According to the Japanese entertainment media, Miyawaki Sakura is set to return to South Korea soon.
The former IZ*ONE member was supposed to board a flight to Incheon International Airport last August 23, but due to a scheduling snafu, she will now leave Japan four days later. Sakura’s rescheduled flight will land in South Korea on August 27 at 5:30 PM.
Sakura is reportedly going to begin her post-IZ*ONE activities in South Korea. Nothing has been confirmed, but rumors are rife that she signed a contract with HYBE Labels and will debut in the HYBE x Source Music collaboration girl group. IZ*ONE alum Kim Chaewon and another, as-yet unnamed former member of the group Mnet formed through Produce 48 will supposedly join her.
Her return took this long to happen because HYBE Labels reportedly had a little trouble getting in touch with Vernalossom, her Japanese agency. But now that everything appears to have been ironed out, Sakura is one step closer to making a K-Pop comeback.
After IZ*ONE disbanded in April, Sakura returned to Japan, where she resumed promoting as a member of HKT48 until June, when she officially graduated from the group. Since then Sakura has appeared in magazines, resumed posting on her gaming YouTube channel, and started a personal channel as well. She has also become a brand ambassador for Kerastase and Flower Knows.
She even did some songwriting while she was back in Japan. Sakura and her best friend from HKT48, Murashige Anna, collaborated on a coupling song for the new single of idol group =LOVE. The group is produced by a former HKT48 member named Sashihara Rino, who happens to be one of Sakura’s closest friends.
Sakura began contributing to IZ*ONE’s discography in 2019, when she worked on “Love Bubble” for the physical release (Type A) of the group’s “Vampire” single. Since then she has co-written four more IZ*ONE hits.
Since HYBE Labels has a history of encouraging its artists to write their own songs, maybe Sakura will get more opportunities to flex her creative muscles once she debuts in the agency’s upcoming girl group!
