# Reika Sakurai

Reika Sakurai (桜井 玲香, Sakurai Reika, born May 16, 1994), is a Japanese actress. She was a first generation member of the Japanese idol girl group Nogizaka46. She was also the captain of the group before her departure.

## Biography

Sakurai was born in her mother's hometown of Hakodate, Hokkaido, on May 16, 1994. Sometime later, her parents relocated and she was raised in Kanagawa Prefecture's, Yokohama City.

## Career

In 2011, Sakurai auditioned for Nogizaka46 and was chosen as one of the first generation members. Her audition song was Happiness's "Kiss Me". She was chosen as one of the members performing on their debut single "Guruguru Curtain", released on February 22, 2012. She took the front position for Nogizaka46's second single "Oide Shampoo", released on May 2, 2012. In June 2012, she was appointed the captain of Nogizaka46. After graduating from high school, she studied sociology at college. In April 2013, she regularly appeared on the television drama Bad Boys J with other Nogizaka46 members.
From October 25 to November 9, 2014, she played the heroine in the musical Mr. Kaminari, alongside former Nogizaka46 bandmate Misa Etō. In 2016, she was cast as the leading role in Kiraware Matsuko no Isshō, a stage adaptation of the film Memories of Matsuko. Former Nogizaka46 bandmate Yumi Wakatsuki also played the same role. In February 2017, she shot herself to promote her photo book titled Jiyu to Iu Koto which was released on March 8, 2017.
On July 8, 2019, Sakurai announced that she would be graduating from Nogizaka46 on September 1, 2019, timing her graduation to coincide with the final stop of the group's national summer tour.
On March 1, 2021, she has opened an official web site and fan club.

## Discography
### Singles with Nogizaka46

| Year | No. | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2012 | 1 | "Guruguru Curtain" | A-side | Debut as 1st Generation member; Also sang on "Nogizaka no Uta", "Aitakatta Kamoshirenai", "Ushinaitakunai kara" and "Shiroi Kumo ni Notte" |
| 2012 | 2 | "Oide Shampoo" | A-side | Also sang on "Kokoro no Kusuri" and "House!" |
| 2012 | 3 | "Hashire! Bicycle" | A-side | Also sang on "Hito wa Naze Hashiru no ka" and "Oto ga Denai Guitar" |
| 2012 | 4 | "Seifuku no Mannequin" | A-side | Also sang on "Yubi Bōenkyō" |
| 2013 | 5 | "Kimi no Na wa Kibō" | A-side | Also sang on "Shakiism", "Romantic Ikayaki" and "Psychokinesis no Kanosei" |
| 2013 | 6 | "Girl's Rule" | A-side | Also sang on "Sekai de Ichiban Kodoku na Lover", "Hoka no Hoshi Kara" and "Ningen to Iu Gakki" |
| 2013 | 7 | "Barrette" | A-side | Also sang on "Tsuki no Ōkisa", "Watashi no Tame ni, Dareka no Tame ni" and "Sonna Baka na…" |
| 2014 | 8 | "Kizuitara Kataomoi" | A-side | Also sang on "Romance no Start", "Toiki no Method" and "Dankeschön" |
| 2014 | 9 | "Natsu no Free & Easy" | A-side | Also sang on "Nani mo Dekizu ni Soba ni Iru", "Mukuchi na Lion" and "Boku ga Ikanakya Dare ga Ikunda?" |
| 2014 | 10 | "Nandome no Aozora ka?" | A-side | Also sang on "Tōmawari no Aijō", "Korogatta Kane o Narase!" and "Tender Days" |
| 2015 | 11 | "Inochi wa Utsukushii" | A-side | |
| 2015 | 12 | "Taiyō Nokku" | A-side | Also sang on "Hane no Kioku" |
| 2015 | 13 | "Ima, Hanashitai Dareka ga Iru" | A-side | Also sang on "Popipappapā", "Kanashimi no Wasurekata" and "Sukima" |
| 2016 | 14 | "Harujion ga Sakukoro" | A-side | Also sang on "Yūutsu to Fūsen Gum" |
| 2016 | 15 | "Hadashi de Summer" | A-side | Also sang on "Boku Dake no Hikari" |
| 2016 | 16 | "Sayonara no Imi" | A-side | Also sang on "Kodoku na Aozora" |
| 2017 | 17 | "Influencer" | A-side | Also sang on "Jinsei o Kangaetakunaru" |
| 2017 | 18 | "Nigemizu" | A-side | Also sang on "Onna wa Hitori ja Nemurenai", "Hito Natsu no Nagasa Yori…" and "Naitatte Iijanaika?" |
| 2017 | 19 | "Itsuka Dekiru kara Kyō Dekiru" | A-side | Also sang on "Fuminshō" |
| 2018 | 20 | "Synchronicity" | A-side | Also sang on "Against" as 1st Generation member and "Kumo ni Nareba ii" |
| 2018 | 21 | "Jikochū de Ikō!" | A-side | Also sang on "Anna ni Sukidatta no ni…" |
| 2018 | 22 | "Kaerimichi wa Tōmawari Shitaku Naru" | A-side | Also sang on "Kokuhaku no Junban" |
| 2019 | 23 | "Sing Out!" | A-side | |
| 2019 | 24 | "Yoake Made Tsuyogaranakutemoii" | A-side | Last single to participate; also sang on "Boku no Koto, Shitteru?", "Boku no Omoikomi" and "Tokidoki Omoidashite Kudasai" which was her graduation song. |
| 2020 | — | "Sekaijū no Rinjin yo" | — | Charity song during the COVID-19 pandemic |

### Albums with Nogizaka46

| Year | No. | Title | Participated song |
| 2015 | 1 | Tōmei na Iro | "Boku ga Iru Basho" "Dareka wa Mikata" |
| 2016 | 2 | Sorezore no Isu | "Kikkake" "Taiyō ni Kudokarete" "Kuchiyakusoku" |
| 2017 | 3 | Umarete Kara Hajimete Mita Yume | "Skydiving" "Settei Ondo" "Rewind Ano Hi" |
| 2019 | 4 | Ima ga Omoide ni Naru made | "Arigachi na Ren'ai" "Pocchito" |

### Other featured songs

| Year | Artist | Title | Albums / Singles |
| 2012 | Mayu Watanabe | "Twin Tail wa Mō Shinai" | "Otona Jellybeans" |
| 2016 | AKB48 | "Mazariau Mono" | "Kimi wa Melody" |

## Filmography
### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Channel | Notes |
| 2013 | Bad Boys J | Mariya Miyashita | NTV | |
| 2013 | Umi no Ue no Shinryōsho | | Fuji TV | One episode |
| 2015 | Tenshi no Knife | Cafe worker/Ayumi Nishina | Wowow | |
| 2015 | Hatsumori Bemars | Bunan | TV Tokyo | |
| 2015 | Hana Moyu | | NHK | Taiga drama |
| 2024-2025 | Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger | Maimi Baisu | TV Asahi |

### Films

| Year | Title | Role |
| 2013 | Bad Boys J: Saigo ni Mamoru Mono | Mariya Miyashita |
| 2017 | Asahinagu | Shōko Yasomura |
| 2021 | Shinonome-iro no Shūmatsu | Mirei Ōtsuki |
| 2025 | Requiem | Sae Mukai |

### Theater

| Year | Title | Role | Venue |
| 2014 | Mr. Kaminari | Doremi Usuki | Sunshine Theatre |
| 2015 | Subete no Inu wa Tengoku e Iku | | AiiA 2.5 Theater Tokyo |
| 2015 | Princess Knight | Hecate | Akasaka ACT Theater |
| 2016 | Joshiraku 2: Toki Kakesoba | Tetora Bōhatei | AiiA 2.5 Theater Tokyo |
| 2016 | Kiraware Matsuko no Isshō | Matsuko Kawajiri | Shinagawa Prince Hotel |
| 2018-2019 | Rebecca | I | |
| 2019 | The Bank Robbery | | |
| 2019 | Dance of the Vampires | Sarah | |
| 2020 | Flashdance | Gloria | |
| 2020 | West Side Story | Maria | |
| 2021 | Ghost | Molly Jensen | |
| 2022 | Flower Drum Song | Mei Li | |
| 2022 | DOROTHY ~The Wizard of Oz~ | Dorothy Gale | |
| 2023 | First Date | Casey | |
| 2023 | Jekyll & Hyde | Emma Carew | |
| 2024 | In This Corner of the World | Rin Shiraki | |
| 2025 | Bonnie and Clyde | Bonnie Parker | |