With her soft, transparent beauty and an acting style that can completely change from role to role, Kana Kurashina has built a career spanning morning dramas, serious television roles, comedy and the stage.
Born on December 23, 1987, in Kumamoto Prefecture, Kurashina won the Grand Prix at the SMA Teens Audition in 2005 while still in high school. The following year, she was also selected as the Grand Prix winner of Miss Magazine 2006.
In 2009, she became widely known after being chosen as the heroine of the NHK morning drama Welkame. She later appeared in productions including Namae wo Nakushita Megami, the Keiji 7-nin series, Ubai Ai, Fuyu, the Shoujiki Fudousan series, and films such as March Comes in Like a Lion, Aiai-gasa and Mikazuki to Neko.
After Welkame, she expanded into stronger, more complex and emotionally intense roles while continuing to appear on stage. Over time, she has built a broad range across television, film and theatre.
In 2026, her work included NHK’s Jiken wa, Sono Mawari de Okiteiru Series 3, the BS period drama Hagure Gumo, Amazon Prime Video’s Beauty Battle Royale, and the Netflix series Kokumin Quiz, scheduled for release in December.
Now 38, Kurashina has spent around two decades in the entertainment industry. After devoting much of her 20s and 30s to work, she has increasingly begun to value more time for herself and greater space in daily life.
Looking at her beauty and wellness habits reveals a very detailed routine: frequent moisturizing for dry skin, movement focused on posture and body awareness, protein, vitamin C, matcha, sleep, journaling, anime, time with her cat and close relationships with family.
From keeping lotion around the house to Pilates, classical ballet, Gyrotonic, chocolate-flavored protein, her role as the eldest of five siblings, her current views on marriage and her 2026 work connected with New Zealand, here is a closer look at Kana Kurashina’s beauty, wellness and lifestyle.
Kana Kurashina’s Beauty Routine: Moisturizer Everywhere for Dry Skin
One of the most memorable parts of Kurashina’s skincare routine is her habit of moisturizing whenever she notices her skin feels dry.
In interviews with 美ST in 2022 and 2023, she described herself as somewhat lazy when it comes to routines, so she designed her environment around that personality by placing facial lotion in several areas of her home.
When she sees it, she uses it. She applies a generous amount with her hands, lets it settle, then layers more depending on how her skin feels.
Instead of relying only on a morning-and-night routine, she has made moisturizing part of everyday life.
💡 She keeps facial lotion around the house
Kurashina knows that convenience helps her stay consistent, so she keeps moisturizing products in multiple places and applies them whenever she notices them.
Facial Lotion and Emulsion for the Décolletage and Body Too
Kurashina extends her moisturizing routine from her face to her décolletage and body.
In 2023, she explained that she uses the same facial lotion and emulsion on areas such as her chest and body.
She also pays attention to areas around the underarms, back and décolletage, touching and checking how her body feels as part of her daily care.
By extending the same moisturizing habit from face to body, she keeps the routine simple and easy to continue.
Scalp, Neck, Shoulders and Underarms as One Connected System
Kurashina has also become interested in how the scalp, neck, shoulders and underarm area relate to the way her body feels overall.
She has talked about loosening the temporal area above the ears and massaging her neck and shoulders whenever she notices tension.
She also uses her hands around the underarms and back, paying attention to how those areas feel from day to day.
Even Tongue Position and Nasal Breathing Became Part of Her Research
When something catches her attention, Kurashina tends to research it deeply.
At one point, while thinking about her facial contours, she became interested in tongue position as well.
In 2022, she said she was consciously placing her tongue near the back of her upper front teeth and also paying attention to breathing through her nose in daily life.
Her interest expanded naturally from the face to posture, muscles and breathing, showing just how curious she is about the way the body works.
💡 Beauty research led her all the way to tongue position
Kurashina tends to follow one question into the next. What began with interest in her facial contours eventually expanded into posture, breathing and tongue position.
Makeup Focuses on Highlight and Blush Placement
Kurashina also pays attention to the overall balance of her face when applying makeup.
In 2022, she said she liked placing highlight on the bridge of the nose and high points of the cheekbones, while positioning blush slightly higher on the face.
Changing from long hair to a shorter style also altered the way she perceived the balance around her face.
For her, skincare, makeup and hairstyle all work together as part of one overall look.
Pilates, Ballet and Gyrotonic: Exercise Focused on Body Alignment
Kurashina’s approach to fitness focuses on posture, alignment and understanding how her body moves.
In 2022 and 2023, she spoke about practicing classical ballet, Gyrotonic, Pilates and strength training with personal trainers.
At Least Once a Week, and Up to Three Times When She Has Time
She aimed to exercise at least once a week and sometimes up to three times when her schedule allowed.
She adjusted the type of movement depending on how her body felt. After periods of stage work, for example, she might do Pilates first and then move on to Gyrotonic in the same day.
Rather than treating every session the same, she enjoys the different sensations each form of exercise gives her.
💡 Pilates followed by Gyrotonic in one day
When her body called for it, Kurashina sometimes combined Pilates and Gyrotonic in a single day, choosing movement based on how she felt at the time.
Foam Rollers and Massage Tools Are Part of the Routine
She also uses tools at home and at rehearsal spaces to support her movement routine.
These have included foam rollers, smaller devices for the shoulder and face area, and roll-type massage tools for the back, shoulders and legs.
She liked one rolling tool so much that she kept multiple units for home, rehearsal spaces and backup use.
💡 Three copies of one favorite massage roller
When Kurashina finds a tool she likes, she uses it thoroughly. At one point, she had one at home, one at rehearsal and one spare.
It Started with Her Face and Expanded to the Whole Body
One of the things that first pushed Kurashina toward body awareness was noticing changes around her face.
As she looked into what supported the face and how those areas connected to the rest of the body, her interest gradually expanded toward posture and full-body movement.
That curiosity led her toward the gym, Gyrotonic, classical ballet and Pilates.
Morning Pilates Began Around Age 30
Her interest in movement was already clear around age 30.
At a 2018 event, she said she had recently started doing Pilates in the morning and hoped to keep it going.
Over time, her routine expanded into ballet, Gyrotonic and strength training, showing how her approach to exercise has grown more detailed with age.
Diet, Protein and Supplements: How Her Eating Habits Changed in Her 30s
Kurashina has also noticed clear changes in her eating habits as she has grown older.
In a 2022 interview, she said that she had not always eaten many vegetables, but in her 30s she began to feel that her body wanted different foods and she became a big fan of salads.
She enjoys both vegetables and meat and pays attention to meal timing in a way that feels manageable for her.
Chocolate-Flavored Whey Protein, With a Goal of One Serving a Day
In 2023, Kurashina also shared that she was incorporating protein into her routine alongside exercise.
She chose chocolate-flavored whey protein and aimed for one serving a day, sometimes drinking it before or after exercise or before bed.
The timing varied depending on her schedule and activity level.
💡 She is a chocolate-protein person
Alongside Pilates and strength training, Kurashina aimed for about one serving of chocolate-flavored whey protein a day during this period.
Vitamin C Before Breakfast and One Matcha Stick a Day
She has also used supplements as part of her daily routine.
In 2023, she described taking a liposomal vitamin C supplement before breakfast.
She also regularly drank a green beverage that people often assumed was aojiru, but it was actually a stick-type matcha drink.
She aimed for about one matcha stick a day.
💡 People think it is aojiru — but it is actually matcha
Kurashina’s green daily drink was often mistaken for aojiru. In fact, she was enjoying a stick-type matcha drink.
Vegetables First, with Simple One-Plate Meals at Home
Back in 2018, Kurashina said she was consciously eating vegetables first and rice later in the meal.
At home, she also liked practical one-plate meals that kept washing up simple.
Curries and side dishes could all go on one plate, making home cooking easier to fit into a busy acting schedule.
Her Signature Dish Is Nanbanzuke with Horse Mackerel
Kurashina also enjoys cooking, and in 2018 she named horse-mackerel nanbanzuke as one of the dishes people around her especially liked.
There was also a period when she lived with one of her younger sisters, who would sometimes say, “Big sis, I’m hungry,” prompting Kurashina to cook Japanese food for her.
Her home cooking often included dishes such as nanbanzuke and chikuzen-ni, giving family meals a distinctly home-style feel.
💡 Her sister once told her, “Your food is so brown”
Kurashina often cooked traditional Japanese dishes such as nanbanzuke and simmered vegetables. Her sister jokingly pointed out that many of them shared the same brown color palette.
Sleep, Journaling, Anime and Her Cat: Creating More Mental Space
Rest and emotional reset are just as important to Kurashina as skincare and exercise.
In 2018, she named sleep as one of the things she consciously valued for beauty and said she liked to get plenty of it.
At the time, she tried to secure at least five hours and sometimes went to bed as early as 9 p.m.
From Sutra Copying to an “Anytime Journal”
Writing has long been one of Kurashina’s ways of organizing her thoughts.
In earlier years, she enjoyed activities such as jigsaw puzzles, coloring, brush-pen writing and eventually sutra copying.
She liked the way writing by hand gave her time to focus on what was happening inside her own mind.
By 2023, that habit had evolved into what she called an “anytime journal.”
She did not force herself to write every day. Instead, she used it freely whenever she wanted to record something good, something frustrating or simply whatever was on her mind.
She liked one notebook series enough to collect around ten of them in different colors.
💡 From sutra copying to journaling — writing has stayed with her for years
The format has changed, but Kurashina has long used writing as a way to organize thoughts and create a little quiet space for herself.
When Work Is Intense, She Cries Over Anime
In 2025, Kurashina gave a particularly vivid description of how she releases stress.
She loves books, manga and anime. When work gets intense and her head feels crowded with information, she watches films, dramas or anime and lets herself react emotionally.
She may drink while watching, talk back to the television, laugh, cry and even hit the floor with her hand when a scene really gets to her.
She named Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End and Natsume’s Book of Friends among the anime that can still make her cry no matter how many times she watches them.
💡 She sometimes cries so hard over anime that she hits the floor
For Kurashina, letting herself laugh and cry over a favorite story is part of resetting emotionally before the next day.
Her Cat Setsu Is an Important Part of Home Life
Kurashina’s cat, Setsu, has also been an important presence in her daily life.
Around 2021, she said it had become a routine to tell Setsu, “I’m going to earn your food money,” before leaving for work.
Knowing that her cat was waiting at home gave her another point of emotional transition between work and private life.
Around the same time, she was also enjoying violin as a hobby after first picking it up for a drama role.
💡 “I’m going to earn your food money”
Before heading to work, Kurashina would talk to her cat Setsu — a small, affectionate ritual that added warmth to her busy schedule.
She Tells Herself “Good Girl” Too
In 2023, Kurashina also spoke about the way she treats herself emotionally.
While looking in the mirror, applying lotion or drying her hair, she sometimes praises herself internally as if saying “good girl.”
Recognizing her own effort has become one of the small ways she gives herself kindness in everyday life.
The Eldest of Five Siblings: Family, High School Jobs and Her Views on Marriage
Family is essential to understanding Kurashina’s strong sense of responsibility.
She grew up in Kumamoto as the eldest of five siblings.
After her parents divorced, her mother raised the children, and Kurashina said in a 2026 interview that she naturally took on something close to a “head of the household” role.
She sometimes helped communicate things her mother found difficult to say to the younger siblings and often took responsibility for being the one who had to scold them.
Three Part-Time Jobs During High School
As a high school student, Kurashina worked three part-time jobs to help support the household.
She worked at a beef-bowl restaurant, a family restaurant and a traditional Japanese restaurant.
Looking back, she has said she actually enjoyed working hard at the time.
She later decided to challenge herself by entering the entertainment world she had been interested in since childhood, and that audition changed the direction of her life.
💡 Three jobs while still in high school
Kurashina worked at a beef-bowl shop, family restaurant and traditional restaurant while helping support her family — an early glimpse of the responsibility she carried.
A Close Relationship with Her Mother
Kurashina has remained very close to her mother in Kumamoto.
Around 2018, it was revealed that they were speaking by phone almost every day.
In 2026, Kurashina said her mother still watches her work, sends messages and checks in on her during demanding shoots.
While she once thought of herself primarily as the person supporting the family, she has increasingly realized how much her family has also supported her.
Trips with Her Nephews and Nieces
As her siblings have started families of their own, Kurashina has also enjoyed spending time with her nephews and nieces.
In 2026, she talked about taking them to Tokyo Disneyland.
For some of the children, it was their first plane ride and first visit to Disneyland, and Kurashina said seeing their excitement brought her joy as well.
💡 Sharing their “firsts”
Kurashina got to see her nephews and nieces experience a first flight and first Disneyland visit — moments that became special for her too.
At 38, Her Ideal Partner Is “Like a Comrade”
In a 2026 interview, Kurashina openly said that she was not married and did not have children.
Her thoughts on marriage have gradually changed since her mid-30s.
In 2023, she said she hoped to meet someone who could walk through life with her while accepting both her strengths and weaknesses.
By 2025, she described wanting someone who could be like a comrade — someone who could move forward and face life alongside her.
She has also said that age itself is not a major concern for her when imagining a partner.
She has spoken with curiosity about the idea of someday sharing childhood games and experiences with children and wondering how that might make her feel as an adult.
Life at 38: Twenty Years in Entertainment and More Time for Herself
Kurashina spent much of her 20s and 30s deeply focused on work.
By 2026, she had been in the entertainment industry for around 20 years. Even during that long career, she has admitted that there were times when she wondered whether acting truly suited her.
Still, she continued to approach each role seriously and built her career one project at a time.
From the heroine of Welkame to strong women, comedy, emotionally complex characters and stage work, she has continued expanding her range as an actor.
Now in her late 30s, she has become more aware that she can be very patient and may notice fatigue later than she expects.
“How Many Years Has It Been Since I Made Corn Soup?”
In an interview near the end of 2024, Kurashina shared an unexpectedly revealing moment.
While working, she saw footage of someone making corn soup and suddenly thought, “How many years has it been since I made corn soup?”
It reminded her of a time when she cooked more often and made her want to bring more deliberate, unhurried moments back into daily life.
That small realization became part of a larger shift toward valuing her own time more carefully.
💡 Corn soup made her rethink how she was spending her time
A simple cooking scene reminded Kurashina how long it had been since she had made corn soup herself — and helped her notice how much she missed slower everyday moments.
In 2026, She Became a New Zealand Tourism Campaign Ambassador
In September 2026, Kurashina became a campaign ambassador for Tourism New Zealand’s new campaign, “A New Zealand Journey That Fills Me.”
As part of the campaign, she traveled through New Zealand, visiting places around Auckland and Christchurch and experiencing the country through nature, food and local culture.
Her trip included Samoan-influenced New Zealand cuisine, forest walks, seasonal Canterbury produce and visits to local markets in Christchurch.
Spending time outdoors, tasting regional food and meeting people along the way felt closely aligned with the way Kurashina has begun to value her own time and daily rhythm more carefully in her late 30s.
She has described New Zealand as a place that feels close to a “second home,” reflecting the special connection she developed with the country.
💡 In 2026, New Zealand became part of her latest chapter
As ambassador for Tourism New Zealand’s campaign, Kurashina explored local food, nature and culture — a fitting match for the more spacious, experience-focused lifestyle she has been embracing.
Dinner with Friends and Quiet Days at Home Matter More Now
When work is busy, Kurashina is constantly surrounded by co-stars, staff and new information.
These days, she places more value on staying home and relaxing, or simply going out for a meal with friends she has not seen in a while.
Talking, laughing and being exposed to fresh perspectives all help her feel more open and refreshed.
Beauty and Work Share the Same Theme: Know Yourself and Keep It Sustainable
Across Kana Kurashina’s beauty and wellness habits, one theme appears again and again: small adjustments that fit who she really is.
She keeps lotion around the house, changes her exercise depending on how her body feels, enjoys both vegetables and meat, and works protein and supplements into her routine in a flexible way.
When she needs to organize her thoughts, she writes. When she needs emotional release, she watches anime. At home, she spends time with her cat, and on quieter days she gives herself permission to slow down.
After around two decades in entertainment, she is now choosing a pace that feels better suited to the person she is becoming as she approaches her 40s.
Her skincare, fitness, food, emotional self-care and work all reflect the same idea: understand yourself well enough to create habits you can actually continue.
Having carried responsibility from a young age as the eldest of five siblings and then spending many years building an acting career, Kurashina now seems equally committed to making room for her own wellbeing and new experiences.
That balance between discipline and self-kindness is one of the clearest themes in Kana Kurashina’s beauty and wellness philosophy today.
References
- Sony Music Artists — Kana Kurashina official profile and latest appearances
- 美ST ONLINE — Kana Kurashina’s beauty routine, 2022
- 美ST ONLINE — Kana Kurashina’s body care and exercise routine, 2023
- 美ST ONLINE — Kana Kurashina’s body-care items, protein and supplement routine, 2023
- 美ST ONLINE — Kana Kurashina on lifestyle changes in her 30s, 2022
- 美ST ONLINE — Kana Kurashina’s journaling and emotional self-care, 2023
- 美ST ONLINE — Kana Kurashina on marriage and self-encouragement, 2023
- Sponichi — Kana Kurashina on sleep, food and cooking, 2018
- ORICON NEWS — Kana Kurashina on her family and mother, 2018
- ORICON NEWS — Kana Kurashina on sutra copying, hobbies and organizing her thoughts
- ananweb — Kana Kurashina on her cat, violin and home life, 2021
- THE CHANGE — Kana Kurashina on slowing down as she approaches her 40s, 2024
- THE CHANGE — Kana Kurashina on how her views on marriage changed, 2025
- Kojitsu Kounichi / Asahi — Kana Kurashina on using anime to release stress, 2025
- CoCorone — Kana Kurashina on being the eldest of five siblings, 2026
- CoCorone — Kana Kurashina on 20 years in entertainment and acting, 2026
- Fujinkoron.jp — Kana Kurashina on family and her three high-school jobs, 2026
- Fujinkoron.jp — Kana Kurashina on her mother, nephews and nieces, 2026
- Air New Zealand — Kana Kurashina’s New Zealand journey, 2026
- Tourism New Zealand — “A New Zealand Journey That Fills Me” campaign, 2026
- Netflix — Kokumin Quiz cast announcement, 2026
