was a Japanese idol girl group formed by Up-Front Promotion in 2004 and associated with Hello! Project. The group's members consisted of Hello! Project Kids members Saki Shimizu, Momoko Tsugunaga, Miyabi Natsuyaki, Chinami Tokunaga, Maasa Sudo, Yurina Kumai, and Risako Sugaya; Maiha Ishimura left the group in 2005.
Berryz Kobo debuted with their first single in March of the same year. In 2007, Berryz Kobo became the youngest act ever to give a solo concert at Saitama Super Arena. In 2008, the group received the Best Asian Newcomer Award at the Asia Song Festival and a Cable Music Award at the 41st Japan Cable Awards ceremony. As of December 2014, the group had released 36 singles, nine studio albums, one EP and one compilation album. Berryz Kobo's combined CD and DVD sales exceeded one million copies in Japan alone.
History
2002–2003: Hello! Project Kids
All of the group's members were initially selected during the audition for Hello! Project Kids in 2002 and undertook professional training in Hello! Project.
In 2002, Maasa Sudo and Risako Sugaya appeared in the Minimoni movie Okashi na Daibōken! as members of the group 4Kids.
In 2003, some Hello! Project Kids' members were placed in bands led by Morning Musume members. Miyabi Natsuyaki was selected to be in Aa!, while Saki Shimizu and Momoko Tsugunaga were in the group ZYX. Both units were short-lived, and their activities stalled with the creation of Berryz Kobo.
2004: Formation and debut
The formation of Berryz Kobo was announced at a Hello! Project club event on 14 January 2004. The band was composed of eight members of Hello! Project Kids, who were then known as the "starting line-up". Initially it was planned to rotate all 15 members of Hello! Project Kids through the group, which would have given Berryz Kobo's members more time for school. Later, however, the idea was dismissed, and the remaining seven Hello! Project Kids members formed the group Cute in 2005.
On 3 March 2004, the new band debuted with the single "Anata Nashi de wa Ikite Yukenai", which ranked 18th on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart. Two more singles followed in April and May, and on 7 July the group released its first album, titled 1st Chō Berryz.
In addition to their activity as Berryz Kobo, the girls also performed as backup dancers in music videos of the newly created Hello! Project duo W.
2005: First top 10 hit and Ishimura's graduation
The single "Special Generation" was released on 30 March 2005, and ranked seventh on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart. It was Berryz Kobo's first single to rank in the top 10, and their first to sell more than 20,000 copies. At that time, the group's average age was less than 12 years old.
On 11 September 2005, it was announced that Maiha Ishimura would graduate from the group and Hello! Project to focus on her studies. Ishimura's graduation took place on 2 October 2005, on the last night of the Berryz Kobo autumn 2005 concert tour.
2006: Jiriri Kiteru
The 10th single, "Jiriri Kiteru," was released on the 29th of March. It was ranked in sixth place on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart, setting a new high for the group.
2007: Youngest concert at Saitama Super Arena
In February 2007, Berryz Kobo made news headlines after it was announced that the group would be holding a concert at Saitama Super Arena on 1 April. The tickets for the two performances (a total of 20,000 seats) sold out almost two months before the premiere, and the group became the youngest act ever to perform a solo concert at the arena. At the time its members' average age was 13.8, with the previous record of 16.3 set by Morning Musume four years earlier.
On 27 June, Berryz released their 14th single "Kokuhaku no Funsui Hiroba." It ranked fourth on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart, becoming their highest-selling single.
2008: Awards and NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen
On the 12th of March 2008 the group released "Dschinghis Khan," their first cover song and, as of 2012, their highest- selling single.
In October, Berryz Kobo participated at the 2008 Asia Song Festival in South Korea, representing Japan alongside W-inds and Anna Tsuchiya. Berryz won the festival's Best Asian Newcomer Award alongside the SM Entertainment group Shinee.