Sakura Miyawaki is a Japanese singer and performer best known internationally as a member of the South Korean girl group LE SSERAFIM. For newer FEARNOTs, she may be familiar as one of the group’s most experienced members, but Sakura’s entertainment career actually started more than a decade before LE SSERAFIM debuted.
She first entered the Japanese idol industry through HKT48, later became widely known to K-pop audiences through Produce 48 and IZ*ONE, and then began another chapter of her career with LE SSERAFIM in 2022.
Three major group debuts across two countries. That’s not a career path you see every day.
Here’s a closer look at Sakura Miyawaki’s profile, biography, career, LE SSERAFIM debut, awards and role in the group.
Sakura Miyawaki Profile and Overview
| Profile Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Miyawaki Sakura |
| Stage Name | Sakura |
| Japanese Name | 宮脇咲良 |
| Date of Birth | March 19, 1998 |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Profession | Singer, performer |
| Group | LE SSERAFIM |
| Former Groups | HKT48, IZ*ONE |
| Agency | Source Music |
| LE SSERAFIM Debut | May 2, 2022 |
| Years Active | 2011–present |
Source Music currently lists Sakura as one of the five members of LE SSERAFIM, alongside Kim Chaewon, Huh Yunjin, Kazuha and Hong Eunchae. The group officially debuted on May 2, 2022.
Biography: Early Life and Education
Sakura was born on March 19, 1998, in Kagoshima, Japan.
Her professional entertainment career began unusually early. Rather than following the traditional Korean trainee system from the beginning, she entered Japan’s idol industry and became part of HKT48 in 2011.
Because Sakura started working professionally while still young, much of her development as a performer happened directly in front of an audience. She learned how to handle stages, fan events, television appearances and the demanding schedule that comes with being part of a major Japanese idol group.
Her education as a performer, basically, wasn’t limited to a classroom. Years of live experience became a huge part of it.
That early start also explains why she already seemed so comfortable around cameras when many international fans first met her through Produce 48.
Career: HKT48, Produce 48 and IZ*ONE
Sakura debuted with HKT48 in 2011 and gradually became one of the better-known members connected with the wider AKB48 franchise. She also participated in AKB48 activities during her Japanese idol career.
Then came the career-changing move.
In 2018, Sakura joined Mnet’s survival program Produce 48, which brought together Korean trainees and Japanese idols competing for places in a new multinational girl group.
She became the center for the show’s theme song “Nekkoya (Pick Me),” giving her major visibility from the beginning of the competition.
Sakura eventually finished No. 2 in the final ranking, securing a place in IZ*ONE.
IZ*ONE officially debuted on October 29, 2018, with “La Vie en Rose.” The group went on to promote successfully in both South Korea and Japan, giving Sakura an entirely new level of international recognition.
After IZ*ONE concluded its activities in 2021, Sakura returned to Japan and later graduated from HKT48 in June of that year.
For many idols, that amount of career experience could already feel complete.
Sakura chose to start again.
Debut With LE SSERAFIM
Sakura joined Source Music and officially debuted with LE SSERAFIM on May 2, 2022, through the mini album FEARLESS.
This marked her third major group debut, following HKT48 and IZ*ONE.
At LE SSERAFIM’s debut showcase, Sakura explained that after her previous promotions ended, she still wanted to continue group activities and perform on stages around the world. That desire eventually led to her joining Source Music.
The name LE SSERAFIM is an anagram of “I’M FEARLESS,” matching the group’s concept of moving forward confidently without being controlled by other people’s opinions.
For Sakura, that concept almost feels unusually appropriate. She had already built a successful career in Japan and Korea, yet still chose to enter another new team and challenge herself again.
Awards and Nominations
Most of Sakura’s recent awards have come through her activities with LE SSERAFIM rather than as individual prizes.
Since debuting, the group has earned recognition at major Korean music award ceremonies and expanded its presence internationally.
One particularly important moment came at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, where LE SSERAFIM won PUSH Performance of the Year for “EASY.”
The achievement was another sign of the group’s growing international audience, especially in the United States.
Sakura also entered LE SSERAFIM with years of previous achievements behind her through HKT48 and IZ*ONE, making her career unusually broad compared with many idols from the same generation.
Sakura’s Role in LE SSERAFIM
Sakura is not the leader of LE SSERAFIM—that position belongs to Kim Chaewon.
Still, her experience gives her an important place inside the group.
By the time LE SSERAFIM debuted, Sakura had already spent more than a decade working in entertainment. She knew the pressure of live performances, survival programs, major releases, Japanese promotions and Korean promotions.
That experience naturally gives her a different perspective from members who began their professional careers much later.
Performance-wise, Sakura has also shown noticeable growth. LE SSERAFIM’s choreography often demands strength, synchronization and stamina, and fans have watched her adapt her performance style across songs such as “FEARLESS,” “ANTIFRAGILE,” “UNFORGIVEN,” “EASY” and “CRAZY.”
Her role isn’t about being the loudest person in every moment. A lot of her appeal comes from experience, consistency and knowing how to connect with an audience.
Final Words
Sakura Miyawaki’s career is one of the more unusual journeys in modern K-pop.
She started in Japan with HKT48 in 2011, competed on Produce 48, finished second and debuted with IZ*ONE, then chose to begin again with LE SSERAFIM in 2022.
That’s more than a decade of constantly adapting.
For FEARNOTs, Sakura represents something slightly different from the typical idol story. She’s not someone who reached one goal and stopped. She’s repeatedly stepped into unfamiliar environments, changed performance styles and rebuilt herself for a new audience.
And even after all those years on stage, she still feels like an artist who’s learning something new with every LE SSERAFIM comeback.
That’s probably one of the biggest reasons her career remains so interesting to follow.