Tomo Sakurai

Tomo Sakurai
櫻井 智
Born
Tomoe Hatta

(1971-09-10)September 10, 1971
DiedAugust 13, 2025(2025-08-13) (aged 53)
Other namesAkira-chan
Occupations
Years active1993–2016, 2019–2025
AgentFeathered
Height159.6 cm (5 ft 3 in)[1]

Tomoe Hatta (Japanese: 八田 友江, Hepburn: Hatta Tomoe; September 10, 1971 – August 13, 2025), known professionally as Tomo Sakurai (櫻井 智, Sakurai Tomo), was a Japanese actress and singer. Originally part of the idol trio Lemon Angel, she started her voice acting career in the 1990s, starring as Mylene Flare Jenius in Macross 7, Meimi Haneoka in Saint Tail, Makimachi Misao in Rurouni Kenshin, the titular character of Super Doll Licca-chan, and Idolmaster: Xenoglossia (2007). She briefly came out of retirement during the last few years of her life, voicing Cynthia in Pokémon Master Journeys: The Series and starring as Kaede in the 2024 anime Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again.

Biography

Early life and career

Tomoe Hatta,[2] a native of Chiba Prefecture, was born on September 10, 1971, the youngest of four children.[3] She graduated from Hinode Girls' High School.[2]

She became interested in "standing on stage" after seeing a musical Shonentai was performing in while in junior high school, and she applied for three auditions she saw in advertisements on Monthly Deview .[4][3] Having seen that her three older sisters begged their parents to let them fulfill their entertainment industry ambitions but were opposed, she auditioned without telling her parents.[3] She passed all three auditions she applied to and joined L Staff Promotion, the first to contact her.[4]

After working as a mascot girl for Kijima's KISS Racing Team,[5] Sakurai debuted in 1987 as a member of the idol group Lemon Angel with Miki Emoto and Erika Shima.[2] The group disbanded in 1990.[6]

Voice acting career

In 1993, Sakurai made her official voice acting debut in the anime Dragon League.[2] In 1994, she started voicing Mylene Flare Jenius in Macross 7, reprising the role in other anime projects and associated musical works.[7][6] In 1995, she starred as Meimi Haneoka, the titular protagonist of Saint Tail.[7] She also starred as Sulia Gaudeamus in Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture (1994), Makimachi Misao in Rurouni Kenshin (1996), and the titular character of Super Doll Licca-chan (1998), and she voiced Marin in Akazukin Chacha (1994) and Shayla Shayla in El-Hazard (1995).[6][7] She was known for being a pioneer of the multimedia "idol voice actor" around that decade, with Mikikazu Komatsu of Crunchyroll News citing her as a "successful [example] of a transition from idol to voice actor".[6]

In the 2000s and 2010s, Sakurai voiced Chigusa Sakai in Shakugan no Shana (2005–2011), Azusa Miura in Idolmaster: Xenoglossia (2007), Cynthia in Pokémon (2007–2022), and Hinowa in Gintama (2009–2015).[6]

Non-voice acting career

Sakurai's 1995 Macross 7 album Milene Jenius Sings Lynn Minmay charted at #9 at the Oricon Albums Chart.[8] She released two albums with Victor Entertainment: T-mode (1995; #39) and Cherry (1996; #26).[9][10] She released another album with Pony Canyon, L.A.Early (1996; #44),[11] as well as two best-of albums with Pioneer LDC: Actress (1996; #33) and Actress II (1997; #42).[12][13]

Sakurai made her stage debut as Judy in a 1991 performance in Daddy Long Legs and played Beth in a 1992 production of Little Women, performing at 39 locations across Japan.[14] She was part of the Kaoru Asakura Theater Company.[15] She also starred in a musical adaptation of Saint Tail.[16]

in June 1999, Sakurai married an office worker who was in her junior high school dating group; they had lost contact after she went to a different high school but reunited while visiting a summer festival at their native Ichikawa.[17][18] Their daughter was born in July 2000.[17] The existence of the marriage and child were not disclosed until 2001 for privacy.[17]

Sakurai released a semi-nude photo book titled Ripple in April 2000.[17] She was five months pregnant at the time of the photoshoot, with her pregnant belly concealed in the photobook.[17] The photo book's nature as "a memento of her pregnancy" was not disclosed at the time, and fans were repeatedly complaining about its semi-nude nature.[18]

Later life and death

On September 1, 2016, Sakurai announced her retirement from professional voice acting, citing growing difficulties with the job due to aging.[19] However, she announced her return to the entertainment industry in May 2019, appearing in Fafner in the Azure: The Beyond and Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress: The Battle of Unato that same month.[20] Originally part of I'm Enterprise,[21] she joined the agency Feathered in June 2022.[22] She reprised her role as Cynthia in Pokémon Master Journeys: The Series (2020–2021),[23] and she starred as Kaede in the 2024 anime Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again.[24] In May 2024, she held an autographing session at Quincy Country Club in Quincy, Illinois.[25]

In August 2023, Sakurai was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and informed she had a year to live, subsequently undergoing treatment for her illness.[26] On August 10, 2025, Sakurai announced that she had been hospitalized a week prior and that her planned August 17 concert at Shibuya, Tokyo would be cancelled.[27] While at the hospital, her condition worsened and three days later on August 13, she died at the age of 53, due to complications from multiple organ cancer. Her death was announced by her agency two days later.[28][7][29]

A funeral with only close relatives has been planned, as well as a public farewell event.[30]

Filmography

Television animation

Theatrical animation

Original video animation

Video games

Audio drama

Dubbing

Live-action

Animation

References

  1. ^ Sakurai, Tomo [@ykyk1144] (September 15, 2019). "健康診断に行き、ここ3年で毎年0.5ずつ身長が増え158センチの私が159.5になっていましたが、今回の健康診断では159.6😅 0.1プラスなだけでした💦 血圧が高めでした〜😅💦今年は引っかかりそうかな〜🥺 皆さんは、健康診断してますか😊 今日も一日お疲れ様でした⭐️ おやすみなさい🌙💤" (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved October 12, 2021 – via Twitter.
  2. ^ a b c d テレビ・タレント人名辞典 第3版. Nichigai Associates. 1997. p. 436. ISBN 4-8169-1441-2.
  3. ^ a b c "Music Treasure/People Interview 桜井 智". Sankei Web. June 30, 1997. Archived from the original on October 2, 2002. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
  4. ^ a b "SAY YOU HISTORY 第1回 桜井智". Animage. No. 1996–02. 1996. pp. 57–59.
  5. ^ 朝倉薫演劇団クリスマスファンタジーライブ95パンフレット プロフィールおよび朝倉薫の紹介コメント,1995年12月12日,P2-3
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Komatsu, Mikikazu (August 17, 2025). "Voice Actor Tomo Sakurai Passes Away". Crunchyroll News. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Hodgkins, Crystalyn (August 16, 2025). "Macross 7, Rurouni Kenshin Voice Actress Tomo Sakurai Dies of Cancer at 53". Anime News Network.
  8. ^ "マクロス7 MILENE JENIUS SINGS LYNN MINMAY | 桜井智". Oricon News (in Japanese). Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  9. ^ "T-mode | 桜井智". Oricon News (in Japanese). Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  10. ^ "Cherry | 桜井智". Oricon News (in Japanese). Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  11. ^ "L.A.Early TOMO sakurai | 桜井智". Oricon News (in Japanese). Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  12. ^ "ACTRESS～朝倉薫 演劇団劇中歌 ベストセレクション～ | 桜井智". Oricon News (in Japanese). Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  13. ^ "ACTRESS II 朝倉薫演劇団劇中歌 best selection | 桜井智". Oricon News (in Japanese). Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  14. ^ 朝倉薫演劇団クリスマスファンタジーライブ95パンフレット プロフィール,1995年12月12日
  15. ^ "櫻井智 インタビュー". Nichibun Web. January 11, 2000. Archived from the original on September 3, 2011. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  16. ^ 桜井智「ミュージカル 怪盗セイント・テール」,撮影 萩庭桂太、取材・文 上崎よーいち、角川書店月刊コンプティーク,1996年5月号
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  18. ^ a b "声優アイドル・桜井智に衝撃事実発覚! 2年前に結婚、昨年出産していた". ZAKZAK. January 15, 2001. Archived from the original on January 23, 2001. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  19. ^ "声優・櫻井智が引退発表「感謝の気持ちでいっぱい」 「るろ剣」操役などで活躍 - スポニチ Sponichi Annex 芸能". Sponichi Annex (in Japanese). September 2, 2016. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  20. ^ "声優の櫻井智 約3年ぶり活動再開を報告「もう一度、ゼロから」アニメ映画で復帰 突然の引退発表を謝罪". Sports Nippon (in Japanese). June 1, 2019. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
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  22. ^ Sakurai, Tomo [@TOMO_SAKURAI_] (June 24, 2022). "お知らせがあります🌸 この度ご縁がありまして フェザードさんに 所属させて頂く運びとなりました🌸…" (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved August 10, 2025 – via Twitter.
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  24. ^ a b "Jiisan Baasan Wakagaeru TV Anime's Main Promo Video Reveals Theme Songs, April 7 Debut". Anime News Network. March 1, 2024. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
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  27. ^ "声優の櫻井智が緊急入院 ８・17ライブの中止を発表「ドクターストップが…」". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). August 10, 2025. Retrieved August 16, 2025.
  28. ^ "声優・櫻井智さん死去 53歳 多臓器がんの症状が悪化「マクロス7」「怪盗セイント・テール」出演". Sponichi Annex (in Japanese). August 16, 2025.
  29. ^ "櫻井智永眠のお知らせ". Feathered. August 16, 2025.
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