Rika Ishikawa

Biography

Rika Ishikawa (石川 梨華, Ishikawa Rika; born January 19, 1985), is a Japanese actress and model associated with Hello! Project and best known as a former member of the pop group Morning Musume. She was the leader of the Japanese pop idol trio V-u-den until June 2008. She has performed as a solo singer, as a member of the Japanese pop idol group Ongaku Gatas, in the pop duo Hangry & Angry as Angry, and as a member of Dream Morning Musume.

Career

Rika Ishikawa was born on January 19, 1985, in Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan.
Ishikawa joined Morning Musume as a fourth generation member along with Hitomi Yoshizawa, Nozomi Tsuji, and Ai Kago, and made her debut in 2000 along with the rest of the fourth generation on the band's tenth single, "Happy Summer Wedding".
In 2001, simultaneously with her Morning Musume obligations, Ishikawa became a featured member of the Hello! Project pop group Country Musume and a second-generation member of Morning Musume's first subgroup, Tanpopo. She also participated in her first shuffle group, 3-nin Matsuri, with fellow Morning Musume/Tanpopo member Ai Kago and solo singer Aya Matsuura (previously, she had acted as a replacement member in the 2000 shuffle group Aoiro 7).
One of Ishikawa's most referenced vocal parts during her Morning Musume days was a spoken-word piece in the 2003 single "Shabondama". She also performed a spoken-word piece at the end of the song "The Peace!".
In September 2004, her new trio, V-u-den, released their debut single. She graduated from Morning Musume on May 7, 2005, and after five singles, V-u-den finally released their debut album, Suiteroom Number 1, in November 2005.
Ishikawa has starred in a Hamtaro movie with her Ecomoni partner, Sayumi Michishige, and soloist Aya Matsuura. She was a Pocky Girl (for Morning Musume's Pocky commercial), and also plays for Gatas Brilhantes H.P.
Ishikawa graduated from Morning Musume on the last day of the Morning Musume Concert Tour 2005 Haru ~Dai 6 Kan Hit Mankai!~, on May 7, 2005. During this concert, 7th generation member Koharu Kusumi was officially introduced into Morning Musume in her place. After her graduation, she replaced Yuko Nakazawa as the host of Hello!Morning till it ended in 2007.
Ishikawa starred in Sukeban Deka: Codename = Asamiya Saki, the fourth live-action adaptation film of Sukeban Deka, opposite Aya Matsuura, released September 30, 2006.
In line with Mari Yaguchi's involvement in the Japanese 2007 adaptation of the popular 1955 Broadway play, Damn Yankees, Rika was double cast with fellow 4th Generation ex-Morning Musume member Nozomi Tsuji in "When Will You Return?" (『いつの日君帰る』, Itsu no hi kimi kaeru) in 2007 at the Nissei Theatre in Tokyo and the Osaka City Center.
In mid-2007, Ishikawa joined the Japanese idol group Ongaku Gatas along with fellow members of Gatas Brilhantes H.P..
On October 12, 2008, it was announced that she would pair with fellow ex-Morning Musume member Hitomi Yoshizawa in the new unit Hangry & Angry in collaboration with a Harajuku fashion store of the same name. Hangry & Angry made their first United States performance at Sakura-Con in Seattle, Washington in April 2009.
Ishikawa graduated from Hello! Project with the rest of Elder Club on March 31, 2009. Ishikawa joined the newly formed group, "Dream Morning Musume" in 2010 alongside other former Morning Musume members.
On January 1, 2010, Ishikawa opened up an official blog.

Personal life

On March 13, 2017, she married a professional baseball player, Ryoma Nogami and gave birth to a baby boy in April 2018. He was followed by another boy in January 2020.

Hello! Project

Ongaku Gatas (2007 – 2010)
Ecomoni (2004 – 2007)
V-u-den (2004 – 2008)
Def.Diva (2005 – 2006)
Morning Musume (2000 – 2005)
Morning Musume Otomegumi (2003 – 2004)
Tanpopo (2000 – 2003)
Country Musume ni Ishikawa Rika (Morning Musume) (2001 – 2003)
Romans (2003)
Shuffle Groups
3-nin Matsuri (2001)
Sexy 8 (2002)
7Air (2003)
H.P. All Stars (2004)

Non-Hello! Project

Hangry & Angry (2008 – 2011)
Dream Morning Musume (2011 – 2012)
Abcho (2012)

Movies

2000 – Pinch Runner
2002 – Tokkaekko
2003 – Koinu Dan no Monogatari
2003 – 17sai ~Tabidachi no Futari~
2004 – Tottoko Hamtaro Hamu Hamu Hapa Radaicho!
2006 – Yo-Yo Girl Cop

Commercials

Eeruseeme
2003 – J Beef "Oniku Suki Suki"