are a Japanese female idol group. The group's name is officially shortened to . The group was created by 3B Junior, the third section of the talent agency Stardust Promotion. Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku is considered a "little sister" group to another Stardust Promotion girl group, Momoiro Clover Z. Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku is named after a fictitious school in Ebisu, a neighborhood in Shibuya, Tokyo. It was planned as a group of elementary and middle school students. However, this concept has changed as the members aged. The group currently uses "Forever a Middle-schooler" as their concept. The group was officially nicknamed "King of the School Play", and was advertised as being a group with very rough singing and dancing skills. Or, more accurately, the group's slogan at the time was "Unarticulated dance and shaky vocals." However, the group has outgrown said slogan over time, and have since reached a point where they're praised for their vocal skills. Originally formed as a quintet on August 4, 2009, the lineup has changed multiple times since then, with some members having "changed school" (the group's official term for leaving it) and some having "transferred in" (joined). The most recent lineup change occurred on October 1, 2022 when 2 new members were integrated into the group. History Formation and "indie" years (2009–2012) Ebichu was formed as a quintet on August 4, 2009. The original lineup consisted of Kanon, Mizuki, Narumi Uno, Reina Miyazaki and Rika Mayama. The group started out performing short sets (often opening for Momoiro Clover) at malls and shopping centers. In October, Ayaka Yasumoto and Natsu Anno were added to the lineup. On February 14, 2010, Kanon announced her departure from the group. On the same day, Hinaki Yano was announced as a new member. The group's first single "Asa no Chime ga Narimashita" was released the same day as well. In April, Aika Hirota was added as a new member. One month later in May, four new members: Mirei Hoshina, Rio Koike, Hirono Suzuki and Rina Matsuno, were announced, bringing the total number of members to 12. The group released their second single, "Ebizori Diamond!!", on August 7. On November 23, it was announced that Narumi Uno would be departing the group on January 10. In addition, Hinata Kashiwagi was announced as a new member. From this day until Uno's departure, the group's lineup reached its peak at 13 members. On