WIKIPEDIA:

“ (born February 26, 1985), known professionally known by her birth name of , and nicknamed Mikitty, is a Japanese pop singer and television actress. 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 would eventually become the leader of the group in 2007.

Early life
Fujimoto was born and raised in the Takikawa area of Hokkaidō, Japan. She has an older brother, who won a defamation case alongside Fujimoto in 2009.

Career

Early work: 2002–2003
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. At the time, she was the 3rd oldest person to join the [......] ”

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