National Rhythmic Gymnastics Champion Makes Her Swimsuit Debut—Meet the Real-Life Minami Asakura!

She began rhythmic gymnastics at the age of six and competed at the National Sports Festival during high school, where she won first place in an individual event. She is an accomplished athlete with an impressive competitive record. She now works as a member of a group idol unit, drawing attention for her dynamic performances, including doing handstands during live shows that showcase her exceptional physical abilities. This time, she spoke about what inspired her to pursue a career in entertainment and how she felt about taking on her first gravure shoot.

Banned from social media in High School

— Were you interested in the entertainment industry from the beginning?

Sakuramoto: I was interested in it from elementary and middle school. Doing rhythmic gymnastics and discovering how much I enjoyed performing in front of people was a big part of it. The sport was often tough, but artists and celebrities I saw on television gave me courage and energy. I wanted to become someone who could eventually give those same feelings to other people.

— When did you start rhythmic gymnastics?

Sakuramoto: When I was six. I went to watch a friend’s rhythmic gymnastics class, thought, “That’s so cool!” and decided to give it a try. I continued all the way through my third year of high school. During high school, I was juggling both my school team and a club team.

I practiced after school on weekdays and from morning until night on weekends. I dreamed of having the kind of sparkling, youthful high school life you see in movies, but social media was banned by my team, so I had absolutely no opportunities to meet anyone (laughs). I remember thinking, “Maybe I’ll get a boyfriend once I enter high school,” but I never had the typical high school encounters or romance. I really devoted my entire youth to rhythmic gymnastics.

— You also won first place at the National Sports Festival.

Sakuramoto: When I was a second-year high school student, I won first place in the individual event for the clubs apparatus. When I was in middle school, there were times when the pressure made me want to quit, but people around me would say, “Wouldn’t it be a waste to quit now?” The atmosphere on my high school team was also great, so I decided, “I’ll stick with it for another three years.” Looking back now, I’m really glad I continued.

— What led you from there to becoming an idol?

Sakuramoto: After I retired from the sport, my parents told me I could do whatever I wanted. So I went to university and entered an arts-related faculty. But while hanging out with friends and working part-time, I suddenly thought, “I wanted to pursue a career in entertainment. I can’t just let myself get swept along like this.” So I auditioned for my current agency.

That’s where they asked me, “Would you like to try being an idol?” At first, I worried that I wasn’t suited for it, but I didn’t want to let such a great opportunity pass me by, so I decided to take on the challenge.

— Has your rhythmic gymnastics experience helped with your idol activities?

Sakuramoto: Absolutely. I’m good at memorizing choreography and formations, and I think being able to incorporate acrobatic moves like handstands is one of my strengths. It feels amazing when the audience cheers during a live performance. I’m also happy when people tell me that I carry myself beautifully or that I pay attention to every detail, right down to my fingertips.

My gracefully extended legs are one of my strengths

— How did you feel about taking on your first gravure shoot?

Sakuramoto: I had always felt embarrassed about showing so much of myself. But opportunities like this don’t come around very often, and once someone had taken notice of me, I didn’t want to let the opportunity slip away. I wanted to make this a chance for more people to discover who Tamaki Sakuramoto is, so I decided to take on the challenge.

— You also showed off some rhythmic gymnastics-inspired poses during the shoot.

Sakuramoto: It’s been about five years since I retired from rhythmic gymnastics, so there were moments when I thought, “I used to be able to do this much better.” But the staff kept telling me, “Amazing!” so I thought maybe I still had it (laughs). During one of the jumping shots, I slipped and took a tumble, too (laughs), but I think I was able to showcase the graceful movement of my legs, extending all the way through my toes, as one of my strengths.

— You must be looking forward to seeing how your fans react.

Sakuramoto: I’m definitely embarrassed. In all my time as an idol, this is the first time I’ve revealed this much of myself, so I’m nervous about how people will react. But I feel that I was able to express myself using something that is uniquely my own strength, so I’d be happy if people pay attention to that. Going forward, while continuing to work hard as an idol, I’d also like to become someone who can work across multiple fields, including acting and modeling.

PROFILE
Tamaki Sakuramoto — Born November 28, 2002. From Chiba Prefecture. Member of the idol group ReverseTokyo. For the latest updates, follow her official X (@tamaki_Cherry) and Instagram (@s.tamaki_28).