モーニング娘。さくら組

Morning Musume Sakura Gumi (モーニング娘。さくら組) was a Japanese pop group, one of two subgroups that Morning Musume (モーニング娘。) was divided into in 2003 so that they could perform in smaller concert venues. In addition to touring separately, each subgroup also released two singles. The members were as follows: Natsumi Abe (安倍なつみ) Mari Yaguchi (矢口真里) Hitomi Yoshizawa (吉澤ひとみ) Ai Kago (加護亜依) Ai Takahashi (高橋愛) Asami Konno (紺野あさ美) Risa Niigaki (新垣里沙) Eri Kamei (亀井絵里)

Morning Musume Sakura Gumi (モーニング娘。さくら組) was a Japanese pop group, one of two subgroups that Morning Musume (モーニング娘。) was divided into in 2003 so that they could perform in smaller concert venues. In addition to touring separately, each subgroup also released two singles. The members were as follows: Natsumi Abe (安倍なつみ) Mari Yaguchi (矢口真里) Hitomi Yoshizawa (吉澤ひとみ) Ai Kago (加護亜依) Ai Takahashi (高橋愛) Asami Konno (紺野あさ美) Risa Niigaki (新垣里沙) Eri Kamei (亀井絵里) Abe graduated Morning Musume and effectively Sakura Gumi in January of 2004, leaving the group with 7 members at the time of their second single. The name "Sakura Gumi" means "cherry blossom group". The other subgroup was Morning Musume Otome Gumi (モーニング娘。おとめ組). Both groups have been inactive since spring of 2004.

Since their last release all but three of the members have graduated Morning Musume, meaning a return is unlikely. However, the original members (minus Konno and Kago, the former having graduated and the latter suspended) performed their first single together at the Hello! Project 10th anniversary winter concert in 2007. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License and may also be available under the GNU FDL..