Rina Kawaei

Rina Kawaei (川栄 李奈, born 1995-02-12) is a Japanese actress and former singer who first captured public attention as a member of the iconic idol group AK B48. She began her entertainment career in July 2010 when she passed the audition for the 11th generation of AK B48, initially serving as a kenkyūsei before being promoted to Team 4 in March 2012 and later transferred to Team A, where she quickly became known for her charismatic presence and strong stage performances. During her idol tenure, Kawaei was a core part of the sub‑unit Anrire alongside Anna Iriyama and Rena Katō, contributing to the chart‑topping single “Ikujinashi Masquerade” and earning a coveted center position for the single “Sayonara Crawl” in 2013, which helped elevate her popularity in the 2013 AK B48 general election where she placed 25th. A pivotal moment in her life occurred on May 25, 2014, when she survived a violent handsaw attack at a public event, an incident that resulted in serious injuries to her thumb and led her to reconsider the physically demanding handshake events that idol work required. Consequently, Kawaei announced her graduation from AK B48 in March 2015, officially departing after a farewell concert in August of that year and immediately shifting her focus to acting under the representation of Avex. Since her transition, she has built a robust acting résumé, appearing in television dramas such as Majisuka Gakuen series, the NHK morning drama Toto Neechan, and the popular series Come Come Everybody (2021), for which she received a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the 61st Blue Ribbon Awards. Her film work includes roles in Death Note: Light Up the New World (2016), Ajin: Demi‑Human (2017), and voice performances in animated projects like PriPara Mi~nna no Akogare and Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us. In her personal life, Rina married fellow actor Tomoki Hirose in 2019, and the couple have two children born in November 2019 and June 2023, respectively, balancing family commitments with an active entertainment schedule that continues to this day.