Meet Haruna Kawaguchi, the Japanese beauty who looks so fresh you’d swear she keeps spring in her skincare routine. Seriously, she has the kind of glow that makes the rest of us question our life choices (and possibly our girlfriend’s or wife’s moisturizer). Gorgeous, effortlessly charming, and ridiculously easy on the eyes, she’s bound to leave you wanting to know more. So yeah, it’s time to get acquainted with the woman making fresh-faced beauty look unfairly easy.
Who is Haruna Kawaguchi
Haruna Kawaguchi is a Japanese actress and model represented by Ken-On, and she’s built an impressive résumé with leading roles across film and television. She starred in Ouran High School Host Club (2012), POV: Norowareta Film (2012), Zekkyō Gakkyū (2013), Say “I Love You” (2014), and One Week Friends (2017). From high school romance to supernatural scares, Kawaguchi has shown she can handle just about anything a script throws at her.
Her Early Life
Haruna Kawaguchi was born on February 10, 1995, in Gotō, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan, and grew up with two older sisters. She experienced a heartbreaking loss when her father passed away at the age of 19. Before becoming an actress, Kawaguchi loved caring for children and dreamed of becoming a preschool teacher. But working with kids wasn’t her only passion—she also enjoyed fishing and had a knack for it, reportedly catching more than 300 fish in a single day. Forget a relaxing weekend hobby; she was practically running her own fishing operation.
Career Journey
Haruna Kawaguchi’s entertainment career began with a little help from a childhood friend. During her spring break in sixth grade in 2006, the friend took her photo and submitted it to Nicola, a teen fashion magazine. The gamble paid off: in 2007, Kawaguchi won the Grand Prix at the magazine’s 11th audition. She joined Ken-On’s child division and made her modeling debut in the October issue of Nicola, released on September 1 that year. Not a bad start for someone who hadn’t even finished middle school.
In 2008, Kawaguchi made her television debut as a regular in the girls’ segment of the variety show Fightension☆TV. She later joined the music group merry merry boo in March 2009, performing a cover of LINDBERG’s “Ima Sugu Kiss Me” on the show. Modeling, television, and music? She was already collecting career paths like trading cards.
In 2009, she was selected as the 13th Rehouse Girl for Mitsui’s Rehouse and transferred from Ken-On’s child division to its main roster on March 1. She also launched an online diary titled Haru na Hiyori, followed by her official website later that month. In July, she appeared in her first music video alongside Shunsuke Nakamura for Hi-Fi CAMP’s “Dakara Ippo Mae e Fumidashite,” which featured in a Pocari Sweat commercial. The following month, she joined the band on a 12-city promotional tour across Japan. That October, she made her acting debut in Fuji TV’s drama Tokyo Dogs.
Kawaguchi landed her first leading role in the drama special Hatsukoi Chronicle in March 2010. That year, she also became a support girl for the music event Senkō Riot, appeared in commercials for au LISMO’s LISMO Fes!, and was named Nikkei Trendy’s “Face of the Year” in November. Clearly, she wasn’t interested in easing into the industry quietly.
In 2011, Kawaguchi graduated from Nicola and announced that she would focus on acting. She continued modeling, appearing in fashion features and on the covers of magazines such as JJ and VOCE. That July, she starred in the television adaptation of Ouran High School Host Club, her first regular drama series. Later that year, she became the image girl for the 90th National High School Soccer Championship.
Her career continued to gain momentum in 2012. On March 17, she starred in the film adaptation of Ouran High School Host Club, and three days later, she released her first photobook, haruna, featuring photographs taken on Ishigaki Island and in the Gotō Islands, including Fukue Island. She also topped MyNavi’s ranking of rookie actresses expected to break through the following year. In March 2013, she released her second photobook, haruna2.
October 2013 marked another milestone when Kawaguchi took the lead in TBS’s prime-time drama Otto no Kanojo (Husband’s Girlfriend). That year, she also starred in the film and television versions of Madam Marmalade no Ijō na Nazo, part of the Real Escape Game franchise. The film was released in two installments, inviting audiences to solve the mystery alongside the characters. Apparently, watching a mystery unfold wasn’t enough; viewers had to do some homework, too.
In October 2014, Kawaguchi made her stage debut in Ikiterumono wa Inainoka at Aoyama Amphitheater. She released her third photobook, haruna3, on February 10, 2015, her birthday.
In 2020, Kawaguchi took on the role of Kichō, also known as Nōhime, in NHK’s historical drama Awaiting Kirin. She was cast after Erika Sawajiri withdrew from the production following her arrest on suspicion of violating Japan’s Narcotics Control Law. The role marked Kawaguchi’s first period drama and her first appearance in an NHK Taiga drama. Filming began in December 2019, and the series premiered on January 19, 2020, two weeks later than originally planned.
That same month, Kawaguchi launched her YouTube channel, Haachannel, on January 31. It attracted more than 700,000 subscribers within its first month, and she continued posting new videos almost every Sunday. She also became a regular model for GINGER, beginning with its May 2020 issue. Clearly, television wasn’t the only screen she could command.
On December 31, 2021, Kawaguchi co-hosted the 72nd NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen alongside Yo Oizumi and Mayuko Wakuda. The program adopted a unified neutral-host format that year, moving away from its traditional division between red, white, and neutral teams.
In February 2022, she received the Élan d’or Award for Newcomer of the Year, recognizing her promise as an actor. She also appeared in NHK’s morning drama Chimudondon during the first half of the year, playing Ryoko, the heroine’s older sister. Later that year, she narrated a related program for Maiagare!, another NHK morning drama set in her hometown region of the Gotō Islands.
Most recently, on December 15, 2023, Kawaguchi was appointed official ambassador for the Persona video game series. From teen magazine model to award-winning actress, television host, YouTuber, and gaming ambassador, she has built a career that refuses to sit still for long. Somewhere along the way, “keeping busy” became a serious understatement.
Facts and Trivia
Haruna Kawaguchi was born on Fukue Island in Nagasaki Prefecture’s Gotō Islands, and growing up far from Tokyo meant her early modeling career came with a serious commute. During her first three years of junior high school, she traveled by boat to Hakata on work trips because there were no direct flights to Tokyo. The journey took nine hours each way. Initially, she made the trip once a month, but eventually, it became a weekly routine. Most teenagers worried about homework and weekend plans; Kawaguchi was practically a seasoned traveler before she could drive.
The youngest of three sisters, Kawaguchi has described her younger self as genuinely selfish, spoiled, and lonely. She lost her father when she was 19, and on Father’s Day in 2018, she shared a photo of herself on Instagram, remarking that she looked remarkably like him. It was a touching tribute to a family resemblance that clearly ran deep.
Her name also comes with a family story. “Haru” means “spring” and was taken from her grandfather’s name, while the “na” was chosen by her older sister. According to Kawaguchi, a misunderstanding involving her mother led to the name being registered at city hall as it is today. Even her name has an origin story with a plot twist.
Away from acting, Kawaguchi enjoys sea fishing and has reportedly caught as many as 300 fish in a day. That’s not a casual hobby; that’s practically a seafood department. Her favorite female singers include Miliyah Kato, Ringo Sheena, and Namie Amuro, while EXILE is her favorite male act. She also looks up to fellow Ken-On talent Miho Kanno and is good friends with actress Riisa Naka, her co-star in Yankee-kun to Megane-chan. Like Kawaguchi, Naka also hails from Nagasaki Prefecture.
Before becoming a model for Nicola, Kawaguchi dreamed of becoming a nursery teacher because she loved children. By 2016, however, her ambitions had shifted toward acting, and she revealed that her dream was to star as the heroine of an NHK morning drama—a goal that would eventually bring her to the genre in Chimudondon.
Interestingly, her childhood classmates remembered her as more funny than cute when she appeared on the television show Aitsu Ima Nanishiteru? She reportedly imitated Takayuki Haranishi of the comedy duo FUJIWARA and wasn’t exactly the school’s resident heartthrob. So much for the future starlet being universally adored from day one. Sometimes, the class clown gets the last laugh.
On August 2, 2026, Kawaguchi announced on Instagram that she had married professional footballer Kō Itakura and was expecting their first child. It’s a major new chapter for the actress, who has gone from long boat rides and childhood comedy routines to a thriving entertainment career—and now, a growing family.
Her Body Measurements
Haruna stands 5 feet, 4 inches and she rocks a 30-24-33 figure.
Haruna Kawaguchi Photos
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