Berryz工房 (Berryz Koubou or Berryz Kobo) is a Hello! Project groupfeaturing seven Hello! Project Kids.
History
The name Berryz Koubou, which means "Berryz Workshop", reflects the initial idea that the group's line-up would change from time to time, with each of the Hello! Project Kids eventually participating in the group. However, this idea was apparently dropped and in 2005, the other seven Hello! Project Kids ended up forming their own group, °C-ute.
Berryz Koubou has a weekly 15 minute radio show called Berryz工房 起立! 礼! 着席! (Berryz Koubou Kiritsu! Rei! Chakuseki!, roughly meaning Berryz Koubou Stand Up! Bow! Sit Down!, as in a class honoring the teacher entering the classroom). It began on March 30, 2004 and airs on JOQR every Tuesday from 23:35 to 23:50.
Berryz Koubou debuted at a concert on March 3, 2004, and they performed as backup dancers for W's promotional videos.
Even though there are exceptions (such as album songs) the lead vocals in Berryz Koubou's main single songs are most often Natsuyaki Miyabi, Sugaya Risako,Tsugunaga Momoko and Kumai Yurina.
On September 11, 2005, it was announced that Ishimura Maiha would graduate from the group and Hello! Project to focus on her studies. Her graduation took place on the last night of their fall tour, October 2, 2005.
On April 1, 2007, Berryz Koubou held a concert at Saitama Super Arena, becoming the youngest female group ever to perform there. The tickets sold out two months before the concert, and a few days before the concert it was announced that there would be extra seats available.
Berryz Koubou performed for the first time at NHK network's 58th Kouhaku Uta Gassen on December 31, 2007, along with °C-ute and Morning Musume.
Members
Shimizu Saki (清水佐紀, captain)
Tsugunaga Momoko (嗣永桃子)
Tokunaga Chinami(徳永千奈美)
Sudou Maasa(須藤茉麻)
Natsuyaki Miyabi(夏焼雅)
Kumai Yurina (熊井友理奈)
Sugaya Risako (菅谷梨沙子)
Graduated Members
Ishimura Maiha(石村舞波, graduated October 2005)
