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Mina (Japanese singer)

The native form of this personal name is Myōi Mina. This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals.
Mina
Mina in April 2024
Born
Mina Sharon Myoi[1][2]

(1997-03-24) March 24, 1997 (age 27)
San Antonio, Texas, US
Citizenship
  • Japan
  • United States
    (1997–2019)
Occupations
  • Singer
  • dancer
Musical career
OriginSouth Korea
Genres
InstrumentVocals
Years active2015–present
Labels
Member of
Korean name
Hangul미나
Revised RomanizationMina
McCune–ReischauerMina
Japanese name
Kanji名井 南
RomanizationMyōi Mina
Signature
Signature of Mina

Mina Myoi (Japanese: 名井 南, Hepburn: Myōi Mina, born Mina Sharon Myoi;[1] March 24, 1997), known mononymously as Mina (Korean: 미나; Japanese: ミナ), is a Japanese singer and dancer based in South Korea. She is a member of the South Korean girl group Twice, formed by JYP Entertainment in 2015.[3][4][5]

Early life

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Mina was born on March 24, 1997, in San Antonio, Texas to Japanese expatriate parents Sachiko (née Terao) and Akira Myoi.[6] As a toddler, Mina and her family soon moved back to Japan, growing up in the Kansai region of Nishinomiya in Hyōgo Prefecture.[3][7][8] Her father is an orthopedic surgeon at Osaka University Hospital in Suita.[8] She has one brother named Kai, who is five years older than her.[9][10] Mina trained in classical ballet from the age of three and practiced it for eleven years.[4][7][11][12] She then trained at a K-pop dance studio for a year before being scouted by JYP Entertainment.[12][13] Mina attended Obayashi Sacred Heart School in Takarazuka, Hyōgo until 2013. In her second year of high school, she dropped out to become a trainee in South Korea.[14][15][8][16]

By virtue of birthright citizenship in the United States, in 2017, it was reported at the time that Mina held dual Japanese and American citizenship.[17] She gave up her American citizenship in 2019.[1]

Career

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Pre-debut

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Mina was shopping with her mother in Osaka when she was approached and offered an audition by a recruiter from JYP Entertainment.[4] She moved to South Korea in January 2014 to become a trainee at JYP Entertainment.[4][18][19] In 2015, Mina participated in the South Korean reality television show Sixteen, created by JYP Entertainment and co-produced by Mnet.[11][20] As one of nine successful participants, she went on to join the newly formed girl group Twice.[11]

Debut with Twice and MiSaMo

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Main articles: Twice and MiSaMo
Mina at Twiceland Encore Concert on June 18, 2017

In October 2015, Mina officially debuted as a member of Twice with the release of their first extended play, The Story Begins.[21] Its lead single "Like Ooh-Ahh" was the first K-pop debut song to reach 100 million views on YouTube.[22]

On July 11, 2019, JYP Entertainment announced that Mina would sit out the remainder of the Twicelights World Tour due to her extreme anxiety and insecurity regarding onstage performances.[23][24][25] She was later diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.[8][22][26] In February 2020, it was reported that Mina's condition had improved and that she was ready to return to performing live with Twice.[27]

Mina in June 2021

On February 9, 2023, JYP announced that Mina, alongside bandmates Sana and Momo, will officially debut in Japan on July 26 as a sub-unit named MiSaMo with the extended play titled Masterpiece.[28] Prior to the trio's debut, on January 25, they released the track "Bouquet" as part of the soundtrack of TV Asahi's drama series Liaison: Children's Heart Clinic [ja].[29]

Public image

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Since her debut, Mina has been recognized as one of Twice's strongest dancers along with Momo,[7][8][11][22] in both South Korea and abroad.[3][30] The Chosun Ilbo credits her popularity with helping improve relations between Japan and South Korea.[3][30] In Gallup Korea's annual music poll of 2019, she was voted the 20th most popular idol in South Korea.[31][32]

Endorsements

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In early 2022, Mina was announced as the new muse of the South Korean luxury fashion brand Metrocity.[33][34] In March of the same year, she was announced as the global brand ambassador of SK-II, a Japanese cosmetic brand.[35][36][37] In August 2024, Mina was announced as the Japan ambassador of French luxury jewelry and watch house Boucheron.[38]

Discography

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For Mina's discography with Twice and MiSaMo, see Twice discography and MiSaMo discography.

Collaborations

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List of collaboration singles, showing year released and album name
Title Year Album
"Encore"[39]
(with Yubin, Yeeun, Hyerim, Min, Nichkhun, Junho, Mark,
Jackson, Yugyeom, Nayeon, Jeongyeon and Momo as JYP Nation) 		2016 Non-album single

Songwriting credits

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All song credits are adapted from the Korea Music Copyright Association's database unless stated otherwise.[40]

List of songs, showing year released, artist name, and name of the album
Title Year Artist Album Notes
"Shot Thru The Heart" 2018 Twice Summer Nights As lyricist
"21:29" 2019 Feel Special
"Celebrate" 2022 Celebrate
"It's Not Easy For You" 2023 MiSaMo Masterpiece
"Misty"[41] 2024 Mina Haute Couture

Filmography

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For Mina's filmography with Twice, see Twice videography.

Television shows

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Year Title Role Ref.
2015 Sixteen Contestant [42]

Bibliography

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Photobooks

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Title Release date Publisher Ref.
Yes, I am Mina. December 30, 2020 JYP Entertainment [43]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Quarterly Publication of Individuals, Who Have Chosen To Expatriate, as Required by Section 6039G". Federal Register. August 15, 2019. Archived from the original on August 3, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  2. ^ "K-POPの最注目新人「TWICE」の日本人メンバーが可愛くて美しい＜プロフィール＞" (in Japanese). December 15, 2015. Archived from the original on May 10, 2019. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d Jung, Chul-hwan (February 20, 2018). "3 Japanese Girls at the Top of K-Pop: The Story Begins". Chosun Ilbo (English Edition). Archived from the original on December 28, 2019. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d Jung, Chul-hwan (February 21, 2018). "3 Japanese Girls at the Top of K-Pop: Taking off to K-Pop Land". Chosun Ilbo (English Edition). Archived from the original on December 19, 2019. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  5. ^ Mendez, Michele (November 27, 2019). "Who Is Momo? TWICE's "Dance Machine"s Story Is An Emotional Rollercoaster". Elite Daily. Archived from the original on November 28, 2019. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  6. ^ "Mina Sharon Myoi". FamilySearch.org. Archived from the original on August 19, 2016. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
  7. ^ a b c Benjamin, Jeff (March 18, 2020). "Mina from Twice isn't afraid to speak out about mental health, and K-pop star knows a thing or two about hard work". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on June 14, 2020. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  8. ^ a b c d e Vacco-Bolaños, Jessica (October 23, 2019). "Who Is TWICE's Mina? 5 Things You Need To Know". Elite Daily. Archived from the original on December 23, 2019. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  9. ^ "Mina最不想介紹給哥哥的成員子瑜當選...理由爆笑「超傷人」！". wishnote. wishnote.tw. Archived from the original on August 31, 2018. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  10. ^ Jang, Young-hoon (February 26, 2017). "트와이스 미나가 콘서트서 2년만에 만났다고 밝힌 친오빠" [TWICE's Mina Talks About Seeing Her Older Brother For First Time in 2 Years]. Insight (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 12, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  11. ^ a b c d Moon, Kat (September 20, 2019). "Everything to Know About K-Pop Group Twice". Time. Archived from the original on September 21, 2019. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  12. ^ a b ＜MISAMO＞モモ、小学生の頃から腹筋が6個に割れていた？　おとなしかったミナ　男の子のようなサナ　「TWICE」日本人メンバーが幼少期を「徹子の部屋」で語る. Mainichi Kirei (in Japanese). November 14, 2024. Retrieved November 15, 2024 – via Yahoo Japan.
  13. ^ 卒業生たちの活躍 - KPOPダンススタジオURIZIP (in Japanese). Urizip. Archived from the original on June 15, 2024. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  14. ^ ＭＩＳＡＭＯ・ＭＩＮＡは高校中退して渡韓　親に猛反対された「卒業してほしい、と」. Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). November 14, 2024. Retrieved November 15, 2024 – via Yahoo Japan.
  15. ^ TWICE内ユニットMISAMO、幼少期・練習生時代の秘蔵ショット公開 ミナは韓国行き反対されていた過去明かす. Modelpress (in Japanese). November 14, 2024. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  16. ^ "Ep 2. Fierce Days of 9 Trainees | TWICE: Seize the Light". YouTube (Motion picture) (in Korean). April 29, 2020. Archived from the original on January 16, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2023. I went to high school, but I didn't graduate so I could come to Korea.
  17. ^ Herman, Tamar (November 9, 2017). "K-Pop Group TWICE: By The Numbers". Forbes. Archived from the original on July 22, 2019. Retrieved December 7, 2019.
  18. ^ "JYP의 취향│③ 열여섯 명의 [식스틴] 멤버들을 소개합니다". IZE (in Korean). May 19, 2015. Archived from the original on August 22, 2019. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  19. ^ Jung, Chul-hwan (February 22, 2018). "3 Japanese Girls at the Top of K-Pop: In the Lion's Den". Chosun Ilbo (English Edition). Archived from the original on January 22, 2020. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  20. ^ Won, Ho-jung (April 29, 2015). "'Sixteen' compete for spot in JYP's next girl group". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on May 1, 2015. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  21. ^ Kim, Yu-jin (October 20, 2015). "TWICE unveils debut album 'The Story Begins'". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on December 7, 2019. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  22. ^ a b c Moon, Kat (October 9, 2019). "K-Pop Powerhouse TWICE Opens Up About How Their New Album Is More Personal Than Ever". Time. Archived from the original on October 9, 2019. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  23. ^ "Twice: K-Pop star Mina pulls out of tour due to 'extreme anxiety'". BBC. July 11, 2019. Archived from the original on December 18, 2019. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  24. ^ Dong, Sun-hwa (July 12, 2019). "Extreme anxiety forces TWICE's Mina from world tour". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on December 23, 2019. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  25. ^ Ko, Dong-hwan (July 24, 2019). "Fans believe Twice member Mina was forced out of world tour by Anti-Japan bullies". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  26. ^ Khouri, Samar (August 31, 2019). "K-Pop Corner: Twice member Mina diagnosed with anxiety disorder". Gulf News. Archived from the original on November 12, 2019. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  27. ^ Loh, Keng Fatt (February 12, 2020). "Twice singer Mina, who took time out to battle anxiety attacks, back on stage in Japan". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  28. ^ Chin, Carmen (February 9, 2023). "TWICE's Sana, Momo and Mina drop trailer for Japanese sub-unit debut as MISAMO". NME. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  29. ^ Yoo, Hong (February 9, 2023). "Misamo, first unit debut from Twice coming soon". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  30. ^ a b Jung, Chul-hwan (February 23, 2018). "3 Japanese Girls at the Top of K-Pop: The 1st of Their Kind". Chosun Ilbo (English Edition). Archived from the original on December 28, 2019. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  31. ^ "Here's who Koreans voted as the top artists and idols of 2019". SBS. December 20, 2019. Archived from the original on February 25, 2020. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  32. ^ "2019년 올해를 빛낸 가수와 가요 – 최근 13년간 추이 포함" (in Korean). Gallup Korea. November 28, 2019. Archived from the original on January 8, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  33. ^ "Lotte Duty Free". eng.lottedfs.com. Archived from the original on March 31, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  34. ^ Choi, Eunhwa (February 16, 2022). "메트로시티, 22SS 광고 영상 공개" [Metro City, 22SS Advertisement Video Released]. Maeil Business. Archived from the original on March 31, 2022.
  35. ^ "TWICEミナ、"自撮り"ドキュメンタリー動画公開 新生活の目標は「自分を大事にしてあげること」 SK-IIアンバサダー就任". Oricon News. Archived from the original on March 31, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  36. ^ "Made By Gen Z, For Gen Z: Discover MINA's Raw And Authentic Side In PITERA & Me". Harper's Bazaar Singapore. March 17, 2022. Archived from the original on March 17, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  37. ^ "SK-II, 글로벌 앰배서더로 트와이스 미나 발탁". 매일일보 (in Korean). March 17, 2022. Archived from the original on March 31, 2022. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  38. ^ Kosone, Koko (August 27, 2024). "「ブシュロン」の新アンバサダーにTWICEのMINAが就任！". Elle Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  39. ^ Yeo, Ye-rim (July 25, 2016). "JYP Entertainment artists gather for 'Encore'". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  40. ^ "Songs Registered Under MINA (10023502)" (in Korean). Korea Music Copyright Association. Archived from the original on June 19, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
  41. ^ "TWICE日本人ユニットMISAMO、2ndミニアルバムソロ曲で作詞参加 安室奈美恵のカバー曲も収録". Oricon News (in Japanese). September 21, 2024. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  42. ^ "'Sixteen' compete for spot in JYP's next girl group". April 29, 2015. Archived from the original on August 13, 2022. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  43. ^ Wu, Yishan (December 10, 2020). "TWICE Mina寫真側拍曝光 開衩禮服腿根全開超火辣". The China Times. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
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