Rina Nakano
Rina Nakano is an award-winning storyteller at KCAL News. She joined the team in 2022 as a Reporter/Multi-media journalist for Orange County.
Don't be surprised to see her with a big news camera and tripod. Many times, she's on assignment as a solo-storyteller, specializing in human-interest, long-form, and feature stories. Everyday she is reminded of the power of local journalism, especially after covering the Eaton and Palisades Fires of 2025.
Rina's journalism journey began as an intern at KGTV in San Diego and CNN in Tokyo. After graduating from UC San Diego, she landed her first TV job in Casper, Wyoming. Her next stop was Tokyo, Japan. She was able to use her bilingual skills to tell impactful longer-form stories, featuring the survivors of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami.
Rina then polished her reporting and anchoring skills in KTXL in Sacramento, where she covered State politics, destructive wildfires, the Napa Earthquake, even the Superbowl.
Rina was most recently on the air in nearby San Diego, where she covered the US-Mexico border crisis, military affairs, and Comic-Con! She was also the first reporter on the scene at the 2019 Poway Synagogue shooting, which earned her one of her Emmy Awards.
Though her job has taken her around the world, she's thrilled to be home in Southern California. She is most proud of being a mother of two, wife, and dog mom. When she is not reporting, you will most likely find Rina with her family, scarfing down tacos or slurping a boba.
