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Onishi Haruna (Onishi Haruna)
Date of birth: 21 July 1972 (54 years old)
Country: Japanese
Haruna Ai was born on in Osaka. She is a Japanese transgender talent, singer, actress, and businesswoman. She currently resides in Tokyo and is signed to Sands Entertainment. She's been active in the entertainment industry since 1995. She has one brother.
She was aware that she was a woman since childhood. She won a singing competition in 1985 under her birth name of Onishi Kenji. She would go on to make her singing debut as Onishi Kenji in 1989. She was bullied in middle school so her grades were poor. She considered coming out as a transgender then but was worried due to her parent's reaction. She appeared at the age of 13 on a variety show as a crossdresser.
After her graduation from middle school, she went on to go to an all-boys high school and even joined the karate club. She would eventually drop out and begin working at a pub in Osaka. She confessed that she was transgender to her father in 1991.
In 1995, she underwent gender confirmation surgery at a clinic in Osaka. She began making variety show appearances in 1996 as a transgender talent. In 1998, she moved to Tokyo and began working for a talent agency there. She accepted a job as a manager for DDT pro wrestling, making her the first transgender manager. When her job invitations were down, she opened a snack shop with the savings she had accumulated.
In 2002, she became a guest for Sanma & SMAP and would go on to appear on the show every few years. In 2005, she devoted herself to taking care of an injured MEGUMI. She would go on to officially become Haruna Ai when she signed with Sands Entertainment in 2008 and resumed activities as a talent.
Haruna Ai began working as an imitator in 2007 and became notable for performing as Matsuda Seiko, Matsuura Aya, Shimatani Hitomi, Beyonce, Whitney Houston and Fujimoto Miki.
She participated in "Miss International Queen 2007" and finished fourth. She re-challenged the competition in 2009 and won.
In 2014, she became head of the Korea Tourism Support Group. She would also be appointed the Izumo Tourism Ambassador on August 26, 2016.
She is close friends with Fujiwara Norika. She became one of many entertainers to win an award for their help after the Great East Japan Earthquake, other notable celebrities include Iseya Yusuke, EXILE, and Kobayashi Sachiko.
