Rino Sashihara

Rino Sashihara (指原 莉乃) is a Japanese tarento, singer, producer and actress. She is best known as a former member of idol groups HKT48, AKB48 and STU48, and was the theater manager for HKT48 and STU48. She was also a member of AKB48's unit Not Yet and is the producer of the idol groups =Love, ≠Me and ≒Joy.

2007–2012: AKB48
In October 2007, she auditioned and was chosen 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", in October of that year. She placed 27th in the popularity-driven 2009 General Election, where she was grouped with the "Under Girls", the ones who would perform on the first B-side singles. She remained in that position on the follow-up single releases until the following year, the 2010 General Election, where she placed 19th and was grouped with the main girls who sing on 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 "Although You Are 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〜), broadcast by TBS, which features her hetare (ヘタレ) character. The program was subtitled "A variety program to train Sashiko" (さしこ育成バラエティ).

Sashihara starred as the lead character in the NTV4 drama "Muse no Kagami" starting on January 14, 2012. She sings the theme song titled "Soredemo Suki Da yo", which was released as her debut solo single on May 2, on the major record label Avex Trax.

In April 2012, it was announced that Sashihara would produce Yubi Matsuri, an idol festival to be held at Nippon Budokan on June 25, 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
On June 16, 2012, Sashihara was demoted and transferred to HKT48, due to her involvement in a dating/sex scandal: the tabloid Shukan Bunshun published an interview with a man who allegedly dated and slept with Sashihara. She replied by saying that the man was "just a friend", and the story was completely false. On June 20, 2012, Sashihara had a panic attack onstage, and hyperventilated due to the stress. Sashihara debuted at the HKT48 Theater as a member of HKT48 Team H on July 5, 2012.

Sashihara released her second single, "Ikujinashi Masquerade", on October 17, 2012. The single reached number one on the Oricon Weekly chart, only the third solo single by an AKB48 member ever to do so.

In 2013 she assumed the position of HKT48 co-manager and theater manager, while continuing to be a member of HKT48 Team H. Sashihara's promotion was also seen by some as a confirmation of Yasushi Akimoto's wish to grant her a role in the management of the group because of her production skills, something he's been hinting at since as early as 2010.

In 2013 she would produce SKE48 member Kaori Matsumura's first solo single "Matsumurabu". Sashihara was given free reins over costume design, lyrics writing, PV direction, as well as choice of music and instrumental arrangement.

Sashihara received the most votes in AKB48's annual general election in 2013: with 150,570 votes she beat out Yuko Oshima, who received 136,503 votes.

In the wake of her mainstream popularity, on August 11, 2014, Sashihara's first autobiography, "Gyakuten-ryoku ~ Pinchi o Mate ~", was published by Koudansha, 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. The book was widely advertised by press as a self-improvement volume, whose reading was recommended to salarymen and OL, as well.

In 2015, Sashihara won AKB48's general election with a total of 194,049 votes, returning to the center position. In 2016, Sashihara won AKB48's general election with a total of 243,011 votes. In 2017, Sashihara won AKB48's general election with a total of 246,376 votes.

In 2017, she started the audition for voice actress idol competition on April 29. In the same year, she started producing Japanese idol group =LOVE (Equal Love). and that same year became member and theater manager of the newly founded STU48. She resigned from STU48 on November 25 to focus on HKT48.

2017–present
On December 15, 2018, she announced her graduation from HKT48. Her concert was then held on April 28, 2019, titled "Sashihara Rino Graduation Concert ~Sayonara, Sashihara Rino~". On February 12, 2019, she announced her second idol group ≠ME (Not Equal Me), a sister group to =LOVE.

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)

Dubbing

 * Hop (2011), Pink Berets

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 (TV Tokyo, 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