Мики Фудзимото: от сольной карьеры к лидерству в Morning Musume

Miki Shōji (庄司 美貴) (born February 26, 1985), professionally known by her birth name of Miki Fujimoto (藤本 美貴), and nicknamed Mikitty, is a Japanese actress, singer and YouTuber. After failing the audition to join girl group Morning Musume with the fourth generation members, Fujimoto debuted as a solo artist within Hello! Project in 2002 with the single "Aenai Nagai Nichiyōbi". Fujimoto later joined Morning Musume in 2003 along with the sixth generation and eventually became the leader of the group in 2007.

Fujimoto was born and raised in the Takikawa area of Hokkaidō, Japan. She is the youngest of four children: she has an older brother (who won a defamation case alongside Fujimoto in 2009), and two older sisters. Her father passed away on November 10, 2010.

Fujimoto originally started out as a solo singer in 2002 under the idol family Hello! Project, becoming the first of six members to debut under Hello! Project after losing a Morning Musume audition. She is often called by fans as Aya Matsuura's rival, but in fact, they are the best of friends. After a successful performance on the music program on New Year's Eve, "Kōhaku Uta Gassen", producer Tsunku added her to Morning Musume as a sixth generation member in 2003. Although unintended, Fujimoto began a very brass and frigid image (which Fujimoto herself attributed to her unhappiness for being added to the group long after having been built up as a solo act). She sang many of the lead lines in Morning Musume songs, especially after Natsumi Abe's graduation. She and fellow Morning Musume member Asami Konno were also lent to Country Musume, a group that features "Country Girls from Hokkaidō", such as Miki and Asami (the group has been known, however, to include members not from the rural island—such as former featured singers Rika Ishikawa and Miuna Saito). In October 2002, she was placed in the one shot unit, Gomattou with two other prominent pop soloists under Hello! Project, Maki Goto (a former Morning Musume member), and Aya Matsuura. She was also in Hello! Project Shuffle groups Odoru 11, 11Water, H. P. All Stars and Sexy Otonajan. In 2003, when Morning Musume was split into two groups, she was placed in Morning Musume Otomegumi. On June 15, 2006, it was announced that Fujimoto and Aya Matsuura would join in a new Hello! Project duo called GAM. Their debut single was released on September 13, 2006, and after two other singles, their debut LP was released on May 23, 2007. On May 6, 2007, after the graduation of then leader Hitomi Yoshizawa, Fujimoto took her place as the fifth leader of Morning Musume.

On May 24, 2007, Fujimoto was featured in the Japanese gossip magazine Friday pictured walking with Tomoharu Shōji, a member of the comedy duo Shinagawa Shōji. Friday explained that they had a two hour dinner together, drove to Fujimoto's apartment, then went to the sauna, returning to Shōji's apartment just after midnight. It soon became apparent that she was to be involved in a scandal that would jeopardize her position in Morning Musume. After seeing the article, Up Front Agency had no intention to deal with the situation since there was no proof of them dating. On the May 26, 2007 edition of Young Town Doyōbi (a radio show with Ai Takahashi, Fujimoto and Sanma Akashiya), she confirmed that the pictures were of her, and that she had been going out with Tomoharu Shōji. She also mentioned that she spoke to the head of Up Front Agency, Naoki Yamazaki, about the situation. On June 1, 2007, Fujimoto resigned from her position in Morning Musume. She continued with GAM and remained contracted with Hello! Project and Up Front Agency. Fujimoto's tenure as leader of Morning Musume of just 25 days remains a record within Hello! Project, and has become a source of notoriety within Japanese media.

In March 2009, Fujimoto announced her engagement to Shōji and graduated from Hello! Project. They married on July 3, 2009, at a ceremony held in Hawaii. The couple have three children: a son born in 2012, and two daughters born in 2015 and 2020.

On April 23, 2008, Fujimoto released a collaboration kayōkyoku single, "Okitegami" (置き手紙), featuring Takao Horiuchi. Later that year, Fujimoto played the part of Rizzo in the fall musical, Grease. In 2011, Fujimoto took part of the special revival unit Dream Morning Musume, though her concert and television appearances were limited, due to her concurrent pregnancy (with her first child). Fujimoto had a brief stint as an owner of a chain of yakiniku restaurants in Japan: Yakiniku Mikitei (焼肉美貴亭). The first location opened on her 26th birthday, February 26, 2011, to much success. Three more restaurants were opened. The restaurant chain, however, was short lived, and closed on June 29, 2012, following various incidents. In 2017, Fujimoto appeared in the film Kamen Rider Ex Aid the Movie: True Ending. In October 2019, Fujimoto opened her YouTube channel: Hello! Mikitty''''. Her husband often appears in her videos, with frequent appearances by former Hello! Project members, and her three children. On March 12, 2023, in celebration of her 21st Debut Anniversary, Fujimoto held a 20 Complete Years Anniversary Live Concert at Huric Hall Tokyo, featuring Asami Konno and Reina Tanaka as special guests, with surprise appearances by Maki Goto and Ichiro Ito (of Every Little Thing).

Title Release date Publisher ISBN Photobook information Ayaya to Mikitty (アヤヤとミキティ) 2003 04 11 Wani Books Photobook with Aya Matsuura. Alo Hello! Fujimoto Miki (アロハロ!藤本美貴写真集) 2003 04 22 Kadokawa Shoten First solo photobook. Mikitty (藤本美貴写真集 「Mikitty」) 2004 01 24 Wani Books Second solo photobook. Real 226 (藤本美貴写真集「リアル226」) 2005 02 25 Wani Books Third solo photobook. Cheri (藤本美貴写真集「cheri（シェリー）」) 2005 12 17 Wani Books Fourth solo photobook. Coeur (藤本美貴写真集「COEUR」) 2006 11 25 Wani Books Fifth solo photobook.