Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
mental health counselor
A mental health counselor (MHC), or counselor (counsellor in British English), is a person who works with individuals and groups to promote optimum mental and emotional health. Such persons may help individuals deal with issues associated with ad ...
,
radio personality
A radio personality (American English) or radio presenter (British English) is a person who has an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality who hosts a radio show is also known as a radio host, and in India and Pakistan as a rad ...
,
author
An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states:
"''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...
, and former
idol
Idol or Idols may refer to:
Religion and philosophy
* Cult image, a neutral term for a man-made object that is worshipped or venerated for the deity, spirit or demon that it embodies or represents
* Murti, a point of focus for devotion or medit ...
. She was a first-generation member of the idol group
Nogizaka46
is a Japanese female idol group produced by Yasushi Akimoto, created as the of the group AKB48. They are the first group from the Sakamichi Series, which also includes sister groups Sakurazaka46 (formerly Keyakizaka46), Yoshimotozaka46, and ...
.
Career
In 2006, Nakamoto enrolled in Actor's School Hiroshima as part of the sixteenth batch, joining her sister Suzuka who enrolled in the previous batch the same year. As students, they performed in a duet called Tween. She was also a member of the idol group , which was founded by the school.
Nakamoto passed the auditions for Nogizaka46 on August 21, 2011, and joined as a first generation member. Her audition song was "
Aitakatta
is Japanese idol group AKB48's third single, and the first major single released through DefSTAR Records, on 25 October 2006.
Regarded as the signature song of AKB48, the song has continued to be AKB48′s most recognizable tune among the publ ...
" by
AKB48
AKB48 (pronounced ''A.K.B. Forty-Eight'') is a Japanese idol girl group named after the Akihabara (''Akiba'' for short) area in Tokyo, where the group's theater is located. AKB48's producer, Yasushi Akimoto, wanted to form a girl group with it ...
. In the group, she was known for her cheerful "Himetan" persona and signature pose, the . She was also the lead
vocalist
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
of Nogidan, the rock subunit of Nogizaka46. In the sixth season of ''
NogiBingo!
NogiBingo!, stylized as NOGIBINGO!, was a Japanese television variety show starring Japanese idol girl group Nogizaka46. Ijiri Okada, who is known for AKB48-related shows such as ''AKB48 Nemōsu TV'', hosts the program. The show first aired on July ...
'', she served as assistant MC. She was also an assistant MC on the
NHK Radio 1
is Japan's oldest radio station operated by the public broadcaster, NHK. Its programming output, which consists of news, current affairs, and information programming is broadly similar to the BBC's Radio 4. NHK Radio 1 is available mainly on AM ...
program ''Radirer! Sunday.''
In 2017, Nakamoto went on hiatus from January to early April, citing poor health (later revealed to be a form of
adjustment disorder
Adjustment disorder is a maladaptive response to a psychosocial stressor. It is classified as a mental disorder. The maladaptive response usually involves otherwise normal emotional and behavioral reactions that manifest more intensely than usual ...
and
eating disorder
An eating disorder is a mental disorder defined by abnormal eating behaviors that negatively affect a person's physical or mental health. Only one eating disorder can be diagnosed at a given time. Types of eating disorders include binge eating d ...
, which she began to experience a few days after joining Nogizaka46). On August 6, she announced in a live broadcast of ''Radirer! Sunday'' that she would graduate from Nogizaka46. Her final performance as a Nogizaka46 member took place at the
Tokyo Dome
is an indoor stadium in Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan. It was designed as a baseball stadium following its predecessor, Korakuen Stadium. Construction on the stadium began on May 16, 1985, and it opened on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of th ...
on November 7–8, 2017. On November 8, "Last Number", a collaboration single between her and Radio Fish, the boy band formed by ''Radirer! Sunday'' hosts
Oriental Radio
Oriental Radio (オリエンタルラジオ), also known as Ori Raji (オリラジ), is a Japanese comedy duo consisting of Atsuhiko Nakata and Shingo Fujimori under the entertainment agency, Yoshimoto Kogyo.
Atsuhiko and Shingo met while worki ...
, was released. Her final blog post on the official Nogizaka46 blog was published on December 22, 2017.
Post-Nogizaka46
Nakamoto became interested in pursuing a mental health care career after she attended psychological counseling sessions while in Nogizaka46. She has completed training as a hand
reflexology
Reflexology, also known as zone therapy, is an alternative medical practice involving the application of pressure to specific points on the feet, ears, and hands. This is done using thumb, finger, and hand massage techniques without the use of ...
counselor and in
cognitive behavioral therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a psycho-social intervention that aims to reduce symptoms of various mental health conditions, primarily depression and anxiety disorders. CBT focuses on challenging and changing cognitive distortions (suc ...
, and enrolled into the Faculty of Human Sciences e-School of
Waseda University
, abbreviated as , is a private university, private research university in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as the ''Tōkyō Senmon Gakkō'' by Ōkuma Shigenobu, the school was formally renamed Waseda University in 1902.
The university has numerou ...
in April 2018. She graduated from Waseda in March 2023.
On November 20, Nakamoto's official website was launched. She has obtained mental health counselor certification from the Japan Promotion Counselor Association and works as a counselor and trainer while continuing her studies. She provides counseling through her own
Skype
Skype () is a proprietary telecommunications application operated by Skype Technologies, a division of Microsoft, best known for VoIP-based videotelephony, videoconferencing and voice calls. It also has instant messaging, file transfer, deb ...
-based service, the , to accommodate those who cannot leave their homes or are concerned about the stigma around mental health issues. Like several other former Nogizaka46 members, she is still signed to the Nogizaka46 management and has made public appearances related to her current occupation.
Nakamoto had her own consultation segment on the NHK Hiroshima radio program from March 2021, and hosts the podcast ''Himeka Nakamoto's 'Na on
Nippon Cultural Broadcasting
is a Japanese radio station in Tokyo which broadcasts to the Kanto area. It is one of the two flagship radio stations of National Radio Network (NRN) (the other station is ) and is a member of the Fujisankei Communications Group.
History
The ...
starting June. Her autobiography, ''Thank You, Me: Graduating from Nogizaka46 and Becoming a Psychological Counselor'', was released on June 22.
Personal life
Nakamoto is the older sister of
Babymetal
(stylized in all caps) is a Japanese kawaii metal band consisting of Suzuka Nakamoto as "Su-metal" and Moa Kikuchi as "Moametal". The band is produced by Kobametal from the Amuse talent agency. Their vocals are backed by heavy metal instrume ...
lead singer and former
Sakura Gakuin
was a Japanese idol girl group formed in 2010 by the Amuse talent agency. The group's membership fell within the age range of Japanese compulsory education, typically containing between 10 and 12 members at a time who fall between the ages of ...
member
Suzuka Nakamoto
, known by her stage names Suzuka and Su-metal (both stylized in all caps), is a Japanese musician, singer, songwriter and model. She is best known as a member of the kawaii metal band Babymetal. She is represented by the talent agency Amuse, Inc ...
and the middle child of three sisters. She owns a
Yorkshire Terrier
The Yorkshire Terrier (often shortened as Yorkie) is one of the smallest dog breeds of the terrier type and indeed of any dog breed. The breed developed during the 19th century in Yorkshire, England.Nogizaka46, LLC profile