Just on Friday four new members of MORNING MUSUME. had been announced, when already on Sunday, January 9th, 2011, group leader Takahashi Ai announced her leaving.
During the performance at the Nakano Sun Plaza, Takahashi announced herself, that she will be leaving the group this year in autumn. She had been enrolled for ten years and with a leadership of the group for three years and seven months, she took responsibility in that the longest.
“This year in August, it will be precisely 10 years since I entered MORNING MUSUME. and with the ending of the fall tour right at that time, I thought it would be good to schedule my leaving at that.
It is still nine months until then, and I will give my best as the leader until then for the new MORNING MUSUME”, Takahashi also announced in her official statement.
After Takahashi’s graduation from the group, Niigaki Risa, who had been MORNING MUSUME.’s sub-leader, will be appointed the role of the leader instead.
Source – MJP
