Nao Kosaka

This article is about the singer-actress. For the greco-roman wrestler with a similar name, see Nao Kusaka.
Nao Kosaka
小坂 菜緒
Kosaka in 2025
Born (2002-09-07) September 7, 2002 (age 23)
Osaka, Japan
Occupations
Years active2017–present
Musical career
LabelSony Music Entertainment Japan
Member ofHinatazaka46
Modeling information
Height161.5 cm (5 ft 4 in)[1]
Hair colorblack
Eye colorblack
WebsiteNon-no profile

Nao Kosaka (Japanese: 小坂 菜緒, Hepburn: Kosaka Nao; born September 7, 2002) is a Japanese singer, model, and actress. She is a member of the girl group Hinatazaka46 (formerly Hiragana Keyakizaka46) and an exclusive model for the fashion magazine Non-no.[2]

Kosaka has held the lead performer position for the most singles in Hinatazaka46 with 8 singles, earning her the moniker "Absolute Ace". Prior to signing with Non-no in 2025, she was an exclusive model for Seventeen magazine from 2018 to 2024. She has appeared in the feature films The Japanese Doll (2019) and Jump!! The Heroes Behind the Gold (2021), and the drama series Dear Radiance (2024) and Strobe Edge (started 2025). She has also hosted the radio program Sony Sonpo Quest for the Future on the radio station J-Wave since 2023.

Career

In August 2017, Kosaka passed the auditions for new members of Keyakizaka46's subgroup Hiragana Keyakizaka46 and entered the group as a second generation member.[3] She made her debut in the song "No War in the Future", released on the Keyakizaka46 single "Kaze ni Fukarete mo".[4]

On May 19, 2018, Kosaka made her runway debut at the GirlsAward 2018 Spring/Summer show in May 2018.[5] Seventeen announced two days later that she would be one of the magazine's exclusive models, making her the first Hiragana Keyakizaka46 member to become an exclusive model.[6]

Hiragana Keyakizaka46 was renamed to Hinatazaka46 in February 2019.[7] Kosaka held the center (lead performer) position for the title song of their debut single, "Kyun",[8] and subsequent three singles.[9] She has held the center position for the most singles in the group with 8 singles,[10] earning her the moniker "Absolute Ace" (絶対的エース, Zettaiteki Ace).[11]

Kosaka made her silver screen debut as the main character of the 2019 mystery film The Japanese Doll [ja] (恐怖人形, Kyōfu Ningyō).[12] She also appeared in Jump!! The Heroes Behind the Gold, a 2021 film about ski jumping at the 1998 Winter Olympics,[13] in which her character was based on ski jumper Yoshiko Yoshiizumi [ja];[14] Hominis commented that despite performing alongside more experienced cast members, she maintained a unique presence by acting "from the heart".[15]

Kosaka's solo photobook, titled Kimi wa Dare?, published by Seventeen publisher Shueisha and produced by the Seventeen magazine editorial staff, was released on June 29, 2021.[16] In an interview, she remarked that she had always wished to release a photobook in her teenage years and that the book was a "memory album" of her youth.[17] The book topped the Oricon 2021 photobook sales ranking with 166,876 copies sold.[18] As a dinosaur enthusiast, she was also appointed as an ambassador for Sony's DinoScience exhibition, which would be held from July to September at the Pacifico Yokohama.[19][20] However, she went into hiatus on June 26 for health reasons[21] and did not participate in the rest of the event; she also did not take part in Hinatazaka46's sixth single, "Tteka". Her radio program, Kosaka-na Radio (小坂なラジオ) on Tokyo FM, was taken over by fellow member Mirei Sasaki and eventually renamed to Hoimīpan (ホイミーぱん).[22][23][a]

Kosaka announced her resumption of activities on March 4, 2022,[24] and made her comeback on March 30 in the 3rd Hinatansai anniversary concert, Hinatazaka46's long-awaited first performance at the Tokyo Dome. She also returned to the center position for "Boku Nanka", despite her "mixed feelings" about the appointment.[25]

In a late 2021 survey by Talent Power Ranking [ja], Kosaka was ranked the seventh most popular teen actress in Japan (under twenty years old as of February 2022) based on public recognition and interest.[26] Despite that, Kosaka did not appear in any acting work since returning from hiatus until 2024, when she joined the cast for the taiga drama Dear Radiance as Heian-era poet Sai'in no Chūjō,[27] and appeared as supporting character Rin Arikawa in the feature film All of Tokyo, starring the Hinatazaka46 fourth generation members.[28]

Kosaka, along with Miku Kanemura and Yōko Shōgenji, was a subject of the Triangle Magazine 02 photo collection, or "visual magazine", published by Kodansha on January 23, 2024. Among the three models, she represented the theme "reunion". It placed first on both the Oricon Book and Photobook weekly rankings of its release week with 61 thousand copies sold.[29]

In November 2024, Kosaka ended her exclusive modelling contract with Seventeen after 6.5 years,[30] expressing her wish to be seen more as an adult woman and an idol.[31] On March 7, 2025, the fashion magazine Non-no announced that she would be one of its exclusive models.[2]

Kosaka would make her voice acting debut in the animated feature film That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: Tears of the Azure Sea, scheduled for release on February 27, 2026.[32]

Personal life

Kosaka played volleyball in middle school and occasionally demonstrates her skill in her appearances. She has an older brother who is a Keyakizaka46 fan.[33]

Kosaka's main interests include dinosaurs and reptiles.[19][34][35] She also enjoys comedy shows and named Kazuya Kojima of Unjash and Audrey as her favorite comedians.[36]

Discography

See also: Hinatazaka46 discography

Kosaka has participated in all of Hinatazaka46's singles and albums except "Tteka" (2021). As of February 2026, she has been the original center (lead performer) of the most title songs in the group with 8 songs: "Kyun", "Do Re Mi Sol La Si Do", and "Konna ni Suki ni Natchatte Ii no?" in 2019; "Sonna Koto Nai yo" in 2020; "Boku Nanka" in 2022; and "Sotsugyō Shashin Dake ga Shitteru", "Love Yourself!", and "Onegai Bach! in 2025.[10] Other notable songs include:

  • "Kirei ni Naritai" (Hashiridasu Shunkan, 2018), as a trio with Akari Nibu and Miho Watanabe[37]
  • "Footsteps" ("Kyun" B-side, 2019), performed by all of the group's exclusive magazine models at the time[38]
  • "See Through" (Hinatazaka, 2020), duet with Miku Kanemura ("NaoMiku")[39][40]
  • "Sekai ni wa Thank You! ga Afureteiru" ("Kimi Shika Katan" B-side, 2021), center, second generation members song[41]
  • "Mou Konna ni Suki ni Narenai" ("Boku Nanka" B-side, 2022), performed by all members born in 2002 at the time (Kosaka, Miku Kanemura, and Hiyori Hamagishi)[42]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes Ref(s)
2019 The Japanese Doll Yuri Hirai Lead role [43][44]
2021 Jump!! The Heroes Behind the Gold Yoshiko Kobayashi [45][46]
2024 All of Tokyo! Rin Arikawa [28]
2026 That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: Tears of the Azure Sea Mio (voice) [47]

Television

Year Title Role Notes Ref(s)
2017 Re:Mind Nao Kosaka Episode 13; episode lead role [48]
2020 Dasada Yuria Sada [49]
2024 Dear Radiance Saiin no Chūjō Taiga drama [27]
2025–26 Strobe Edge Sayuri Uehara 2 seasons [50]

Commercials

Music video

Year Artist Title Notes Ref(s)
2019 Thinking Dogs [ja] "Spiral [ja]" The Japanese Doll theme song [58]

Radio

  • Kosaka-na Radio (Tokyo FM, 2021)[22]
  • Sony Sonpo Quest for the Future (J-Wave, 2023–present)[59]

Bibliography

See also: Hinatazaka46 § Bibliography
Title Release date Publisher ISBN
Kimi wa Dare? (君は誰？; Who Are You?, photobook) June 29, 2021 Shueisha ISBN 978-4087900415
Triangle Magazine 02 (photo collection) January 23, 2024 Kodansha ISBN 978-4065347713

Notes

  1. ^ Hoimi is a healing spell from the Dragon Quest game series, referring to the program's sponsor, the now-discontinued mobile game Dragon Quest of the Stars; Mīpan is Sasaki's nickname.

References

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allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nao_Kosaka