Goto Kumiko’s Secret F1 Outing in Monaco Before Relationship with Jean Alesi Revealed
Playback Friday: Revisiting what ‘FRIDAY’ reported 10, 20, and 30 years ago. This time, we look back 30 years to the June 17, 1994 issue featuring the exclusive article ‘Kumiko’s Secret Monaco Trip: Witnessing “Already an Adult”.
In 1987, Goto Kumiko sparked the ‘Kumiko Boom,’ leading the way in the ‘Beautiful Girl Boom’ and earning her nickname, which was later chosen as a buzzword of the year. By 1994, she had starred in numerous films and dramas, including the ‘Tora-san’ series, establishing herself as a top actress by the age of 20. This article from our magazine uncovered her in an unexpected place. (The description in quotes is excerpted from past articles.)
She crossed her legs boldly and relaxed completely.
“In an unexpected place, I spotted someone surprising. It was at the spectator stands of the F1 Monaco Grand Prix. Sitting there, legs crossed boldly, completely relaxed, watching the race, was none other than the original ‘beautiful girl,’ Goto Kumiko, aged 20 at the time.”
In Japan, she’s always surrounded by nearly ten staff members, but this time, there was only one older woman by her side, presumably her companion. Having recently finished filming an NHK drama, she seemed to be in the middle of a nearly month-long break. Here in Monaco, she appeared to be letting loose quite a bit, as described in the article.
“Perhaps due to the casual anonymity, she wandered back and forth in the spectator stands. It’s a shame there wasn’t a male friend in sight, but some Japanese fans remarked, ‘I saw her after the race, and her makeup was heavier than on TV,’ revealing an unexpected, unseen side of her true face. Well, Kumiko was 20 years old—maybe it’s a reminder that she won’t be a ‘beautiful girl’ forever.”
Furthermore, the combination of Kumiko and F1 seemed quite surprising at the time.
