From her early days as “Sasshi” in AKB48 and HKT48 to becoming a television personality, idol producer and beauty brand producer, Rino Sashihara has continually reinvented both her career and her approach to beauty.
Over a career spanning her teens through her 30s, she has changed not only the way she presents herself, but also the way she thinks about skincare, makeup, fitness, health and everyday self-care.
Sashihara passed AKB48’s fifth-generation audition in 2007 and made her theater debut in 2008. After transferring to HKT48 in 2012, she was appointed HKT48 Theater Manager in 2013 while continuing to perform as a member of the group.
That same year, she placed first in the AKB48 General Election for the first time. She later took the top position again in 2015, 2016 and 2017, becoming the first person to win three consecutive elections and recording four first-place finishes overall.
After graduating from HKT48 in 2019, Sashihara continued appearing on television while expanding her work as a producer. She currently produces the idol groups =LOVE, ≠ME and ≒JOY.
In 2025, she received the Lyricist Award at the 67th Japan Record Awards for =LOVE’s “Tokubechu, Shite,” which she wrote. In the same year, she also joined former AKB48 members for the group’s 20th-anniversary single, Oh my pumpkin!.
Beauty has become another major part of her public career.
Over the years, she has openly discussed skincare, makeup, hair care, body care, oral care, UV protection, Pilates, strength training, walking, sleep, bathing and eating habits.
In 2021, after around two years of development, she launched the cosmetics brand Ririmew. She also produces the colored contact lens brand TOPARDS, moving from someone who simply enjoyed beauty products to someone who develops products around her own ideas and preferences.
In her 30s, her beauty philosophy has become increasingly focused on preparing the skin well, using subtle definition and natural-looking color, and choosing makeup that works with her individual facial features. Exercise, food, sleep and emotional self-care have also become part of the same broader wellness picture.
So how has Rino Sashihara’s beauty and wellness routine changed from her AKB48 days to the present? Here is a closer look at her skincare, makeup, hair care, fitness, food habits, sleep, self-care and evolution as a producer.
Rino Sashihara Profile
Date of birth: November 21, 1992
Birthplace: Oita Prefecture, Japan
Height: 159 cm
Blood type: O
Occupation: TV personality, MC, idol producer and beauty brand producer
AKB48: Passed the fifth-generation audition in 2007; theater debut in 2008
HKT48: Transferred in 2012; served concurrently as theater manager from 2013
AKB48 General Election: First place in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017; first three-time consecutive winner and four-time winner overall
Graduation: Graduated from HKT48 on April 28, 2019
Idol production: =LOVE, ≠ME, ≒JOY
Beauty production: Ririmew, TOPARDS
Current activities: Television, idol and beauty brand production, YouTube and social media
Rino Sashihara’s Career: From AKB48 and HKT48 to Idol and Beauty Producer
Rino Sashihara’s entertainment career began when she passed AKB48’s fifth-generation audition in 2007.
She made her theater debut the following year and gradually became known for a personality that could turn weaknesses, mistakes and insecurities into humor.
In 2012, she transferred from AKB48 to HKT48.
Despite the major change in environment, she continued building her career, and in April 2013 it was announced that she would also serve as HKT48 Theater Manager.
💡 At 20, she was both an idol and a theater manager
In 2013, while still performing as an HKT48 member, Sashihara also took on a management role. Experiencing both the performer and production sides of the idol world would later connect naturally with her work as an idol producer.
That same year, she placed first in the AKB48 General Election.
She reached No. 1 again in 2015, 2016 and 2017, becoming the first person to win three consecutive elections and achieving four first-place finishes in total.
💡 Three consecutive wins and four No. 1 finishes
Her first General Election victory came in 2013, followed by three straight wins from 2015 through 2017. It remains one of the defining records of her idol career.
Even during her idol years, Sashihara was interested not only in how she herself appeared, but also in how other members and the group as a whole could be presented.
In 2017, she began producing =LOVE in collaboration with Yoyogi Animation Academy.
≠ME followed in 2019 and ≒JOY in 2022. Today, she produces all three groups.
After graduating from HKT48 on April 28, 2019, she increasingly moved from being the idol on stage to creating and developing the kind of idols she wanted to see.
In 2025, she received the Lyricist Award at the 67th Japan Record Awards for =LOVE’s “Tokubechu, Shite.”
That same year, she participated in AKB48’s 20th-anniversary single Oh my pumpkin! alongside former members including Atsuko Maeda, Minami Takahashi and Haruna Kojima.
Returning to the group where her career began—this time as someone who had spent years developing younger performers—was a symbolic moment in Sashihara’s evolution.
Skincare, Hair and Oral Care: Cleansing, Moisture and Everyday Maintenance
One of the most noticeable features of Rino Sashihara’s beauty routine is how much importance she places on basic daily care.
Removing makeup carefully.
Keeping the skin moisturized.
Taking care of her hair at home.
Maintaining a thorough oral-care routine.
These relatively simple habits form an important part of her current approach to beauty.
In 2026, one of the basics she emphasized again was simply removing her makeup properly.
At a July 2026 event, when asked about her beauty habits, one of the first things Sashihara mentioned was making sure she removes her makeup.
When she was younger, she sometimes fell asleep without completing her nighttime routine after an exhausting day.
Today, she places more importance on coming home, removing her makeup, bathing and then going to bed.
💡 After years of trying beauty products, the basics still matter
Sashihara has tried countless cosmetics and even developed her own beauty brand. Yet in her 30s, some of the habits she continues to emphasize are also among the simplest: removing makeup, bathing and getting enough sleep.
Moisturizing from the face down to the neck and nape
In 2026, while wearing a yukata at an event, Sashihara was asked about care for her neck and nape. She explained that she uses a generous amount of lotion throughout the year.
After someone once drew her attention to the area, she became more conscious of extending her skincare beyond the face and down the back of the neck.
💡 In 2026, her “skincare for the nape” attracted attention
Rather than treating the face as the end point of skincare, Sashihara includes the neck and nape in her regular moisturizing routine.
Two-step body care after bathing
In a 2024 MAQUIA interview, she described using a mist-type moisturizing product over her body immediately after getting out of the bath. After completing her facial skincare, she would then apply body cream.
This makes body moisturizing part of the natural flow of her evening routine rather than a separate task.
Hair care continues at home
To maintain her longer hairstyle, Sashihara said in 2024 that she was using shampoo and conditioner selected with hair damage in mind and incorporating an ultrasonic treatment device roughly once a week.
She combines salon care with regular home maintenance, treating hair care as another part of her everyday beauty routine.
Oral care is part of beauty, too
Her routine has also included more than ordinary tooth brushing.
In a morning routine she shared in 2021, she used dental floss, a tongue brush and mouthwash in addition to brushing her teeth.
She has described enjoying the clean, refreshed feeling after completing the full routine.
When her skin feels different, she looks at her lifestyle as a whole
When she notices changes in the condition of her skin, Sashihara has said that she considers not only skincare but also food, sleep and exercise.
Her motivation for beauty has also been closely linked with a simple idea she has expressed publicly: she likes feeling healthy.
In her 30s, the connection between beauty and general wellness has become increasingly central to her routine.
Makeup and Ririmew: From Beauty Experimentation to a More Refined Look in Her 30s
Rino Sashihara has long been known in Japan as someone with a strong interest in makeup and beauty.
That interest, however, did not begin at the same level of intensity it has today.
Her deeper interest in beauty began in the AKB48 dressing room
In a 2019 MAQUIA interview, Sashihara recalled that comments from fellow AKB48 members about her makeup helped spark her deeper interest in beauty.
Experiences with Tomomi Itano and Haruna Kojima doing her makeup backstage also encouraged that interest.
From there, she began reading beauty magazines, trying cosmetics herself, visiting department-store beauty counters and studying her own face in detail.
Rather than simply copying another person’s makeup, she became interested in experimenting until she found techniques that worked with her own facial features.
💡 Her beauty obsession began backstage at AKB48
Advice and hands-on makeup experiences with other members encouraged Sashihara to study beauty more seriously. Beauty magazines, cosmetic counters and her own face gradually became her “textbooks.”
Her 20s were about layering techniques; her 30s are about refinement
In a 2025 VOCE interview, Sashihara reflected that in her 20s she often layered many small makeup techniques, including detailed work around the mouth and complexion.
In her 30s, she has become more interested in keeping makeup lighter so that it continues to look natural as the hours pass.
First, she focuses on preparing the skin.
She then uses subtle shading and natural-looking color while considering the overall balance of her face.
She also thinks about the difference between makeup she personally likes and makeup that works particularly well with her own features.
She has discussed observing the vertical and horizontal proportions of her face and adjusting details such as eyeliner and lower lashes accordingly.
💡 Her 30s are about using less—and choosing more carefully
After experimenting with many techniques in her 20s, Sashihara’s approach has shifted toward preparing the skin, adding subtle definition and choosing details that suit her face. Beauty has become as much about editing as adding.
She sometimes checks her makeup on video, not only in a mirror
Sashihara also has an interesting way of evaluating how her makeup looks.
She has said that looking in a mirror can make people unconsciously adopt the expressions and angles they know look good.
For that reason, she sometimes records herself on a smartphone after finishing her makeup.
This allows her to see what her face looks like while speaking, turning to the side or briefly closing her eyes—closer to the way other people actually see her in motion.
💡 Makeup check by video
Instead of judging makeup only through a still reflection, Sashihara checks moving expressions and different angles. It is a very practical habit for someone who has spent many years appearing on television.
Ririmew launched in 2021 after around two years of development
Her years of experimenting with cosmetics eventually led to creating products herself.
Ririmew officially launched on April 15, 2021, following roughly two years of development.
Sashihara has been involved in decisions around price, usability, color, texture and packaging, with the goal of creating cosmetics she herself would want to use.
💡 The name “Ririmew” combines Rino with a kitten-like “mew”
Sashihara has said that around 15 potential names were considered. The final name combines an element associated with “Rino” and the sound “mew,” chosen partly for its appearance and soft, cute sound.
One of the first people she showed near-finished products to was her former AKB48 senior Haruna Kojima.
Sashihara later recalled that she felt slightly embarrassed at first about telling people she was developing cosmetics, so receiving positive feedback from Kojima was especially encouraging.
TOPARDS expanded her beauty production into colored contact lenses
Sashihara also produces the colored contact lens brand TOPARDS, extending her approach to beauty from cosmetics to the overall balance of the eyes, makeup and face.
Colored contact lenses are regulated medical devices in Japan, so they should be used according to product instructions and professional eye-care guidance.
Ririmew celebrated its fifth anniversary in 2026
Ririmew marked its fifth anniversary on April 15, 2026.
New anniversary projects included items produced by =LOVE member Emiri Otani.
Then, in July 2026, =LOVE became a brand muse for Ririmew.
A cosmetics brand that began with Sashihara’s personal interest in beauty is now entering a new stage alongside the idols she has spent years producing.
Fitness, Body Maintenance and Food: Walking, Strength Training and Pilates
Sashihara’s approach to exercise has changed over the years as her lifestyle and priorities have changed.
At one stage, she was especially into 30-minute incline walks
Around 2019, she incorporated approximately 30 minutes of brisk walking on an inclined treadmill two or three times a week.
At the time, she said that walking quietly by herself suited her personality.
She later added personal training and, in 2020, went through a period when she trained approximately once every five days.
In 2022, she discussed training once or twice a week and aiming for around 10,000 steps a day.
By 2024, her routine included Pilates and strength training about once a week, along with choosing to walk whenever possible.
💡 Her fitness routine changes with her lifestyle
Incline walking, personal training, 10,000-step days, Pilates and strength work have all appeared at different stages of Sashihara’s life. Rather than following one permanent routine, she has adjusted exercise around what feels sustainable at the time.
In her 30s, she has become more interested in building muscle
In a 2024 beauty interview, Sashihara spoke about admiring a more toned physique with visible strength, including defined shoulders and abdominal muscles.
Her focus has shifted from simply appearing slimmer toward building enough muscle to create a body that feels strong and works well with the clothes she wants to wear.
Her eating habits have also changed with her schedule
At different times, Sashihara has talked about consciously including protein-containing foods such as chicken and eggs and adjusting breakfast according to her work schedule.
She has also experimented with eating dinner earlier when that helped her feel more comfortable the following morning.
In 2022, she discussed getting protein through foods such as meat and protein products while also eating vegetables.
In 2024, she said that when she notices changes in her skin or body, she may look again at her overall diet and adjust choices such as vegetables and staple foods.
Seen across several years, her eating habits reflect the same pattern as her exercise routine: she experiments, observes how she feels and makes changes according to her current lifestyle.
💡 On days off, she has even made curry from whole spices
Sashihara has described getting deeply absorbed in cooking when something interests her. In one interview, she talked about spending a day off grinding spices and making curry simply because she enjoyed the process.
Sleep, Bathing and Self-Care: Rest, Routine and Giving Herself Credit
One aspect of Sashihara’s wellness routine that has remained fairly consistent over the years is her emphasis on sleep.
Around 2019, she said she liked to be in bed by around 11 p.m. and, when possible, wanted approximately nine hours of sleep.
During a 2022 livestream, she again described herself as someone who values getting enough sleep and mentioned having slept for ten hours that day.
Even during busy periods, she has treated sleep as an important part of preparing herself for the following day.
💡 “I want nine hours”—and sometimes ten
Sashihara has spoken about sleep repeatedly over the years. For her, getting sufficient rest is part of maintaining her energy, mood and ability to work the next day.
Bathing creates a clear transition before sleep
In past interviews, she described soaking in the bath for around 10 to 15 minutes throughout the year while keeping water nearby.
She also spoke in 2020 about valuing the time she spends bathing before bed.
Her current routine still follows a similar rhythm: remove makeup, take a bath and then prepare for sleep.
One source of beauty motivation: praising herself
When asked in 2024 what she considered important for becoming more polished, one of Sashihara’s answers was learning to praise herself.
She might recognize that she adjusted her diet for a shoot.
That she made time to exercise.
That she continued her skincare routine.
By acknowledging those small actions herself, she turns beauty into something that can be continued positively rather than treated only as a list of tasks.
💡 When she feels overwhelmed, she writes “This is hard” in the middle of her iPad
Sashihara has described opening a note on her iPad, writing down how she feels and then branching out into questions such as why she feels that way and what she can do next. Putting thoughts into words helps her organize them and identify a practical next step.
When discussing her motivation for beauty, she has also said that she simply likes being healthy.
Skincare, makeup, food, exercise, sleep and emotional organization all sit within the same broader idea of wellness for Sashihara today.
Rino Sashihara Today: Connecting Beauty, Wellness and Idol Production
As of 2026, Rino Sashihara is 33 and continues to work across television, idol production and beauty.
Following her HKT48 graduation, she has remained active on Japanese television while continuing to produce =LOVE, ≠ME and ≒JOY.
The worlds of entertainment and beauty have also become increasingly connected in her work.
“Tokubechu, Shite” continued receiving recognition in 2026
After Sashihara received the Lyricist Award for =LOVE’s “Tokubechu, Shite” in 2025, the song received the Best Girls Idol Culture Song award at MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2026.
The recognition highlighted not only the group’s popularity but also Sashihara’s expanding role as a songwriter and producer.
In June 2026, =LOVE also held a two-day stadium concert at MUFG Stadium, marking another milestone in the scale of her idol production work.
Meanwhile, AKB48’s Oh my pumpkin!, which featured Sashihara alongside other former members in 2025, received a Planning Award at the 67th Japan Record Awards.
Her original world as an AKB48 member and her current role developing a new generation of performers have increasingly begun to overlap.
The story behind the headlines about walking through the city with her face uncovered
In August 2026, an anecdote Sashihara shared on television became widely reported.
She explained that she usually wears a hat and mask when going out.
One day, deciding she wanted to try something different, she went outside without covering her face, carrying only a parasol.
She happened to run into First Summer Uika—and later, at another location, someone approached her and asked whether she would be interested in becoming a short-hair model.
The person eventually realized who she was, turning the encounter into an unexpectedly humorous episode.
💡 “Walking around with her face uncovered” did not mean going out without makeup
The Japanese reports referred to Sashihara going outside without hiding her face behind a hat and mask. They were not describing a public appearance without makeup.
What makes the story interesting is that, for someone who has spent much of her life being recognized in public, simply walking normally through the city without concealing her identity could feel like a small new challenge.
Her work in beauty and idol production is increasingly becoming one story
In 2026, Ririmew celebrated its fifth anniversary and =LOVE became part of the brand’s new visual identity.
Sashihara first became an idol herself.
She then experienced supporting younger members at HKT48.
She studied her own makeup and skincare.
She began producing idols.
She created beauty products through Ririmew and TOPARDS.
And today, the people she has helped develop as performers are increasingly becoming part of the beauty world she has also built.
Across the years, Sashihara has continually adapted her beauty and wellness habits to match her age, work and lifestyle.
Incline walking evolved into strength training and Pilates.
Layered makeup techniques evolved into a lighter, more selective approach in her 30s.
Enjoying cosmetics evolved into creating them.
And being the idol in front of the camera evolved into helping a new generation shine.
What remains consistent is her habit of observing herself carefully, trying different approaches and adjusting them to suit the person she is at that moment.
Her idea of recognizing and praising the small things she manages to do also fits naturally with the way she has continued updating both her beauty routine and her career.
