Himeka Nakamoto

Himeka Nakamoto (中元 日芽香, Nakamoto Himeka, born April 13, 1996) is a Japanese mental health counselor, radio personality, author, and former idol. She was a first-generation member of the idol group Nogizaka46.

Career

In 2006, Nakamoto enrolled in Actor's School Hiroshima as part of the sixteenth batch, joining her sister Suzuka who enrolled in the previous batch the same year. As students, they performed in a duet called Tween. She was also a member of the idol group SPL∞ASH, which was founded by the school.

Nakamoto passed the auditions for Nogizaka46 on August 21, 2011, and joined as a first generation member. Her audition song was "Aitakatta" by AKB48. In the group, she was known for her cheerful "Himetan" persona and signature pose, the "Himetan Beam" (ひめたんびーむ). She was also the lead vocalist of Nogidan, the rock subunit of Nogizaka46. In the sixth season of NogiBingo!, she served as assistant MC. She was also an assistant MC on the NHK Radio 1 program Radirer! Sunday.

In 2017, Nakamoto went on hiatus from January to early April, citing poor health (later revealed to be a form of adjustment disorder and eating disorder, which she began to experience a few days after joining Nogizaka46). On August 6, she announced in a live broadcast of Radirer! Sunday that she would graduate from Nogizaka46. Her final performance as a Nogizaka46 member took place at the Tokyo Dome on November 7–8, 2017. On November 8, "Last Number", a collaboration single between her and Radio Fish, the boy band formed by Radirer! Sunday hosts Oriental Radio, was released. Her final blog post on the official Nogizaka46 blog was published on December 22, 2017.

Post-Nogizaka46

Nakamoto became interested in pursuing a mental health care career after she attended psychological counseling sessions while in Nogizaka46. She has completed training as a hand reflexology counselor and in cognitive behavioral therapy, and enrolled into the Faculty of Human Sciences e-School of Waseda University in April 2018. She graduated from Waseda in March 2023.

On November 20, Nakamoto's official website was launched. She has obtained mental health counselor certification from the Japan Promotion Counselor Association and works as a counselor and trainer while continuing her studies. She provides counseling through her own Skype-based service, the "Monica and Me Counseling Salon" (カウンセリングサロン モニカと私), to accommodate those who cannot leave their homes or are concerned about the stigma around mental health issues. Like several other former Nogizaka46 members, she is still signed to the Nogizaka46 management and has made public appearances related to her current occupation.

Nakamoto had her own consultation segment on the NHK Hiroshima radio program Hiroshima Koiraji (ひろしまコイらじ) from March 2021, and hosts the podcast Himeka Nakamoto's 'Na' on Nippon Cultural Broadcasting starting June. Her autobiography, Thank You, Me: Graduating from Nogizaka46 and Becoming a Psychological Counselor, was released on June 22.

Personal life

Nakamoto is the older sister of Babymetal lead singer and former Sakura Gakuin member Suzuka Nakamoto and the middle child of three sisters. She owns a Yorkshire Terrier named Monica (モニカ).

Appearances

Radio

Bibliography

External links

• Nogizaka46, LLC profile (in Japanese)
• Monica and Me Counseling Salon (in Japanese)
• Nippon Cultural Broadcasting profile (in Japanese)