Miho Kanno

Kanno was born in Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan on August 22, 1977. Growing up in Sakado, Saitama, she graduated from Shukutoku-yono High School and attended Shukutoku University, where she studied Communications. In 1992, during her third year at junior high school, Kanno made her debut as a member of a group called Sakurakko Club after passing the orientation for the television variety show Sakurakko Kurabu. As a member of the Sakura Gumi, she started to participate actively for the group's second single "DO-shite". Because the group was one that allowed its members to undertake their own individual endeavors, Kanno increased her level of work outside the variety show, while remaining as a regular in the show, appearing in Japanese television dramas, commercials and gravure magazines.^[2]

In 1993, she made her television drama debut in Twins Kyōshi (Twins Teacher),^[3][4] and has continued to appear in dramas ever since. She also provided the voice of Rami Nanahikari in the video game Keio Flying Squadron.^[5][6][7] In 1996, Kanno appeared in the drama Iguana Girl, adapted from the manga by Moto Hagio.^[3][8][4] She reprised her role as Rami in Keio Flying Squadron 2,^[9][10][11] and voiced the character Nana Takamura in Real Sound: Kaze no Regret in 1997.^[12][13][14] She was replaced with Miki Nagasawa for Rami-chan no Ōedo Sugoroku: Keiō Yūgekitai Gaiden in 1998.^[15][16][17] Afterwards, she continued to take on lead roles in several television and live stage dramas. Her role as Mieko Nobe in Your Hands are Whispering, a deaf and mute person trying to overcome hearing deficiencies while trying to build a family, won the general public opinion vote, which later translated into several awards for her, such as the ATP Award and "Erando-ru New Talent" Award.^[2]

At the same time, Kanno began pursuing her solo music career, making her debut on March 24, 1995 with "Koi o Shiyō!" (Let's Fall in Love!), after Sakura Gumi disbanded. Her first album was released later that year. She also participated in photography modeling. On August 22, 1997 (Kanno's 20th birthday), a book featuring nude photographs taken by Miyzawa Masaaki titled Nudity went on sale.^[18][19] Despite Kanno herself causing some controversy by crying at a press conference and criticizing the weekly magazine that had previously exposed the book's content, Nudity was one of 1997 top-ten bestselling books in Japan,^[20][18] selling 540,000 copies by June 2003. Some estimates suggest that 820,000 copies were sold.^[21]

Besides starring in dramas, Kanno is also active in variety shows. In 2005, she featured in the Fuji TV show Burogu Taipu as a regular. While Kanno is mostly focused on acting, she still continues to sing.

Kanno has two younger brothers.^[22][23] Her parents live in Ōshū, Iwate.

On April 2, 2013, Kanno registered her marriage with fellow actor Masato Sakai in Tokyo.^[24]

She has two children with her husband, eldest being a boy born in 2015^[25] and the younger being a girl born in 2018.^[26]

• Best Supporting Actress, 27th Hochi Film Awards, for her role as Sawako in Dolls (2002)^[111]
• Newcomer of the Year, 22nd Elan d'or Awards (1998)^[112]