Anime Expo has announced that the perennially changing, chart-topping group Morning Musume will perform at the July 2-5 convention at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The famed music producer Tsunku created the group in 1997 when he ran auditions for the new female vocalist of his Sharam Q band ( DNA² 's "Single Bed"). He ended up taking five of the runners-ups and creating an entirely new group, Morning Musume. Since then, the group has released the most #1 hit singles of any female Japanese group and has literally multiplied; the group has divided itself into several smaller groups over the years, spawned several spinoffs, and eventually expanded to 15 members. Among the group's 10 #1 songs are "Love Machine," "Mr. Moonlight ~Ai no Big Band~," and "Auriteru."

12 years after the group's formation, current roster stands at nine members: Ai Takahashi , Risa Niigaki , Eri Kamei , Sayumi Michishige , Reina Tanaka , Koharu Kusumi , Aika Mitsui , JunJun (Li Chun), and LinLin (Qian Lin). (The five original members have since "graduated" to solo acts or moved into other careers.) Several of the members have voiced roles in anime, such as Takahashi ( Hamtaro the Movie 3 , Mini Moni the TV , Tottoko Hamutarō: Ham Ham Ham - Jya! Maboroshi no Princess ) and Niigaki ( Robby & Kerobby , Tottoko Hamutarō: Ham Ham Ham - Jya! Maboroshi no Princess ). Tanaka played the title role Kirara in Onegai My Melody Kirara , while Kusumi played the title role Kirari in Kirarin Revolution . Mitsui also acted in Kirarin Revolution as Gurossan.

JapanFiles.com is launching Morning Musume's digital catalog online on February 18 with the group's new single, "Naichau kamo."