Sana (singer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sana
Sana in 2025
Born	Sana Minatozaki (1996-12-29) December 29, 1996 (age 28) Osaka, Japan
Occupation	Singer
Musical career
Origin	Seoul, South Korea
Genres	K-pop J-pop
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	2015–present
Labels	JYP Warner Japan Republic
Japanese name
Kanji	湊﨑 紗夏
Revised Hepburn	Minatozaki Sana
Korean name
Hangul	사나
RR	Sana
MR	Sana
Signature

Sana Minatozaki (Japanese: 湊﨑 紗夏), known simply as Sana (Hangul: 사나; Japanese: サナ), is a popular Japanese singer. She was born on December 29, 1996. Sana lives and works in South Korea. She is a member of the famous South Korean girl group Twice. This group was formed in 2015 by JYP Entertainment. Sana is also part of a special group called MiSaMo, which started in 2023.

Sana's Journey to Stardom

Early Life and Training

Sana was born in Osaka, Japan. She was an only child. From a young age, Sana knew she wanted to be a singer and dancer. She was really inspired by the K-pop group Girls' Generation.

In 2009, Sana started training at EXPG in Osaka. At first, she planned to be a singer in Japan. But during her middle school years, a scout from JYP Entertainment (JYPE) saw her at a shopping mall. They invited her to an audition the next day.

Sana passed the audition! In April 2012, she moved to South Korea to join the JYPE training program. She trained for more than three years. After all that hard work, she finally debuted with Twice. Before Twice, she was almost part of other groups. But plans changed due to some political issues and a sad event. In 2014, Sana even appeared in a music video for the group Got7.

Becoming a Member of Twice

Sana in 2015, the year she debuted with Twice

In 2015, Sana joined a TV show called Sixteen. This was a reality show to pick the members for a new girl group. Out of sixteen contestants, Sana was chosen as one of the nine members of Twice.

She officially started her career with Twice in October 2015. Their first song was "Like Ooh-Ahh". It was part of their first album, The Story Begins.

Solo Music and MiSaMo

In February 2021, Sana became the first Twice member to release her own solo song. She covered "Sotsugyou," a song by the Japanese band Kobukuro. This cover was released as a digital single. She later released another version with Kobukuro themselves in March 2021.

On February 9, 2023, JYPE announced something exciting. Sana, along with her bandmates Momo and Mina, would form a special sub-unit. This new group is called MiSaMo. They officially debuted in Japan on July 26, 2023. Their first album was titled Masterpiece. Before their album, they released a song called "Bouquet" on January 25, 2023. This song was part of a TV show soundtrack.

Sana's Popularity and Influence

Sana performing at a concert in Seoul in 2017

Sana is well-known in South Korea and around the world. People love her energetic and cheerful personality. Her popularity has even helped improve relationships between Japan and South Korea.

In a music poll in South Korea in 2018, Sana was voted the 17th most popular idol. She was the highest-ranked Japanese person on that list. In 2019, she ranked 15th. Also in 2019, Sana was voted the most popular female K-pop idol by soldiers in South Korea.

Brand Partnerships

Besides her work with Twice, Sana has also worked with many brands. She has appeared in advertisements for different products.

• In 2021, Sana and her Twice bandmate Dahyun became models for the skincare brand A'pieu.
• In March 2022, Sana became a model for WakeMake, a cosmetics brand by Olive Young.
• In March 2023, Sana was chosen as an ambassador for two beauty brands: Missha (skincare) and Espoir (makeup).
• In July 2023, Sana became the first Japanese ambassador for Graff. This is a famous British jewelry company.
• In September 2023, the Italian luxury fashion house Prada named Sana as their brand ambassador.
• In December 2023, the cosmetics brand YSL Beauty chose Sana as their newest brand ambassador in Japan.

Music and Songs

Sana has released her own single and has also contributed to many songs for Twice and MiSaMo.

Solo Singles

Songs She Helped Write

Sana has helped write lyrics for several songs.

TV Appearances

Sana has appeared on various TV shows, often as a host or a special judge.

Television Shows

Online Shows

See also

In Spanish: Sana (cantante) para niños