Riho Sayashi on the Strength of ‘Not Pushing Too Hard,’ Learned After Walking Away from Idol Stardom at 17: Billboard Japan Women in Music Interview
Categoria: Musica
Billboard Japan chatted with Sayashi about where she’s landed after a long and winding path, and what she’s feeling now.
Por Billboard | 12/11/2026
Riho Sayashi spoke with Billboard Japan for the latest installment of its Women in Music interview series. The initiative launched in 2022 to celebrate artists, producers and executives who have made significant contributions to music and entertainment and inspired other women through their work, following the footsteps of Billboard’s annual Women in Music honors. This series featuring female players in the Japanese entertainment industry is one of the highlights of Japan’s WIM project. After joining the long-running girl group Morning Musume at 12 and being called the group’s “ace” by her mid-teens, Sayashi walked away from idol stardom at 17 and moved to New York, where no one knew who she was. Following a solo relaunch on her own independent label, she made her major-label debut in 2025. Now the multi-faceted artist continues to broaden her scope of activity, currently co-starring in the TV drama Tsukiatte Agetemo Iikana and performing its ending theme. Billboard Japan chatted with her about where she’s landed after a long and winding path, and what she’s feeling now. You made your major-label debut with avex in 2025, released an EP, went on a nationwide tour, and now co-starring in an currently airing drama series and performing its ending theme. How do you feel about where things stand for you right now? While I’m still going at my own pace, I’ve been blessed with fortunate encounters, ideas and opportunities from so many people around me, and I’m able to do music at a really good pace. With the current drama series, I was also given the chance to take on the challenge of combining acting and music. I’m really happy with where things are. Your major debut came about four years after your relaunch on your own indie label. What made you want to take on the bigger playing field of a major label? When I restarted my music career, I first needed to figure out what direction I wanted to take. That’s why I chose an independent label, where I could move at my own pace, and I built things up step by step, starting from, “Who do I even contact to put on a live show?” As my path started taking shape, I got myself ready for battle, so to speak, with a clear sense of which direction I wanted to take and the kind of messages I want to deliver. I was able to choose to move forward with avex because I’m in that place now. With more people involved, my options and my ideas for what I want to express have multiplied many times over. I truly feel this partnership came together at the right time. As your team grows, is there anything you make a point of never compromising on? When it comes to how I make music, sometimes I’m directly involved in the songwriting and sometimes I’m not. But I always make sure my soul is in a song at the moment it’s born. I start with my own idea of what I want to express and ask others to help me bring that world to life, so a team comes together for each individual song. Making sure that “moment of (a song’s) bir