Niigaki Risa
Name: Niigaki Risa (新垣里沙) | Nicknames: Gaki-san, Gaki, Mame Birthday: October 20, 1988 Blood Type: B Age: 20 Height: 154 cm (5'1") Born In: Kanagawa, Japan |
Niigaki Risa is a member and sub-leader of J-Pop group Morning Musume. She joined the group's fifth generation in 2001 along with Takahashi Ai, Konno Asami, and Ogawa Makoto. Prior to joining, she was a runner-up for the "Kiss Girl Audition" in becoming a Tomy image girl. She appeared with the winnter, Hasegawa Ai, in a Tomy Karaoke Machine commercial.
Niigaki has been placed in several Hello! Project units. In September 2001, all fifth generation were placed into existing Morning Musume subgroups, with Niigaki being placed in Tanpopo, along with Konno. The new lineup only released one single before becoming inactive. In early 2003, Morning Musume was divided into two groups, Sakura Gumi and Otome Gumi, with Niigaki being in the Sakura Gumi group. In early 2007, she was chosen to be a member of Morning Musume Tanjo 10nen Kinentai, a group created to celebrate Morning Musume's 10th Anniversary. And in October 2007, she was placed in the unit Athena & Robikerottsu to promote the anime "Robby & Kerobby", which she voiced in.
On June 1, 2007, then-leader Fujimoto Miki suddenly resigned from Morning Musume. Takahashi Ai replaced Fujimoto as leader and Niigaki took Takahashi's place as sub-leader.