Yūka Kageyama
Career. Hinatazaka46. In 2015, Kageyama took part in the second AKB48 Group Draft Conference. She advanced to the final round, but was not selected to become a trainee. On May 8, 2016, Kageyama passed the audition for Hiragana Keyakizaka46 and joined Neru Nagahama as a first generation member of the group. She was introduced to the public on May 11. Within the group, Kageyama is noted for her abilities in both academics and sports, which are often shown in her television appearances, in addition to her singing skills. On June 1, 2018, Kageyama announced that she was going  into hiatus for academic reasons. She was still inactive when Hiragana Keyakizaka46 was renamed Hinatazaka46 in March 2019 and consequently did not appear in Hinatazaka46's first four singles. Her first appearance in a Hinatazaka46 music release was in the 2020 album "Hinatazaka". However, she did make a "surprise" appearance in the group's 2019 photo book, "Tachikogi". She returned to the group on May 26, 2020. In May 2021, Kageyama announced that her fandom name would be , which is short for "Kageyama Supporters". Acting. In 2017, Kageyama appeared with the other Hiragana Keyakizaka46 members in the mystery drama "", aired  on TV Tokyo and Netflix. On March 18, 2021, it was announced that Kageyama would have her first film appearance as in "", the second live action adaptation of the manga series "", which would be released on August 20. On May 24, it was announced that Kageyama would have her first voice acting role as Ayame Ebina in the animated adaptation of the football manga "Farewell, My Dear Cramer", which would be broadcast on Tokyo MX. She would also serve as the production's "support manager". Football-related activities. Kageyama is an association football enthusiast and played regularly in a local  boys' team before joining Hiragana Keyakizaka46. Her catchphrases include "The soccer-loving girl" and "The Gegenpress in your heart", the latter being a reference to the football term Gegenpressing. She holds a Class 4 referee qualification, and regularly writes about the Japanese league in her blog in a series titled "Yūka Kageyama's WE LOVE J-League". Her favorite teams include Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Borussia Dortmund, and Leeds United F.C. Kageyama is a recurring guest in the TV Tokyo football talk show "Foot x Brain" and was appointed the show's Special Analyst in 2021 thanks to her knowledge in football  strategy"." Former Japan national football team player Tsuyoshi Kitazawa considers her the "number one football enthusiast in the idol world". In August 2021, Kageyama and fellow Hinatazaka46 members Mei Higashimura and Konoka Matsuda were appointed support ambassadors for the DAZN streaming service's AFC Asian Cup Qualifications "Road to Qatar" campaign. Kageyama would also produce football-related video content for the campaign. In September 2021, Kageyama was appointed the Japan Ambassador for the football simulation video game "FIFA 22". Prior to her appointment, she had also participated in the marketing of "FIFA 21" and played the game in various television  shows and public events. Personal life. Kageyama described her family as "football lovers" and her father used to go overseas to support the Japan national team. She owns a Chihuahua named Chico. Kageyama graduated from Tsukuba University High School. As a student, she was a member of the quiz study club and won a bronze medal in the 2018 Japan Ethics and Philosophy Grand Prix.