Hello! Pro Egg

(L->R) R1 – Tanaka Anri, Sengoku Minami, Kikkawa Yuu, Furukawa Konatsu, Sainen Mia

R2 – Mori Saki, Kitahara Sayaka, Komine Momoka, Saho Akari, Okai Asuna

R3 – Sekine Azusa, Fukumura Mizuko, Maeda Irori, Kaneko Rie, Arai Manami

R4 – Takeuchi Akari, Miyamoto Karin, Satou Ayano, Hirano Tomomi, Katsuta Rina

R5 – Takagi Sayuki, Tanabe Nanami, Kizawa Runa, Nagasawa Wakana, Kudo Haruka

[Not present in photo: Aoki Erina and Sezaki Azusa]

Hello! Pro Egg (ハロプロエッグ)

Consists of girls selected through an audition process (or who are added specially by Tsunku) who are recieving free dance and vocal lessons in the hopes that they will one day be able to debut as a full idol within Hello! Project. Not yet being full members within Hello! Project, the girls don’t receive a great deal of work, mainly just performing at concerts as backing dancers for the major acts.

In June 2004, 32 winners were selected from the 10,570 applicants of the Hello! Pro Egg Audition. During February 2006, a second audition was held and three more winners were selected into this group. Since then individual members have been added by Tsunku, including Maeda Irori, Kikkawa Yuu, and Linlin.

In June 2006, Mano Erina, Ogura Manami, and Mutou Mika, the winners of the “Up-Front Group “Egg” Audition”, joined the group.

During the Akasaka HOP! concert in June 2008, three new members were announced: Fukumura Mizuki, Kaneko Rie, and Takeuchi Akari. At the Yokohama JUMP! concert in November 2008, another new member was announced: Miyamoto Karin, a winner of the “Up-Front Egg Audition”. In the April 2009 issue of De☆View (released in March 2009), Sato Ayano appeared alongside Noto Arisa and Kaneko Rie, as a Hello! Pro Egg member. During the Yokohama HOP! concert in April 2009, Sato Ayano’s membership was officially announced, as well as the addition of new member Sezaki Azusa.

Hello! Pro Egg mostly serve as backup dancers at various Hello! Project concerts. Some Eggs have also acted in various dramas, plays, and musicals. There is currently one unit made up entirely of Eggs: Tomoiki Ki wo Uetai and Shugo Chara Egg! who regularly participate in cultural festivals alongside Morning Musume.

Several Eggs also participate in Gatas Brilhantes H.P.: Korenaga Miki and Mutou Mika are full-time players, while Mano Erina, Noto Arisa, Sawada Yuri, and Sengoku Minami serve as reserve players. These six are also members of Ongaku Gatas, the first Hello! Project unit to feature both H!P members and Eggs. Tanaka Anri is a trainee and former player of Little Gatas.

In January 2008, Korenaga Miki graduated from Hello! Pro Egg to concentrate on Gatas Brilhantes H.P. and Ongaku Gatas. Noto Arisa took her place as leader of Hello! Pro Egg.

Former Eggs Okada Yui, Arihara Kanna, and Linlin have debuted in Hello! Project groups while THE Possible has debuted in TNX. As of 2007, all of the members of Hello! Pro Egg have officially debuted in concert in the Shinjin Kouen concert series.

On April 4th, Tsunku created S/mileage, from the former members of Shugo Chara Egg! adding Ogawa Saki to replace Saho Akari.

Tsunku annonced that S/mileage members Maeda Yuuka, Wada Ayaka, Fukuda Kanon, and Ogawa Saki were going to graduate from eggs into full time members of Hello! Project in spring 2010.

On December 21, 2010 Sengoku Minami completed her training as an Egg, her next activity was planned to be a stage play.

On December 24, 2011 it was announced that Kikkawa Yuu had completed her training and she would appear as an opening act for H!P concerts from 1/2 ~ 1/23 in preparation for future work as a solo artist.

On January 17, 2011 it was announced that Mori Saki had finished her training as an H!P Egg, her next activity was a stage play.

On January 31, 2011 it was announced that Furukawa Konatsu had completed her training as an H!P Egg.

On March 3, 2011 Furukawa Konatsu, Mori Saki, Arai Manami, Satou Ayano, and Sekine Azusa joined UFZS, a dance cover group representing Up Front Company.

On March 10, 2011 it was announced that Kiatahara Sayaka, Satou Ayano, Arai Manami, and Sekine Azusa had completed their training as Eggs. Kitahara Sayaka joined Tight Pro Corporation, an agency under UFA.

On April 18, 2011 it was announced that Saho Akari had finished her training as an Egg, a few weeks later on May 3, 2011 it was revealed that Saho Akari would join UFZS.

On May 16, Sengoku Minami and Saho Akari officially joined UFZS.