Mirei Sasaki

Mirei Sasaki
佐々木 美玲
Sasaki in September 2024
Born (1999-12-17) December 17, 1999
Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
Occupations
  • Actress
  • reporter
  • model
Years active2013–present
Musical career
OriginHyōgo Prefecture, Japan
GenresJ-pop
LabelsSony Music
Formerly of
Modeling information
Height164.9 cm (5 ft 5 in)
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata

Mirei Sasaki (Japanese: 佐々木 美玲, Hepburn: Sasaki Mirei) is a Japanese actress, reporter, and model. She is a former founding member of the girl group Hinatazaka46 (formerly Hiragana Keyakizaka46).

Sasaki has appeared in dramas such as Women's Gourmet Burger Club (2020) and Kakegurui Twin (2021), and starred in Koeharu! (2021) and Piece of Cake! (2022). Her theater appearances included portraying Yor Forger in the stage adaptation of Spy × Family (2023). She has also been a lifestyle reporter for the Nippon TV morning show ZIP! since 2020. As a model, she was an exclusive model for the fashion magazine Non-no from 2019 to 2025.

Career

2013−2018: Early career

In 2013, Sasaki became a founding member of the Osaka-based local idol group choco☆milQ. She left the group on November 1, 2015.[1][2][3]

In May 2016, Sasaki passed the auditions for new members of girl group Keyakizaka46's subgroup Hiragana Keyakizaka46 and joined the group as the "first generation".[4] Her first concert occurred on 28 October at Akasaka Blitz, where she performed Keyakizaka46's songs "Silent Majority" and "Sekai ni wa Ai Shika Nai", as well as Hiragana Keyakizaka46's own "Hiragana Keyaki".[5] She made her television acting debut in the group's drama series Re:Mind (2017) on TV Tokyo and Netflix, portraying a character named after herself,[6] and theater debut in the group's stage play Ayumi (2018).[7]

Sasaki served as center (lead performer) for the main song on Hiragana Keyakizaka46's debut album Hashiridasu Shunkan (2018), titled "Kitai Shitenai Jibun" (期待していない自分; lit. 'I Don't Expect Anything').[8] The album also included her solo song, "Wazukana Hikari" (わずかな光; lit. 'A Little Light').[9]

2019−2025: Hinatazaka46, expanding activities

Sasaki portrayed the main character in the music video of Aimer's "Hanabiratachi no March", released in January 2019.[10] She started modelling work in earnest by becoming an exclusive model for the fashion magazine Non-no in February.[11][12]

In March 2019, Hiragana Keyakizaka46 was spun off from Keyakizaka46 and rebranded into Hinatazaka46. Sasaki was one of five members representing Hinatazaka46 in "Hatsukoi Door", a collaboration track between the AKB48 Group and Sakamichi Series franchises released on the 2019 AKB48 single "Jiwaru Days".[13] She again served as center for the main song of Hinatazaka46's debut studio album Hinatazaka (2020), "Azato Kawaii" (アザトカワイイ; transl. "Cunningly Cute").[14]

On September 18, 2019, Sasaki hosted the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards Japan along with fellow Hinatazaka46 members Kumi Sasaki, Nao Kosaka, and Miho Watanabe.[15]

As a bread lover, Sasaki hosted her first self-titled special program Kaiten! Mīpan Bakery (開店!みーぱんベーカリー; lit. 'Open for Business! Mīpan Bakery') (2019) on TV Asahi CS 1.[16] In April 2020, she became a regular lifestyle reporter for the "Kiterune!" (キテルネ！; transl. This is trending!) segment of the long-running Nippon TV morning show, ZIP!.[17] Her work in television acting continued with appearances in the TV Tokyo drama Japan Women's Gourmet Burger Club (2020)[18] and as Mikura Sado in the live-action series adaptation of Kakegurui Twin (2021),[19][20] as well as lead roles in the Hinatazaka46 drama Koeharu! (2021)[21] and Piece of Cake (2022) on Nippon TV.[22] She also headlined two stage plays in 2023, namely the stage adaptation of Piece of Cake[22] and as double cast for Yor Forger in the stage adaptation of best-selling manga Spy × Family.[23][24]

Sasaki's first photobook, titled Hizashi no Parade (陽射しのパレード; lit. 'Sunshine Parade'), was published on December 17, 2024, her twenty-fifth birthday, by Shueisha (publisher of Non-no). It was photographed in Da Nang, Vietnam, and made with the theme of "sparkling happiness".[25] It placed sixth on the Oricon 2025 First Half-year Photobook Rankings with 41,840 copies sold.[26]

On 6 January 2025, Sasaki and fellow first generation members Kumi Sasaki and Mana Takase announced that they would part ways with Hinatazaka46 after the promotions for the upcoming 13th single have concluded, marking the end of the founding first generation's tenure in the group.[27] Her graduation ceremony took place on April 6 at the Yokohama Stadium as part of the 6th Hinatansai anniversary concert.[28]

2025−present: Solo career

In June, Non-no magazine announced that Sasaki would end her exclusive modeling contract after 6.5 years, with a final appearance in its September 2025 issue.[29] On July 1, Sasaki announced that she had joined the Queen-B talent agency, which had also represented fellow former Hinatazaka46 member Miho Watanabe since 2022.[30]

In January 2026, the sequel to Piece of Cake, Piece of Safe, was announced, with Sasaki and the other cast members playing different characters. It would again include both a drama series and stage play; Nippon TV noted that all 17 performances of the previous stage play were sold out despite being shown during the COVID-19 pandemic.[31]

Personal life

Sasaki was born in Kanagawa Prefecture and raised in Hyōgo Prefecture. She lived in Taiwan for four years as a child and can speak Mandarin Chinese.[32][33] She enjoys fishing with her family and holds a class 2 small boat license.[34][35]

Filmography

Television

Drama series

Year Title Role Notes Ref(s)
2017 Re:Mind Mirei Sasaki [36]
2020 Dasada Ichigo Okada [37]
Japan Women's Gourmet Burger Club Emi Moribayashi [18]
2021 Kakegurui Twin Mikura Sado [19]
Koeharu! Meiko Hinowa Lead role [21][38]
2022 Piece of Cake Nao Nakamura Lead role [22]
2026 We're Worse at Love Than Pandas Rina Takagi [31]
Piece of Safe Megumi Haibara Lead role [31]

Variety and talk shows

Year Title Role Notes Ref(s)
2019 Kaiten! Mīpan Bakery Host [16]
2020–present ZIP! Regular reporter for lifestyle segment [17]

Music video

Year Artist Title Notes Ref(s)
2019 Aimer "Hanabiratachi no March" Main role [39]

Theater

Year Title Role(s) Venue(s) Notes Ref(s)
2018 Ayumi Various AiiA 2.5 Theater Tokyo Part of Team Castanets [7]
Magia Record Nanami Yachiyo Akasaka ACT Theater
2023 Piece of Cake Nao Nakamura Tennōzu Galaxy Theater Lead role [22]
Spy × Family Yor Forger Imperial Theater, Hyogo Performing Arts Center, Hakata-za Lead role [23][24]
2026 Piece of Safe Megumi Haibara Lead role [31]

Discography

The following are Sasaki's notable participations in Hiragana Keyakizaka46 and Hinatazaka46 discography.

Other appearances

Radio

Year Title Role Network Notes Ref(s)
2022–2025 Lawson presents Hinatazaka46 no Hotto Hitoiki! (ローソン presents 日向坂46のほっとひといき!) Host (alternating with Suzuka Tomita and Hina Kawata) Tokyo FM [42][43]

References

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  2. ^ "佐々木美玲 - CDJournal". artist.cdjournal.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-11-13.
  3. ^ 陽射しのパレード [Sunshine Parade] (in Japanese). Shueisha. 2024. pp. 154–157.
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