Wakana Matsumoto’s Beauty & Wellness Routine | Eye Cream, UV Care, Pilates, Diet, Sleep & Life in Her 40s

Actress Wakana Matsumoto has become increasingly prominent in her 40s, with a growing number of leading roles and major projects.

Born on February 25, 1984, in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture, she grew up as the youngest of three sisters.

She was scouted in her hometown at around 15, but chose not to enter the entertainment industry at the time. After graduating from high school, she worked locally and also obtained a cooking qualification.

In her early 20s, she began to feel strongly that she wanted to test herself in a new world. She moved to Tokyo, took acting lessons and supported herself through several jobs, including work as a beauty advisor and at an eel restaurant in Shinjuku.

In 2007, she passed the very first audition she ever took and was cast as Airi Nogami in Kamen Rider Den-O. Playing the older sister of the main character became her acting debut.

She made her first film-leading appearance in Fujoshi Kanojo. in 2009, and later won the Best Supporting Actress Award at the Yokohama Film Festival for Gukoroku: Traces of Sin in 2017. Her later credits include Don’t Call It Mystery, Yango Tonaki Ichizoku, Fukushu no Mibojin, Saionji-san wa Kaji wo Shinai, Watashi no Takaramono, Dr. Ashura and The Royal Family.

She also received major industry recognition in 2025, and her work continued through 2026. After years of steady experience, her 40s have become one of the most active periods of her career.

Matsumoto continued working part-time even after her acting debut and spent years taking smaller roles while building her career step by step. That long road is a major part of what makes her so compelling today.

Her beauty routine reflects the same practical mindset. She has described her skin as sensitive and prone to inner dryness, and she pays close attention to hydration and UV care while also using a more luxurious eye cream for the eye area.

For wellness, she incorporates Pilates, stretching, baths, deep breathing, protein and a fermented yeast drink according to how she feels and what her work schedule allows.

Some mornings begin with broccoli. She may bring broth to a filming set, cook a hearty miso soup at home, or enjoy ramen and other comfort foods. Her approach to eating is less about rigid restriction and more about enjoying food while adjusting the balance across the day.

She also treasures time with her cat, embroidery and knitting, changing into pajamas before bed, and simple rewards after finishing a demanding project.

Here, we take a detailed look at Wakana Matsumoto’s beauty and wellness routine, including skincare, eye cream, UV care, Pilates, diet, protein, sleep, family, marriage views, her long early career and the way she approaches life in her 40s.

Wakana Matsumoto’s Beauty Routine: Hydration, Eye Cream, UV Care and Her Beauty-Advisor Background

Matsumoto’s approach to beauty is based on paying attention to the condition of her skin and choosing what feels appropriate for that particular day.

Her filming schedule can be irregular, so she adapts her routine to the rhythm of her life rather than forcing every day into the same pattern.

Sensitive, Inner-Dry Skin: Practical Basics with a More Luxurious Eye Cream

Matsumoto has described her skin as sensitive and prone to inner dryness.

For everyday skincare, she prefers products that are realistic to continue using over time. For the eye area, however, she has said that she sometimes chooses a slightly more luxurious eye cream.

She gives extra attention to the areas she feels deserve it most, creating a routine with a sense of priority rather than treating every product the same way.

She is also careful about hydration around the mouth.

Her dimples are one of her favorite features, but base makeup can sometimes collect there, so she may lightly smooth the area with a finger when touching up her makeup.

UV Care Means Applying, Reapplying, Moisturizing and Cleansing

When asked what beauty advice she would give her younger self, Matsumoto has mentioned reapplying sunscreen regularly and moisturizing after spending time in the sun.

By around age 40, she had also become more attentive to how she removed sunscreen from the body.

She removes sunscreen from her face together with makeup, and she has also adopted the practice of using a facial cleanser or cleansing product on areas of the body where sunscreen has been applied.

Her UV routine therefore extends across the whole day: apply in the morning, reapply when needed, moisturize after sun exposure and cleanse carefully at night.

A Beauty-Loving Sister, Her Beauty-Advisor Years and a Hair Clip She Has Used for About 20 Years

Matsumoto’s interest in beauty was influenced by both family and work.

One of the people who first sparked her curiosity about makeup was her older sister, who loved beauty.

Matsumoto was fascinated by how even a small change in the eyebrows could alter the entire impression of a face.

Before becoming an actress, she also worked as a beauty advisor.

A red sectioning clip she used around that time became one of her longest-kept beauty tools and has reportedly remained in use for around 20 years.

She still uses it to hold up her hair after treatments so that wet strands do not rest against the neck and back.

In her 40s, she also enjoys makeup that works with the features she has now.

She pays close attention to the eyebrows, sometimes emphasizes the outer corners of the eyes according to her natural balance, and enjoys learning newer techniques such as using a foundation brush.

Long-standing favorites and curiosity about new beauty ideas coexist easily in her routine.

Pilates, Stretching, Baths and Deep Breathing: Wellness Habits Built Around Caring for Her Body

A herniated disc became an important turning point in the way Matsumoto thought about her body.

Pilates After Surgery — Now a Routine of Around Three to Four Years

Matsumoto underwent surgery after developing a herniated disc.

She has recalled that there was a period when moving was difficult enough that she needed a cane.

After surgery, she gradually returned to movement according to her condition and later began Pilates.

The focus on breathing, the core and controlled movement felt like a good match for her.

Around 2024, there were periods when she attended roughly every five days. In 2025, she said twice a week would be ideal, although a busy work schedule could reduce that to two or three times a month.

By 2026, she said that when she was between filming projects, she could sometimes attend once or twice a week.

Pilates had by then become a practice she had maintained for around three to four years.

Matsumoto has also said that she personally began to notice changes in the way she engaged her core, including during action scenes involving movements such as one-legged high kicks.

Stretching on Set, Deep Breaths and Long Baths at Home

Even on busy filming days, Matsumoto finds small opportunities to move.

She stretches during waiting time and may use a chair to loosen the body.

She has even joked that she sometimes notices herself instinctively touching areas around the lymph nodes because paying attention to her body has become so habitual.

Taking a large, deliberate breath whenever she remembers is another small practice she uses during the day.

At night, bathing is one of her regular ways to transition out of work mode.

In 2025, she said she gets into the bathtub at night even on busy days, sometimes for around five minutes.

On a relaxed day off, however, she may want to stay in the bath for around an hour.

She has previously described bath time almost as a way of telling herself, “I’m home,” after a demanding day.

Short when necessary, long when time allows — bathing becomes part of the rhythm of each day.

Diet, Protein and Fermented Yeast: Broccoli, Miso Soup, Ramen and Everyday Balance

Matsumoto’s eating habits show the same practical balance found throughout her beauty and wellness routine: she pays attention to what she eats while keeping genuine enjoyment at the center.

Broccoli in the Morning and Hearty Miso Soup at Home

In an earlier beauty interview, Matsumoto shared one of her simple breakfast staples: boiled broccoli.

She dresses it with olive oil and salt, sometimes adding salted kelp or tomatoes.

In 2026, she also mentioned hearty miso soup as something she often makes at home.

She likes adding plenty of whatever ingredients she happens to have available.

Considering that Matsumoto holds a cooking qualification and once became trusted enough at restaurant jobs to help think up menu ideas, cooking still feels like a natural part of her life.

Broth and Almonds on Set — and a Real Love of Ramen

Filming does not always allow meals to happen at predictable times.

One of Matsumoto’s solutions has been to bring broth to the set.

Sometimes she makes it carefully with grilled flying fish and bonito flakes, while on busier days she may use a convenient dashi pack.

Any leftover broth can later be used in dishes such as seasoned vegetables.

She may also snack on almonds during filming when she wants something small between meals.

At the same time, she openly loves ramen and other comfort foods.

In 2026, she described her current food philosophy as trying not to deprive herself unnecessarily.

If lunch is especially substantial, dinner might be lighter. If she has eaten something salty, she may emphasize vegetables later.

She looks at the overall rhythm of several meals rather than judging one plate in isolation.

During a short two- or three-day break in 2026, she returned to Tottori and ate one of the region’s local favorites: beef-bone ramen.

The familiar taste made her so emotional that she nearly cried.

She reflected that being moved so deeply by a hometown flavor made her feel that she had grown older in a way she liked.

Protein When She Feels She Needs More — Plus a Yeast Drink Passed on by a Senior Colleague

In 2025, Matsumoto said that if she looks back on the day’s meals and feels she could use more protein, she may have a protein drink.

She uses it as a supplement to the overall diet rather than as the center of every meal.

Another unusual habit is a fermented yeast drink that originated from a starter given to her by a senior colleague at her agency.

She has described carefully maintaining it using apple juice.

Broccoli, hearty miso soup, broth on set, almonds, ramen, occasional protein and the yeast drink all coexist within the same broader approach.

Her diet changes with the day, the work and what she has already eaten.

Sleep, Her Cat and Handcrafts: The Self-Care Behind “Only You Can Spoil Yourself”

In a 2025 beauty interview, Matsumoto shared a memorable idea: “Only you can spoil yourself.”

For her, that means paying attention to how she feels and allowing herself the rest, comfort and enjoyable time she needs.

That idea has become especially meaningful as her work has grown busier.

Pajamas as a Sleep Switch — and an Ideal Eight Hours of Sleep

Matsumoto used to sleep in T-shirts or sweatshirts, but around age 40 she began changing into proper pajamas at night.

The simple act of changing clothes helps create a mental transition into sleep.

By 2026, she was also saying how much she genuinely loves sleeping and that around eight hours feels ideal to her.

When work allows enough time to rest, she enjoys giving sleep real space in her schedule.

Before bed, she sometimes darkens the room and listens to a story, enjoying the experience as a quiet reward at the end of the day.

Her Cat Mozuku and Handcrafts: Returning to Her Natural Self

One of Matsumoto’s greatest sources of comfort is time with her cat.

She has said that she feels she makes her “best face” when she is around her cat because her expression naturally relaxes.

Around ten years ago, her first embroidery project was also inspired by her cat, Mozuku.

A friend helped her choose the materials, but Matsumoto researched the actual method herself.

Once she became absorbed, she worked with such intensity that she finished the piece in about a week.

She now enjoys knitting as well as embroidery.

Time with her cat and time spent making something by hand both give her a way to return to a quieter, more personal version of herself.

Reward Time After Finishing a Project

Matsumoto becomes intensely focused once she enters a production.

Even if she gets two or three days off in the middle of filming, she often keeps her attention on the project rather than using the break for a major trip.

She has described her mind as remaining constantly active while she is inside a role and production.

Once the project ends, she deliberately gives herself rewards: dinner with friends, shopping, or simply spending time without having to think about anything in particular.

Deep focus while working and genuine release afterward are both part of the way she now manages a demanding acting career.

Tottori, Three Sisters, Family and Marriage: From Eel-Restaurant “Poster Girl” to Actress

To understand Wakana Matsumoto, it helps to look beyond beauty and wellness to the family life in Tottori and the long early years of her career.

She grew up in Yonago as the youngest of three sisters and has described herself as an energetic, mischievous child.

Scouted at 15, Then Choosing Tokyo Later on Her Own Terms

Her first brush with the entertainment world came around age 15, when she was scouted in Yonago.

At the time, she chose a local life instead and went to work after high school.

She also obtained a cooking qualification and began adulthood in a much more conventional way.

Eventually, the desire to test herself somewhere unfamiliar grew stronger.

She contacted the agency that had once scouted her and chose, this time by her own decision, to enter the entertainment industry.

Her First Audition Came Straight After an Eel-Restaurant Shift

After moving to Tokyo, Matsumoto supported herself through several jobs while attending acting lessons.

One of the most famous stories from that period is her work at an eel restaurant in Shinjuku.

She became known locally as an attractive staff member and was later described in the media as the restaurant’s “poster girl.”

On the day of her Kamen Rider Den-O audition, she went directly to the venue after finishing a shift at the restaurant.

She later laughed that while the other candidates appeared carefully prepared, she felt as though she was the only person there still carrying the smell of eel sauce.

That very first audition won her the role of Airi Nogami and launched her acting career.

The Youngest of Three Sisters: Beauty, Family and the Emotional Base of Her Career

Although Matsumoto became well known for playing an older sister in Kamen Rider Den-O, she is actually the youngest of three sisters.

She has said that growing up receiving affection from her sisters helped her understand the feeling of being an older sister when she later played one.

Her beauty-loving sister also helped spark her early interest in makeup.

In a 2022 documentary appearance, Matsumoto and her two sisters planned a family dinner to celebrate their parents reaching the traditional age milestone of 70.

She also heard feelings from her father that she had not fully known before, including thoughts connected to her decision to enter entertainment.

Even after many years of working in Tokyo, her family and Tottori remain an emotional foundation.

The fact that a bowl of local beef-bone ramen could still move her almost to tears in 2026 shows just how powerful that connection remains.

Her 2025 View on Marriage: No Deadline, Just the Right Connection

Matsumoto spoke publicly about marriage in 2025 at the Japan Best Jewellery Wearer Awards.

When asked whether she had any plans to wear a ring on her left ring finger, she said there was no specific plan at that time.

At the same time, she remained open to the idea of a meaningful, fateful encounter.

She does not appear to frame marriage around an age deadline, instead placing more value on timing and the right relationship.

In an earlier interview, she also said that even if life eventually included marriage or childbirth, she would want to continue acting.

As with beauty, food and work, her approach to major life choices reflects trust in her own pace.

Life in Her 40s: A “Late-Blooming” Leading Actress Who Has Learned to Let Herself Unwind

Matsumoto’s career was built through a long accumulation of small experiences rather than a rapid rise.

Her leading roles increased in her 40s, and she received major industry recognition in 2025. Nearly two decades after her debut, she entered one of the most active periods of her career.

The Long Early Years: Reading Scripts While Planning Tomorrow’s Lunch Menu

Even after appearing in Kamen Rider Den-O, it took time before acting alone could support her financially.

She continued taking small roles while working in restaurants, including the eel restaurant.

As she became experienced at one workplace, she was trusted enough to help think up daily specials and small dishes.

There were periods when she was thinking about a script as an actress while simultaneously thinking about what the restaurant should serve for lunch the next day.

Seen from the perspective of her current success, those years show just how much persistence sat behind the eventual breakthrough.

Twenty to Thirty Retakes on Den-O: The Moment She Began Thinking Deeply About a Role

Her debut production also gave Matsumoto one of the experiences that helped shape the actress she later became.

During a difficult scene late in the filming of Kamen Rider Den-O, she became unsure how to approach the performance and reportedly went through around 20 to 30 retakes.

The director encouraged her to think more deeply about Airi Nogami, the character she had already been playing for close to a year.

Matsumoto later recalled this as a moment when she began to understand what it meant to truly think about a role and engage seriously with acting.

A difficult moment on her first production became one of the foundations of the career that followed.

Leading Roles in Her 40s — and the Belief That “Only You Can Spoil Yourself”

After years of gradual progress, Matsumoto began receiving more leading and central roles in her 40s.

One idea that has become part of her life during this busier period is the belief that “only you can spoil yourself.”

In beauty, she chooses what feels appropriate for her skin that day.

In food, she enjoys ramen and balances the rest of the day around it.

For movement, she returns to Pilates between filming projects and stretches or takes deep breaths during work.

At the end of the day, she gets into the bath, changes into pajamas and enjoys sleep when time allows.

She relaxes with her cat, becomes absorbed in embroidery or knitting, and gives herself time with friends or simply doing nothing after a project ends.

Matsumoto once chose not to enter entertainment when she was first scouted in Tottori, then later made the decision to move to Tokyo on her own terms.

Her path has included beauty-counter work, restaurant shifts, Kamen Rider Den-O, years of smaller roles, surgery for a herniated disc, Pilates and finally a run of high-profile roles in her 40s.

What connects her beauty and wellness habits is an ability to notice what she needs now and choose accordingly.

Eating, sleeping, moving, working with her hands and spending time with the people and animals she loves all become forms of caring for herself.

Even after becoming a sought-after leading actress, that combination of persistence, flexibility and everyday enjoyment remains central to Wakana Matsumoto’s appeal.

References

• Mainichi Kirei — Wakana Matsumoto on beauty habits, stretching, baths, protein, fermented yeast and her cat, 2025
• Biteki GRAND — sensitive and inner-dry skin, eye cream, breakfast, almonds and stretching
• Biteki GRAND — sunscreen, cleansing, pajamas and Pilates
• MAQUIA — UV care, hydration, makeup and deep breathing
• MAQUIA — beauty-advisor years, hair clip, broth and her sister’s influence on makeup
• THE CHANGE — herniated-disc surgery, Pilates and body maintenance
• TV Asahi POST — moving from Tottori, eel-restaurant work and the Kamen Rider Den-O audition
• CINEMAS+ — three sisters, Yonago and the path toward acting
• MBS Jounetsu Tairiku — family in Tottori, her parents, sisters and acting career, 2022
• Sponichi — part-time jobs and restaurant-menu planning, 2022
• ORICON NEWS — marriage views and life in her 40s, 2025
• Mainichi Kirei — Pilates, diet, Tottori, her cat, embroidery, knitting and life in her 40s, 2026