Rina Akiyama, the Masked Rider heroine who makes us crazy: “I still sometimes watch Masked Rider with my kids.

She played the role of Mao Fukaya in “Masked Rider Agito.

I have longed to be a hero or heroine since I was a little girl, so I was very happy when I was cast in “Masked Rider Agito”!　Mao is usually an energetic high school girl, but even though her parents are not around, she acts tough and sometimes cries when she remembers her father, whom she loves very much. She also had psychic abilities such as clairvoyance and precognition and cooperated with the police in their investigations!

At the time, it was my first time acting in a play, so I just tried my best. I tried my hardest to get close to the emotions of the characters and to understand the psychology of the characters. I think the character was created not only by me but also by the people around me who guided me.

Five years after “Agito” finished airing, I also appeared in “Masked Rider Den-O. I was surprised when the decision was made, but I was very happy to be able to work on Masked Rider again. I was told by the staff that I could perform as I liked, so I had a lot of fun improvising on the set.

The Masked Rider series is my starting point! It is a treasure that has not faded away even after 25 years. I still watch it with my children from time to time, and I hope I can continue to talk about it in the future. I love both “Agito” and “Den-O”!

Akiyama Rina was born in Tokyo.
Official Instagram (@akiyama_rina)

©2025 Ishimori Productions, TV Asahi, ADK EM, Toei

From the February 20/27, 2026 issue of FRIDAY