Kaoru Hashimoto (橋本 薫, Hashimoto Kaoru, born November 27, 1964 in Shinjuku, Tokyo), better known by her stage name Kaoru Sugita (杉田 かおる, Sugita Kaoru), is a Japanese actress and singer.

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.^{[citation needed]}

In the series Ikenaka Genta 80 Kilo, 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.^{[citation needed]}

She has also appeared in the films such as Oh! Oku^[1] and Dead or Alive.^[2]

• Joyū Gokko (1998)