Issei Mamehara

, is a Japanese singer and actor. He debuted as a member of the Japanese boy band JO1 in 2020, after placing first in the first season of ''Produce 101 Japan''. He made his debut as an actor in 2021 and played Kamen Rider Chimera in the Kamen Rider Revice films.

Early life and education

Issei Mamehara was born on May 30, 2002, in Maniwa, Okayama, Japan. During his early years, he developed a passion for physical activities, participating in baseball, swimming, and sumo tournaments throughout his school life. Mamehara's interest in dance emerged during elementary school, inspired by his older sister's dance classes. This interest deepened when he became a fan of the boy band Generations from Exile Tribe after watching one of their televised performances, prompting him to enroll in a dance school in his second year of junior high. He specialized in 1990s hip hop dance and began teaching children at the same dance school by his freshman year of high school. Mamehara also grew up with a deep appreciation for tokusatsu media, particularly the ''Kamen Rider'' franchise, and aspired to appear in the series as an actor.

Mamehara graduated from high school in March 2021.

Career

2019–2020: ''Produce 101 Japan'' and debut with JO1

After failing a series of auditions in 2019, Mamehara's older sister, a fan of South Korean ''Produce 101'', suggested he try out for ''Produce 101 Japan''. Having limited knowledge about K-pop, he initially refused to apply because he wanted to be a professional dancer instead. He eventually applied a day before the deadline, following his sister's encouragement. The show was held from September to December, where he finished first with 261,583 votes.

Following an "intense" boot camp in South Korea, seventeen-year-old Mamehara debuted as a member of the resulting boy group JO1 on March 4, 2020, with the release of their first single ''Protostar'' under Lapone Entertainment. His win awarded him the choreographic center position in the group's debut song, "Infinity".

2020–present: Acting debut

In November 2020, Mamehara was named '' Mezamashi TV''s monthly entertainment presenter, making him the segment's youngest presenter at that time. He then took acting classes and made his acting debut in the Yoshimoto Kogyo-produced anthology film, ''Meters Away, Worlds Apart'' in 2021, alongside ''Produce 101 Japan'' host and comedian Takashi Okamura. In 2022, Mamehara was cast as Kamen Rider Chimera in the film '. He reprised his role in ''Birth of Chimera'' (2022), an exclusive Toei Tokusatsu Fan Club spin-off film that delves into his character's backstory.

In 2023, he made his small screen debut in NHK's ', as the humanoid Hiroshi. In the following year, he made his TBS Sunday Theatre debut in the Ryunosuke Kamiki-led drama '. In February 2025, Mamehara was appointed as an ambassador to his hometown of Maniwa. Later that year, he is set to play the lead role of Tsukasa Kiriki for the live action movie adaptation of the manga ''Bad Boys'' and co-star opposite in the family drama ''Mt. Fuji, Coffee, and the Formula for Happiness''. Issei will play Ichige's grandson, Takuma, a university student who likes coffee and discovers his dream with his grandmother.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

Songwriting credits

All song credits are adapted from the Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers's database, unless otherwise noted. ''When searching, put "MAME" under 著作者名 (Author's name) and "LAPONEエンタテインメント" under 出版者名 (Publisher's name).''

Footnotes

References

External links

Official website

{{JO1

JO1
Living people
2002 births
Male actors from Okayama
Singers from Okayama Prefecture
21st-century Japanese male actors
Produce 101 (Japanese TV series) contestants
Japanese male idols
Japanese male pop singers
Japanese male dancers
Japanese dance musicians
Japanese male television actors
Japanese K-pop singers
J-pop singers
Reality show winners
Japanese male film actors
21st-century Japanese male singers