A brightly shining star is beginning a new chapter of her journey, and this time she’s going solo.
Inoue Rina is a former member of Sakurazaka46, a popular Japanese idol girl group that was created on August 21, 2015. The group, formerly called Keyakizaka46, rebranded under their current name in 2020. Rina joined the lineup seven years ago, in 2018.
On September 23, 2025, Rina officially announced her departure Sakurazaka46 in a blog post, telling fans that her time with the group would be ending with their 13th single “Unhappy birthday構文”. “I was just a normal girl who admired the group,” she wrote, reminiscing about passing her audition, “and suddenly I became part of it. It felt like a miracle.”
Although the decision to graduate from her group wasn’t an easy one, she says, “I have no regrets,” and she’s excited to try new things in the future.
Of course, it’s sad to leave, but I’m also excited to take a big step forward into something new.
— Inoue Rina
“Unhappy birthday構文” was released on October 29, signalling the end of Rina’s time as a Sakurazaka46 member. She hopes her fans will continue to cheer her on in the future.
Even though my time is limited, I want to make every moment with you all fun until the very end. Please continue to support me.
— Inoue Rina
Watch the music video here:
