Kyōko Saitō

is a Japanese actress, television presenter, singer, and model, represented by Toho. She co-hosts the talk show Kyoccorohee on TV Asahi and made her international acting debut as the star of Love on Trial, screened at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.

Saitō began her career as a founding member of the girl group Hinatazaka46 (formerly Hiragana Keyakizaka46) from 2016 to 2024. She made her acting debut in the group's drama Re:Mind (2017), and has since starred in Muddy Dining Table (2023), Sudden Marriage (2025), and Suspicious Partner (2025); she has also provided the Japanese dub voice for the character April O'Neil since Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023). As a singer, she was the lead performer for Hinatazaka46's 2022 single "Tsuki to Hoshi ga Odoru Midnight" and has held solo concerts in 2022 and 2023 in collaboration with MTV Japan. She was also a regular model for the fashion magazine Ar from 2019 to 2024. Her fans are known as the .

Career

2016–2018: Early career with Hiragana Keyakizaka46

Saitō is a ramen enthusiast, inspired by the manga and anime series Ms. Koizumi Loves Ramen Noodles, and her catchphrase is . She was featured in a 2018 television special titled after her catchphrase, in which several members take her to their recommended ramen restaurants.

2019–2021: Hinatazaka46 and Kyoccorohee Hiragana Keyakizaka46 was spun off from Keyakizaka46 and rebranded into Hinatazaka46 in March 2019. Saitō was one of five members representing Hinatazaka46 in "Hatsukoi Door", a collaboration song between the AKB48 Group and Sakamichi Series franchises released on the 2019 AKB48 single "Jiwaru Days". In variety shows, she was known for her proficiency in the language game , with fellow member Kumi Sasaki serving as "interpreter". She also maintained her ramen lover persona, becoming an ambassador for the 2019 Ramen Girls Expo in Shizuoka and appointed "Jjigae Miso Angel" by the ramen chain Hidakaya for her fondness of their Jjigae Miso ramen in 2021.

From 2019 to 2024, Saitō was a regular model for the fashion magazine Ar. Her solo photobook, titled , was released by publisher Shufu No Seikatsusha (publisher of Ar) on January 19, 2021, with the concept of "dating at various locations in Tokyo". The initial print run was 115,000 copies, and a total of 40,000 additional copies were reprinted within its release week. The book placed first on the Oricon Weekly Photobook chart with an estimated 84,000 copies sold and was third place with 135,119 copies sold on that year's Annual Photobook chart, which saw the top three ranks dominated by Hinatazaka46 with Nao Kosaka's photobook on first and the group's Hinasatsu Vol. 01 on second.

In June 2020, Saitō announced that her official fandom name would be , a combination between her nickname Kyonko and .

The late-night dance talk show , co-hosted by Saitō and comedienne , started airing on TV Asahi on April 1, 2021. Since then, live events based on the show have been held in 2022 at the EX Theater Roppongi and in 2023 at the Tokyo International Forum, Hall A. According to Saitō, the show's appeal lies in having long-winded conversations between two women who are "not on the same wavelength". She then became the center for the group's eighth single "Tsuki to Hoshi ga Odoru Midnight", announced and performed live for the first time on September 10, 2022, during the "Happy Smile Tour 2022" national tour performance at Aichi Sky Expo. She held two solo concerts with MTV Japan: the broadcast-only 2022 "MTV Live Sessions: Kyoko Saito from Hinatazaka46"

In 2023, Saitō appeared in her first solo lead role in the television drama adaptation of the manga and made her voice acting debut as the Japanese dub voice of April O'Neil in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. The same year, the cup noodle brand CupStar, in whose commercials Hinatazaka46 had previously appeared, released a Hidakaya Jjigae Miso Ramen limited edition product, with Saitō's likeness featured on the lid.

Aside from Hinatazaka46, Saitō and Hiccorohee released their debut single under the name Kyoccorohee, "After You!", digitally on January 1, 2024, and as physical media on February 14. The main song, written by Hinatazaka46 producer and lyricist Yasushi Akimoto, was first revealed live on Music Station Superlive 2023 on December 22, 2023. Saitō wrote the lyrics for her solo song on the single. The music video is published on Hinatazaka46's YouTube channel and is the first song on the channel sang by a non-member. Her final participation on a Hinatazaka46 music release was for the 11th single, "Kimi wa Honeydew", serving as the center for her farewell song .

2024–present: Solo career In May 2024, Saitō announced that she had signed with the Toho Entertainment talent agency and intended to further pursue acting. She continued her role as April O'Neil in the Japanese dub of the Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series, which premiered in December. Her performance was critically acclaimed; Screendaily noted that she brought an "inherent veracity" to her performance, while Josh Slater-Williams of IndieWire commented that she brought in details that were "palpably drawn from a place of personal resonance" as a former idol herself. The Japan Times remarked that she exuded the "weariness of someone beyond her years", making Mai's personal journey "modestly compelling".

The audition and entertainment information site Deview placed Saitō second on its 2026 Next Breakout Ranking for actresses, released on January 30, 2026, with fellow former Hinatazaka46 member Yūka Kageyama on first place.

Filmography Film YearTitleRoleNotes 2023 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem April O'Neil (Japanese dub) Love Song Hikari Thai-Japanese film Love on Trial Mai Yamaoka Lead role 2026 Kyojo: Reunion Maimi Kyojo: Requiem Maimi

Television series

Variety show Year Title