cleared out its backed-up dead weight in one go, so that clogged-up feeling has eased a lot. The only "what do we even do about this?" case left is pretty much Saniko, and even that's starting to get thinned out.
Re: #39
Akiyama's leaving, but Tanimoto, Ono, and Onoda — all even older than her — are still hanging around.
Akiyama's leaving, but Tanimoto, Ono, and Onoda — all even older than her — are still hanging around.
If Nonaka, Ise, Danbara, Inoue, Tanimoto, Saniko, and the BEYOOOOONDS members all cleared out at once, spots would finally open up.
Re: #41
There are plenty of members the same age as Ise, but nobody brings them up.
Probably because Yumeriai and Moreiruru (fan nicknames) are around, they still get treated as the young ones.
There are plenty of members the same age as Ise, but nobody brings them up.
Probably because Yumeriai and Moreiruru (fan nicknames) are around, they still get treated as the young ones.
Hello! Project runs on 5-year contracts, so figure everyone stays at least 5 years. Beyond that, fine if they stay as long as they personally want — but I think anyone under a certain popularity line should just be forced to graduate.
Re: #43
It's contradictory that Zukki got cut as surplus after just 5 years, while Haga stuck around for 11.
It's contradictory that Zukki got cut as surplus after just 5 years, while Haga stuck around for 11.
Re: #43
There are way too many staff who deserve cutting before any Hello! Project member does, so short of something extreme, no member is actually getting cut.
There are way too many staff who deserve cutting before any Hello! Project member does, so short of something extreme, no member is actually getting cut.
I mean, Hello! Project is a solid agency where you can do steady idol work, right? You get to put out CDs, do live shows. Sure, if you look at the very top there are groups doing better, but in terms of overall idol rankings, aren't they pretty much always somewhere around the top 10?
Re: #56
About the only one you could call top-10 on the idol rankings right now is Juice=Juice.
As an agency, sure, they're consistently somewhere around the top 10 — it's just that the ones above keep rotating constantly.
About the only one you could call top-10 on the idol rankings right now is Juice=Juice.
As an agency, sure, they're consistently somewhere around the top 10 — it's just that the ones above keep rotating constantly.
Skilled members are fine staying long-term whether they're unpopular or veterans — the real problem is when performance quality drops. That said, I want the younger members to keep polishing their own performance without cutting corners too.
Re: #63
Juice is basically the only success story though, and even that owes a lot to Danbara and Inoue's personalities. Morning Musume and Tsubaki Factory are basically hell by comparison.
Juice is basically the only success story though, and even that owes a lot to Danbara and Inoue's personalities. Morning Musume and Tsubaki Factory are basically hell by comparison.
Saniko gets made fun of a lot, but if she and Tanimoto both vanished at once, it'd genuinely be over. Even Akiyama should probably keep going if she can.
Re: #71
If anything, it's fine if it does end.
If anything, it's fine if it does end.
Re: #71
No, just disband already. However you slice it, BEYOOOOONDS is a group nobody needs either.
No, just disband already. However you slice it, BEYOOOOONDS is a group nobody needs either.
Re: #70
Kojima Hana is also the same age as Ise. When she was announced, I remember thinking, "wait, is the 2003-born generation still growing?"
Kojima Hana is also the same age as Ise. When she was announced, I remember thinking, "wait, is the 2003-born generation still growing?"
Re: #72
22 or 23 is still plainly young. If we're talking about some run-of-the-mill idol who's all about looks, sure, age would be a fair concern. But Hello! Project demands real skill, so as long as they've got that locked down, I think they can stick around a lot longer.
22 or 23 is still plainly young. If we're talking about some run-of-the-mill idol who's all about looks, sure, age would be a fair concern. But Hello! Project demands real skill, so as long as they've got that locked down, I think they can stick around a lot longer.
What's with this vibe that Tsubaki Factory "isn't finished yet"?
Re: #73
Because aside from Juice=Juice, they've got the most potential.
Because aside from Juice=Juice, they've got the most potential.
Re: #75
As idols they're no good unless they're teens. Once they end up like Momoiro Clover Z or voice actresses [who keep going well into adulthood], it's over — it just becomes pure buddy-buddy fan service, and the creepiness stops being the fun, ironic kind and turns genuinely creepy.
As idols they're no good unless they're teens. Once they end up like Momoiro Clover Z or voice actresses [who keep going well into adulthood], it's over — it just becomes pure buddy-buddy fan service, and the creepiness stops being the fun, ironic kind and turns genuinely creepy.
Re: #80
If you want to push a group of teens, there's Rosy right there. The fact that it's the least popular one just tells you it's a garbage agency.
If you want to push a group of teens, there's Rosy right there. The fact that it's the least popular one just tells you it's a garbage agency.
There are idols out there who keep going well past 30, even after marriage, so honestly I think today's Hello! Project fans' values are just outdated at this point.
Background and Key Points of This Topic
Hello! Project has members like Sayumi Michishige and Mizuki Fukumura who’ve stuck around for the long haul, but the agency has also followed a model in the past of repeatedly bringing in and graduating members to match demand. The “5-year contract” mentioned in the thread is treated as a rough benchmark, and contract renewal time tends to be the fork in the road for whether a member stays or leaves. In recent years, groups like Juice=Juice — together for a long stretch now — have scored hits, and since the solo-career-focused promotion model hasn’t always panned out, some point to a shift toward valuing polish and completeness over youth. It’s also worth noting for readers that this kind of tenure-day mix-up (actual days as a member vs. elapsed days since joining) has caused real errors before, as it did at Sayumi Michishige’s graduation — so these figures are prone to the occasional slip.
*This article is an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (Hello! Project) thread “Isn’t it wild that only four members who joined in the Reiwa era — Rio Kitagawa, Shiori Yagi, Kanami Ishiguri, and Sumire Tashiro — have actually quit? The turnover rate is way too low.”
