Minatozaki Sana

Biography

Sana Minatozaki (Japanese: 湊﨑 紗夏; born December 29, 1996), known mononymously as Sana (Korean: 사나; Japanese: サナ), is a Japanese singer based in South Korea. She is a member of the South Korean girl group Twice, formed in 2015 by JYP Entertainment, and its subunit MiSaMo, formed in 2023.

Early life and pre-debut

Sana was born on December 29, 1996 in Tennōji-ku, Osaka, Japan, as an only child. Sana stated that she wanted to become a singer and dancer early on and was inspired by the K-pop group Girls' Generation. Sana began training with EXPG in Osaka in 2009, originally planning to be a singer in Japan, rather than South Korea. During her middle school years, she was scouted by a JYP Entertainment (JYPE) employee at a shopping mall and was invited to participate in the annual JYP Japan audition the following day. Sana passed the audition and joined the JYPE trainee program in South Korea in April 2012. She trained for over three years before her eventual debut with Twice. In 2012, she was expected to become a member of a four-member girl group aimed at the Japanese market, but plans for the group were cancelled in part due to tensions between Japan and Korea following the Liancourt Rocks dispute; she was later scheduled to debut in a six-member group called 6Mix, but the group's debut was also cancelled due to the sinking of MV Sewol. In 2014, Sana appeared in Got7's music video for "A" as a waitress.

2015–present: Sixteen, Twice, solo activities, MiSaMo, and acting

In 2015, Sana participated in the music survival show Sixteen, a reality television series to determine the members of Twice. Out of the sixteen contestants, Sana was selected as one of the nine members of the newly formed girl group. She officially debuted with Twice in October 2015 with the title song "Like Ooh-Ahh" from their debut extended play The Story Begins.
In February 2021, Sana became the first Twice member to release a solo single after she covered "Sotsugyou", a 2020 single by Japanese band Kobukuro. The cover, which includes an a cappella version, was released as a digital single through Warner Music Japan. She released a version with Kobukuro themselves in March 2021.
On February 9, 2023, JYPE announced that Sana, alongside bandmates Momo and Mina, would officially debut in Japan on July 26 as a sub-unit named MiSaMo with the extended play titled Masterpiece. 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: Kodomo no Kokoro Shinryōjo.
In September 2023, Sana appeared as a guest on Dex's Fridge Interview, a YouTube talk show hosted by Dex. Sana's episode became the most viewed video on the channel, exceeding 10 million views. She replaced Dex as the host from March to June 2024, and returned for a second season from March to August 2025. During this time the show was known as Sana's Fridge Interview. In December 2025, Sana appeared in Daesung's music video for "Hando-Chogua".

On July 8, 2026, JYP Entertainment announced that Sana will be making her acting debut in director Kwon Hyuk-chan's upcoming film Nyangi. She will play the main female lead with Japanese actor Takeru Satoh as the main male lead, who previously worked together with Sana for MiSaMo's Play highlight medley video. In July 2026, she returned for yet another season of Sana's Fridge Interview.

Image and influence

Sana has received recognition in both South Korea and abroad for her energetic and cheerful personality. Her popularity also has been credited with helping to improve relations between Japan and South Korea. In Gallup Korea's annual music poll for 2018, Sana was voted the 17th most popular idol in South Korea, the highest-ranked Japanese individual in the poll. She ranked 15th in the 2019 poll. In 2019, Sana also ranked as the most popular female K-pop idol in a survey of soldiers completing mandatory military service in South Korea.

Endorsements

Outside of Twice, Sana was featured in several advertisements and has promoted various brands and products. In 2021, Sana and Twice bandmate Dahyun became models for skincare brand A'pieu. In March 2022, Sana became a model for Olive Young's cosmetics brand WakeMake.
In March 2023, Sana was selected as an ambassador for both the South Korean skin care brand Missha and the makeup brand Espoir. In July 2023, Sana became the first Japan ambassador for British multinational jeweller Graff. In September 2023, Italian luxury fashion house Prada named Sana as their brand ambassador. In December 2023, cosmetics brand YSL Beauty appointed Sana as their newest brand ambassador in Japan. On November 14, 2024, Ralph Lauren Japan announced Sana as their brand ambassador.

Songwriting credits

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