is a Japanese singer, actress and model. She is a former sixth-generation member and former leader of the J-pop group Morning Musume. Following the departure of fifth-generation member Risa Niigaki on October 12, 2013, Michishige has the longest tenure of any member in the group's history. Michishige was born in Ube, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. She joined Morning Musume in 2003 along with Eri Kamei, Miki Fujimoto, and Reina Tanaka, who all debuted with Morning Musume on the group's nineteenth single, "Shabondama". In 2005, she was assigned as mentor to seventh-generation member Koharu Kusumi, until Kusumi left the group in December 2009. Michishige was also a member of the Hello! Project unit Ecomoni, along with former Morning Musume member Rika Ishikawa. She portrays a visual-focused, self-confident image of herself in more TV shows, often calling herself the cutest member in Morning Musume and saying that her cuteness overwhelms her poor singing skills. In one of the skits known as Hello! Morning Theatre on their variety show, Hello! Morning, she frequently played a character known as "Ichiban Kawaii" (Cutest). Biography Early life and family Michishige is from Ube, Yamaguchi. She is the youngest child in the family, she has an elder brother and an elder sister. Morning Musume Career (2003–2014) In 2002, at the age of 13, Michishige participated in the Love Audition 2002 held by Up-Front Agency in search of new members for the Japanese female idol group Morning Musume. Tens of thousand of contestants auditioned, but only four where chosen in the final stage. Michishige, along with Eri Kamei, Miki Fujimoto, and Reina Tanaka were admitted to Morning Musume as sixth-generation members on January 19, 2003. A few weeks later, she was placed in Morning Musume's subgroup Morning Musume Otomegumi, when the group was temporarily divided so it could perform in smaller towns, thereby reaching out to a greater number of fans who could not otherwise watch them perform live. During the spring, she, along with the other sixth-generation members, made her first concert appearance on the Morning Musume Concert Tour 2003 Spring "Non Stop!" during second-generation member Kei Yasuda's leaving ceremony. On July 16, 2003, the sixth-generation members (with the exception of Miki Fujimoto) released their first photobook and corresponding DVD, both shot in Hawaii, as part of the series. Their musical debut came shortly thereafter, on July 30, with Morning Musume's 19th single, "Shabondama". Towards the end of