Maki Makie, the nude self-portraits photographer making a splash in her fifties

Maki Makie (マキエマキ) has been working since the early 1990s as a freelance commercial photographer.

Now aged 56, she gained a whole new following when she began taking self-portraits in 2015 and repositioning herself as a “selfie jukujo” (自撮り熟女) model.

This fame has had some unexpected consequences, as she revealed in a long interview with Bunshun.

Her self-portraits revel in a Showa-era atmosphere. Often shot in sketchy or remote locations (like old, rundown resorts or empty shopping streets), they mix humor with the erotic. She is currently exhibiting her work in Osaka.

Makie reveals that the new stage of her career when she was encouraged to wear a sailor school uniform by regulars at a bar. Then aged 49, she posted a selfie on Facebook, and was surprised by the responses it generated.

She quickly graduated to something more ambitious: a shell bikini, like the kind made famous by Kumiko Takeda back in the day. It became a hit when she exhibited at a group show in Ginza.

Her new fame and success has some down sides, of course. Certain people may come to an exhibition and won’t leave her alone. “Send nudes” it a cliche of our times but Makie says people send her over social media nude pics of their penis. “I got off thanks to your photo book I just bought,” wrote one message.

She has also been battling trolls online, who like to attack her on social media. Charging a small admission fee has also helped to discourage stalkers and pesky types from coming to her shows.

These are tactics and issues we inevitably associate with young idols, but it seems they remain problems even for older ladies.