Akari Takaishi’s 7-Year-Old Street Performance Photo Surfaces

Her acting has always been truly amazing.

In the fall of 2025, Akari Takashi (21) was chosen as the heroine for NHK’s “Asadora” (morning drama) “Babake.”

This season’s morning drama “Omusubi” stars Kanna Hashimoto (25), while the previous one featured Sairi Ito (30) in “Tora ni Tsubasa.” A year ago, it was Shuri (34) in “Boogie Woogie.” For the first half of 2025, Mio Imada (27) will star in “Anpan.” All of these actresses are recognized for both their popularity and acting skills, which sparked reactions on social media such as, “Who is she?” and “I really don’t know.” However, there are also many welcoming comments like, “Finally, the cast of Asadora is back to its usual standard” and “I’m looking forward to the rise of a national actress.”

“During auditions, Akari was selected from a pool of 2,892 candidates, making her the third most chosen actress in Asadora history. While her recognition among middle-aged and older morning drama fans is not high, she has a dedicated fan base among younger audiences, especially after her roles in the ‘Baby Warukyuure’ film series and the stage play ‘Demon Slayer’ as Nezuko Kamado,” said a television magazine writer.

On social media, comments like “She was just like Nezuko, and her acting was amazing even without lines” and “Her performance in ‘Baby Warukyuure’ was incredible, so I’m excited” were shared. Other comments included, “I knew it was her!” and “Congrats on being the heroine! She was stunning even back in middle school.”

“Akari entered the entertainment industry after winning the Narumiya Online Award in the 2014 Avex Kids Contest while in sixth grade. In April 2016, she joined a mixed-gender unit under the name ‘Akari,’ working as a trainee similar to the AAA (Triple-A) group at her agency. She performed on national tours, performing in the merchandise areas and nearby spaces,” explained a music magazine editor.

 

Sharp Dance Moves

On September 10, 2017, FRIDAY magazine captured the scene of a street performance by the unit in Yoyogi Park, next to NHK in Shibuya. The unit had a predominantly female fanbase, but among certain fan circles, including camera geeks, it was being talked about for having a lot of cute girls.

Particularly, Takaiishi was attracting a lot of attention. One male fan who had followed her at the time recalled:

“Even back then, seeing her in person, she had such expressive movements and sharp dance moves. You could tell she might make it big in the future.”

He reflected on how, 

“To think that she would break out from here and rise to become the lead in a morning drama—it’s amazing. Fans from back then are feeling quite emotional.”

They said.

At a press conference held at the NHK Osaka Broadcasting Station on October 29, Takaiishi tearfully shared:

“Since I was little, becoming the heroine of a morning drama has been my dream, and now that it’s finally sinking in, my heart is filled with emotion seeing everyone’s warm expressions.”

Beside her, production supervisor Kunio Hashizume of “Bakabake” looked on with deep feeling, and during the press conference, he praised Takaishi:

“Out of 2892 applicants, only nine made it to the final selection. We didn’t consider popularity; we simply chose someone we thought was truly remarkable. Among them, Takaiishi-san was the one who made us think, ‘We want to see her for a long time.’ The entire production team unanimously decided on her.”

Will she become the next national actress? The first step towards that future is now eagerly awaited.