Moka Hayashida reveals true reason behind gravure retirement

The gravure idol Moka Hayashida announced last month that she was retiring from gravure at the end of February. After much speculation, the truth behind why the slinky 24-year-old is leaving the industry has now come out.

It brings to an end a five-year career that has encompassed numerous video releases and four print photo books, including one to come in March.

She is known for her long legs that she likes to show off in revealing swimwear.

So why is retiring this month? Yesterday, Hayashida shared more details with fans on her personal Instagram account and they sadly expose an issue at the core of the gravure industry.

It stems from possible power harassment by the head of her agency. In fact, she only wanted to leave her agency but was forced instead to make that a complete retirement from the industry.

The head of the agency isolated her from the agency’s other models and team, meaning Hayashida had no one else to consult with, and the strain began to have an effect on her mentally.

She was also scheduled to shoot two TV dramas in February but had those roles taken away from her.

“I never thought that I wanted to leave gravure, not even once. I loved doing this job,” she wrote on Instagram.

The truth is that many idols and models who retire are actually forced to do so by their agency. Likewise, those who suddenly change their professional name do so because their previous agency would not allow them to continue working under that moniker.

Hayashida also denied rumors that she had slept with people to get ahead in her career (so-called “pillow business” — allegedly common practice in the gravure and idol industries).