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 13 kenkyuusei, all part of the 9th generation. Their captain was Waka Aobara (now promoted to Team BII) and their co-captain is Honoka Nishida. Auditions for the 10th generation are currently being held.
NMB48 Kenkyuusei Official Accounts:
Official Website: http://www.nmb48.com/
Twitter: @nmb48_trainee
Instagram: @nmb48_official
TikTok: @nmb48_trainee
YouTube: NMB48
Blog: NMB48
Members Profile:
Honoka Nishida
Birth Name: Honoka Nishida (西田帆花)
Position: Vocalist, Co-captain
Birthday: March 10, 2005
Zodiac Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Nara Prefecture
Height: 157 cm
Blood Type: A
Nationality: Japanese
Generation: 9th
Twitter: @NISHIDA_HONOKA
TikTok: @honopi_48
Blog: 西田帆花
Honoka Nishida Facts:
— Her nickname is “Honopii” (ほのぴー ).
— Her favorite foods are yakiniku, white rice, sushi, cheese, ice cream, and fruit.
— Her hobbies are puns, makeup, watching binge-eating videos, and going to karaoke.
— Her special skills are dance, making puns, laughing, and eating oranges in one bite.
— Her dream for the future is to be the center of NMB48 and to be active in many TV programs.
— Her lightstick colors are light pink and red
— She has been learning ballet since she was little.
— She auditioned for NMB48 before, but failed.
— Her favorite color is red.
— She has wanted to become an idol since seeing AKB48 on TV as a child.
Tenna Ikeda
Birth Name: Tenna Ikeda (池田典愛)
Position: Vocalist
Birthday: October 5, 2005
Zodiac Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Hyogo Prefecture
Height: 161 cm
Blood Type: AB
Nationality: Japanese
Generation: 9th
Twitter: @tenna_nmb
TikTok: @tenna_nmb
Blog: 池田典愛
Tenna Ikeda Facts:
— Her favorite foods are ice cream and sushi.
— Her hobbies are watching comedy, watching anime, makeup, and eating ice cream.
— Her special skills are twisting her thumbs, high bar (in gymnastics), grabbing things with her toes, and sleeping.
— Her dream for the future is to be an idol loved by all kinds of people.
— Her lightstick colors are purple and blue.
— Her favorite colors are purple, dark pink, and black.
— Her best subject in school is modern literature.
— She often gets asked if she’s a gyaru.
— Her favorite ice cream flavors are chocolate and mint chocolate.
— She is competitive and hates to lose.
— Her favorite NMB48 song is “Warukii”.
Koyori Itagaki
Birth Name: Koyori Itagaki (板垣心和)
Position: Vocalist
Birthday: May 23, 2005
Zodiac Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Mie Prefecture
Height: 159.4 cm
Blood Type: AB
Nationality: Japanese
Generation: 9th
Twitter: @koyorin_nmb48
TikTok: @koyorin_nmb48
Blog: 板垣心和
Koyori Itagaki Facts:
— Her nickname is “Koyorin” (こよりん).
— Her favorite foods are beef tongue, horse sashimi, salmon, macaroons, muscat grapes, pork kimchi, dry curry, and ramen.
— Her hobbies are putting on makeup, fashion coordination, and playing with cats.
— Her special skills are speaking in babi, mat exercise, and makeup.
— Her dream for the future is to be a national idol.
— Her lightstick colors are light pink and purple.
— She admires Keito Shiotsuki (Team BII).
— Her charm point is her black eyes.
— Her groupmates describe her personality as eccentric.
— She is an only child.
Ayami Kinugasa
Birth Name: Ayami Kinugasa (衣笠彩実)
Position: Vocalist
Birthday: November 3, 2010
Zodiac Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Osaka Prefecture
Height: 150 cm
Blood Type: O
Nationality: Japanese
Generation: 9th
Twitter: @ayami_namba48
TikTok: @amiaya_nmb48
Blog: 衣笠彩実
Ayami Kinugasa Facts:
— Her favorite foods are pasta, pizza, fruit, ice cream, omelet rice, beef tongue, skirt steak, salmon roe, cod roe, sweet potato, tomato, cheese, shrimp, and tempura.
— Her hobbies are playing with cats, watching gaming videos, opening random goods, and supporting NMB48.
— Her special skills are cooking, drawing, kendama, and NMB48’s introdon.
— Her dream for the future is to be the center of NMB48.
— Her lightstick color is white.
— As of January 2024, she is the youngest NMB48 member. She was twelve years old when she first joined.
— She is the first NMB48 member who was born after NMB48 was announced (October 9, 2010).
— She has loved NMB48 since she was 9 years old.
— Her favorite NMB48 songs are “Jugon wa Jugon,” “Koi wa Sainan,” “Boku Igai no Dareka,” and “Gesuna Yume.”
— She has a pet cat named Mugi-chan.
— Her best subjects are arithmetic, art, and science.
— She describes her personality as, “I go at my own pace and am not easily swayed by others.”
— Her favorite colors are purple, light blue and white.
— Her favorite flowers are roses.
Reio Sakamoto
Birth Name: Reio Sakamoto (阪本玲央)
Position: Vocalist
Birthday: March 1, 2006
Zodiac Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Osaka Prefecture
Height: 155 cm
Blood Type: A
Nationality: Japanese
Generation: 9th
Twitter: @REIskm_48
TikTok: @reiskm_48
Blog: 阪本玲央
Reio Sakamoto Facts:
— Her nickname is “Reeo” (れーお).
— Her favorite foods are taro, nagaimo, sweet potatoes, potatoes, salmon roe, canelé, macarons, anything chocolate, beef tongue, skirt steak, azuki bean paste, and chestnuts.
— Her hobbies are watching horror movies, cuddling with her two dogs, sleeping, and promoting NMB48.
— Her special skills are riding a Segway, shoulder massages, finding cute girls, and makeup.
— Her dream for the future is to become the person everyone admires.
— Her lightstick colors are pink and blue.
— She admires Aika Satsuki (Team N).
— She was a fan before joining.
— She loves potatoes.
— Most of her clothes are black, since she says light colors don’t suit her.
— She is a fan of Jo Yuri (soloist, ex-IZ*ONE).
— Her charm points are her dimples and the mole on the lower right side of her mouth.
Sayuki Shibutani
Birth Name: Sayuki Shibutani (渋谷紗雪)
Position: Vocalist
Birthday: January 29, 2007
Zodiac Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Toyama Prefecture
Height: 158 cm
Blood Type: Unknown
Nationality: Japanese
Generation: 9th
Twitter: @nmb48_sayuki
TikTok: @nmb48_sayuki
Blog: 渋谷紗雪
Sayuki Shibutani Facts:
— Her favorite foods are meat, sushi, dry-cured ham, mangos, and muscat grapes.
— Her hobbies are makeup, collecting cosmetics, watching axolotls, and watching tropical fish.
— Her special skills are singing, guitar, funny faces, and raising axolotls.
— Her dream for the future is to be a multi-talented person that everyone knows.
— Her lightstick colors are red and green.
— She is the first NMB48 member from Toyama Prefecture.
— From 2019-1020, she was a member of Hokuriku Idolbu.
— She is a former reader model for the magazine Popteen.
— In 2020, she was a finalist in the “Super Teens Contest” and won the VAZ Award.
— She was also a finalist in the JC Miss Contest 2019, which decides “the cutest junior high school girl in Japan.”
— She has been taking voice lessons since 2nd grade and learning guitar since 6th grade.
— Her favorite colors are black, white and red.
— Her favorite NMB48 song is “Otoshiana.”
Misora Tanaka
Birth Name: Misora Tanaka (田中美空)
Position: Vocalist
Birthday: August 24, 2004
Zodiac Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Kyoto Prefecture
Height: 150 cm
Blood Type: O
Nationality: Japanese
Generation: 9th
Twitter: @_misora_48
TikTok: @_misora_48
Blog: 田中美空
Misora Tanaka Facts:
— Her favorite foods are matcha tea, beef tongue, cucumbers, tea dumplings, herring roe, all spicy food, and ramen.
— Her hobbies are watching Ghibli movies, making educational sweets, and researching the occult.
— Her special skills are drumming, piano, rhythm games, and guessing the do-re-mi sound.
— Her dream for the future is to be the absolute center of NMB48 and to appear on singing shows.
— Her lightstick colors are purple and yellow.
— Her name is spelled with the same kanji as former Sakura Gakuin/Ciào Smiles member Miku Tanaka.
— She is the oldest member of the 9th generation.
— She is a big fan of idols.
— Her favorite color is purple.
— She admires Konomi Kusaka, Fuuwa Kuroda (both ex-Team N), and Ayaka Sakurada (Team BII).
— She owns two cats.
Yuma Nishi
Birth Name: Yuma Nishi (西由真)
Korean Name: Park Yu-jin (박유진)
Position: Vocalist
Birthday: March 25, 2006
Zodiac Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Chiba Prefecture
Height: 160 cm
Blood Type: A
Nationality: Korean-Japanese
Generation: 9th
Twitter: @Yuma_NMB48
TikTok: @yuma_nmb48
Blog: 西由真
Yuma Nishi Facts:
— Her nickname is “Nishiyuma” (にしゆま).
— Her favorite foods are ramen, white rice, and popcorn.
— Her hobbies are watching anime, going to Disney, cosplay, and rhythm games.
— Her special skills are imitating cicada sounds, rhythm games, imitating Disney cast members, and origami.
— Her dream for the future is to be a multi-talent.
— Her lightstick colors are red and yellow.
— She admires Reiko Maeda (Team M), who inspired her to audition.
— She is half-Japanese and half-Korean, although she can’t speak the language.
— Her favorite anime series are Love Live!, BanG Dream!, Attack on Titan, Sword Art Online, Gun Gale Online, Girls und Panzer, Puella Magi Madoka☆Magica, K-On!, SELECTION PROJECT, and more.
— She attends the live shows for Love Live! and BanG Dream!.
— She has loved anime since elementary school, and her room is covered with wall hangings and figures.
— Her favorite video games are BanG Dream! Girls Band Party!, Phigros, CHUNITHM, Mario Kart, and more.
Rio Nishijima
Birth Name: Rio Nishijima (西島梨央)
Position: Vocalist
Birthday: November 8, 2004
Zodiac Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Shizuoka Prefecture
Height: 164 cm
Blood Type: O
Nationality: Japanese
Generation: 9th
Twitter: @nmb48_riopi
TikTok: @riopiiisu
Blog: 西島梨央
Rio Nishijima Facts:
— Her nickname is “Riopi” (りおぴ).
— Her favorite foods are cheese tarts, mandarin oranges, matcha-flavored sweets, and lemons.
— Her hobbies are listening to Vocaloid, taking pictures of her dog, watching binge-eating videos when she gets hungry, and watching video game playthroughs.
— Her special skills are transferring a lot of azuki beans with chopsticks, Sōran Bushi (a traditional Japanese song and dance), catching marshmallows, peeling apples, and making beautiful gyoza.
— Her dreams for the future are to do a dome concert with NMB48 and to be an actress.
— Her lightstick colors are light blue and white.
— She is the first NMB48 member from Shizuoka Prefecture.
— She shares a birthday with Misaki Sakata (Team BII).
— She has a pet miniature Schnauzer named Ume-chan/U-chan and a pet cat named Mugi-kun.
— Her charm points are the length of her limbs and her double teeth.
— She was part of the basketball club in junior high.
— She, Yuma Nishi, and Honoka Nishida call themselves “Nishi San” (にしさん, “Nishi Three”) since they all have “Nishi” (西) in their names.
Reina Funahashi
Birth Name: Reina Funahashi (舟橋礼菜)
Position: Vocalist
Birthday: April 1, 2008
Zodiac Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Osaka Prefecture
Height: 154 cm
Blood Type: O
Nationality: Japanese
Generation: 9th
Twitter: @0nya_48__
TikTok: @funahashi_reina
Blog: 舟橋礼菜
Reina Funahashi Facts:
— Her nickname is “Reinya” (れーにゃ).
— Her favorite food is spicy food.
— Her hobbies are eating spicy food, studying faces, singing, and eating.
— Her special skills are eating spicy food, makeup, and imitating Doraemon’s voice.
— Her dream for the future is to appear in many singing shows!
— Her lightstick colors are red and orange.
— She admires Misaki Sakata (Team BII).
— She dislikes pumpkin and shiitake mushrooms.
— She auditioned because she always loved idols and her sister suggested she audition for NMB48.
— She loves watching dramas; her favorite genre is romance.
— Of the 9th generation, she is closest to Yukino Furukawa. She is also friends with Ami Miyamoto.
Yukino Furukawa
Birth Name: Yukino Furukawa (古川雪乃)
Position: Vocalist
Birthday: December 16, 2006
Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Niigata Prefecture
Height: 157 cm
Blood Type: A
Nationality: Japanese
Generation: 9th
Twitter: @yukinon_nmb48
TikTok: @yukinon_nmb48
Blog: 古川雪乃
Yukino Furukawa Facts:
— Her nickname is “Yukinon” (ゆきのん).
— Her favorite foods are shrimp, spicy food, and gizzards.
— Her hobbies are makeup research, cooking, listening to music, and watching pandas eat.
— Her special skills are winking, high-speed flick typing, and hair arrangement (hair setting).
— Her dream for the future is to be the top of the idol world.
— Her lightstick color is green
— She shares a birthday with Honoka Ike (Team M).
— She can play bass guitar.
— Her charm point is her dimples that appear when she smiles.
— Of the 9th generation, she is closest to Reina Funahashi and Manami Nihei (Team N).
— Her favorite colors are blue and pink.
Ami Miyamoto
Birth Name: Ami Miyamoto (宮本杏海)
Position: Vocalist
Birthday: July 1, 2010
Zodiac Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Hyogo Prefecture
Height: 140 cm
Blood Type: AB
Nationality: Japanese
Generation: 9th
Twitter: @amitan_0701
TikTok: @amiaya_nmb48 / @amitantanu._.u
Blog: 宮本杏海
Ami Miyamoto Facts:
— Her nickname is “Amitan” (あみたん).
— Her favorite foods are salmon, takoyaki, macarons, and cheese.
— Her hobbies are making key chains with resin, making slime, and shopping.
— Her special skills are baton-twirling, moving her ears, middle splits, turns, and cartwheels.
— Her dream for the future is to be a sparkling idol who is loved by everyone.
— Her lightstick colors are dark pink and white.
— The anime Aikatsu! inspired her to become an idol.
— Her favorite NMB48 songs are “Seishun no Lap Time”, “Warota People”, “Nagiichi”, and “Sukida Mushi”.
— She has one sibling, an older brother.
— Her favorite colors are white, pink, light blue, and rainbow.
— Her charm point is her dark brown eyes which look like contacts.
— She describes her personality as being able to get along with anyone.
Ayane Yoshimi
Birth Name: Ayane Yoshimi (吉見純音)
Position: Vocalist
Birthday: October 18, 2007
Zodiac Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Hyogo Prefecture
Height: 158 cm
Blood Type: A
Nationality: Japanese
Generation: 9th
Twitter: @Yoshimin_1018
TikTok: @yoshimin_1018
Blog: 吉見純音
Ayane Yoshimi Facts:
— Her nickname is “Yoshimin” (よしみん).
— Her favorite foods are takoyaki, sushi, all foods!
— Her hobbies are fishing, cooking healthy food, watching morning dramas, and eating!
— Her special skills are playing piano and other musical instruments, kendama, cooking bento dishes and low-carb food, and dressing in yukata and kimono.
— Her dream for the future is to appear in a singing show or a TV show as NMB48!
— Her lightstick colors are blue and orange.
— She admires Nagisa Shibuya, Karin Kojima, Zion Kameno, and Misaki Sakata.
— Other than piano, which she studied for ten years, she can play guitar, trumpet, and koto.
— She likes skiing and ice-skating.
— Her favorite flower is gerberas.
— She likes reading fashion magazines and wants to try different styles.
— Her fashion type is girly kei.
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.
Related:
NMB48 Team N Members Profile
NMB48 Team M Members Profile
NMB48 Team BII Members Profile
NMB48 Promoted Members Profile
Profile made by fairymetal
Who is your NMB48 Kenkyuusei oshimen? Do you know more facts about them? Feel free to comment below. 😊
