Rina Kawaei (川栄 李奈, Kawaei Rina; born February 12, 1995) is a Japanese actress and former singer, represented by Avex. She is a former member of the girl group AKB48. As an actress, she has starred in television series such as Come Come Everybody (2021) and was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 61st Blue Ribbon Awards in 2019.
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Career
2012–2014
Kawaei auditioned for AKB48 and was selected to join the 11th generation as a kenkyūsei (trainee) in July 2010.
In March 2012, she was promoted to Team 4, and was transferred to Team A in August. Soon after the TV series Shiritsu Bakaleya Kōkō ended on June 30, it was announced that Kawaei would participate in its film adaptation. It would star several members from the groups Johnny's Jr. and AKB48.
Kawaei was a member of the AKB48 subunit Anrire with Anna Iriyama and Rena Katō. They appeared in Rino Sashihara's 2012 single "Ikujinashi Masquerade", which charted at number one in the Japanese Oricon weekly singles chart.
In 2013, during a broadcast of a special episode of the comedy show Mecha-Mecha Iketeru!, it was announced that Kawaei would perform as center in a song of the special unit BKA48 that will be included on AKB48's single "Sayonara Crawl" to be released in May. At the 2013 AKB48 general election, she placed 25th with 26,764 votes, and thus gained a place as an Under Girl for the next single "Koi Suru Fortune Cookie".
On May 25, 2014, during an event held at the Iwate Industry Culture & Convention Center in Takizawa, Iwate, she, along with Anna Iriyama and a staff member were attacked by a 24-year-old man wielding a handsaw, who was arrested at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder. All three victims suffered wounds including bone fractures on their fingers (reportedly, Kawaei's right thumb and Iriyama's right little finger were both fractured and cut, and the girls suffered wounds on their heads), and were taken to a hospital for surgery. The event, as well as all other group activities on that day, were halted.
2014–present
At AKB48's 2014 general election she placed 16th with 39,120 votes and thus gained a place in the promotional line-up for the next single "Kokoro no Placard".
On March 26, 2015, Kawaei announced that she would leave AKB48 and transition to acting, citing her inability to participate in handshake events after the handsaw assault as the reason. She had her graduation ceremony during AKB48's Summer Concert in Saitama Super Arena on August 2 and had her last stage performance on August 4, 2015. In November 2015, it was announced that she would star with Mitsuki Takahata in the NHK morning drama Toto Neechan.
She made her debut voice role in the anime film PriPara Minna no Akogare Let's Go PriPari (プリパラ み～んなのあこがれ♪レッツゴー☆プリパリ), voicing Minifalulu, the younger sister of Falulu.
Personal life
Kawaei married actor Tomoki Hirose in 2019. The couple have two children, born in November 2019 and June 2023. On April 10, 2026, Kawaei announced through an Instagram post that she had finalized her divorce from Hirose, which confirmed media reports speculating their separation earlier that month. Hirose also made a similar statement and that the two promised to co-parent their two children.
Discography
Singles with AKB48
"Ikujinashi Masquerade" (2012) – Rino Sashihara and Anrire
Other AKB48 songs
Sugar Rush (2012)
Stage units
Team Kenkyūsei "Theater no Megami"
"Hatsukoi yo, Konnichiwa" (初恋よ こんにちは)
Team 4 1st Stage "Boku no Taiyou"
"Higurashi no Koi" (ヒグラシノコイ)
Team A Waiting Stage
"Skirt, Hirari" (スカート、ひらり)
"Tenshi no Shippo" (天使のしっぽ)
Filmography
Anime
Kaijū Sekai Seifuku (2025) as Kaijū's owner
Films
Gekijōban Shiritsu Bakaleya Kōkō (October 13, 2012)
PriPara Mi~nna no Akogare Let's Go PriPari (2016) as Mini-Falulu
Death Note: Light Up the New World (2016) as Sakura Aoi
Ajin: Demi-Human (2017) as Izumi Shimomura
The Lies She Loved (2018) as Kokoha
Koi no Shizuku (2018) as Shiori Tachibana
Principal (2018) as Haruka Kunishige
My Teacher, My Love (2018) as Aoi Nakamura
Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us (2018) as Risa (voice)
The House Where the Mermaid Sleeps (2018)
Don't Cry, Mr. Ogre (2019) as Yukino
Until I Meet September's Love (2019)
Diner (2019)
Ride Your Wave (2019) as Hinako Mukaimizu (voice)
Step (2020)
Jigoku no Hanazono: Office Royale (2021)
Summer Ghost (2021) as Ayane Satō (voice)
The Floor Plan (2024) as Yuzuki
Dear Family (2024) as Nami Tsuboi
Angry Squad: The Civil Servant and the Seven Swindler (2024) as Sakura Mochizuki
TV dramas
Majisuka Gakuen 2 (2011) as Rina
Majisuka Gakuen 3 (2012) as Nanashi
Shark (2014) as Kaede Konno
Sailor Zombie (2014) as Momoka Takizawa
Gomen ne Seishun as Ai Jinbo
Majisuka Gakuen 4 (2015) as Bakamono
Majisuka Gakuen 5 (2015) as Bakamono
Tokyo Sentimental (2016) (ep.3, guest appearance)
Toto Neechan (2016) as Tomie Morita
Death Cash (2016) as Shi Hei
Hayako Sensei, Kekkon Surutte Honto Desu Ka? (2016) as Fuko Moriyama
Koe Koi (2016) as Kaori Takashima (guest appearance)
Death Note: New Generation (2016) as Sakura Aoi
Frankenstein's Love (2017) as Mikoto
Fugitive Boys (2017) as Koyoi Niizato
Idaten (2019) as Chie
Mr. Hiiragi's Homeroom (2019)
Reach Beyond the Blue Sky (2021) as Ichijō Mikako
Shitteru Waifu (2021) as Kenzaki Nagisa
Come Come Everybody (2021) as Hinata
Grass for My Pillow (2026), Yoko Hamada
Japanese dub
Kubo and the Two Strings (2017) as The Sisters
Soul (2020) as 22
TV variety shows
Ariyoshi AKB Kyōwakoku (有吉AKB共和国) (TBS)
Shūkan AKB (週刊AKB) (TV Tokyo)
AKB48 Nemōsu TV (AKB48ネ申テレビ) (Family Gekijō)
AKB48 to Chome Chome! (AKBと××!) (April 19, 2012, Yomiuri TV)
AKBingo! (June 27, 2012, TV Tokyo)
Bimyō na Tobira AKB 48 no Gachichare (びみょ〜な扉 AKB48のガチチャレ) (October 12, 2012, Hikari TV Channel)
