NMB48 Kenkyuusei (Trainees) Profile
NMB48 Kenkyuusei (NMB48の研究生) are trainees that will eventually be promoted and become regular members of NMB48. Currently, there are 15 kenkyuusei, all part of the 10th generation; Chihiro Ishiyama, Yuuka Iwanami, Iroha Kine, Fuuka Nagata, Konon Miyahara, Asana Shibuya, Aisha Uchida, Sae Miyazaki, Tomoka Nakagawa, Miria Tanaka, Yuuri Murai, Kurumi Mikamo, Kyoka Takeda, Mio Yamaguchi, and Kotone Takahashi.
NMB48 Kenkyuusei Official Accounts:
Official Website: http://www.nmb48.com/
Twitter: @nmb48_trainee
Instagram: @nmb48_official
TikTok: @nmb48_trainee
YouTube: NMB48
Blog: NMB48
10th Generation Members Profile:
Chihiro Ishiyama
Birth Name: Chihiro Ishiyama (石山千尋)
Position: Vocalist
Birthday: May 24, 2008
Zodiac Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Hyogo Prefecture
Height: 168.5 cm (5’5″)
Blood Type: O
Nationality: Japanese
Generation: 10th
SHOWROOM: 48_CHIHIRO_ISHIYAMA
Chihiro Ishiyama Facts:
— Her nickname is “Chihirun” (ちひるん).
— Her favorite foods are konamon (flour dishes), pickled plums, and mini tomatoes.
— Her hobbies are flying drones, playing all kinds of video games, logic puzzles, and soccer.
— Her special skills are balancing a pencil on her nose, puns, Othello, and playing the piano.
— Her dream for the future is to become an idol who can bring smiles to many people!
— Her lightstick colors are orange and dark pink.
— Her strength is that she always has a smile on her face.
Yuuka Iwanami
Birth Name: Yuuka Iwanami (岩波柚花)
Position: Vocalist
Birthday: April 25, 2007
Zodiac Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Hyogo Prefecture
Height: 155 cm (5’1″)
Blood Type: A
Nationality: Japanese
Generation: 10th
SHOWROOM: 48_YUUKA_IWANAMI
Yuuka Iwanami Facts:
— Her nickname is “Namiyuka” (なみゆか).
— Her favorite food is sushi.
— Her hobbies are video games, playing the piano, mahjong, and listening to ASMR.
— Her special skills are daifugo (card game), using a map to find her way, singing, and calligraphy.
— Her dream for the future is to be an actress.
— Her lightstick color is yellow-green.
— She has been learning dance since she was in the first grade.
— Her goals are to become interesting in the future and to be a powerful idol.
Aisha Uchida
Birth Name: Aisha Uchida (内田愛彩)
Position: Vocalist
Birthday: June 12, 2004
Zodiac Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Osaka Prefecture
Height: 155 cm (5’1″)
Blood Type: O
Nationality: Japanese
Generation: 10th
SHOWROOM: 48_AISHA_UCHIDA
Aisha Uchida Facts:
— Her nickname is “Aishan” (あいしゃん).
— Her favorite foods are tamagoyaki, sukiyaki, dried squid, and gizzard.
— Her hobbies are watching idols, watching videos of chow chows, singing theater setlists at karaoke, and makeup.
— Her special skills are singing, making visually-appealing tamagoyaki, eating snacks quickly, and putting on a kimono.
— Her dream for the future is to become an idol that can heal people in a unique way.
— Her lightstick colors are red and white.
— She has always loved singing and has wanted to become a singer since she was little.
— She was a fan of NMB48 before joining.
Iroha Kine
Birth Name: Iroha Kine (木根彩呂花)
Position: Vocalist
Birthday: October 25, 2010
Zodiac Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Osaka Prefecture
Height: 160 cm (5’3″)
Blood Type: A
Nationality: Japanese
Generation: 10th
SHOWROOM: 48_IROHA_KINE
Iroha Kine Facts:
— Her nickname is “Irohan” (いろはん).
— Her favorite foods are omelettes, candied strawberries, potato salad, and sushi (salmon and tuna).
— Her hobbies are watching anime, listening to music, eating sweets, and watching plays.
— Her special skills are cartwheels, lawn darts, skiing, and befriending big dogs.
— Her dream for the future is to become an actress.
— Her lightstick color is light pink.
— She wanted to become an idol because she loves singing and dancing.
— She has loved idols since she was little.
— Her goal in NMB48 is to be known by many people and to be selected (senbatsu).
Asana Shibuya
Birth Name: Asana Shibuya (澁谷愛紗南)
Position: Vocalist
Birthday: October 27, 2006
Zodiac Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Miyagi Prefecture
Height: 161 cm (5’3″)
Blood Type: B
Nationality: Japanese
Generation: 10th
SHOWROOM: 48_ASANA_SHIBUYA
Asana Shibuya Facts:
— Her nickname is “Asanya” (あさにゃ).
— Her favorite foods are whipped cream, crepes, pancakes, cheese, and sweet potatoes.
— Her hobbies are collecting cosmetics, eating while walking, going to cute cafés, and shopping.
— Her special skills are eating a lot, being able to sleep anywhere, and cooking (whatever she thinks of she can usually make).
— Her dream for the future is to become a presence where people say, “When you think of NMB48, you think of Asana Shibuya!”
— Her lightstick colors are light pink and white.
— She wanted to become an idol because she wanted to sparkle like idols do.
Kotone Takahashi
Birth Name: Kotone Takahashi (高橋ことね)
Position: Vocalist
Birthday: April 20, 2003
Zodiac Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Osaka Prefecture
Height: 164 cm (5’5″)
Blood Type: AB
Nationality: Japanese
Generation: 10th
Twitter: @_Kotocchi48_
Instagram: @_kotocchi48_
SHOWROOM: 48_KOTONE_TAKAHASHI
Kotone Takahashi Facts:
— Her nickname is “Kotocchi” (ことっち).
— Her favorite foods are fruit, beefsteak, pasta (especially carbonara), strawberries, sweet desserts, and pizza (especially cheese).
— Her hobbies are making roast beef, making caramel, making sweets, playing PC games (especially FPS and horror games), and window-shopping for western clothes.
— Her special skills are being loved by animals, editing videos, making songs about her dog Lemon, and doing an impression of the Mario jump sound.
— Her dream for the future is to become a sparkling idol and become famous!
— Her lightstick colors are yellow and light blue.
— She wanted to become an idol because she wants to be someone who can do anything and bring smiles to people’s faces.
— She and Kurumi Mikamo are the first 10th generation members to be selected for a release.
Kyoka Takeda
Birth Name: Kyoka Takeda (竹田京加)
Position: Vocalist
Birthday: September 13, 2012
Zodiac Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Osaka Prefecture
Height: 150 cm (4’11”)
Blood Type: O
Nationality: Japanese
Generation: 10th
SHOWROOM: 48_KYOKA_TAKEDA
Kyoka Takeda Facts:
— Her nickname is “Kyoka” (きょーか).
— Her favorite foods are watermelon and tomatoes.
— Her hobbies are singing and dancing, playing in parks, reading manga, and watching anime.
— Her special skills are singing, dancing, dodgeball, and skipping rope (double jump)
— Her dream for the future is to have a solo concert!
— Her lightstick colors are green and orange.
— She wanted to become an idol because she grew up watching her sister’s NMB48 DVDs.
— Her goals are to be promoted quickly, to be selected, and to be the center.
— As of July 2024, she is the youngest 10th generation member, the youngest NMB48 member, and the youngest 48Group member.
Miria Tanaka
Birth Name: Miria Tanaka (田中ミリア)
Position: Vocalist
Birthday: December 9, 2010
Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Nara Prefecture
Height: 154 cm (5’1″)
Blood Type: O
Nationality: Japanese
Generation: 10th
SHOWROOM: 48_MIRIA_TANAKA
Miria Tanaka Facts:
— Her nickname is “Mii-chan” (みーちゃん).
— Her favorite foods are hamburg steak, salmon sushi, white rice, gummies, and candied strawberries.
— Her hobbies are eating, drawing, playing smartphone games, and watching idols.
— Her special skills are kendama, making her tongue into the shape of a flower, researching makeup that will make her look pretty, and keeping her bangs from falling apart.
— Her dream for the future is to become an actress and a senbatsu member.
— Her lightstick colors are blue and yellow-green.
— She wanted to become an idol because the idols she watched on TV since she was young were so pretty and cute.
— She wants to become an idol who inspires dreams in the people who watch her.
— Before joining, she was a model under avex and took lessons in hip-hop, singing, walking, and acting there.
— She is a fan of IVE, BTS, XG, and Nogizaka46.
Tomoka Nakagawa
Birth Name: Tomoka Nakagawa (中川朋香)
Position: Vocalist
Birthday: January 2, 2006
Zodiac Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Wakayama Prefecture
Height: 160 cm (5’3″)
Blood Type: B
Nationality: Japanese
Generation: 10th
SHOWROOM: 48_TOMOKA_NAKAGAWA
Tomoka Nakagawa Facts:
— Her nickname is “Tomocha” (ともちゃ).
— Her favorite foods are takoyaki, pickled plums, and maitake mushrooms (all mushrooms in general).
— Her hobbies are watching idol concerts, watching detective dramas, taking walks, and singing and playing guitar.
— Her special skills are sucking in her nostrils, being loud, hitting high notes, and exercising.
— Her dream for the future is to become the center of NMB48 and shine as a star from Wakayama.
— Her lightstick colors are orange and yellow.
— She wanted to become an idol because she watched NMB48 live and wanted to stand onstage with them.
— She is the first NMB48 member from Wakayama.
— She aims to become an idol that shines in various colours like the sky.
— From 2016-2024, she was a member of the Wakayama-based local idol group Fun×Fam.
— In 2023, she appeared on NMB48’s captain Karin Kojima‘s YouTube show as a member of Fun×Fam.
Fuuka Nagata
Birth Name: Fuuka Nagata (永田楓花)
Position: Vocalist
Birthday: August 2, 2006
Zodiac Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Hyogo Prefecture
Height: 155 cm (5’1″)
Blood Type: A
Nationality: Japanese
Generation: 10th
SHOWROOM: 48_FUUKA_NAGATA
Fuuka Nagata Facts:
— Her nickname is “Fuutan” (ふうたん).
— Her favorite foods are fruit, hamburg steak, and karinto.
— Her hobbies are listening to music, collecting Slime Squeeze toys, watching anime, playing video games, and makeup research.
— Her special skills are singing, whistling (can whistle along to any song you sing), balloon art, and playing the flute and percussion instruments.
— Her dream for the future is to hold a solo concert.
— Her lightstick color is light blue.
— She wanted to become an idol because she likes singing and she wants to bring courage and smiles to fans.
— She had no dance experience prior to auditioning.
Kurumi Mikamo
Birth Name: Kurumi Mikamo (三鴨くるみ)
Position: Vocalist
Birthday: October 31, 2001
Zodiac Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Tokyo
Height: 161 cm (5’3″)
Blood Type: O
Nationality: Japanese
Generation: 10th
Twitter: @_kurumi48_
Instagram: @_kurumi48_
SHOWROOM: 48_KURUMI_MIKAMO
Kurumi Mikamo Facts:
— Her nickname is “Kurumi” (くるみ).
— Her favorite foods are meat, sweet potatoes, and ice cream.
— Her hobbies are making decorated cases, music, cooking, and watching Korean entertainment.
— Her special skills are TOPIK 6 (the highest level of the Korean proficiency test), eating ice cream quickly, cheerleading, and editing videos.
— Her dream for the future is to perform a live concert at Kyocera Dome with NMB48!
— Her lightstick colors are red and purple.
— She wanted to become an idol because she loves being onstage and loves idols.
— She is a former predebut member of the K-Pop group IOLITE under the name “Kurumi” (쿠루미).
— She formerly took dance lessons at Pick Planet Academy.
— She is the oldest 10th generation member.
— She and Kotone Takahashi are the first 10th generation members to be selected for a release.
Sae Miyazaki
Birth Name: Sae Miyazaki (宮崎紗衣)
Position: Vocalist
Birthday: December 29, 2010
Zodiac Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Mie Prefecture
Height: 152 cm (5″)
Blood Type: A
Nationality: Japanese
Generation: 10th
SHOWROOM: 48_SAE_MIYAZAKI
Sae Miyazaki Facts:
— Her nickname is “Saepon” (さえぽん).
— Her favorite foods are sweet dumplings, ice cream, and apples.
— Her hobbies are cooking, Mario Kart, eating, and fishing in the ocean.
— Her special skills are drawing pictures, belly dancing, moving her pupils quickly, and dancing the Soran Bushi.
— Her dream for the future is to become NMB48’s center.
— Her lightstick color is orange.
— She wanted to become an idol because she admires how hard idols work and how sparkling they are onstage.
Konon Miyahara
Birth Name: Konon Miyahara (宮原心音)
Position: Vocalist
Birthday: April 19, 2010
Zodiac Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Osaka Prefecture
Height: 150 cm (4’11”)
Blood Type: AB
Nationality: Japanese
Generation: 10th
SHOWROOM: 48_KONON_MIYAHARA
Konon Miyahara Facts:
— Her nickname is “Kanonon” (こののん).
— Her favorite foods are hormone and shoronpo.
— Her hobbies are makeup, eating a lot, cooking difficult dishes, sauna, and watching movies.
— Her special skills are singing, dancing, acrobatics, drums, and doing an impression of an octopus.
— Her dream for the future is to become an actress who can inspire many people with dreams and hopes.
— Her lightstick color is red.
— In 2021, she appeared on the kids’ variety show 4-biki no Kutsugaeru.
— She has loved idols since she was little.
Yuuri Murai
Birth Name: Yuuri Murai (村井悠莉)
Position: Vocalist
Birthday: March 5, 2005
Zodiac Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Mie Prefecture
Height: 152 cm (5″)
Blood Type: B
Nationality: Japanese
Generation: 10th
SHOWROOM: 48_YUURI_MURAI
Yuuri Murai Facts:
— Her nickname is “Yuurin” (ゆうりん).
— Her favorite foods are pasta, meat, shine muscat grapes, salmon, and mint chocolate.
— Her hobbies are going to karaoke, making sweets, watching movies, and dancing.
— Her special skills are dancing (she can dance most genres), learning choreography quickly, getting her bearings quickly, and changing clothes quickly.
— Her dream for the future is to become a senbatsu member and appear on music programs.
— Her lightstick colors are purple and white.
— She wanted to become an idol because she has loved dancing in front of people since she was little and she wanted to bring smiles to the people who watch her.
— She is a former member of SO.ON Project from around 2021-2022.
Mio Yamaguchi
Birth Name: Mio Yamaguchi (山口美桜)
Position: Vocalist
Birthday: September 27, 2007
Zodiac Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Osaka Prefecture
Height: 161 cm (5’3″)
Blood Type: B
Nationality: Japanese
Generation: 10th
SHOWROOM: 48_MIO_YAMAGUCHI
Mio Yamaguchi Facts:
— Her nickname is “Mio-chan” (みおちゃん).
— Her favorite foods are green tea, celery, Korean food, yams, parsley, and crysanthemum greens.
— Her hobbies are making açaí bowls, watching idols, spot the difference games, and watching anime.
— Her special skills are Japanese tea ceremony, blinking rapidly, doing the splits, and folding origami cranes with only her index finger.
— Her dream for the future is to become the center of NMB48.
— Her lightstick colors are light pink and light green.
— She wanted to become an idol because she loves idols.
— Her goal is to become someone who will help NMB48 evolve.
Former Trainees: Where Are They Now?
Ayaka Yamauchi
Birth Name: Ayaka Yamauchi (山内彩花)
Generation: 1st
— She withdrew on November 5, 2010 (only a month after joining) due to poor health.
— She did not return to entertainment. She is assumed to be living as a normal civilian.
Akane Takiyama
Birth Name: Akane Takiyama (瀧山あかね)
Generation: 2nd
Twitter: @takiyama_akane
Instagram: @takiyama_akane
TikTok: @takiyama_akane
Blog: 瀧山あかね
— She withdrew on January 15, 2012 to attend college.
— She is currently an announcer for AbemaTV and occasionally does gravure modeling.
Riko Otani
Birth Name: Riko Otani (大谷莉子)
Generation: 2nd
— She withdrew on January 15, 2012 to focus on school.
— She did not return to entertainment. She is assumed to be living as a normal civilian.
Risako Okada
Birth Name: Risako Okada (岡田梨紗子)
Generation: 2nd
Twitter: @miko__m1028
Instagram: @___m1028
YouTube: Miko channel
— She withdrew on February 18, 2012 to focus on school.
— She began working as a talent under PEANUTS PROMOTION in 2015
— In 2017, she began as a porn actress and gravure model under Muteki with the stage name Miko Matsuda (松田美子).
— In February 2018, she debuted as a member of Korean girl group HONEY POPCORN. She departed later that year.
— In 2019, she retired from adult entertainment.
— She currently lives in Thailand and is presumably retired from entertainment, although she occasionally updates her Instagram.
Kokoro Ishikawa
Birth Name: Kokoro Ishikawa (石川こころ)
Generation: 3rd
— She withdrew on April 28, 2012 to focus on school.
— She did not return to entertainment. She is assumed to be living as a normal civilian.
Mizuki Hara
Birth Name: Mizuki Hara (原みづき)
Generation: 1st
Twitter: @mii_kan_s2
— She withdrew on April 28, 2012 due to frustration with not being chosen to debut after years of training. She decided to focus on school instead.
— She did not return to entertainment. She is assumed to be living as a normal civilian.
Nanami Sasaki
Birth Name: Nanami Sasaki (佐々木七海)
Generation: 3rd
Twitter: @nanadance
— She withdrew on July 7, 2012 due to a spine disorder which made her unable to continue as an idol.
— She did not return to entertainment. She is assumed to be living as a normal civilian.
Sora Togo
Birth Name: Sora Tōgō (東郷青空)
Generation: 3rd
— She withdrew on October 11, 2012 to focus on her studies.
— She did not return to entertainment. She is assumed to be living as a normal civilian.
— As her future dream while she was a trainee was to become a doctor, she might have taken that path.
Kano Sugimoto
Birth Name: Kano Sugimoto (杉本香乃)
Generation: 3rd
— She withdrew on December 6, 2012 due to poor health and to focus on her studies.
— She did not return to entertainment. She is assumed to be living as a normal civilian.
Sorai Sato
Birth Name: Sorai Sato (佐藤天彩)
Generation: 2nd
Twitter: @s2580s456
Instagram: @sato_sorai
TikTok: @s0407s5
— She withdrew on December 21, 2012 to focus on her studies.
— She currently is a model under Models Co., Ltd., which she joined in 2015.
Riko Hisada
Birth Name: Riko Hisada (久田莉子)
Generation: 3rd
Twitter: @rikorin1011
Instagram: @rikorin1011
— She withdrew on March 15, 2013 due to poor health and to focus on her studies.
— In 2016, she joined the theatre group Engeki Girl☆Future under Sony Music Entertainment.
— She departed the group the next year.
— She is currently an actress under YARD.
— She also has a cooking license, is a chocolate expert, and is certified HSK Level III in Chinese.
Risa Sugino
Birth Name: Risa Sugino (杉野莉沙)
Generation: 4th
— She withdrew on February 21, 2013 to focus on her studies.
— She did not return to entertainment. She is assumed to be living as a normal civilian.
Sena Hirose
Birth Name: Sena Hirose (廣瀬聖七)
Generation: 4th
Twitter: @sena0104sena
— She withdrew on February 21, 2013 due to poor health.
— She did not return to entertainment. She is assumed to be living as a normal civilian.
Masako Ishihara
Birth Name: Masako Ishihara (石原雅子)
Generation: 4th
— She withdrew on June 28, 2013 due to poor health, as ordered by her doctor.
— She did not return to entertainment. She is assumed to be living as a normal civilian.
Noa Ogawa
Birth Name: Noa Ogawa (小川乃愛)
Generation: 4th
— She withdrew on October 10, 2013 due to a foot injury which prevented her from continuing as a dancer.
— She did not return to entertainment. She is assumed to be living as a normal civilian.
Hiromi Nakagawa
Birth Name: Hiromi Nakagawa (中川紘美)
Generation: 2nd
— She withdrew on March 15, 2014 to attend a vocational school.
— She did not return to entertainment. She is assumed to be living as a normal civilian.
Momoka Shimazaki
Birth Name: Momoka Shimazaki (嶋崎百萌香)
Generation: 4th
Twitter: @warumomomon
— She withdrew on March 15, 2014 to focus on her studies.
— From 2018-2022, she was a talent under Irving.
— In 2022, she was selected to promote the be a “goddess of fortune” (takarakuji megami) to promote the lottery in Japan.
— As of January 2024, she is not signed to any agencies and her SNS accounts are either deleted or inactive.
Riko Takayama
Birth Name: Riko Takayama (高山梨子)
Generation: 3rd
— She withdrew on July 19, 2014 to focus on her studies.
— She did not return to entertainment. She is assumed to be living as a normal civilian.
Yui Shibata
Birth Name: Yui Shibata (柴田優衣)
Generation: 2nd Draft
— Before becoming a trainee, she was a member of the temporary unit Baito AKB.
— She withdrew on May 3, 2016 to focus on her studies, as she wanted to attend a university and pursue a career in cooking.
— She did not return to entertainment. She is assumed to be living as a normal civilian.
Nanami Nishinaka
Birth Name: Nanami Nishinaka (西仲七海)
Generation: 2nd Draft
— She withdrew on June 22, 2017 to focus on her studies.
— In 2019, she auditioned for Watanabe Miyuki‘s idol unit Ange et Folletta and made it past the second round, but eventually withdrew from the audition.
— She stated she does not intend to return to entertainment and is living as a normal civilian.
Ai Osawa
Birth Name: Ai Osawa (大澤藍)
Generation: 3rd Draft
NMB48 Blog: 大澤藍
— She graduated on June 30, 2019 as she was uncomfortable with rumors fans were spreading about her.
— She did not return to entertainment. She is assumed to be living as a normal civilian.
Yui Odan
Birth Name: Yui Odan (大段結愛)
Generation: 6th
Twitter: @yuidayo_11
TikTok: @yuiiodann
note Blog: ゆい
NMB48 Blog: 大段結愛
— She withdrew on September 24, 2019 to focus on her studies so she could attend her target school.
— She did not return to entertainment and lives as a normal civilian. She occasionally updates her SNS.
Reio Sakamoto
Birth Name: Reio Sakamoto (阪本玲央)
Generation: 9th
Twitter: @REIskm_48
TikTok: @reiskm_48
NMB48 Blog: 阪本玲央
— She graduated on September 13, 2024 to focus on her studies.
— Her SNS accounts are private, and she presumably won’t return to entertainment soon.
Yukino Furukawa
Birth Name: Yukino Furukawa (古川雪乃)
Generation: 9th
Twitter: @yukinon_nmb48
TikTok: @yukinon_nmb48
Blog: 古川雪乃
— She graduated on November 20, 2024.
— Her SNS accounts are private, and she presumably won’t return to entertainment soon.
Related:
NMB48 Team N Members Profile
NMB48 Team M Members Profile
NMB48 Team BII Members Profile
NMB48 Promoted Members Profile
Profile made by fairymetal
Special thanks to @TeppenSubTeam on Twitter for their 10th Gen Profile Translations!
Who is your NMB48 Kenkyuusei oshimen? Do you know more facts about them? Feel free to comment below.
