Rio’s Profile
- Full Name: Rio Hanabashi
- Native Name: 花橋 梨緒
- Nicknames: Ri-chan
- Birthday: Feb 04, 2002 (23 years old)
- Blood type: B
- Height/Weight: 159 cm (5'3") / N/A
- Gender: Female
- Zodiac Sign: Aquarius
- Debut: Dec 2, 2020
- Position: Lead Dancer, Sub-Vocalist
- MBTI: ENFP (The Campaigner)
- Birthplace: Aichi Prefecture, Japan
- Education: Nisshin City Nisshin Higashi Junior High School
-
Nationality:
Japanese
- Profession: Singer, Dancer
- Languages: Japanese, Korean
- Group: NiziU
Rio, full name Hanabashi Rio, was born on February 4, 2002, in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan. She is a singer, dancer, and rapper, currently managed under JYP Entertainment. Rio is a member of the girl group NiziU, serving as the main dancer, rapper, and vocalist. She ranked 4th in the Nizi Project audition program and officially debuted with the group on December 2, 2020, with the single “Step and a Step.”
Early Life
Rio began learning dance in the 2nd grade and joined the EXILE dance group Bunnies in 2015. After the group disbanded in 2017, she joined EXPG Lab and became a member of the dance and vocal group KIZZY in December 2017. She has spent more than half of her life dedicated to dancing, considering it central to her daily life.
Skills
Rio has showcased her freestyle ability and flexible movement control in the dance breaks of ‘Make You Happy’ and ‘Step and a Step’, focusing on a hip-hop style characterized by fluid and grounded movements. Compared to other members of the group, she leans towards dance techniques that emphasize flexibility and body strength. However, Rio’s live singing skills are still limited compared to the main vocalists like Nina and Ayaka, and in her early stage performances, she occasionally struggled to maintain a natural presence while performing.
Personality
Off-stage, Rio is often the “funny one” during online events like NiziU TV, live broadcasts on V LIVE, or fan meetings in Japan and Korea. She’s known for making jokes, sharing behind-the-scenes stories, and interacting warmly with fans. Especially during fansigns and in-person meetups, Rio creates a relaxed atmosphere by chatting with fans, talking about learning Korean, or recalling funny memories with the members. Thanks to this, her image is not only that of an excellent main dancer but also a bright young artist constantly striving to improve herself through every activity.
Rio was born into a family with an older brother and grew up in Nagoya — a region known for its traditional culture and hospitality. Offstage, she enjoys cooking, taking care of her pets, and spending time relaxing with family. Her real-life personality is cheerful and friendly, and she’s known for being thoughtful and caring to those around her.
Fashion
Rio dresses in a style that’s both playful and youthful — sometimes oversized jackets, sometimes ripped jeans — you can tell she’s a true dancer. On stage, she often rocks bold outfits like crop tops, cargo pants, metallic accessories, or colorful sneakers — all of which highlight the image of a confident, modern dancer. In daily life, Rio favors a casual look with oversized t-shirts, jeans, and bucket hats, showing comfort with a touch of fashion. Notably, she was the face of uniform-style tops in the “NiziU Live with U 2024–2025 ‘AWAKE’ OFFICIAL GOODS” collection — a testament to her fashion appeal among fans and Japanese youth. Rio’s outfits may look random at first glance, but look closer and you’ll see she’s got serious style.
Fun Facts
- Nicknamed “HanaRio” during her time with the dance teams KIZZY/BUNNIES (EXPG).
- Known for talking in her sleep, often murmuring “What was that?”, making the members laugh.
- Despite being afraid of heights, she prefers sleeping on the top bunk and sitting in the front seat of double-decker buses.
- Has three pet dogs named Mario, Mariko, and Marita.
- Loves churros and finds it hard to stop eating once she starts.
- Can perform a frog-style handstand, which she often shows off to make fans laugh.
- Rumored to have appeared in Stray Kids’ “God’s Menu” MV with other NiziU members.
- Describes dancing as half of her life, having trained since a young age.
- The most impactful advice she received: “A singer shouldn’t look like just a dancer” (from J.Y. Park).
- Dreams of collaborating with her idols, TWICE.
Photo Gallery
