Kana Nakada

is a Japanese professional mahjong player, television personality, entrepreneur, gravure idol, and author. She is a member of the Beast X (read as "Beast Ten") mahjong team and a former founding member of the girl group Nogizaka46.

Career Nakada passed the first-generation auditions for Nogizaka46 in August 2011, beginning her career as a founding member of the group. Over her nine-year tenure as an idol, she served as the center (lead performer) for B-side tracks such as "Haru no Melody" (2012) and "Sankaku no Akichi" (2018). During live performances of the group's second single "Oide Shampoo", the fan-made chant became popular among fans.

In July 2020, Nakada announced her departure from the group, officially concluding her activities with Nogizaka46 later that year. Prior to her departure, she performed as the center for "Oide Shampoo" in the TV Tokyo Music Festival 2020 Autumn. She expanded her career as an author, co-authoring a business book exploring Warren Buffett's investment strategies with Nihon University professor Akira Hamamoto.

Nakada developed an interest in Japanese mahjong during her idol years and passed the Japan Professional Mahjong League exam in 2021, launching her career as a professional mahjong player. She also opened and currently manages her own mahjong café. On June 30, 2023, Nakada was drafted by the newly formed M.League team Beast Japanext, later renamed Beast X (read as "Beast Ten", after the team owner, the BS10 satellite television channel), to compete in the 2023–24 season.

During her rookie season, Nakada struggled to secure high placements against veteran players, finishing the regular season at the bottom of the individual standings with a score of -261.3 points and only one first-place finish in 14 games. Her sophomore season (2024–25) also proved challenging, ending with a score of -575.4 points. However, Nakada experienced a breakout in the 2025–26 season as she won 9 out of 27 games and secured a top-10 individual ranking with a positive score of +228.4 points by March 2026. During this season, she also achieved a massive 65,100-point game, breaking the team's record for the highest match score. Outside of M.League, Nakada reached the Best 16 of the 4th World Riichi Championship.

Nakada performed the opening theme song of the 2023 mahjong anime Pon no Michi, titled "Ponpopopon" and featuring the anime voice actors billed as the "Pon no Michi All Stars". She continued her authorial pursuits by publishing an introductory guide to mahjong and a photo essay in 2025.

Discography

Nakada's prominent appearances in Nogizaka46's music releases include:

"Haru no Melody" ("Seifuku no Mannequin" B-side, 2012), center "Hoka no Hoshi kara" ("Girl's Rule" B-side, 2013), unit song with 7 members

Collaboration

"Ponpopopon" (2023), Pon no Michi anime opening song, featuring the Pon no Michi All Stars

Filmography

Television Cunning Takeyama no Ichiban Kenkyūjo (Tokyo MX), regular co-host ("researcher"), 2021–present