My Cute and Adorable Japanese Actress and Singer Kamishiraishi Mone
Kamishiraishi Mone for MORE October 2021
I first "met" the adorable Kamishiraishi Mone in the popular and inspirational anime "Your Name" in late 2016. She's the wonderful and sweet voice behind the main character, Mitsuha. I watched the movie in our local cinemas five times since I loved it a lot. After watching the anime film, I researched Mone and eventually became her fan.
Mone sporting out the Mitsuha hairstyle
Another cute photo of Mone
Kamishiraishi Mone (25), nicknamed Monenen by "Chihayafuru" co-star Hirose Suzu, was born in Kagoshima on January 27, 1998. She was named after the French painter Claude Monet. She lived in Mexico for 3 years during her childhood due to her father's work. This led to her learning English and Spanish which she can still speak now. Mone joined the Toho "Cinderella" Audition in 2011 as suggested by her music school teacher. She won the Special Jury Prize.
Did you know that she also has a sister 2 years younger than her who is also an actress and singer? Her sister is Kamishiraishi Moka who goes by the pen name "adieu" for her singing career. She's also a well-known actress in Japan. You might be familiar with her if you have seen "3-nen A Gumi" (Hiiragi's Homeroom). She was the reason why Hiiragi-sensei (Suda Masaki) plotted the hostage.
Moka: Mone's younger sister
Moka: Mone's younger sister
Mone and Moka's childhood picture
Mone and Moka in abutton9
Mone and Moka
Moka and Mone
Mone and Moka in Oshareism 2018
Mone made her drama debut in the NHK Taiga drama "Gou: Himetachi no Sengoku" led by Ueno Juri while she made her musical debut in "The King and I" in 2012. Mone made her breakthrough in the musical film "Maiko wa Lady" (Lady Maiko) directed by Suo Masayuki. Mone auditioned for the main role, Saigo Haruko / Koharu, an aspiring geisha. She was chosen among 800 applicants for the said film. Mone was also responsible for the main theme of "Maiko wa Lady" and she also released her first-ever single under her character name, Koharu. She won numerous reputable rewards for this film. Mone became internationally well-known because of the worldwide successful anime film "Your Name" by Makoto Shinkai. She won the Best Actress for the 11th "Seiyuu Award" for this anime project. In 2020, she gained striking popularity due to her rom-com drama "Koi wa Tsuzukuyo Dokomademo" (An Incurable Case of Love) alongside Rurouni Kenshin star Sato Takeru. She gained more fans in Japan and all throughout worldwide because of this show. In 2021, Mone finally landed her first-ever NHK asadora (NHK morning drama). She played the role of Yasuko in "Come Come Everybody", the 105th NHK asadora. She was selected among more than 3,000 auditionees. In 2022, she played Chihiro in the stageplay of "Spirited Away".
Gou: Himetachi no Sengoku as Masa
Maiko wa Lady as Koharu
Kimi no Na wa. (Your Name.) as Mitsuha
Koi wa Tsuzukyo Dokomademo as Sakura Nanase
Come Come Everybody as Tachibana Yasuko
Spirited Away stageplay as Chihiro
Mone released her first-ever single "Maiko wa Lady" for her film with the same title under her character name "Koharu". She then released her first cover album "chouchou" consisting of different known Japanese songs and also one English song "On My Own" from the musical "Les Misèrables". Did you know that she also has her own version of the theme of "Your Name", "Nandemonaiya" which was originally by RADWIMPS? This was also included in "chouchou". She then released her first-ever studio album "and..." in 2017. This was then succeeded by a mini-album entitled "i" in 2019. Came 2020, Mone released another studio album called "note". She then had her first-ever online live concert on September 19, 2020, which was held live in Tokyo. In 2021, Mone released two cover albums called "Ano Uta 1" and "Ano Uta 2" in which she covered Showa (1926-1989) and Heisei (8 January 1989 - 30 April 2019) era songs. In 2022, she released "I'll be there" single and another album entitled "name". "name" contains the song "Tea for Two" relating to her character Yasuko in her asadora "Come Come Everybody". In the current year, Mone had her first-ever successful Budokan concert which is a very great achievement for a Japanese musician/singer!
MONE'S DISCOGRAPHY ON SPOTIFY:
NAME
ANO UTA 2
ANO UTA 1
NOTE
AND...
I
KOKUHAKU
CHOUCHOU
HAPPY LOVE SONGS
MIDNIGHT SONGS
MONE'S FILMOGRAPHY
(Click the titles for the Mydramalist.)
FILMS:
1. Sorairo Monogatari: Dai Shi-wa Mone Kamishiraishi -Nike to Katatsumuri- (2011)
2. abutton9 featuring Mone and Moka (2011)
3. Okami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki / Wolf Children (2012)
4. Daijobu 3 Kumi / Nobody's Perfect (2013)
5. Maiko wa Lady / Lady Maiko (2014) as Saigo Haruko / Koharu
6. Chihayafuru Kami no Ku / Part 1 (2016) as Ooe Kanade
7. Chihayafuru Shimo no Ku / Part 2 (2016) as Ooe Kanade
8. Kimi no Na wa. / Your Name. (2016) as Miyamizu Mitsuha - Support and watch on Netflix Asia and Amazon.
9. Oboreru Naifu / Drowning Love (2016) as Matsunaga Kana
10. Yo-kai Watch Shadowside: Oni wo no Fukkatsu (2017) as Amano Natsume
11. Chihayafuru Musubi / Part 3 (2018) as Ooe Kanade
12. Hitsuji to Hagane no Mori / A Forest of Wool and Steel (2018) as Sakura Kazune
13. Nakimushi Shottan no Kiseki / The Miracle of Crybaby Shottan (2018) as Mariko
14. Alita Battle Angel (2019) as Alita
15. L-DK Hitotsu Yane no Shita, (Suki) ga Futatsu / L-DK: Two Loves, Under One Roof (2019) as Nishimori Aoi
16. Startup Girls (2019) as Komatsu Hikari
17. Tenki no Ko / Weathering With You (2019) as Miyamizu Mitsuha - Support and watch on Netflix Asia and Amazon.
18. Katsuben! (2019)
19. Trolls Music ☆ Power (2020) as Poppy
DRAMAS:
1. Gou ~Himetachi no Sengoku~ (2011) as Masa
2. Koi Aji Oyako (2012) as Nishiyama Naho
3. Hokusai to Meshi Saeareba (2017) as Yamada Fumiko / Bun
4. Gata no Kuni Kara (2017) as Katase Mirai - Stream at NHK's official youtube channel: Part 1 | Part 2
5. Rikuoh (2017) as Miyazawa Akane
6. Segodon (2018) as Saigo Kiyo
7. Chihayafuru Tsunagu (2018) as Ooe Kanade
8. SUITS Season 1 Episode 11 (2018) as Fujishima Haruka
9. Kioku Sousa: Shinjuku Higashi-sho Jiken File (2019) as Toyama Saki
10. Yo nimo Kimyou na Monogatari: 2019 Rain Special (2019) as Oba Aki
11. Kodoku no Gurume Season 8 Episode 2 (2019) as Sawamura Madoka
12. Kaidan Botan Doro: Beauty and Fear (2019) as Otsuyu
13. Akahige Season 2 / Red Beard Season 2 (2019) as Oritsu - N/A
14. Koi wa Tsuzukuyo Dokomademo / Love Lasts Forever / An Incurable Case of Love (2020) as Sakura Nanase / Yuusha-chan - Support and watch on We TV.
15. Mada Mada Koi wa Tsuzukuyo Dokomademo (2020) as Sakura Nanase / Yuusha-chan
16. SUITS Season 2 (2020) as Fujishima Haruka
17. Miman Keisatsu: Midnight Runner / Detective Novice (2020) as Ami
18. Kioku Sousa - Shinjuku Higashi-sho Jiken Fairu SP (2020)
19. Kioku Sousa: Shinjuku Higashi-sho Jiken File Season 2 (2020) as Toyama Saki
20. Honto ni Atta Kowai Hanashi (2020) as Sasaki Aya
21. Home Sweet Tokyo Season 4 (2020) as Setsuko - Watch on the NHK World app.
22. Oh! My Boss! Koi wa Bessatsu de (2021) as Suzuki Nami
23. Oh! My Tsundere! Koi wa Bessatsu de (2021) as Suzuki Nami
24. Seiten wo Tsuke (2021) as Atsuhime
25. Come Come Everybody (2021) as Tachibana Yasuko
26. Kioku Sosa Season 3: Shinjuku Higashisho Jiken File (2022) as Toyama Saki
MY TOP 10 RECOMMENDED DRAMAS/MOVIES OF MONE
1. Maiko wa Lady (2014) - I have always loved musical films so seeing Mone in this movie project was really amazing and entertaining. Mone has a very magnificent voice so her role for this movie is so much perfect for her. I was really awed by her performance in this movie so I greatly recommend "Maiko wa Lady". You could see Mone's excellent singing skills here.
2. Kimi no Na wa. (2016) - This is the main reason I fell in love with Mone so it's no wonder this is included in my list. I fell in love with her sweet and charming voice so I immediately looked her up on the internet. And, of course, the main plot of Kimi no Na wa. greatly touched my heart so I absolutely recommend this. And, what's more! She was with the talented Kamiki Ryunosuke as Taki, as her partner, so that is a plus!
3. Koi wa Tsuzukuyo Dokomademo (2020) - "Koi Tsudu" was the main reason why my 2020 still remains to be memorable to me even though it was a devastating year. The pandemic came and one of my favorite Japanese actors passed away. Life was really difficult then. But, "Koi Tsudu" gave me hope. This was also the year I closely followed Mone's TV shows. I tuned in to her shows live almost all the time. Mone played Sakura Nanase, a hopeful young nurse and a young lady who wants to capture the heart of a young doctor. This show was really steamy so better get prepared for such scenes!
4. Chihayafuru Kami no Ku, Shimo no Ku and Musubi (2016 | 2018) - Chihayafuru remains to be always precious to me too. I have seen all 3 movies on the silver screen during the Japanese movie festival held in 2018 in Metro Manila. Chihayafuru is about wonderful childhood and highschool friends who play karuta; a traditional Japanese card game. Their wonderful friendship inspires me too. I greatly miss the whole cast! This stars the amazing and promising young actors Hirose Suzu, Nomura Shuhei, and Arata Mackenyu. You could also witness Mone's magnificent voice here too since she recites the poems in these films!! My favorite Kaku Kento was also in the third movie, "Chihayafuru Musubi". I remember crying while I was watching the movies in the cinema. I was greatly touched by the cinematography. I greatly recommend these films since the story about the friendship between the characters is really moving.
5. L-DK Hitotsu Yane no Shita, (Suki) ga Futatsu (2019) - This certain L-DK movie is a sequel of the first movie with Yamazaki Kento and Gouriki Ayame. Sugino Yosuke, Yokohama Ryusei, and Mone replaced them in this sequel. This is really a wonderful rom-com movie. I got so much "kilig"! I also adore the striking height difference between Mone and Sugino Yosuke.
6. Hitsuji to Hagane no Mori (2018) - I greatly recommend this film featuring Yamazaki Kento, Mone, and also Moka! Mone and Moka acted as sisters here and they both played the piano! They're both so talented when it comes to music. This is also the second time wherein Mone and Yamazaki Kento worked together. They first worked together in the drama Rikuoh where they acted as siblings.
7. Oh! My Boss! Koi wa Bessatsu de (2021) - Boss Koi is another fun rom-com. Mone plays as Suzuki Nami, an editorial assistant. She doesn't have dreams that she wants to pursue but as she watches her devil-like boss (Horai Reiko played by the gorgeous Nanao), she changes her attitude towards work. Tamamori Yuta or Tama-chan of Kis-My-Ft2 as Nami's love interest is another plus for this show. They make such a very cute pairing!
8. Hokusai to Meshi Saeareba (2017) - Hokusai to Meshi Saeareba is a very cute drama about cooking delicious recipes! Yes! Mone here cooks! I absolutely recommend this cute drama for fans who like to see Mone cook in a very adorable way!
ＮＨＫワールド英会話。
本日のフレーズ。
[Home Sweet Tokyo 4]より
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※SETS starring 上白石萌音 #上白石萌音 #Kamishiraishimone #HomeSweetTokyoSeason4 pic.twitter.com/lrT2jly2qN
- コトバイウ中根英登 (@CharlieGordonJP) December 6, 2020
9. Home Sweet Tokyo Season 4 (2020) - Of course! This NHK drama is also part of my list! Mone exhibited her fluent English speaking skills here and I was definitely amazed. She acted as Setsuko, a returning international Japanese student from the US. Her character here was very sassy speaking and vlogging in English. This is really a fun show although it was very short. I want more of Setsuko!
10. Miman Keisatsu: Midnight Runner (2020) - Mone only appeared in episodes 2 and 3 of this remake of the Korean movie "Midnight Runners" but she played her character here really well. She showed that she can play a very feisty young lady! I also recommend that you watch the whole drama even though Mone only appeared in 2 episodes since this is a great show starring Johnny's idols Nakajima Kento (Sexy Zone) and Hirano Sho (King & Prince).
BONUS RECOMMENDED MONE SHOW:
Kaidan Botan Doro: Beauty and Fear (2019) - This is not your typical Mone! She definitely came out of her comfort zone for this show since her character was really aggressive! I would definitely suggest for you to watch this to see for yourself!
MY TOP 10 FAVORITE MONE SONGS
1. Nandemonaiya (cover) - "Your Name" will always be memorable to me so this cover of "Nandemonaiya" by Mone is also so memorable to me. She has a very sweet rendition of this RADWIMPS song.
2. Happy End - "Happy End" is another memorable Mone song to me since I loved "L-DK: Two Loves, Under One Roof" so much. It's such a cute movie and Mone even had a music video with Sugino Yosuke showing some precious after scenes of the movie.
3. Little Birds - "Little Birds" is a song about gently falling in love with someone. It's again a very sweet song.
4. Akubi - "Akubi" is another romantic song about simply being happy with someone. It's also a very sweet song.
5. From The Seeds - "From The Seeds" is a very rock-ish song written by GLIM SPANKY for Mone. Mone needs more songs like this!
6. Ichiru - "Ichiru" was written by RADWIMPS' Noda Yojiro for the movie theme of "Rakuten" starring Sugisaki Hana and Ayano Go. I especially love the bridge part of this song. I can feel the strong emotions of Mone through her powerful vocals in this song.
7. The Voice of Hope - "The Voice of Hope" is part of Mone's first-ever studio album "and..." This became my instant favorite when I first heard it. The lyrics about chasing your dreams are very meaningful.
8. Gandara (cover) - "Gandara" is a Showa cover part of "Ano Uta 1". I am deeply in love with Mone's deep voice in this song. "In Gandara, Gandara, they say it was in India. Gandara, Gandara, ai no kuni, Gandara".
9. Shiroi Doro - "Shiroi Doro" is such an energetic and positive song that's why I love it so much!
10. Black Pepper no Tappurikiita Watashi no Tsukutta Onion Slice (cover) - This Showa cover is included in "Ano Uta 2". This is a fun cover showcasing Mone's very fun voice too!
I hope this post about Mone helped you to get to know more about her. I hope you'll also love her!
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To purchase Mone-chan's magazines, books, and CDs / DVDs / Blurays, head to the following links on Amazon Japan:
Kamishiraishi Mone's Magazines and Books
Kamishiraishi Mone's CDs
Kamishiraishi Mone's DVDs/Blu-rays