Tenchim ordered to pay damages to bra company over secret boob job
In Japanese idol world (gravure, AV, and music), plastic surgery is something of an open secret. The occasional models and idols who admit to it — Haruka Kodama being a recent one, as is porn star Ichika Mogami — are exceptions that prove the rule, so to speak.
Formerly known as Tenka Hashimoto, Tenchim (てんちむ) is a 31-year-old Chinese-Japanese tarento and model, and a rare example of a celebrity who openly admits to having had surgery on her breasts.
In 2021, she made a comeback after a double scandal that saw her career as a model and tarento derailed, so much so that she took to hostessing to make money.
In 2020, she had endorsed bras that were advertised as bust-boosting. But this was a problem because Tenchim’s own bust was not just boosted by the product, but by her boob job. (The other scandal related to taking marijuana on an overseas holiday.)
She then disappeared again in August 2023 for reasons she did not make public at the time. She returned in April 2024, explaining that she had given birth to a child and was now a single mom. She was supporting herself and her child through her YouTube channel and weekly appearances at Rokusan Angel, a burlesque club in Roppongi.
Unfortunately, her previous scandal is also set to derail her life yet again.
YUIKU, the manufacturer of the bra she had endorsed in 2020, sued Tenchim for damages due to the loss of trust in their brand (because she concealed her boob job from them when she agreed to the promotion). Tokyo District Court ruled on December 16 that she is liable for over ¥380 million in damages.
It goes without saying that this is a ridiculous sum to expect an individual (much less a single mom) to pay.
Many are commenting that this is not a good look for YUIKU, which appears punitive and unrealistic in seeking such a judgment.
