【Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix】Ayaka Kishimoto Selected as Finalist for "Beauty Japan 2026 Bay Area". A New Challenge to Forge Her Second Career.
Former women's rugby player Ayaka Kishimoto has been selected as a finalist for "Beauty Japan 2026 Bay Area." She is embarking on a new challenge to forge her second career, aiming to become a role model for female athletes.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 7, 2026 at 18:00
- 🔍 Collected: May 7, 2026 at 09:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 7, 2026 at 09:52 (20 min after Collected)
We are pleased to announce that Ayaka Kishimoto, who played as a player for the women's rugby team "Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix" until last season, has been selected as a finalist for "Beauty Japan 2026 Bay Area," a competition that judges inner beauty and career achievements.
From Rugby to "Expressionist": The Story Behind the Challenge
Kishimoto, originally from Koshikishima, Kagoshima Prefecture, dove into the intense world of rugby at age 14. At Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix, she was cherished as a team's mood maker and contributed to three consecutive national championships in 15-a-side rugby.
Overcoming repeated injuries, she retired from active play at the age of 27 last season. She is now active as the representative and designer of her own brand "Maresta." To embody the "strength to face adversity" cultivated during her athlete days and her "attachment to Koshikishima," her roots, she decided to take on "Beauty Japan" as her next stage.
Her comment: "Even after finishing my athletic career, I want to show that I can continue fighting in my own life."
"During my active career, 'winning against myself' was my strength, but now I feel that 'believing in myself from the bottom of my heart' leads to beauty. Rugby, an intense sport, and the stage of Beauty Japan, which competes for inner beauty. They seem to be diametrically opposed, but what they have in common is 'continuously facing oneself.'
Koshikishima, which raised me, women's rugby, which gave me goals, and my mission, the brand 'Maresta.' To make known the charm of all these, I am standing on a new stage. Retirement is not an end, but a start to utilize the accumulated experience in society. I will express myself with all my might to become a role model for the second careers of female athletes."
About her brand "Maresta"
Brand Concept: "Weave Your Story, Wear Your Honor"
Like the brightest star shining in the vast ocean, the brand hopes to accompany those who take a step forward in any environment, and to let them wear pride (honor) in their life's "story." Maresta aims to be a brand that encourages people to confidently carry their unique life journey.
Currently, Maresta develops apparel rooted in rugby and creates wear for sports teams. In the future, corporate collaborations and projects to revitalize her hometown Koshikishima are planned.
【Beauty Japan 2026 Bay Area Contest Overview】
Beauty Japan is one of Japan's largest contests, focusing not just on outward beauty, but on the "inner beauty" of women, including their careers, sense of mission, and social contribution.
Date: Saturday, May 23, 2026
Venue: Yokohama Port Opening Memorial Hall
Details: https://beauty-japan-or.jp/bayglobal/
【Contact for this matter】
Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix Public Relations E-mail: phoenixrugbyjp@gmail.com
About Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix
Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix Official Accounts
【App】https://web.playerapp.tokyo/team/29983/download
【HP】https://rc-phoenix.com
【Instagram】https://www.instagram.com/tokyo_phoenixrc
【Tiktok】https://www.tiktok.com/@phoenixrugby7
【X】https://twitter.com/tokyo_phoenix
【Facebook】https://www.facebook.com/tokyophoenixrc
The women's rugby team, Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix, will contribute to promoting the appeal of rugby, vitalizing regions and the economy, and supporting various sports and cultures through women's rugby.
From Rugby to "Expressionist": The Story Behind the Challenge
Kishimoto, originally from Koshikishima, Kagoshima Prefecture, dove into the intense world of rugby at age 14. At Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix, she was cherished as a team's mood maker and contributed to three consecutive national championships in 15-a-side rugby.
Overcoming repeated injuries, she retired from active play at the age of 27 last season. She is now active as the representative and designer of her own brand "Maresta." To embody the "strength to face adversity" cultivated during her athlete days and her "attachment to Koshikishima," her roots, she decided to take on "Beauty Japan" as her next stage.
Her comment: "Even after finishing my athletic career, I want to show that I can continue fighting in my own life."
"During my active career, 'winning against myself' was my strength, but now I feel that 'believing in myself from the bottom of my heart' leads to beauty. Rugby, an intense sport, and the stage of Beauty Japan, which competes for inner beauty. They seem to be diametrically opposed, but what they have in common is 'continuously facing oneself.'
Koshikishima, which raised me, women's rugby, which gave me goals, and my mission, the brand 'Maresta.' To make known the charm of all these, I am standing on a new stage. Retirement is not an end, but a start to utilize the accumulated experience in society. I will express myself with all my might to become a role model for the second careers of female athletes."
About her brand "Maresta"
Brand Concept: "Weave Your Story, Wear Your Honor"
Like the brightest star shining in the vast ocean, the brand hopes to accompany those who take a step forward in any environment, and to let them wear pride (honor) in their life's "story." Maresta aims to be a brand that encourages people to confidently carry their unique life journey.
Currently, Maresta develops apparel rooted in rugby and creates wear for sports teams. In the future, corporate collaborations and projects to revitalize her hometown Koshikishima are planned.
【Beauty Japan 2026 Bay Area Contest Overview】
Beauty Japan is one of Japan's largest contests, focusing not just on outward beauty, but on the "inner beauty" of women, including their careers, sense of mission, and social contribution.
Date: Saturday, May 23, 2026
Venue: Yokohama Port Opening Memorial Hall
Details: https://beauty-japan-or.jp/bayglobal/
【Contact for this matter】
Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix Public Relations E-mail: phoenixrugbyjp@gmail.com
About Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix
Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix Official Accounts
【App】https://web.playerapp.tokyo/team/29983/download
【HP】https://rc-phoenix.com
【Instagram】https://www.instagram.com/tokyo_phoenixrc
【Tiktok】https://www.tiktok.com/@phoenixrugby7
【X】https://twitter.com/tokyo_phoenix
【Facebook】https://www.facebook.com/tokyophoenixrc
The women's rugby team, Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix, will contribute to promoting the appeal of rugby, vitalizing regions and the economy, and supporting various sports and cultures through women's rugby.