Miyu Honda Celebrates 17 Years in Entertainment and Balances Acting with Figure Skating

“I thought, ‘This is a role only I can play.’ I was only 6 years old at the time of the audition, but that feeling was new to me, and I haven’t encountered a role that made me feel that way since.”
With sparkling eyes, the 20-year-old actress Miyu Honda shares this sentiment. She made her entertainment debut at the age of 3 and has built a solid career as a child actress.
Honda’s face and name became well-known across Japan in 2011, when she played the role of Kei, the second daughter of the Asuda family, in the hit drama “The Housekeeper Mita” (NTV). Despite carrying the sorrow of losing her mother, Kei grows with the support of those around her. Honda’s delicate and emotionally rich acting captivated viewers, and she was hailed as a child prodigy.
“When I was little, I had a pure curiosity, wondering ‘How do you get into the TV screen?’ My parents noticed my interest in watching TV, and that’s when I started my entertainment career.”
She started figure skating around the same time as her acting career and continues to pursue it today, garnering attention for her versatility. She shares the secret to her dual career.
“People say I’m doing a ‘dual career,’ but in reality, everyone is balancing something in their lives, whether it’s work and family, or school and a part-time job. So, I don’t think I’m special in that sense. If I had a whole day off from acting, I’d practice figure skating, go to the beauty salon, and move around in precise, minute-by-minute schedules (laughs).”
In the January drama “Futari Solo Camp” (TOKYO MX), she plays Shizuku Kusano, a beginner camper, and performs the role wonderfully. Her goal as an actress is to surprise the audience.
“I want to play roles that will surprise those who watched ‘The Housekeeper Mita’ by thinking, ‘That Kei-chan is!?’. I want to surprise them in a good way.”
In the February 7th issue of “FRIDAY” and the paid version “FRIDAY GOLD” released on January 23, Honda shares behind-the-scenes stories from her “The Housekeeper Mita” audition, as well as memorable words spoken to her by Seiji Hirai, further expressing her thoughts as an actress.
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From the February 7, 2025 issue of “FRIDAY”
PHOTO: Takehiko Kohiyama