Mari Hanafusa (花總 まり, Hanafusa Mari) (born February 28, 1973) is a Japanese actress and former member of the Takarazuka Revue. She held the position of Top Musumeyaku (lead female-role) in both the Snow and Cosmos troupes, holding the longest tenure in Takarazuka history at 12 years and 3 months. She’s best known for playing Empress Elisabeth of Austria in the Japan premiere of the musical Elisabeth and is currently active under Blooming Agency.

• Star Troupe: 1991–1993
• Snow Troupe: 1993–1998
• Cosmos Troupe: 1998–2006

Mari Hanafusa quickly gained audience attention during her early years with the Star Troupe. Only three years after her debut in 1991, she was appointed as the Top Musumeyaku (lead female-role) star of the Snow Troupe in 1994. During her career, Hanafusa partnered with five different Top Otokoyaku stars—Maki Ichiro, Fubuki Takane, Yū Todoroki, Asato Shizuki, and notably, Yōka Wao, her longest-running partner. Her tenure remains the longest in Takarazuka history for a musumeyaku, with 12-year and 3-month.

In 1994, she became the first musumeyaku ever to achieve Top billing during a newcomer performance as Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind. Traditionally, such billing had exclusively belonged to male-role actors (otokoyaku), marking her performance as a notable exception.^[1]

Hanafusa’s portrayal of Elisabeth in the Japanese premiere of the musical Elisabeth in 1996 became one of her signature performances. She subsequently continued to take on numerous significant roles, such as Carmen in Passion: José and Carmen, Marie Antoinette in The Rose of Versailles, and Christine in the Japanese premiere of Phantom. ^[2]

In 1998, she transferred to the newly established Cosmos Troupe, becoming one of the few musumeyaku—alongside Hitomi Tsukikage (Star and Snow troupes), Rei Dan (Moon and Star troupes), Yuri Shirahane (Star and Snow troupes) and Madoka Hoshikaze (Cosmos and Flower troupes) — to serve as top star in two different troupes.

Hanafusa retired from Takarazuka in 2006 alongside Yōka Wao after the production Never Say Goodbye. She returned shortly afterward, co-founding Wao Enterprise with Wao in February 2007, serving as Wao's representative and frequent co-star until 2011.^[3]

After leaving Wao Enterprise, Hanafusa resumed her stage career with From First Production in 2012, later joining Blooming Agency. She continues performing in musicals, with notable main roles in The Count of Monte Cristo, Lady Bess (in its world premiere, she became the cover feature of a German magazine), Mozart!, Elisabeth, 1789: Les Amants de la Bastille, Romale, Marie Antoinette, The Odd Couple, Galaxy Express 999, Sunny, and Beethoven. In addition to her stage career, she has appeared in television dramas such as NHK's historical drama (Taiga) Onna Joshu Naotora, Berabou, and Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit.^[4]

Her distinguished career has earned numerous awards, including the Yomiuri Theater Award (2015), the Kazuo Kikuta Theater Award Grand Prize (2016), an Austrian national honor (2019), and the Matsuo Entertainment Theater Excellence Award (2021).^[5]

Sources:^[6][7][8]

Source:^[9]

• 2010: Dietrich – Edith Piaf
• 2011: Dracula, the Musical – Mina Murray – Heroine
• 2011: LOVE LETTERS 2011 21st Anniversary – Melissa
• 2011: MODEA Winter Live 2011 – Guest vocals
• 2012: Elisabeth Special Gala Concert
• 2013: No Words, No Time
• 2013: Eien Monogatari – Yoshioka Yoshiko – Heroine
• 2013: Broadway Musical Live
• 2013: The Count of Monte Cristo – Mercédès – Heroine
• 2014, 2017: Lady Bess – Elizabeth I – Lead role
• 2014: Mozart! – Nannerl
• 2015, 2016, 2019, 2023: Elisabeth – Elisabeth – Lead role
• 2016: 1789 – Marie Antoinette
• 2018: Romale – Carmen – Lead role
• 2018: The Secret Garden – Lily Craven – Heroine
• 2018, 2021: Marie Antoinette – Marie Antoinette – Lead role
• 2020, 2023: The Odd Couple – Florence Unger – Double Lead with Daichi Mao
• 2021: Closed today – Teruko – Lead role
• 2022: The Little Prince – The Rose
• 2022: Galaxy Express 999 THE MUSICAL – – Maetel – Heroine
• 2023: SUNNY – Nami – Lead role (based on Korean movie SUNNY)
• 2023: Beethoven Secret – Antonie "Toni" Brentano – Heroine
• 2024: The Tiny Wife – Stacey – Lead role
• 2024: Ōten no Mon - Shouki - Special appearance

• 2012, 1016: Elisabeth Special Gala Concert
• 2016: 25th Anniversary Hanafusa Mari First Concert ~ Especially For You ~
• 2020: Premium Symphonic Concert ~ Hanafusa Mari: Stories of the Queens
• 2020: Premium Symphonic Concert ~ Hanafusa Mari: Stories of the Queens ~ Xmas version
• 2022: Premium Symphonic Concert ~ Mari Hanafusa: Stories of the Queens Vol.2 ^[10]
• 2025: Imperial Theatre Concert - THE BEST New HISTORY COMING

• 2017: Naotora: The Lady Warlord – Sana^[11]
• 2017: Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit – Yuuka
• 2021: Meiji Kaika: Shinjuro Tanteicho – Kanou Atsuko – Episode 1 (guest)
• 2024: Black Forceps Season 2 – Toshima Kazuko – Episode 4, 5 (guest) ^[12]
• 2025: Unbound – Hōren-in^[13]

Hanafusa was the first star to perform as Elisabeth of Bavaria in the musical Elisabeth and the only one to do so twice: first in a 1996 Snow production and then in a 1998 Cosmos production. Thus she was an Elisabeth who was haunted by two deaths (Maki Ichiro and Asato Shizuki), married to two Franz Josephs (Fubuki Takane and Yōka Wao), assassinated by two Luigi Luchenis (Yū Todoroki and Wataru Kozuki). She crowned four Prince Rudolfs (Tatsuki Kōju, Yōka Wao, Hikaru Asami and Sakiho Juri) because Kōju and Asami changed troupes before the Tokyo performance and were substituted by Wao and Juri.

Most of the actresses playing Franz Josephs, Rudolfs and Luigis became stars later on, except Juri, who was moved to Senka.

• Fubuki Takane (Franz Joseph [Snow])--> Snow Troupe
• Yū Todoroki (Luigi Lucheni [Snow])--> Snow Troupe
• Tatsuki Kōju (Rudolf [Snow])--> Star Troupe
• Yōka Wao (Rudolf [Snow] and Franz Joseph [Cosmos])--> Cosmos Troupe
• Wataru Kozuki (Luigi Lucheni [Cosmos])--> Star Troupe
• Hikaru Asami (Rudolf [Cosmos])--> Snow Troupe

• 花總まり 公式プロフィール – Official Website
• 花總まり (hanafusamari_official) – Instagram
• 花總まり – Ameba Blog