Yumiko Takino

Takino had wanted to become an idol since she was a primary school student, but did not actively pursue that dream until she found out about STU48 since it would not be realistic to become an idol in rural areas.[2] She moved from Yamaguchi to Hiroshima in 2016 to attend university[1][3] and took the audition for STU48 in Hiroshima.[4]

On 19 March 2017, she passed the final examination of the STU48 First Generation audition and was provisionally accepted into the group.[5] In a post-acceptance interview, she said that she wanted "to be in a group that makes many people feel the goodness of Setouchi."[6]

On 25 April 2017, in the official book AKB48 General Election Official Guidebook 2017 (Kodansha, released 17 May 2017) of the 9th AKB48 Senbatsu General Election deciding AKB48's 49th Senbatsu Members, she was included as one of 100 members most discussed in social media.[7]

At the stage of the 2017 Hiroshima Flower Festival which started in Hiroshima City on 3 May 2017, it was announced that she would participate.[8]

She graced the cover of "Weekly Shōnen Magazine" released on 31 May 2017. Her comic magazine cover debut on the 73rd day after passing her audition is the fastest of any AKB48 Group, Nogizaka46, or Keyakizaka46 member.[9]

On 3 June 2017, STU48's first live was held at AEON Mall Okayama. They performed five songs, including the first performance of the STU48 original song "Setouchi no Koe" with Takino being the center.[10]

On 8 July 2017, the sixteen selected members for the STU48 debut single to be released on 1 November were announced on the video distribution site "SHOWROOM" with Takino as the center.[11] It is the second song following STU48's original song "Setouchi no Koe", which is included in the 48th single "Negaigoto no Mochigusare" of AKB48.[11]

Takino portrayed the character Manji in the television drama Majimuri Gakuen, which was aired from July to September 2018 on Nippon TV.

In September 2018, Takino walked the runway at the Rakuten Girls Award for the first time, modeling for Bershka.[12] In October 2018, Takino co-hosted Koisuru Seishun 48 Kippu (恋する青春48きっぷ), a show about the Shinkansen bullet trains aired on TV Asahi.[13]

Yumiko Takino and Chiho Ishida

On September 15, 2019, the STU48 management launched an event to commemorate Takino and fellow member Chiho Ishida's inclusion in the lineup for AKB48's 56th single, "Sustainable": Takino would start an Instagram account and Ishida a Twitter account, and their combined follower count must exceed that of the STU48 Twitter account (87,276 followers on that day) by October 31, or the two accounts would be deleted. The challenge was successfully completed, and other STU48 members were granted their own official Twitter accounts as reward.[14]

On March 28, 2020, during STU48's third anniversary celebration, AKB48 Group General Manager Mion Mukaichi announced that Takino has signed with the Mama&Son talent agency. The agency also represents Mukaichi herself and fellow AKB48 member Rena Kato, and is a subsidiary of Production Ogi, which represents several high-profile current and former AKB48 members.[15]

In June, Takino announced that she would participate in a university entrance examination. She was a university student when she joined STU48, but has since dropped out to focus on her work activities. To prepare for the examination, she would collaborate with the online prep school Tadayobi, which parent company, Red Queen, has also developed a series of mobile games for AKB48 and its sister groups.[16][17] Parts of her tutoring sessions have been published on YouTube.[18]

Takino first became interested in the saxophone during elementary school and played the alto saxophone in the brass bands of her middle and high school.[19] She studied the saxophone at university[20] and has performed with the Elisabeth University of Music ensemble.[21] According to her, by participating in concerts, she was "able to learn not only technical skills but also the importance of friends."[1] STU48 theater manager Manabu Yamamoto also remarked that her saxophone skills are "clearly at a professional level," and she is "a member who will increase the expectation for future activities".[1]

Takino has an older sister and a younger brother.[22] They own a pet dog named Anko.[23] A lifelong railfan,[24] she loves the Shinkansen Iron character[1][19] and recommends Setouchi visitors to ride the steam train SL Yamaguchi.[25]

Takino is a supporter of Hiroshima Toyo Carp. Prior to becoming an idol, she has worked part-time as beer vendor at the club's home Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium and consistently placed in the top three in sales.[3][26] In 2018, she threw out a ceremonial first pitch at the same stadium as representative of STU48.[27]

• Yumiko Takino - STU48 Official Web Site (in Japanese)
• Mama&Son Official Profile (in Japanese)
• Yumino Takino (STU48) – Showroom (in Japanese)