Yuka Hirata returns with first Weekly Playboy gravure shoot in 14 years

A reader recently chided us for not writing about the Yumi Sugimoto’s return to gravure (though we did post pics on tumblr). The truth is, even with “gravure comebacks,” there are simply too many idols to keep track of, let alone write about in detail on these digital pages.

But here’s one comeback that is certainly worthy of note.

Yuka Hirata (38) made a very welcome return to our lives with her first Weekly Playboy gravure shoot in 14 years, first published in the March 19 issue of the magazine.

Now on the cusp of 40 and steeped in jukujo territory like a finely aged wine, the former 2000s Juken Sentai Gekiranger star looks ravishing in green lingerie. The shoot is by veteran gravure photographer Koki Nishida.

The issue actually brought together several Juken Sentai Gekiranger heroines: Suzuka Morita, Hinami Mori, and Yume Shinjo. But our eyes are all on the “love warrior” that is Yuka.

She still continues to act in TV shows and this shoot is promoting a digital photo book. If it’s a success, perhaps she’ll do more of the same — or go even further and release a nude photo book?

For comparison, here are some older shots of Yuka Hirata.