Sayaka Kanda (Japanese: 神田 沙也加, Hepburn: Kanda Sayaka; October 1, 1986 – December 18, 2021), also known professionally as Sayaka, Lily, and Jun Uehara (上原純, Uehara Jun), was a Japanese actress, singer, and model. She was the only child of actor Masaki Kanda and pop singer Seiko Matsuda.
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Early life
Kanda was born at Tokyo Teishin Hospital in Chiyoda, Tokyo. She was the only child of actor Masaki Kanda and Seiko Matsuda, a representative idol singer of the 1980s in Japan. Her paternal grandmother Teruko Asahi (1924–2001) was a former actress.
Career
In 1999, while a student at a Japanese school in Los Angeles, she appeared in Bean Cake, a short film that won the Palme d'Or du court métrage at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. She was quite active as an actress in movies and mostly on stage since her debut.
In 2006, Kanda composed and wrote the lyrics to "Bless You", a song performed by her mother Seiko Matsuda. Kanda was credited under the name "Jun Uehara", originating from two characters from the manga series Good Morning Call, which she had loved at the time.
Kanda made her Kōhaku Uta Gassen debut in December 2011 singing "Ue o Muite Arukō" alongside her mother, Seiko Matsuda.
In July 2012, Kanda debuted as a voice actress on TV animation Good Luck Girl!, which led her to be cast as Mary in The Muppets and Anna in the Japanese language dub of Disney's animated film Frozen. She won the Best Lead Actress award for the role in the 9th Seiyu Awards. In 2019, she voiced as Anna once again for Kingdom Hearts III.
In April 2014, she formed the duo Trustrick with guitarist Billy. They released their debut album, Eternity, on June 25 of the same year. They disbanded on December 17, 2016.
Kanda appeared as a special guest in the Alan Symphony Concert from December 20, 2014, alongside Tibetan Chinese diva Alan Dawa Dolma, and together, they sang a music piece originally performed by Alan titled "Kaze no Tegami" (風の手紙, "Letter in the Wind").
Kanda released covers of Vocaloid songs on her YouTube channel.
Modeling career
While Kanda was on hiatus from her acting career in 2005, she began appearing in lolita fashion magazines under the name Lily, a stage name that she had chosen from a "dreamy worldview." Kanda modeled for Kera, Gothic & Lolita Bible, Eternita, and Angelic Pretty's catalogs. In 2012, she collaborated with Angelic Pretty to release the Melt ChocoLapin dress set.
Personal life
In May 2017, Kanda married actor Mitsu Murata. Kanda announced their divorce in December 2019. Kanda was in a relationship with actor Takahisa Maeyama after co-starring in the stage adaptation of Crest of the Royal Family in August 2021. The two dated with the intention of marriage due to their age. In 2024, Maeyama stated that they only dated for two months and had ended their relationship by the time they had starred together in the Japanese production of My Fair Lady in November 2021.
Death
On December 18, 2021, Kanda was found unconscious in the outer garden on the fourteenth floor of a hotel in Chūō ward, Sapporo. She later died at a hospital at the age of 35. The cause of death was determined to be traumatic shock by the Sapporo Central Police Station, which also said that she had fallen from her room in the upper floors of the hotel. Kanda's remains were cremated and her family kept her ashes at home. A report from Shūkan Bunshun claimed she committed suicide following vocal cord issues as well as issues with her relationship with Maeyama.
Discography
Singles
"Ever Since" (2002)
"Garden" (2003)
"Mizu Iro" (2004)
"Jōgen no Tsuki" (2005)
with TRUSTRICK
"World's End Curtain Call -theme of DANGANRONPA THE STAGE-" (2014)
"FLYING FAFNIR" (2015)
"innocent promise" (2015)
"Recall THE END" (2016)
"DEAD OR LIE" (2016) duo with Maon Kurosaki
"Rainbow Summer" (2019), the theme song of Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout
Digital Singles
"LUVORATORRRRRY!" (2018)
"Good Morning, Polar Night" (2019)
"Roki" (2019)
with TRUSTRICK
"On your marks!" (2014)
as Yuna from "Sword Art Online"
"Ubiquitous dB" (2017)
"delete" (2017)
"Break Beat Bark!" (2017)
"longing" (2017)
"smile for you" (2017)
Albums
Doll (2005)
Liberty (2011)
with TRUSTRICK
Eternity (2014)
TRUST (2015)
TRICK (2016)
Extended plays
with TRUSTRICK
Mirai-kei Answer E.P. (2015)
beloved E.P. (2016)
Cover Albums
MUSICALOID #38 (2018)
MUSICALOID #38 Act.2 (2019)
MUSICALOID #38 Act.3 (2021)
Compilation Albums
as Yuna from Sword Art Online
Sword Art Online the Movie : Ordinal Scale (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2017)
Filmography
Film
Bean Cake (1999)
Dragon Head (2003) – Ako Seto
School Wars: Hero (2004) – Mitiyo Wada
Imadoki Japanese yo (2008) – Kyouko
Farewell, Kamen Rider Den-O: Final Countdown (2008) – Sora
Amazing Grace (2011) – Shizuku Asamizu
Geki×Cine Bara to Samurai (2011) – Pony de Bribon
Real Girl (2018) – Ezomichi (voice)
Television drama
Yankee Bokō ni Kaeru / Drop-out Teacher Returns to School (TBS, 2003) – Nanae Koga
四分の一の絆 (TBS, 2004) – Maiko Nisio
Mito Kōmon (TBS, 2004, 2007) – Kozue, Osaki
たった一度の雪 〜SAPPORO・1972年〜 (HBC, 2007) – Chiho Shimomura
Omotesando Koukou Gasshoubu! (TBS, 2015) – Emiri Seyama
Theater Performances
Into the Woods (2004) – Little Red Ridinghood (credited as SAYAKA)
Murasaki Shikibu Story (2006, 2008) – Empress Shōshi
The Woman in White (2007) – Laura Fairlie
A Midsummer Night's Dream (2007–2009) – Peaseblossom
A Midsummer Night's Dream (2008) – Hermia
Love Letters (2008–2010) – Melissa
Grease (2008) – Sandy Dumbrowski
She Loves Me (2009–2010) – Amalia Balash
Bara to Samurai〜Goemon Rock OverDrive (2010) – Pony de Bribon
Les Misérables (2009–2011) – Cosette
Peter Pan (2009–2011, 2017) – Wendy Darling
The Fantasticks (2010) – Luisa
Endless SHOCK (2012) – Rika
Anne of Green Gables (2012) – Anne Shirley
Himeyuri (2012–2014) – Kimi
Dance of the Vampires (2015–2020) – Sarah
Danganronpa The Stage (2014–2016) – Mukuro Ikusaba and Junko Enoshima
Super Danganronpa 2 The Stage (2015–2017) – Junko Enoshima
1789: Les Amants de la Bastille (2016–2018) – Olympe
Japanese dub
Frozen (2013) – Anna
Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018) – Anna
Frozen II (2019) – Anna
Once Upon a Snowman (2020) – Anna
Theatrical animation
GAMBA (2015) – Shioji
Sword Art Online The Movie: Ordinal Scale (2017) – Yuna
Space Battleship Yamato 2202: Warriors of Love (2017)
Television animation
Good Luck Girl! (2012) – Nadeshiko Adenokouji
Unlimited Fafnir (2015) – Miyako Shinomiya
Convenience Store Boy Friends (2017) – Miharu Mashiki
Real Girl (2018) – Ezomichi
Sword Art Online: Alicization – War of Underworld (2020) – Yuna
Idoly Pride (2021) – Mana Nagase
Video games
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony (2017) – Kaede Akamatsu
Let It Die (2017) – Kiwako Seto
Kingdom Hearts III (2019) – Anna
Accel World vs. Sword Art Online: Millennium Twilight (2017) – Yuna
Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet (2018) – Yuna
Idoly Pride (2021) – Mana Nagase