The group is based on a system of members generations allowing to regularly renew the group members with graduations and auditions. Today, the group has accumulated 15 generations, 16 recruitment auditions and 44 members, including 14 current ones. Once they join Morning Musume。, the members will be assigned an official color which will represent them within the group for goodies, some stage outfits, lightsticks in concerts, ... which generally doesn't change throughout the career - except for a few exceptions. New members go through an event held with their generation mates, a group member mentor and fanclub members which serves as the first real presentation to the japanese public : games are organized, question and answer sessions, live performances, ... but above all, the statements of commitment as a member of Morning Musume。. The age limit for staying in the group is 25, but each member is free to leave when they wish. A graduation ceremony - called sotsugyo ceremony - is therefore organized where the graduated member reads a thanks letter to the japanese public. This ceremony is held during the last concert of the graduated member's last tour with the group and mostly on a prestigious japanese stage. The members then come on stage and each in turn say a final word to the member who obtains her sotsugyo. Among the members, a leader is responsible for representing the group, it's always the oldest member of the oldest generation present in the group. One or two sub-leaders are also designated to maintain support within the group. Today, the current leader is Fukumura Mizuki and the current sub-leaders are Ikuta Erina and Ishida Ayumi.
Some rumors would say that staff members prohibit members from undertaking prestigious studies, but Ikuta Erina clarified this point confessing that nothing is forbidden to them, but to be a Morning Musume。is already a huge job - referring to their annual schedule. Here are the details. From early January to mid-February, the Hello!Project winter concert tour is held. From mid-March to early June, the Morning Musume。spring concert tour is held. From mid-July to the end of August, the Hello! Project summer tour is held. From mid-September to early September, the Morning Musume。fall tour is held. At the end of March, the Hina Festival is held during two or three days with all the members of Hello! Project. At the end of December, for New Year's Eve, two Countdown concerts are held with all the members of Hello! Project - the second concert only with members aged 18 and over. These tours and concerts came every year without exception, always on the same time slots. In addition to that, the group releases singles and albums, photobooks, DVD Magazines, ... and hold many events. Two types of events are to be distinguished : those open to the public and those open only to fanclub members. Events open to the public are promotional events for group realeases such as handshakes, conferences, signing sessions, mini-live, ZDA, ... Events open to fanclub members are Christmas event, members birthdays, welcoming events for new generations, ... Some events are held each year : theses christmas events called "Premoni. Christmas Kai", birthday events called "Morning Musume。'20 Yokoyama Reina Birthday Event", ...