If you know K-pop, you know Sakura Miyawaki. The Japanese star, who is currently in the South Korean girl group Le Sserafim, has debuted as an artist not once, not twice, but three times! Starting her career in Japan at only 13 years old, the singer might just be the most tenured idol in the industry. Keep reading to meet Sakura, who has become one of the most famous K-pop idols, ever.
Who Is Sakura?
Sakura, 25, is a Japanese singer and actress with a pretty long history of girl groups. She first began her music career with the Japanese girl group HKT48 in 2011, and was a member of their sister group AKB48 from 2014 to 2018. However, in 2018, Sakura took a hiatus from HKT48 after placing second in the South Korean reality competition show Produce 48, which formed K-pop girl group IZ*ONE.
After IZ*ONE’s disbandment in 2021, Sakura was one of the most recognizable faces in the K-pop world, so she left HKT48 that same year to focus on activities in South Korea. The Japanese native then signed an exclusive contract with Source Music, a label under music company HYBE, with notable artists BTS, TXT and NewJeans. In 2022, she debuted for the third time with with girl group Le Sserafim.
Sakura explained that she considers Le Sserafim the “last” group of her career, in an interview with NME.
“I think my fans will be surprised by my dancing and singing [this time around],” the star revealed, who did not experience the intense South Korean idol training system before she joined IZ*ONE. “I had my first trainee experience when I came to HYBE, and I had the opportunity to build my skills from the ground up. I think people will be surprised to see this growth.”
Meet Sakura’s Group, Le Sserafim
Le Sserafim debuted on May 2, 2022, with the release of their debut EP Fearless and lead single “Fearless.” The group’s name is an anagram of the words “I’m fearless.”
The members include Sakura, Kim Chaewon, Huh Yunjin, Kazuha, Hong Eunchae and former member Kim Garam (who exited the group in July 2022).
Sakura and Chaewon, both are former members of IZ*ONE and were already well-known in the K-pop community prior to Le Sserafim. Following Le Sserafim’s debut — and Kim Garam’s exit from the group in July 2022 due to bullying accusations — the now five-member group made their first comeback in October 2022, with their mini-album, ANTIFRAGILE.
Scroll through the gallery below for everything we know about Sakura, the Japanese idol who has debuted three times.
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