About スマイレージ

S/mileage (スマイレージ) is a Japanese pop group under the Hello! Project umbrella. The group had its indie debut in June 2009 with the single "aMa no jaku" (ぁまのじゃく) and appeared as backdancers in 真野恵里菜's music videos and performances. In February 2010, producer Tsunku challenged the group to collect 10 000 smiles hereby launching an Internet campaign in which fans had to send their picture to the group to be glued by the girls on a mosaic. The challenge result was announced at the end of their first Joint Concert with Erina Mano; S/mileage received over 16 000 pictures from around the world earning them a major debut in May 2010 with the single "Yume Miru Fifteen" (夢見る 15歳). On the 30th of December, 2010 S/mileage won the 52nd Japan Record Award in the category of "Best New Artist" On May 29, 2011 Tsunku announced an audition to find new members for S/mileage. On August 14, 2011, five new sub-members were announced in the last leg of the Hello! Project 2011 Summer ~Nippon no Mirai wa WOW WOW Live~ tour: Nakanishi Kana, Kosuga Fuyuka, and Tamura Meimi, along with two former Hello! Pro Egg members, Takeuchi Akari and Katsuta Rina. On August 23, 2011, Ogawa Saki announced suddenly that she would be graduating from the group and from Hello! Project on August 27 after the summer concert in Nagoya to return to a normal middle school life. On September 10, 2011, Kosuga Fuyuka dropped out of the sub-member competition due to severe anemia. It was also announced that if she gets better, she'll be back as a Hello! Pro Egg. She eventually returned to Hello! Project as a trainee in March 2012, only to later withdraw from the Kenshuusei program in May of 2014. On September 18, 2011 it was announced that on top of their work so far the sub-members would have to participate in a "Egao Up Campaign!" in order to become full members of the group. On October 16, 2011 at the first release event for the group's seventh single it was announced that all four sub-members would become full members of S/mileage. Later on October 25, 2011 Maeda Yuuka's graduation from S/mileage and Hello! Project was announced, to take place on December 31, 2011. Current members: Ayaka Wada (和田彩花) Kanon Fukuda (福田花音) Nakanishi Kana (中西香奈) Takeuchi Akari (竹内朱莉) Katsuta Rina (勝田里奈) Tamura Meimi (田村芽実) Former Members: Ogawa Saki (小川紗季) (graduated August 27, 2011) Kosuga Fuyuka (小数賀芙由香) (left September 10, 2011) Yuuka Maeda (前田憂佳) (graduated December 31, 2011)