Kaoru Sugita (杉田 かおる Sugita Kaoru, born November 27, 1964) is a Japanese actress, singer, and celebrity from Shinjuku, Tokyo. Her real name is Kaoru Hashimoto (橋本 薫 Hashimoto Kaoru). A versatile actress, she has appeared in contemporary and jidaigeki roles, on television and in film, and as a seiyū.
She attended Myōjō Academy in Mitaka, later transferring to and graduating from NHK Gakuen (NHK Academy). At age 7, she made her debut in the NTV television series Papa to Yobanai de. Her portrayal of a pregnant middle-school student in an episode of the TBS series Kinpachi-sensei brought widespread media exposure.
In the series Ikenaka Genta 80 kilo (NTV, 1980), she not only played the female lead, but sang the song Tori no Uta, which was released and sold 280,000 copies, reaching number 10 on the weekly Oricon charts.
Sugita appeared in Kuchibue o Fuku Torajirō, the 32nd film in the series Otoko wa Tsurai yo.
She portrayed Okei, the female lead in the 1987 season of the television jidaigeki series Sanbiki ga Kiru! (TV Asahi). In the final episode of the second series, she reprised the character in a guest appearance.
Having been a member of the Sōka Gakkai, she left the organization in 1995, becoming a follower of the Nichiren Shōshū.
Sugita made headlines again in 1998, when she released a Joyū Gokko, a book of nude photos by Kishin Shinoyama. The volume included shots taken when she was 17, and new images of her at twice that age.
She remains active in television in 2006, with appearances in Nurse Aoi, Kurosagi, and Fushin no Toki ～ Woman Wars.
Sugita has also recorded the voice of Clara in the stop motion anime film by Sanrio, Kurumiwari Ningyō (1979) (released in the U.S. as Nutcracker Fantasy).