Kana Hanazawa

Biography

Kana Hanazawa (花澤 香菜, Hanazawa Kana; born February 25, 1989) is a Japanese actress and singer. A prolific performer in anime, she has amassed several film and television credits since her debut in 2003. She won the Seiyu Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2015, and won the Newtype Anime Awards for Best Voice Actress three times in 2015, 2017 and 2018.
Her debut single, "Hoshizora Destination" (星空☆ディスティネーション), was released on April 25, 2012, under the Aniplex/Sony Music Entertainment Japan label.

Career

Hanazawa began acting when she was in kindergarten. She made regular appearances at the live-action variety program Yappari Sanma Daisensei.
She made her voice acting debut as Holly in Last Exile. She played Ryoko Kaminagi in Zegapain. She signed up with the voice acting agency Office Osawa.
Hanazawa went to university in 2007, at the same time, she began to make her mark as a voice actress. She voiced the title character in Kobato., Suou in Darker than Black: Gemini of the Meteor, Nadeko Sengoku in Bakemonogatari, Angel / Kanade Tachibana in Angel Beats, and Anri Sonohara in Durarara!!. She was voted in 2010 as "Best Female Voice Actress" by listeners of the radio program Nonko and Nobita's Anime Scramble (ノン子とのび太のアニメスクランブル). She graduated from university in 2011, and in the same year became a full-time voice actress. In late 2010, she was invited to the Anime Festival Asia anime convention in Singapore.
As a child, Hanazawa often sang idol songs and was a fan of Hello! Project, particularly of Miki Fujimoto. While voice acting for Bakemonogatari, Hanazawa performed the song "Renai Circulation", one of the series' opening theme songs and the image song for her character, Nadeko Sengoku. The success of the song later led to Hanazawa receiving more offers to perform character songs and, eventually, a singing career.
On February 23, 2012, it was announced that Hanazawa would launch her official website. A few days later, during the "Kana Hanazawa Solo Debut Presentation Party event", it was announced that she would release four singles within a year: "Hoshizora Destination" (星空☆ディスティネーション) released on April 25, "Hatsukoi no Oto" (初恋ノオト), released on July 18, "Happy Endings×happy endings24 October 2012 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1happy endings4:242too late for chocolate?4:243trick or treat!4:374happy endings (Instrumental)4:21", released on October 24 and was used as ending theme for anime Zetsuen no Tempest, and "Silent Snow×Silent Snow16 January 2013 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Silent Snow5:052CALL ME EVERYDAY3:453あるいていこう1:544Silent Snow (Instrumental)5:00", released on January 16, 2013. Her first album Claire×claire20 February 2013 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1青い鳥5:352Just The Way You Are3:503初恋ノオト4:464ライブラリーで恋をして!4:045星空☆ディスティネーション4:446スタッカート4:387melody4:448Ring a Bell1:349Silent Snow5:0410シグナルは恋ゴコロ4:0511新しい世界の歌4:0412眠るサカナ4:5613おやすみ、また明日2:1614happy endings4:24 was released on February 20, 2013, and her second album 25 was released on February 26, 2014. She released an album title Blue Avenue×Blue Avenue22 April 2015 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1I ♥ NEW DAY!5:352ほほ笑みモード4:523Nobody Knows5:414ブルーベリーナイト4:075Trace3:446こきゅうとす5:147Night And Day4:168タップダンスの音が聴こえてきたら2:319We Are So in Love4:4710プール5:0611Dream A Dream4:3612マジカル・ファンタジー・ツアー4:0713君がいなくちゃだめなんだ5:1414Blue Avenue を探して4:25 in April 2015, and went on a concert tour starting at the Nippon Budokan on May 3. The Blu-ray release of the show, Live Avenue Kana Hanazawa in Budokan, ranked number six in sales.
Hanazawa won Best Supporting Actress at the 9th Seiyu Awards. She later won Newtype's Best Voice Actress award. Hanazawa starred in her first live-action feature film Kimi ga Inakucha Dame Nanda (君がいなくちゃだめなんだ, It's Definitely No Good You're Not Here). Her video would later place tenth in Oricon's Blu-ray Disc Chart. Hanazawa moved to the Sacra Music record label under Sony Music Entertainment Japan in April 2017.
On July 1, 2021, Hanazawa transferred her record label to Pony Canyon.

Personal life

In February 2017, during a live stream promoting the release of Opportunity, Hanazawa confirmed she and Kensho Ono were dating, after Shūkan Bunshun published allegations about their relationship. On July 8, 2020, they announced that they got married.
On September 14, 2025, Hanazawa and Ono announced their divorce on their social media accounts, citing different lifestyles and being unable to spend time together as their reasons.