Hitomi Yoshizawa is a former Japanese singer, actress, and model. Yoshizawa grew to fame as a member of the Japanese idolgirl groupMorning Musume. Following her graduation, she was part of the pop duoHangry & Angry as Hangry and a member of Japanese pop groupDream Morning Musume. In September 2018, Yoshizawa was involved in a hit-and-run caused by her drinking above the legal alcohol limit. Following public criticism, on September 28th, Yoshizawa announced her retirement from the entertainment industry.
Career
2000-2007: Morning Musume
Yoshizawa became a member of the Hello! Project group Morning Musume in 2000, as a member of the fourth generation along with Rika Ishikawa, Nozomi Tsuji, and Ai Kago, making her debut in the group's ninth single "Happy Summer Wedding". She was also featured in the group's theatrical release of Pinch Runner. She also appeared with the group in the weekly television showHello! Morning in various segments including a survival match featuring the members of the 5th and 6th Generations where she played the role of the referee. In the past, she has often been perceived as the tomboyish member of the group, due to her voice, manners, and hobbies. Furthering this perception of her masculine side, Yoshizawa's first lead came in 2001 with the release of the single "", in which she played a dashing playboy character. Yoshizawa became the captain of the Hello! Project futsal team, Gatas Brilhantes H.P. when it was formed in September 2003. The 5'5" midfielder has since managed to lead the team to victory on many occasions. Yoshizawa also convinced teammate Nozomi Tsuji to remain as the team's goalkeeper, despite her graduation from Morning Musume in 2004. In April 2005, after Mari Yaguchi left Morning Musume, Yoshizawa, the current sub-leader, became the group's new leader.
On May 6, 2007, Yoshizawa graduated from Morning Musume after the band's last performance in the Sexy 8 Beat Spring Tour, which took place at Saitama Super Arena. According to several news sources, producer Tsunku, and Yoshizawa herself, she would enter a solo career of her own. Yoshizawa then focused her time on Gatas Brilhantes H.P., along with being leader of a group formed with fellow members of the futsal team called Ongaku Gatas. On October 12, 2008, Yoshizawa paired up with fellow ex-Morning Musume member Rika Ishikawa as Hangry in the new unit Hangry & Angry in collaboration with a Harajuku fashion store of the same name. The duo made their first US performance at Sakura-Con in Seattle in April 2009. Their first European performance was at "Chibi Japan Expo" in Montreuil on October 31, 2009. In February 2009, Yoshizawa performed with the rest of the Elder Club at their group graduation concert in Yokohama. Yoshizawa made her first post-Hello! Project at the Summer 2010 tour, acting as MC alongside Sharam Q member Makoto. In 2010, Yoshizawa joined Dream Morning Musume alongside other former-Morning Musume members. In May 2012, Yoshizawa and Rika Ishikawa formed a Japanese pop unit called Abcho. On September 6th, 2018, Yoshizawa was involved in a hit-and-run caused by her drinking above the legal alcohol limit. Following backlash, on September 28, she issued a statement via her agency announcing that she was retiring from entertainment industry. Footage of her performances at Hello! Project's 20th anniversary concert was removed from the DVD release.
Personal life
On January 11, 2007, Yoshizawa's younger brother, 16-year-old Kōta Yoshizawa, was killed in a traffic accident. On November 22, 2015, Yoshizawa announced that she had married a non-celebrity man. In March 2016, Yoshizawa announced she was pregnant with her first child and that she would give birth to a son in the late summer of 2016. On July 29, she announced on her blog that she gave birth to a boy.
Legal troubles
On September 6, 2018, at 7:00 AM, Yoshizawa ran a red light while driving a van at 86 kilometers per hour and hit a female cyclist, who then collided with a male pedestrian. After fleeing the scene, Yoshizawa reported to the incident to the police and returned 15 minutes later, where she was arrested for allegedly causing a hit-and-run accident while driving under the influence. A breathalyzer test revealed 0.58 mg of alcohol per liter of exhaled air, four times the legal limit in Japan. Yoshizawa informed the police that she drank three cans of chuhai; however, after further investigation, the police discovered that she had consumed more alcohol than from what she had originally stated. Following the incident, Yoshizawa's mother-in-law attempted suicide and was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. Yoshizawa was indicted on September 26, but was bailed out of Harajuku Police Station for ¥3 million.
