Rino Sashihara

Biography

Rino Sashihara (指原 莉乃, Sashihara Rino; born November 21, 1992) is a Japanese music producer, television personality, and entrepreneur. She is best known as the producer of the girl groups =Love, ≠Me, and ≒Joy, and as a former member of girl groups HKT48, AKB48, and STU48. She holds the record for winning the annual AKB48 Group General Elections four times. She was also chairperson of the Tokyo Idol Festival from 2017 to 2021.
Sashihara joined AKB48 in 2007, and in 2011 became a member of its subgroup Not Yet, which released several singles as a separate unit. She was transferred to HKT48 in Hakata, Fukuoka Prefecture, in 2012, where she became theater manager in 2013. 2017 marked several major milestones of her career, as she became a founding member and theater manager of STU48; launched her first idol group as producer, =Love (Equal Love); won the AKB48 Group General Elections for the fourth time; and became chairperson of the Tokyo Idol Festival. She left HKT48 in 2019, and has since produced two sister groups to =Love: ≠Me (Not Equal Me) in 2019 and ≒Joy (Nearly Equal Joy) in 2022.
Aside from music production, Sashihara is a prominent variety television personality, as well as co-founder and producer of the cosmetic brand Ririmew (リリミュウ) and the contact lens brand Topards.

2007–2012: AKB48

In October 2007, Sashihara was accepted as a trainee for the 5th generation of AKB48. She was promoted to a regular member of Team B in August 2008. Her first title track single was "Ōgoe Diamond", released in October of that year. She placed 27th in the 2009 AKB48 Group General Elections, where fans voted for the members to be included in the singer lineups for the next AKB48 single, and was assigned to the "Under Girls" lineup, who would perform on the first B-side singles. She remained in that position for subsequent single releases until the 2010 General Elections, where she placed 19th and was assigned to the primary group, known as Senbatsu (選抜; lit. 'selection'), who perform the title track. In August 2009, AKB48 announced that she would transfer to Team A, although the transfer did not occur until July 2010.
On December 4, 2010, Sashihara attempted to upload 100 articles in a day on her official blog, with the number of page views reaching 35 million on the same day.
In January 2011, Sashihara starred in a half-hour television program titled You're Just Sashiko (This Program Is Totally Unrelated to AKB) (さしこのくせに〜この番組はAKBとは全く関係ありません〜, Sashiko no Kuseni (Kono Bangumi wa AKB to wa Mattaku Kankei Arimasen)), broadcast by TBS, which features her hetare (ヘタレ; lit. 'incompetent' or 'loser') persona. The program was subtitled "A variety program to train Sashiko" (さしこ育成バラエティ, Sashiko Ikusei Variety).
Sashihara starred in the NTV4 drama Muse no Kagami starting on January 14, 2012. She sang the theme song, "Soredemo Suki Da yo", which was released as her debut solo single on May 2 on the major record label Avex Trax.

Sashihara produced the idol festival Yubi Matsuri, held at Nippon Budokan on June 25 and featuring girl groups such as Momoiro Clover Z, Idoling!!!, Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku, Super Girls, Tokyo Girls' Style, Passpo and Watarirouka Hashiritai 7.

2012–2017: Transition to HKT48, four-time AKB48 Group General Elections winner

On June 16, 2012, Sashihara was transferred to HKT48 after the tabloid Shukan Bunshun published an interview with a man who claimed to have had an intimate relationship with her. She stated in response that the man was "just a friend" and that the story was completely false. Four days later, she had a panic attack onstage, and hyperventilated due to the stress. She debuted at the HKT48 Theater as a member of HKT48 Team H on July 5, 2012.
Sashihara released her second solo single, "Ikujinashi Masquerade", on October 17, 2012. The single reached number one on the Oricon Weekly chart, becoming the third solo single by an AKB48 member to reach that milestone.
In 2013, Sashihara assumed the position of HKT48 co-manager and theater manager, while continuing to be a member of HKT48 Team H. Her promotion was seen by some in the media as a confirmation of producer Yasushi Akimoto's intention to grant her a role in the management of the group due to her production skills, something he had been hinting at since as early as 2010. She produced SKE48 member Kaori Matsumura's first solo single "Matsumurabu", with free rein over costume design, lyrics writing, music video direction, as well as choice of music and instrumental arrangement.
Also in 2013, Sashihara won the annual AKB48 Group General Elections for the first time with 150,570 votes, beating previous year winner Yuko Oshima's 136,503 votes and making her the center (lead performer) for the first time for the single "Koi Suru Fortune Cookie".
In wake of her mainstream popularity, on August 11, 2014, Sashihara's first autobiography, Gyakutenryoku: Pinch o Mate (逆転力～ピンチを待て～; lit. 'Power of Reversal: Wait For a Crisis'), was published by Kodansha, selling over 20,000 copies in its first week of release and prompting a number of subsequent reprints. The book was based on a series of interviews with Sashihara and recollects various periods of her life and career. It was widely advertised by the media as a self-improvement volume recommended for working adults.
After taking second place to Mayu Watanabe in 2014, Sashihara won the AKB48 Group General Elections three years in a row with a total of 194,049 votes in 2015, 243,011 votes in 2016, and 246,376 votes in 2017. She opted out of the 2018 Elections, which would be the last such event to be held.
In 2017, Sashihara announced the audition for voice actress idols on April 29 and started producing the idol group =Love (Equal Love), consisting of voice actresses from the Yoyogi Animation Academy. In February, she became member and theater manager of the newly founded STU48, and resigned on November 25 to focus on HKT48. She also became chairperson of the annual Tokyo Idol Festival, where =Love had their first live performance in August; she would hold this position until she was succeeded by Neru Nagahama in 2021.

2017–present: Idol production and other business ventures

On December 15, 2018, Sashihara announced that she would depart from HKT48. Her "graduation" concert, titled "Sashihara Rino Graduation Concert ~Sayonara, Sashihara Rino~", was held on April 28, 2019, three days before Japan's transition to the Reiwa era; she commented that she wanted to "do [her] best as an idol" until the very end of the Heisei era.
Sashihara launched ≠Me (Not Equal Me) in 2019 and ≒Joy (Nearly Equal Joy) in 2022 as sister groups to =Love. She won the Lyrics Award in the 67th Japan Record Awards for the =Love song "Tokubechu, Shite" in 2025.
Sashihara is co-founder and producer of the cosmetic brand Ririmew (リリミュウ), founded in 2022 in collaboration with talent agency Twin Planet and cosmetics manufacturer Koji Honpo, and the contact lens brand Topards. Ririmew products have won awards from prominent beauty portals LDK the Beauty in 2022 and @cosme in 2025.

AKB48 General Election placements

Sashihara's placements in AKB48's annual general election:

Solo singles

• RIAJ Digital Track Chart was established in April 2009 and discontinued in July 2012.

Albums with AKB48

Kamikyokutachi
"Kimi to Niji to Taiyō to"
Koko ni Ita Koto
"Shōjotachi yo"
"Overtake"
"Kaze no Yukue"
"Koko ni Ita Koto"
1830m
"First Rabbit"
"Ren'ai Sōsenkyo"
"Abogado Ja nē Shi..."
"Itterasshai"
"Aozora yo Sabishikunai Ka?"
Tsugi no Ashiato
"After Rain"
"Boy Hunt no Houhou Oshiemasu"
Koko ga Rhodes da, Koko de Tobe!
"Setsunai Reply"
"Ai no Sonzai"
0 to 1 no Aida
"Yasashiku Aritai"

Performance groups

Team B 3rd Stage Pajama Drive (パジャマドライブ)
"Kagami no Naka no Jean D'Arc" (鏡の中のジャンヌ・ダルク) (after Ayaka Kikuchi's graduation)
Team K 4th Stage Saishū Bell ga Naru (最終ベルが鳴る)
Team A 4th Stage Tadaima Renaichū (ただいま恋愛中)
"Faint"
Kenkyūsei Tadaima Renaichū (ただいま恋愛中)
"Faint"
Team B 4th Stage Idol no Yoake (アイドルの夜明け)
"Itoshiki Natasha" (愛しきナターシャ)
Team Kenkyūsei Idol no Yoake (アイドルの夜明け)
"Zannen Shōjo" (残念少女)
"Itoshiki Natasha" (愛しきナターシャ)
Theatre G-Posso Yume o Shinaseru Wake ni wa Ikanai (夢を死なせるわけにいかない)
"Confession"
Team A 6th Stage Mokugekisha (目撃者)
"Enjou Rosen" (炎上路線)
"Saboten to Goldrush" (サボテンとゴールドラッシュ)
Team H 1st Stage Te o Tsunagi Nagara (手をつなぎながら)
"Glory Days"
"Kono Mune no Barcode" (この胸のバーコード)
Team H Waiting Stage Hakata Legend (博多レジェンド)
"Seifuku Resistance" (制服レジスタンス)
"Seifuku no Bambi" (制服のバンビ)
Himawari-gumi Pajama Drive (パジャマドライブ)
"Kagami no Naka no Jean D'Arc" (鏡の中のジャンヌ・ダルク)
Team H 2nd Stage Seishun Girls (青春ガールズ)
"Blue Rose"
"Fushidara na Natsu" (ふしだらな夏)
Team H 3rd Stage Saishuu Bell ga naru (最終ベルが鳴る)
"Oshibe to Meshibe to Yoru no Chouchou" (おしべとめしべと夜の蝶々)

Films

Muse no Kagami (2012), Maki Mukouda
Kodomo Keisatsu (2013), Rino Makihara
I'll Give It My All... Tomorrow (2013), Aya Unami
Barairo no Būko (2014), Sachiko (Būko)
Crayon Shin-Chan: My Moving Story! Cactus Large Attack! (2015), Sumaho-chan (voice)
One Piece: Stampede (2019), Anne (voice)
Goodbye, Don Glees! (2022), Mako Kamogawa (voice)

TV dramas

Majisuka Gakuen (TV Tokyo, 2010), Wota
Dr.Irabu Ichirō (TV Asahi, 2011), herself
Majisuka Gakuen 2 (TV Tokyo, 2011), Wota
Muse no Kagami (NTV, 2012), Maki Mukouda
Fukuoka Renai Hakusho (KBC, 2012), Kaori
Kodomo Keisatsu Episode 6 (MBS, 2012), Rino Makihara
Megutantte Mahō Tsukaeru no? Episode 6 (NTV, 2012), Maki Mukouda
Yūsha Yoshihiko to Akuryō no Kagi Episode 9 (TV Tokyo, 2012), Eliza
Honto ni Atta Kowai Hanashi Natsu no Tokubetsuhen 2013 "Ugomeku Ningyō" (Fuji TV, 2013), Rina Sonoda
Tenmasan ga Yuku Episode 5 (TBS, 2013), Miyoko Oshimizu
Majisuka Gakuen 4 Episode 1 (Nippon TV, 2015), Scandal
Koinaka Episode 9 (Fuji TV, 2015)
Majisuka Gakuen 0: Kisarazu Rantōhen Episode 1 (Nippon Television, 2015), Ageman
AKB Horror Night: Adrenaline's Night Ep.31 – Another Meeting Person (TV Asashi, 2016), Sayaka
AKB Love Night: Love Factory Ep.19 – Italian String (TV Asashi, 2016), Akiko

Photobooks

B.L.T. U-17 vol.8 (Tokyo News Service, November 6, 2008) ISBN 9784863360303
B.L.T. U-17 vol.11 sizzleful girl 2009 summer (Tokyo News Service, August 5, 2009) ISBN 9784863360600
Sashiko (Kodansha, January 19, 2012) ISBN 9784063896329
Neko ni Maketa (Kobunsha, December 26, 2013) ISBN 9784334901981
Scandal Chūdoku (Kodansha, March 22, 2016) ISBN 9784063899528