Mai Shiraishi

is a Japanese actress, model, YouTuber, and a former first generation member of the Japanese idol girl group Nogizaka46. She was an exclusive model for the women's fashion magazines LARME and Ray.

Career After graduating from high school, Shiraishi attended music college as she desired to be a singer. Later on, one of her teachers persuaded her to audition for Nogizaka46.

Shiraishi's singing career started when she was accepted as one of the first generation members of AKB48's official rival group, Nogizaka46, on 21 August 2011. She was chosen as one of the members performing on the group's debut single "Guruguru Curtain" on 22 February 2012. When Nogizaka46 released their second single "Oide Shampoo", she was once again chosen to perform. Her career as a model started when she participated in Girls Award 2012 Autumn/Winter alongside former Nogizaka46 bandmate Nanase Nishino.

Shiraishi achieved further popularity when she appeared on the 1 January 2013 episode of Count Down TV and the 16 March 2013 episode of Uma Zuki!. Shiraishi has been a permanent presenter on the latter since the 5 January 2013 episode

She became the youngest model for women's fashion magazine Ray, issued by Shufonotomo, since 23 March 2013.

Shiraishi was chosen as the center position in Nogizaka46 for their sixth single "Girl's Rule", released on 3 July 2013. She took over the center position from Rina Ikoma.

On 17 December 2014, Shiraishi held an event for her first photo book, Seijun na Otona Shiraishi Mai. Shiraishi is the first Nogizaka46 member to publish a solo photo book. "I'm happy to be the first one," she said. Her second photobook, Mai Style, was published on January 23, 2015. It ranked fourth on the Oricon general book ranking and first in the photobook category selling 19,000 copies in the first week.

In September 2016, Shiraishi played a supporting role in the film Ushijima the Loan Shark 3.

On 7 February 2017, her third solo photo book, Passport, was published. It was reprinted twenty times, and the total printing volume exceeded 310,000 copies until June 2018. Moreover, in the first half of the year 2018, she made the highest number of appearances in television commercials among any other tarento in Japan.

Shiraishi was in charge of the center position for Nogizaka46's twentieth single "Synchronicity" which was released on 25 April 2018. It sold 1,116,852 copies in the first week.

On 9 January 2020, Shiraishi announced that she would graduate from Nogizaka46 after the release of their 25th single, "Shiawase no Hogoshoku", with a farewell performance during the group's Tokyo Dome concert scheduled in May. On 28 April, she announced that this has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On 20 August, the performance date was rescheduled for 28 October and was a livestreamed event.

In August, Shiraishi launched her YouTube channel, called "My Channel" (stylized in all lowercase and a homophone of her given name). As of August 2021, it has reached 1.35 million subscribers.

Discography Singles with Nogizaka46

Year No. Title Role Notes 2012 1 "Guruguru Curtain" A-side Debut as 1st Generation member; Also sang on "Nogizaka no Uta", "Aitakatta Kamoshirenai", "Ushinaitakunai kara" and "Shiroi Kumo ni Notte" 2 "Oide Shampoo" A-side Also sang on "Kokoro no Kusuri", "Gūzen o Iiwake ni Shite" and "House!" 3 "Hashire! Bicycle" A-side Also sang on "Sekkachi na Katatsumuri", "Hito wa Naze Hashiru no ka" and "Oto ga Denai Guitar" 4 "Seifuku no Mannequin" A-side Also sang on "Yubi Bōenkyō" and "Shibuya Blues" 2013 5 "Kimi no Na wa Kibō" A-side Also sang on "Shakiism", "Romantic Ikayaki", "Shiroi Kumo ni Notte" and "Dekopin" 6 "Girl's Rule" A-side, center Also sang on "Sekai de Ichiban Kodoku na Lover", "Kōmori yo" and "Ningen to Iu Gakki" 7 "Barrette" A-side Also sang on "Tsuki no Ōkisa", "Watashi no Tame ni, Dareka no Tame ni" and "Sonna Baka na…" 2014 8 "Kizuitara Kataomoi" A-side Also sang on "Romance no Start", "Toiki no Method" and "Kodoku Kyōdai" 9 "Natsu no Free & Easy" A-side Also sang on "Nani mo Dekizu ni Soba ni Iru" and "Sono Saki no Deguchi" 10 "Nandome no Aozora ka?" A-side Also sang on "Korogatta Kane o Narase!" and "Tender days" 2015 11 "Inochi wa Utsukushii" A-side Also sang on "Tachinaorichū" 12 "Taiyō Nokku" A-side Also sang on "Sakanatachi no LOVE SONG" and "Hane no Kioku" 13 "Ima, Hanashitai Dareka ga Iru" A-side, center Shared center position with Nanase Nishino; Also sang on "Popipappapā" and "Kanashimi no Wasurekata" 2016 14 "Harujion ga Sakukoro" A-side Also sang on "Kyūshamen" 15 "Hadashi de Summer" A-side Also sang on "Boku Dake no Hikari" and "Offshore Girl" 16 "Sayonara no Imi" A-side Also sang on "Kodoku na Aozora" 2017 17 "Influencer" A-side, center Shared center position with Nanase Nishino; Also sang on "Igai BREAK" 18 "Nigemizu" A-side Also sang on "Onna wa Hitori ja Nemurenai", "Hito Natsu no Nagasa Yori…" and "Naitatte Iijanaika?" 19 "Itsuka Dekiru kara Kyō Dekiru" A-side Also sang on "Fuminshō" and "Māiika?" 2018 20 "Synchronicity" A-side, center Also sang on "Against" as 1st Generation member 21 "Jikochū de Ikō!" A-side Also sang on "Soratobira", "Kokoro no Monologue" and "Anna ni Sukidatta no ni…" 22 "Kaerimichi wa Tōmawari Shitaku Naru" A-side Also sang on "Chopin no Usotsuki" 2019 23 "Sing Out!" A-side Also sang on "No Yōna Sonzai" 24 "Yoake Made Tsuyogaranakutemoii" A-side Also sang on "Boku no Koto, Shitteru?" and "Boku no Omoikomi" 2020 25 "Shiawase no Hogoshoku" A-side, center Last single to participate; Also sang on "Jyāne." which was her graduation song. — "Sekaijū no Rinjin yo" — Charity song during the COVID-19 pandemic

Albums with Nogizaka46

Year No. Title Participated song 2015 1 Tōmei na Iro "Boku ga Iru Basho" "Kakumei no Uma" 2016 2 Sorezore no Isu "Kikkake" "Taiyō ni Kudokarete" "Kūkikan" 2017 3 Umarete Kara Hajimete Mita Yume "Skydiving" "Settei Ondo" "Ryūsei Discotic" 2019 4 Ima ga Omoide ni Naru made "Arigachi na Ren'ai" "Hozue o Tsuite Nemurenai"

Other featured songs

Year Artist Title Albums / Singles 2012 Mayu Watanabe "Twin Tail wa Mō Shinai" "Otona Jellybeans" 2016 AKB48 "Mazariau Mono" "Kimi wa Melody" 2019 "Hitsuzensei" "Jiwaru Days"

Filmography

Television

Films

Commercials