Koike Minami or “Miichan” is the only 1st Generation member from Kansai. Despite her quiet and shy demeanor, she would not hold back if you make fun of her Kansai-ben (Kansai dialect). From an unconfident girl from Hyogo Prefecture, Koike steadily grew to a confident person and became one of the core members of the group. One of the breakthroughs she had was when she stepped forward for “Futari Saison” dance solo on the last day of their “Keyakizaka46 Summer Zenkoku Arena Tour 2018" when the song's original center, Hirate Yurina, was injured. She has also covered 6 different positions in “Ambivalent” including the center position. Her first center performance for the song was during the “KEYAKIZAKA46 Live Online, but with YOU!” live performance which was widely acclaimed by fans.
