Sayaka was raised solely by her father, as her mother had passed away. Because her father worked long hours every day, Sayaka spent a lot of time alone at home. The only thing that kept her from feeling lonely was the idol live show she watched on television. The idol girls' smiles were a source of strength for her, and she became determined to become an idol herself so that she could give strength to other people. She did some bad things and made many sacrifices in order to achieve her dream.
Sayaka and Makoto Naegi both went to Sixth Black Root Middle School, though were unaware of each other's character because they weren't in the same classes and social groups. On one occasion, Sayaka saw Makoto nurse an injured crane back to health after it got lost and stuck in the school pool. This action touched Sayaka, and, after that incident, she wanted to get to know Makoto more. Unfortunately, they ended up graduating middle school without interacting with each other, and then went to different high schools.
Sayaka was later scouted for Hope's Peak Academy's Class 78th, where she met Makoto once again.
