Mio Tomonaga

Mio Tomonaga
朝長 美桜
Born (1998-05-17) 17 May 1998 (age 28)
Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan
Occupations
  • Media personality
  • sushi chef
Spouse
Sōto Yamauchi
​
(m. 2025)​
Musical career
GenreJ-pop
Years active2012–2019
Formerly of

Mio Tomonaga (朝長 美桜, Tomonaga Mio; May 17, 1998) is a Japanese media personality, sushi chef, and former idol. She was a member of the girl groups HKT48 and AKB48. She graduated from sushi chef school in 2025 and has operated her own monthly pop-up sushi restaurant since 2026.

In HKT48, Tomonaga was in Team KIV, and in AKB48 in Team B. She announced her departure from HKT48 and AKB48 in late 2019.

Career

Tomonaga began her journey with HKT48 in 2012, passing the final round of auditions for the second-generation members on June 23. Introduced as a trainee in September 23, she made her theater debut in "The Party is Starting" by the end of the month. Despite being a trainee, she was chosen in December as part of the selection committee for HKT48's first original song, "Hatsukoi Butterfly", a coupling track for AKB48’s 29th single, "Eien Pressure".

Her rise continued in 2013 when she was selected for AKB48's 31st single, "Sayonara Crawl", and ranked 59th in the AKB48 32nd Single General Election, earning her a spot in the Future Girls lineup. That summer, she co-founded the spin-off unit Tentoumu Chu! with several other trainees from AKB48, SKE48, NMB48, and HKT48. She reached a milestone in September, securing a double-center position for HKT48’s second single, "Melon Juice", alongside Meru Tashima.

2014 marked a significant transition, as Tomonaga was promoted from trainee to Team KIV in January, and in February, she was announced as a concurrent member of AKB48 Team B. That same year, she continued her streak of double-center appointments with "Sakura, Minnade Tabeta". In the AKB48 37th Single General Election, she ranked 27th, earning an Under Girls position. Her journey took another turn in 2015 when she transferred from Team B to Team 4. She maintained her Under Girls status in the AKB48 41st Single General Election, ranking 21st. By 2016, she continued to secure a position in the Under Girls lineup, ranking 23rd in the AKB48 45th Single General Election.

On March 30, 2016, Tomonaga released her first photobook, titled Hinata. With approximately 10,000 copies sold in the first week according to Oricon, it debuted in the second place of the Oricon Photobook Chart and in the 20th place of the general Oricon Book Chart.

In December 2017, during the AKB48 Theater 12th Anniversary Performance, an internal reshuffle ended her concurrent position in AKB48 Team 4. The following year, she announced that she had been struggling with knee pain and was diagnosed with meniscus tear, leading her to take a break from performances.

By 2019, she participated in the Kobe Collection after winning first place in a Showroom streaming platform event. However, in December, she announced her graduation from HKT48, citing ongoing difficulties due to her knee injury. She expressed her desire to "bring smiles to people" in a new way.

Her post-idol career started in 2020 with the launch of her official fan club, mioroom, and her original brand, Amy. In 2024, she signed with the talent agency Twin Planet, joining fellow former AKB48 Group idols such as Akari Suda and Anna Murashige.

In 2025, Tomonaga revealed that she had completed her training at a sushi chef school. Since April 2026, while continuing to hone her skills, she has rented a space once a month at the Sushi Satoru in Ebisu, Shibuya, to run her own restaurant exclusively for her fan club members, as a place where fans can "watch her grow" as a sushi chef.

Personal life

In 2025, Tomonaga announced her marriage to engineer and businessman Sōto Yamauchi (山内奏人). She shared, "After meeting him, I've learned what it means to love someone, the warmth of love, and the happiness of being together with someone I love. Everyday is filled with gentle moments."

Discography

Singles
Year Title Role References
April 10, 2019 Will

Filmography

TV dramas
Year Title Role References
2013-2014 Joshikō Keisatsu Herself

Bibliography

Photobooks

References

  1. ↑ 朝長 美桜 < プロフィール (in Japanese). HKT48 official web site. Archived from the original on 2013-07-24. Retrieved 2015-05-22.
  2. ↑ "HKT48初大阪公演開催で7000人!朝長美桜にハプニングや村重杏奈のNMB48兼任エピソード披露" (in Japanese). News Lounge. 2014-05-02. Archived from the original on 2014-08-11. Retrieved 2015-05-22.
  3. ↑ 田島芽瑠、朝長美桜(HKT48)「新しい朝がきた」. 週プレNEWS (in Japanese). Shueisha Inc. 2014-03-09. Retrieved 2015-05-22.
  4. ↑ 朝長美桜(ともなが みお)さんのプロフィール: 彼氏の噂や好きなタイプは? (in Japanese). The New Classic. 2015-05-22. Archived from the original on 2015-05-29. Retrieved 2015-05-22.
  5. ↑ "HKT48's Tomonaga Mio announces graduation". tokyohive. Retrieved 2024-08-07.
  6. ↑ "HKT48 OFFICIAL WEB SITE". HKT48 OFFICIAL WEB SITE (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  7. ↑ "平均年齢14.2歳！HKT48第2期生をサプライズお披露目". 音楽ナタリー (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  8. ↑ "HKT48、2期生が劇場デビュー 研究生公演初日に感涙". ORICON NEWS. 2014-11-05. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  9. 1 2 3 "Former HKT48 member Mio Tomonaga announces marriage". tokyohive. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  10. ↑ "AKB48グループ 大組閣祭り". AKB48公式サイト (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  11. ↑ "AKB春の衝撃人事一覧――川栄卒業、北原NGT移籍、生駒留学解除". ORICON NEWS. 2024-06-25. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  12. ↑ "AKB48『「AKB48 41stシングル 選抜総選挙」開票結果』". AKB48 Official Blog 〜1830ｍから～ Powered by Ameba (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  13. ↑ "AKB48『「AKB48 45thシングル 選抜総選挙」開票結果』". AKB48 Official Blog 〜1830ｍから～ Powered by Ameba (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  14. ↑ "武田玲奈、初写真集が部門首位 スク水&泡風呂に挑戦" (in Japanese). Oricon. 2016-04-07. Retrieved 2016-10-18.
  15. ↑ "13年目の試練なのかチャンスなのか、AKB48組閣で兼任解除や新キャプテン（写真17枚）". 音楽ナタリー (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  16. ↑ "HKT48朝長美桜、ランウェイで美脚＆笑顔輝く! 神コレ出演でファンに感謝". マイナビニュース (in Japanese). 2019-09-09. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  17. ↑ "HKT48 OFFICIAL WEB SITE". HKT48 OFFICIAL WEB SITE (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  18. ↑ "ＨＫＴ48朝長美桜が卒業発表「違う世界で頑張る」 - ＡＫＢ４８ : 日刊スポーツ". nikkansports.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  19. ↑ "朝長美桜 所属のお知らせ". TWIN PLANET ENTERTAINMENT (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  20. ↑ "元HKT48朝長美桜、ツインプラネット所属発表「新たな一面をお見せできるように」 - モデルプレス". モデルプレス - ライフスタイル・ファッションエンタメニュース (in Japanese). 2019-12-21. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  21. ↑ "年下男性と〝電撃婚から8カ月〟14歳デビューの元人気アイドル〝寿司職人〟向け着々と「職人姿カッコいい」「え、めっちゃ大人になってる」：「おっ！」でつながる地元密着のスポーツ応援メディア 西スポWEB OTTO!". 「おっ！」でつながる地元密着のスポーツ応援メディア 西スポWEB OTTO! (in Japanese). Retrieved 2026-08-23.
  22. ↑ "元HKT48センター・朝長美桜、すし職人に転身していた きっかけは実業家夫のひと言". ENCOUNT (in Japanese). Retrieved 2026-08-23.
  23. ↑ "元人気アイドルのセンターが驚きのセカンドキャリアに転身！「ファンの方と直接触れて…これだ！と」 - スポニチ Sponichi Annex 芸能". スポニチ Sponichi Annex (in Japanese). Retrieved 2026-08-23.
  24. ↑ "元HKT48・朝長美桜、結婚を報告「大切な人と過ごす幸せを知りました」". ORICON NEWS. 2025-04-18. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  25. ↑ "元HKT48朝長美桜、若手実業家・山内奏人氏と結婚「大切な人と過ごす幸せを知りました」". ENCOUNT (in Japanese). Retrieved 2026-08-23.
  26. ↑ "意志 | ディスコグラフィー". HKT48 OFFICIAL WEB SITE (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  27. ↑ 女子高警察<フジバラナイト SUN> (in Japanese). Fuji Television Network. Retrieved 2015-06-07.