Artist Profile
- Full Name: Sasaki Ako
- Native Name: 佐々木 亜子
- Nicknames: Ako Chan, Eiko, Lee Ako
- Birthday: Jul 08, 2008 (17 years old)
- Blood type: N/A
- Height/Weight: N/A / N/A
- Gender: Female
- Zodiac Sign: Cancer
- MBTI: ISFJ
- Birthplace: Fukuoka, Japan
- Nationality: Japanese
- Profession: Singer
- Language Skills: Japanese (Fukuoka dialect), Korean
- Current Agency: High Up Entertainment
- Debut: April 21, 2026
- Fandom: CHACHA
- Years Active: 2026–present
- Group: UNCHILD
Ako (아코), born Sasaki Ako (佐々木 亜子), is a Japanese singer born on July 8, 2008. She is currently under High Up Entertainment and is a member of the girl group UNCHILD (언차일드), where she serves as a sub-vocalist and dancer. She is the first Japanese artist to debut under High Up Entertainment.
Early life
Sasaki Ako was born in Fukuoka, Japan. She grew up listening to Girls’ Generation’s Japanese releases and became interested in K-pop from an early age. After attending a BTS concert while in fourth grade, she decided she wanted to become a K-pop idol.
She trained under HYBE Labels Japan and Belift Lab before joining High Up Entertainment sometime in late 2022 or early 2023. She trained for approximately three and a half years.
Career
2026
On March 27, 2026, Ako was identified by fans as one of the members of UNCHILD while the group was filming content at the Gyeongju World Culture Expo Park.
On April 7, 2026, she was officially introduced as a member of UNCHILD through the group’s debut trailer, in which she appeared stepping out of a car under spotlights. High Up Entertainment described her as UNCHILD’s “viral trigger” in the official press release accompanying the trailer.
On April 21, 2026, UNCHILD made their official debut and released their first digital single, “We Are UNCHILD.”
Popularity
Ako appeared in GQ Korea and Cosmopolitan Korea in May 2026, shortly after UNCHILD’s debut. As the first Japanese artist to debut under High Up Entertainment, Ako drew attention from both Korean and Japanese audiences.
Fun Facts
- She remains friends with some contestants from the survival show R U Next?, having trained alongside them during her time at Belift Lab.
- Ako says she is in charge of “quirkiness” within UNCHILD.
- She describes herself as “quirky” or “a little unusual.”
- Her nicknames include Ako Chan (아코짱), Eiko (에이코), and Lee Ako (이아코).
- She speaks Japanese in the Fukuoka dialect.
- Her hobbies include eating, watching anime, going for walks while listening to music, and pulling funny expressions.
- She dislikes heights, bugs, and being asked to repeat herself.
- Her representative color within UNCHILD is magenta, and her personal symbol is the ribbon emoji (🎀).
- She considers her smile, quirky personality, and work ethic to be her biggest charms.
- She likes people who show her affection, food, indoor sports, and creating TikToks.
- She has cited her parents and Girls’ Generation as major influences growing up.