In Japan, voice actresses are as popular as music idols, fashion models, and gravure idols. Despite only displaying their vocal talents on the screen, fans adore these ladies, and it's why so many of them have developed lucrative side lines in event appearances and photo books.
Rikako Aida (逢田梨香子) is one examples of a voice actress. Previously known by the stage name Rikako Ito, she is now 31 years old and entering jukujo territory (despite her eternally youthful elfin looks, but this hasn't diminished her fandom.
Also a singer, Aida is is best know for her role as Riko ...
Late last year, we showcased the ageless miracle that is Fumie Nakajima, who looks amazing in swimwear even in her mid-fifties.
As they mature, Japanese improve with age like a fine wine. A couple of cases in point: Yoko Kumada and Sayaka Isoyama, who both look stunning in their forties.
If further proof was needed, here's another example.
Making her debut way back in 1994, the gravure idol Yuka Sawachi (沢地優佳) has managed to survived in a competitive industry in which idols are often discarded after a few months of shoots for the weeklies. She actually retired in 2007 and then ...
Japanese photographer Kishin Shinoyama has died at the age of 83.
As regular readers will know, Shinoyama is regarded as the king of the hair nude (full-frontal nude), and is largely responsible for establishing it as a publishing genre in the early 1990s with his photo books of Rie Miyazawa (Santa Fe) and Kanoko Higuchi (Water Fruit), though Shinoyama and others had already done nudes in the previous decade (notably, a lovely shoot with Aki Mizusawa).
Others quickly dropped their clothes in front of the camera (not least, Yoko Shimada and Saki Takaoka), hoping to replicate Miyazawa ...
As the year draws to a close, it's natural to look back on the past months and get a little nostalgic.
Present-day Japanese gravure idols dressed up and photographed in the style of vintage pinup models? Yes, please!
That's the basic concept behind a new photo book called Pin-Up Girls Selection, which is attempting to conjure up the image of "American porn from 100 years ago," according to the promo spiel.
There are nine participating models: Rin Takahashi, ENA, Hinano Ayakawa, Miku Oshima, Miyako Sono, Miyu Nakagawa, Aya Hazuki, Haruka Bando, and Saki Yanase.
Bando and Oshima are ...
Here's a nice little (late) Christmas present for you.
The Japanese tarento and music idol Ourin (王林) is branching out into gravure with the release of her first solo photo book.
Born in 1998, the Aomori native made her debut way back in 2007 and has been part of several idol groups over the years.
One Chance was released by Shueisha on December 20. We love its flamboyant, bubble-era look.
She has previously released calendars, so gravure is not a completely new career path for her, but the swimwear photos definitely seem to indicate a conscious step up in the sexy stakes compared to ...
We recently wrote about TV announcer Kasumi Mori's continued forays into modeling, including a sexy photo shoot for the magazine Anan.
We ended by musing that it was high time that the 28-year-old put out her first photo book, following in the wake of the example set by former announcer Minami Tanaka, who made a hugely successful shift to modeling, released a bestselling photo book, and has now also done some acting.
That proved a naive comment, since of course Kasumi Mori and her management were thinking about this.
She has since announced the release of her first photo book, tentatively ...
The model, occasional actress, and former AKB48 music idol Mariya Nagao continues to get more alluring the older she gets.
Slinky. Cheeky. Sexy. Mariya-chan has got it all in abundance.
On the verge of 30 (she hits that magic number in March next year), she has thankfully not gone the way of most AKB idols and disappeared into the ether, but still fields regular invites to do gravure photo shoots, model jaw-dropping lingerie, and publish photo books.
In recent months, she has been in the gossip columns because the tabloids found out that she has a boyfriend who is a former host.
In early ...
Slinky sexplot Kanami Takasaki is to release her second, hotly anticipated photo book.
Blooming Bud comes out on January 25, 2024, from Transworld Japan, which specializes in publishing idol books and calendars.
It features Takasaki, who is known for her girl-next-door looks, in a more alluring, sensual style, including a cover image where she is posing naked at the sea, holding up a sheer piece of fabric. As the title of the book suggests, 26-year-old Takasaki is possible entering a more mature stage in her career.
Blooming Bud has a beach theme and was shot in Hawaii. To promote it, ...
We are pleased to see that the impossibly sexy and cute gravure idol and actress Yuno Ohara is to release a new photo book.
The as-yet untitled photo book comes out on January 31 next year. It marks her third photo book, with her debut release released back in 2018.
Three preview images are available at the moment, with more sure to come in the near future.
Yuno Ohara is no stranger to these digital pages. We previous covered her (non-nude) sex scenes in drama series Sweat and Soap last year and The Young Boys with Secrets earlier this year.
The 24-year-old also did a hot shoot for ...
One of the most famous jukujo in the entertainment world is hitting a landmark age and, to celebrate, has released a new photo book that shows she's as hot as ever.
Voluptuous celebrity Sayaka Isoyama, who isn't really famous for anything other than her curves and being on TV, turned 40 yesterday.
The oddly named and more is her first photo book in six years, and may well be her last. She said at a promo event over the weekend that she is considering retiring from gravure, though she said she would retire six years ago after getting married.
Well, guys should be reassured that the comely ...
