# Mirei Sasaki

Mirei Sasaki (Japanese: 佐々木 美玲, Hepburn: Sasaki Mirei) is a Japanese singer, model, actress, and reporter. She is a member of Japanese idol group Hinatazaka46 and an exclusive model for the fashion magazine Non-no.
Sasaki has appeared in dramas such as Women's Gourmet Burger Club (2020) and Kakegurui Twin (2021), and starred in Koeharu! (2021). She is also a lifestyle reporter for the Nippon TV morning show ZIP!

## Early 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.

## Career
### Music

In 2013, Sasaki became a founding member of the Osaka-based local idol group choco☆milQ [ja]. She left the group on November 1, 2015.
On 11 May 2016, Sasaki passed the auditions for new members of Keyakizaka46's subgroup Hiragana Keyakizaka46, now known as Hinatazaka46, which was hosted on the streaming platform Showroom. Sasaki, along with ten other people that passed the audition, joined Neru Nagahama in Hiragana Keyakizaka46 and was known as the "first generation". Her first concert occurred on 28 October of the same year at Akasaka Blitz, where she performed Kanji Keyakizaka46's songs "Silent Majority" and "Sekai ni wa Ai Shika Nai", as well as Hiragana Keyakizaka46's own "Hiragana Keyaki".
During her time at Hiragana Keyakizaka46, she has consistently appeared in every single between "Sekai ni wa Ai Shika Nai" and "Kuroi Hitsuji". She also appeared in every Hinatazaka46 single to date and a Sakamichi AKB song, "Hatsukoi Door", which included select members from the Sakamichi Series.
Sasaki served as center (lead performer) for the main songs on two of Hiragana Keyakizaka46 and Hinatazaka46's studio albums, "Kitai Shitenai Jibun" (期待していない自分, lit. 'I Don't Expect Anything') on Hashiridasu Shunkan (2018) and "Azato Kawaii" (アザトカワイイ, transl. "Cunningly Cute") on Hinatazaka (2020). Hashiridasu Shunkan also included her solo song, "Wazukana Hikari" (わずかな光, lit. 'A Little Light').
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.

### Other ventures

Sasaki portrayed the main character in the music video of Aimer's 2019 song "Hanabiratachi no March". In February 2019, she became an exclusive model for the fashion magazine Non-no. On 18 September 2019, Sasaki hosted the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards Japan along with fellow Hinatazaka46 members Kumi Sasaki, Nao Kosaka, and Miho Watanabe.
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. 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! [ja]. She also appeared in the TV Tokyo drama Japan Women's Gourmet Burger Club [ja] (2020) and as Mikura Sado in the live-action series adaptation of Kakegurui Twin (2021), and starred in the Hinatazaka46 drama Koeharu! (2021). In 2022, she co-starred in the television series Piece of Cake on Nippon TV, which was adapted into a stage play in January 2023. In March 2023, she co-starred as Yor Forger in the stage adaptation of best-selling manga Spy × Family.
Sasaki's first photobook, titled Hizashi no Parēdo (陽射しのパレード, lit. 'Sunshine Parade'), would be published on December 17, 2024, her twenty-fifth birthday, by Shueisha. It was photographed in Da Nang, Vietnam, and made with the theme of "sparkling happiness".

## Personal life

Sasaki enjoys fishing with her family and holds a class 2 small boat license.

## Filmography
### Television
#### Drama series

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2017 | Re:Mind | Mirei Sasaki | |
| 2020 | Dasada | Ichigo Okada | |
| 2020 | Japan Women's Gourmet Burger Club | Emi Moribayashi | |
| 2021 | Kakegurui Twin | Mikura Sado | |
| 2021 | Koeharu! | Meiko Hinowa | Lead role |
| 2022 | Piece of Cake | Nao Nakamura | Lead role |

#### Variety and talk shows

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

### Music video

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

## Other appearances
### Theater

| Year | Title | Role(s) | Venue(s) | Notes |
| 2018 | Ayumi | Various | AiiA 2.5 Theater Tokyo | Part of Team Castanets |
| 2018 | Magia Record | Nanami Yachiyo | Akasaka ACT Theater | |
| 2023 | Piece of Cake | Nao Nakamura | Tennōzu Galaxy Theater | Lead role |
| 2023 | Spy × Family | Yor Forger | Imperial Theater, Hyogo Performing Arts Center, Hakata-za | Lead role |

### Radio

| Year | Title | Role | Network | Notes | Ref(s) |
| 2022–present | 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 | | |

## Discography
### Keyakizaka46 singles

| Year | Album | Song |
| 2016 | "Sekai ni wa Ai Shika Nai" | "Hiragana Keyaki" (ひらがなけやき) |
| 2016 | "Futari Saison" | "Dare Yori mo Takaku Tobe!" (誰よりも高く跳べ!) |
| 2017 | "Fukyōwaon" | "W-KEYAKIZAKA no Uta" (W-KEYAKIZAKAの詩) |
| 2017 | "Fukyōwaon" | "Bokutachi wa Tsukiatteiru" (僕たちは付き合っている) |
| 2017 | "Kaze ni Fukarete mo" | "Soredemo Aruiteru" (それでも歩いてる) |
| 2017 | "Kaze ni Fukarete mo" | "No War in the Future" |
| 2018 | "Glass wo Ware!" | "Ima ni Mite Iro" (イマニミテイロ!) |
| 2018 | "Ambivalent" | "Happy Aura" (ハッピーオーラ) |
| 2019 | "Kuroi Hitsuji" | "Kimi ni Hanashite Okitai Koto" (君に話しておきたいこと) |
| 2019 | "Kuroi Hitsuji" | "Dakishimete Yaru" (抱きしめてやる) |

### Keyakizaka46 albums

The songs listed below are not included in any singles above.
| Year | Album | Song | Notes |
| 2017 | Masshiro na Mono wa Yogoshitaku naru | "Eien no Hakusen" (永遠の白線) | |
| 2017 | Masshiro na Mono wa Yogoshitaku naru | "Taiyou wa Miageru Hito o Erabanai" (太陽は見上げる人を選ばない) | |
| 2018 | Hashiridasu Shunkan | "Kitai Shitenai Jibun" (期待していない自分) | Center |
| 2018 | Hashiridasu Shunkan | "Wazuka na Hikari" (わずかな光) | Solo |
| 2018 | Hashiridasu Shunkan | "Halloween no Kabocha ga Wareta" (ハロウィンのカボチャが割れた) | |
| 2018 | Hashiridasu Shunkan | "Knock o Suru na!" (ノックをするな!) | |
| 2018 | Hashiridasu Shunkan | "Oide Natsu no Kyoukaisen" (おいで夏の境界線) | |
| 2018 | Hashiridasu Shunkan | "Yakusoku no Tamago" (約束の卵) | |
| 2018 | Hashiridasu Shunkan | "Sharin ga Kishimu you ni Kimi ga Naku" (車輪が軋むように君が泣く) | |
| 2018 | Hashiridasu Shunkan | "Konna Seiretsu o Dare ga Saseru no ka?" (こんな整列を誰がさせるのか？) | |
| 2018 | Hashiridasu Shunkan | "Sanrinsha ni Noritai" (三輪車に乗りたい) | Duet with Memi Kakizaki |
| 2018 | Hashiridasu Shunkan | "Hiragana de Koishitai" (ひらがなで恋したい) | |

### Hinatazaka46 singles

| Year | Single | Song | Notes |
| 2019 | "Kyun" | "Kyun" (キュン) | |
| 2019 | "Kyun" | "Joyful Love" | |
| 2019 | "Kyun" | "Mimi ni Ochiru Namida" (耳に落ちる涙) | |
| 2019 | "Kyun" | "Footsteps" | |
| 2019 | "Kyun" | "Tokimeki Sō" (ときめき草) | |
| 2019 | "Do Re Mi Sol La Si Do" | "Do Re Mi Sol La Si Do" (ドレミソラシド) | |
| 2019 | "Do Re Mi Sol La Si Do" | "Kitsune" (キツネ) | |
| 2019 | "Do Re Mi Sol La Si Do" | "My God" | |
| 2019 | "Konna ni Suki ni Natchatte Ii no?" | "Konna ni Suki ni Natchatte Ii no?" (こんなに好きになっちゃっていいの?) | |
| 2019 | "Konna ni Suki ni Natchatte Ii no?" | "Honto no Jikan" (ホントの時間) | |
| 2019 | "Konna ni Suki ni Natchatte Ii no?" | "Kawa wa Nagareru" (川は流れる) | |
| 2020 | "Sonna Koto Nai yo" | "Sonna Koto Nai Yo" (ソンナコトナイヨ) | |
| 2020 | "Sonna Koto Nai yo" | "Seishun no Uma" (青春の馬) | |
| 2020 | "Sonna Koto Nai yo" | "Suki to Iu Koto wa..." (好きということは…) | |
| 2020 | "Sonna Koto Nai yo" | "Mado o Hirakenakute mo" (窓を開けなくても) | |
| 2021 | "Kimi Shika Katan" | "Kimi Shika Katan" (君しか勝たん) | |
| 2021 | "Kimi Shika Katan" | "Koe no Ashiato" (声の足跡) | co-center with Akari Nibu; Koeharu! theme song |
| 2021 | "Kimi Shika Katan" | "Dōsuru? Dōsuru? Dōsuru?" (どうする?どうする?どうする?) | |
| 2021 | "Kimi Shika Katan" | "Bōdai na Yume ni Oshi Tsubusarete" (膨大な夢に押し潰されて) | |
| 2021 | "Tteka" | "Tteka (ってか)" | |
| 2021 | "Tteka" | "Nando demo Nando demo (何度でも何度でも)" | |
| 2021 | "Tteka" | "Omoigakenai Double Rainbow (思いがけないダブルレインボー)" | |
| 2021 | "Tteka" | "Suppai Jiko Kenno (酸っぱい自己嫌悪)" | |
| 2021 | "Tteka" | "Additional Time (アディショナルタイム)" | |
| 2022 | "Boku Nanka" | "Boku Nanka (僕なんか)" | |
| 2022 | "Boku Nanka" | "Hikōkigumo ga Dekiru Riyū (飛行機雲が出来る理由)" | |
| 2022 | "Boku Nanka" | "Mayonaka no Zange Taikai (真夜中の懺悔大会)" | |
| 2022 | "Boku Nanka" | "Shiranai Uchini Aisarete ita (知らないうちに愛されていた)" | |
| 2022 | "Tsuki to Hoshi ga Odoru Midnight" | "Tsuki to Hoshi ga Odoru Midnight (月と星が踊るMidnight)" | |
| 2022 | "Tsuki to Hoshi ga Odoru Midnight" | "HEY! OHISAMA!" | |
| 2022 | "Tsuki to Hoshi ga Odoru Midnight" | "Isshō Ichido no Natsu (一生一度の夏)" | |
| 2022 | "Tsuki to Hoshi ga Odoru Midnight" | "Jūbō Tenshi (10秒天使)" | |
| 2023 | "One Choice" | "One Choice" | |
| 2023 | "One Choice" | "Koi wa Nigeashi ga Hayai (恋は逃げ足が早い)" | |
| 2023 | "One Choice" | "Tomo yo Ichiban Boshi da (友よ 一番星だ)" | |
| 2023 | "One Choice" | "Ai wa Kocchi no Mono da (愛はこっちのものだ)" | |
| 2023 | "Am I Ready?" | "Am I Ready?" | |
| 2023 | "Am I Ready?" | "Sesshoku to Kanjō (接触と感情)" | |
| 2023 | "Am I Ready?" | "Glass Mado ga Yogoreteru (ガラス窓が汚れてる)" | |
| 2023 | "Am I Ready?" | "Honegumi Darake no Natsuyasumi (骨組みだらけの夏休み)" | |

### Hinatazaka46 albums

The songs listed below are not included in any singles above.
| Year | Album | Song | Notes |
| 2020 | "Hinatazaka" | "Azato Kawaii (アザトカワイイ)" | Center |
| 2020 | "Hinatazaka" | "My fans" | Center |
| 2020 | "Hinatazaka" | "Tada Gamushara ni (ただがむしゃらに)" | |
| 2020 | "Hinatazaka" | "Dōshite Amedato Ittan darō? (どうして雨だと言ったんだろう？)" | |
| 2020 | "Hinatazaka" | "Hinatazaka (日向坂)" | |
| 2023 | "Myaku Utsu Kanjō [jp]" | "Kimi wa Zero kara Ichi ni Nare (君は0から1になれ)" | |
| 2023 | "Myaku Utsu Kanjō [jp]" | "Saisho no Byakuya (最初の白夜)" | |

### Sakamichi AKB

| Year | Single | Song |
| 2019 | "Jiwaru Days" | "Hatsukoi Door" (初恋ドア) |

### Videography
#### Video albums

| Year | Video album | Notes | Ref(s) |
| 2022 | Hinatazaka46 3rd Anniversary Memorial Live in Tokyo Dome (日向坂46 3周年記念MEMORIAL LIVE ～3回目のひな誕祭～ in 東京ドーム) | | |