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Japanese actress (born 1994)
Reika Sakurai
桜井 玲香
Sakurai at the Yokohama International Film Festival in 2024
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 idolgirl groupNogizaka46. 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.
Last single to participate; also sang on "Boku no Koto, Shitteru?", "Boku no Omoikomi" and "Tokidoki Omoidashite Kudasai" which was her graduation song.
"桜井 玲香 メンバー紹介 乃木坂46公式サイト" [Reika Sakurai, member introduction, Nogizaka46 official website]. Nogizaka46 LLC. Archived from the original on 2017-07-29. Retrieved 2015-07-04.