Is it something in the water? Or in the early winter air? Because we seem to be witnessing a wave of comebacks in the gravure industry right now, from 2000s favorites Yuka Kosaka and Megumi Kagurazaka to real blast-from-the-pasts like Mayumi Yamazaki and Reiko Kato, returning after decades away.
The latest returning star is Harumi Inoue.
Now aged 51, the freshly divorced 1990s and 2000s star has made her first full gravure appearance in 26 years.
Debuting in 1991, Inoue was a biggie of the post-bubble years but met a Mexican man in Canada, and ultimately married the foreigner and had ...
We all know the image of flight attendants: they're hot and sexy, and have got men eating out of their hands. But stereotypes are one thing and reality is quite another.
The comedian Crazy Coco used to work at a flight attendant for a foreign airline. While she probably had more than a few dalliances with hunky pilots and swanky execs flying in first class during her career, it seems that romance has been a rare thing in recent years.
On an edition of TV Asahi's The Hell I Loved that aired late at night on November 20, Crazy Coco confessed the sad state of her love life.
During a segment ...
Mayumi Yamazaki has burst back onto the scene at the age of 53 years young. Marking her first gravure shoot in 32 years, the comely ex-idol appears in a shoot over eight pages of the current issue of Weekly Flash.
Of course, makeup and Photoshop can work wonders for anyone, but we think Mayumi looks fantastic. Let's hope this isn't just a one-off.
The former music idol was a member of Onyanko Club's B-Gumi from 1986 to 1987, and then went on to release a few singles as a solo artist. Onyanko Club was the Morning Musume or AKB48 of its day.
She married in 1994 and retired from the ...
Michiko Kichise is divorced, 50 years old, and on the lookout for a new partner.
The mother-of-two actress and model split from her husband in 2021 after 11 years of marriage. She was a big star in the late 2000s, fronting many campaigns and frequently starring in major TV dramas. Her career has taken a slight back seat to motherhood in recent years, but it seems she is ready to move on in her personal life.
She recently appeared in a talk show in which she revealed that she is "now recruiting" a boyfriend.
"I don't know what type I am," she confessed. "When I was younger, I used to like ...
The TV announcer Tomoka Takenaka has surprised fans by branching out into gravure at the age of 43. The former NHK presenter now works for Radio Okinawa.
She announced her sudden pivot from presenting into sexy modeling in September, quickly attracting attention. And the initial photos that have appeared show why she may have plenty of success: she's been hiding quite a pair under those professional clothes.
The comely jukujo appears in the issue of Weekly Playboy on sale from November 17 and a digital photo book is also available. The shoot was a lot of fun, she recently told listeners ...
Yuka Kosaka is making a gravure comeback at the age of 40.
Kosaka is releasing her first print photo book in 17 years. until the end: Naked Wash comes out on November 19 from Futabasha. As we might expect from someone who is now a businessperson, she took charge of the concept and production of the book.
It features a nude Kosaka on the cover in a version of the classic tebura (arm/hand bra) pose. Preview images already appeared in the October 20/27 issue of Weekly Taishu.
Kosaka was briefly a biggie in gravure in the 2000s before gaining a lot of weight and retiring in 2009. She then ...
Here's something we did not expect to be on our radar. The actress Megumi Kagurazaka has made a surprise return to gravure.
Now aged 44, the married mother is to release her first photo book in 14 years. The as-yet-untitled book will come out in Japan on December 18.
She has kicked off her return with an interview and shoot over 11 pages of the October 24/31 issue of the weekly magazine Friday.
And this isn't just a gravure comeback. It's a nude comeback -- and a full-frontal nude shoot (known as a hair nude in the industry). It almost feels like we are back in the 2000s!
Age and ...
Ruka Aida (愛田るか) is a 53-year-old porn star and former stripper who debuted in 1995 and worked in the industry initially until 2004. She then made a comeback in 2006 from 2010, before doing sex work in Tokyo and Osaka. She made another triumphant comeback in April this year.
Over the course of her long career, the Hokkaido native has seen many trends come and go. The tabloid Spa! recently interviewed her and we have translated and edited some of the highlights.
She explains that her 1995 debut came about for very practical reasons.
"I wanted to earn money to cover moving costs. I ...
The cover image for the upcoming photo book by veteran gravure idol Sayaka Isoyama has been released.
The book, Yoin (translating as "afterglow" or "resonance"), comes out from Kodansha on October 22, marking Isoyama's 25th anniversary in the entertainment industry, and the day before she turns 42.
It was shot on location in Cairns, Australia. No doubt we shall all be soon basking in the afterglow of Sayaka's eternal, shapely beauty, as showcased on the cover.
She already teased us with how great she looks with a 10-page cover shoot for Weekly Friday, her first such cover shoot in eight ...
Ayame Misaki is probably this blog's favorite Japanese model and actress, so we are delighted to hear that she will release another print photo book. Eu te amo comes out via Kodansha on November 27, 2025. "I love you" indeed.
It was shot by photographer Yasuhisa Kikuchi on location in Miyakojima, an island in Okinawa, and amply showcases her sensual curves and shapely derrière.
Here are some highlights from the upcoming release, which was recently previewed in an issue of gravure magazine Weekly Friday.
Now aged 36 and aging like a fine red wine, the divorced actress was a ...
