【YUGEN PODCAST】Disney found her on TikTok. - Miisha Shimizu

From Asia to the World — A New Era of Sound アジアのシーンを牽引するアーティストたちとの対話を通して、“アジアミュージック”という未定義のカルチャーに輪郭を与えていく。 ■ Miisha Shimizu（清水美依紗） From TikTok covers to Disney, Wicked and Miss Saigon — a voice that refuses to fit one category. Miisha Shimizu is a singer, musical theatre actress and voice artist from Mie, Japan, raised by a Filipino mother she calls her guiding light. After two years of musical theatre school in New York, the pandemic sent her home with her dream close to slipping away — until her mother suggested posting her singing on TikTok. One year later, Disney Japan called: she became the voice of "Starting Now," the Japanese theme song for Disney's Ultimate Princess Celebration. Since her 2022 major debut "High Five," she has voiced Glinda in the Japanese dub of the film Wicked — the very role of her lifelong idol Ariana Grande — and played Éponine in Les Misérables. In 2026 she takes on her dream role: Kim in Miss Saigon, the part made legendary by Lea Salonga. Her songs include "TipTap," "Home," "Wave" and the new single "Reunion." Her five-year goal: a Grammy nomination — with a song written in Japanese. TikTokのカバー動画からディズニー、『ウィキッド』、そして『ミス・サイゴン』へ——ひとつのカテゴリーに収まらない歌声。 三重県出身のシンガー・ミュージカル俳優・声優。フィリピン人の母のもとで育ち、その存在を「人生の道しるべ」と語る。高校卒業後にニューヨークでミュージカルを2年間学ぶも、パンデミックで帰国。夢を諦めかけたとき、母の「TikTokに歌を投稿してみたら」という一言が転機になった。投稿から約1年でディズニーから直接オファーが届き、「Starting Now 〜新しい私へ」（アルティメット・プリンセス・セレブレーション日本版テーマソング）の歌唱アーティストに抜擢される。2022年に「High Five」でメジャーデビュー。映画『ウィキッド ふたりの魔女』日本語吹替版では、憧れ続けたアリアナ・グランデが演じるグリンダ役の吹替を担当し、ミュージカル『レ・ミゼラブル』ではエポニーヌ役を務めた。2026年は夢の役だった『ミス・サイゴン』キム役に挑む。代表曲に「TipTap」「Home」「Wave」、最新シングルはアニメ『天は赤い河のほとり』エンディングテーマ「Reunion」。5年後の目標は、日本語の楽曲でグラミー賞にノミネートされること。 ■ FOLLOW MIISHA SHIMIZU Official Website: https://www.universal-music.co.jp/shimizu-miisha/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miisha3148/ X: https://x.com/mEry97239295 X (Staff): https://x.com/miishastaff TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mii3148 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC\_2LUSHUA3gusbD-KPBzkfg Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/intl-ja/artist/2ITl7YzD1Hm6NVojBhKkOp Official Fan Club "NAMASTE": https://miisha0310.fanpla.jp/ ■ YUGEN OFFICIAL Web Site: http://ygen.net/ ■ CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 01:27 Welcome to YUGEN Podcast 02:15 Musical theatre, voice acting, pop — why she refuses one category 05:55 Posting covers since high school 08:57 The Disney call, in the middle of Don Quijote 10:24 One year from her first post to a Disney theme song 12:17 Two years in New York 14:16 What acting school actually teaches 16:23 In musical theatre, dancing is acting with the body 18:25 Kim in Miss Saigon — a real person, not a stereotype 20:32 Lea Salonga, and her own roots 22:00 The song that made her fall for the show 23:22 Growing up on Ariana Grande 24:26 Glinda — dubbing Wicked in Japanese 27:37 Meeting Ariana 28:34 Almost giving up, and her mother's suggestion 31:41 New York, depression, and the way back 35:07 What New York taught her about her own voice 36:47 "Wave" — letting the vulnerability show 39:10 "Home" — for her family, and for her father 41:29 Two ways into a song: the role and the self 43:25 Roles she still wants — and why they cast her as Kim 47:17 What "Asian music" actually means 50:30 Writing in Japanese to reach the world 51:41 Japanese and Filipina, raised by her grandmother 53:27 New single "Reunion" 55:31 Her favourite line in the song 57:56 Five years from now: a Grammy, in Japanese CREDITS YUGEN Production Committee ― MC: Isaac Y. Takeu REIKO Guest: Miisha Shimizu Creative Producer: Yamato Miyake Art Department: ONSA Inc. Art Director: sami Art Department Coordinator: Riku Matsuse Edit: 4thclue Inc. Production: OASIZ Inc.