Three Morning Musume members to graduate, 9th Gen auditions?

Yes, it's true. Just announced today by Tsunku was the planned graduation of Kamei Eri, Junjun and Linlin. The translated message from Tsunku:

About the graduation of Eri Kamei, 6th generation member

Eri Kamei came to me several times regarding her health condition. One time, she said to me : "I would like to find the time to cure the atopic dermatitis that I'm suffering from."
Since the time she joined the Morning Musume。, it looks like she was dealing with symptoms like itching and slight skin color changes. She took medication to calm the symptoms down and she also used make-up to cover it but during live concerts, there is a lot of sweat and many outfits to put on, which made her recovery very difficult. Some may say it is "just a skin problem" but according to doctors, an external problem like skin problem may move to an internal level. It may as well have an impact on her spirit, her mental level. Also, for her, it is a serious thing so she decided to focus on her recovery instead of letting it continue.
Eri Kamei will graduate from the Morning Musume。 and the Hello! Project on the last day of the Morning Musume。Autumn 2010 concert tour.
As for her activities after that, I intend to discuss with her after her full recovery.


About the graduation of Jun Jun and Lin Lin, 8th generation members (foreign students)

In May 2005, both of them joined the Morning Musume。as foreign students and today, while being skilled singers and entertainers, they also greatly improved their japanese proficiency and they are now grown-up women. This is why I took the decision to graduate both of them at the same time as Eri Kamei on the last day of the Morning Musume。Autumn 2010 concert tour.
After graduation, they will enter a period of preparation before focusing on their singing and entertainment career in China.

Also announced after that were the start of Ninth generation auditions. The translated blog post from Tsunku:

Greetings! I’m Tsunku
The members are always changing, making Morning Musume continue, and after 4 years, we’re looking for new members!

We’ve been looking for the proper timing to hold these auditions for Morning Musume.
This time, along with the news of Kamei Eri, Junjun and Linlin graduation, it was decided that it was the proper timing.

Girls in the 10-17 years old range who love singing, please participate!

Requirements:
① I’m very energetic and cheerful!
② I love singing and want to become better at singing!
③ I admire the world of entertainement business!
④ I want to become cuter!
⑤ I want my talent to be discovered/found!
⑥ I don’t have self-confidence now but the day when I shine will surely come!
⑦ I don’t have self-confidence but I will do my best!
⑧ Everyone around me suggests to enter the entertainment industry
⑨ I have the confidence that I will be #1 in the entertainement world!
⑩ I love Morning Musume (Hello! Project)!

With these 10 conditions, one girl (of the applicants) will be selected!
Be sure to send your application, please make the future Morning Musume a star in the Japanese entertainment world and make them advance in the world!

What do you think of this?

lolz, i was just about to do this but it looks like ur a step ahead. =D
i already heard about the graduation, so tat's not new to me but i'd like to know more about the auditions... i went on the momosu audition webpage and it was all in Japanese, a language i really cant read. (i can only read like, 5 hiragana, and half of the kenji) ok, so i found out tat u can audition by phone, mailing ur application to them, but i havent seen the email application thing anywhere... i really hope there's an email... btw, can anyone help me on this?? i just wanna understand wat's going on with the auditions and i wanna know if anyone in this project is auditioning or at least wants to audition....
if anyone can help me translate it or tell me some more details about the audition, tat'll be great =D
also, id love audition but i dont think i have the guts to.... or the "diva attitude" to
cuz for #8 & 9, im not certain about it...

Haha, I was really thinking of auditioning and even tried to fill out the form. The online application can be found here-

https://www.musume-audition.com/musume/_musume/form

From what I can understand, using what little Japanese I know, this is what it asks for in order:

~Name- last name in first blank, first name in second. Preferably in Katakana or if possible but only if you're chinese/japanese, in kanji.
~Furigana- This is for people who have their name in kanji. If you're american you obviously can't put your name in kanji, so just put what you did for the first two positions in that order.
~Postal/area code-
~State/city Name- if out of Japan,put the very last choice in the scroll bar, with the hiragana その in it.
~District name- I just put my city and state. -shrug-
address(street) Just your street, not the number.
~Adress, appartment name- your house number and street or appartment complecx.
~Phone number- self explanatory.
~Cell-phone- same.
~E-mail adress
~Birthdate
~If a minor, parent consent(just check the box)
~Height in centimeters
~Weight in kilograms
~Breast, waist and hips measurements in centimeters.
~grade. For this they are looking for 1, 2 or 3(First grade for them is tenth grade for americans, second in eleventh, third is twelfth.
~Nationality- copy and paste if you are American. アメリカ人
~Do you have a performance contract already? I put no.
~If so, put the name in the first blank and phone number in the second.Leave blank if none.
~How'd you find out about this? Options- Poster, Newspaper Ad, Online, Other.
~special hobby- I put singing, which in Japanese is うたう。If it is dancing, put おどる。If you want to put something else ask me, I may know how to say it.
~Favorite 'Talento' or idol- I put Yoshizawa Hitomi's name in kanji/hiragana.
~The last block is not manditory so I didn't fill it in.

Also, it is manditory to send in five pictures- two head shots, one bust shot(from head to chest), a full-body shot and two of choice. They have to be very recent pictures, atleast taken a month before. You can do that by e-mailing from your phone. Or, you can go here:

https://www.musume-audition.com/musume/_musume/form

Print out the form, paper-clip five pictures of yourself to the filled out form, and email it to the agency. I do not know the email adress, so I would have to do it by e-mail and phone.

ok... thanks a lot of explaining... but wat if ur Chinese and ur living in Canada?? would i put my Chinese name there or my English name in Katakana?? and do u put in the grade ur going into in Sept or the grade u just graduated from?? cuz im going into my last year of middle school. also, after u have done the application and the pictures, u would mail it to them and how will they set up an audition for u if ur overseas??
btw, do u think tat if they find out a lot of people from overseas would like to audition, do u think they'll send a mini group of people here and hold auditions here?? if they'll do tat with enough auditioners from overseas, im sooo auditioning!!! (i just need some guts)

WAHHH!You have to put your weight?! Although I may look small I weigh tons!!! DX oh well I have until sep to loose those pounds MUAHAHAHA!!!!! -runs around in circles- I meet all of those requirements. I think it would be good for MM to have an American in it. Once that isn't part Jap it could extend their market. I wouldn't mind if they just used me like JunJun and LinLin (poor JunLin) I would be happy to just be in the group for a day (plus I would still be able to be all of their friends MUAHAHA!!!)

haha, lolz, then i wish u luck in the audition on behalf of all of K!P!! XD when u get in, remember to mention us!! >.<
(esp meh!!)

lol ok -holds the flowers that you get for winning the audition-


-takes mic from Takahashi- I would like to thank my mommy and my daddy and all the little people, and KyutoProject and Abigail and Megumi and Pikapi-chan and -Takahashi tries to take mic but I forcefully take it back- AND AIRASHIIPROJECt AND AKARUI PROJECT AND MINKU AND SAMMI -Once again Takahashi tries to take the mic and you hear me yell "CHOTTO!"- AND AND CORISCA AND J AND AND AND AND MY BUD KOYUKI AND -Takahashi finally succeeds in taking the mic and you see me pout-

XD lol I don't think Takahashi Ai would do something like that but if it did that's how it would go down..... HAHAHA!!!!

haha!!!
aww ur so sweet!! >.< ty for mentioning meh!! XD