Ai Kato Returns After 8 Years at Fashion Event Reflecting on Her Legacy as Ryoko Hirosue’s Successor

As Ryoko Hirosue’s successor

Ai Kato (41) made a public appearance for the first time in eight years.

Kato attended the interactive exhibition “MaxMara Jacket Circle -To Shining Women-” by the fashion brand ‘MaxMara’ in Tokyo. Amidst glamorous members like Haru (33), Hana Kuroki (34), and Rio Uchida (33), Kato, dressed in a full white outfit, captivated the press with her remarkable style and presence. The eight-year break seemed completely unnoticeable.

“Kato made her acting debut in 1997 at the age of 14 in the drama ‘Gift’ starring Takuya Kimura (51). The following year, she was chosen as a ‘NTV Je-nic’ and became the successor to Ryoko Hirosue (44) in the NTT DoCoMo pager commercial. Her popularity skyrocketed as a ‘beautiful girl talent’ with a charming smile. Since then, she has been the image character for NTT DoCoMo for 8 years. Around the year 2000, she appeared in more than 10 commercials and became the ‘CM Queen.’

In the ‘Umi-Zaru’ (Fuji TV) series and the ‘Team Batiste’ (Fuji TV) series, she played cool roles. In ‘Haken no Hinkaku’ (NTV), she portrayed a clumsy office lady, and with her wide range of acting, she worked mainly as a supporting player” (TV magazine writer).

‘FRIDAY’ first took note of Kato when she became popular as a beautiful girl talent in 1999 and began working as a radio DJ at the age of 16. They have reported various aspects of Kato, including her first photo essay handshake event, where she showed her best smile in front of 1800 fans, and her expression at a photo book event she held to commemorate her 20th birthday. One of the most memorable moments was when Kato, at the age of 27, appeared at the ‘Uniqlo’ original shoes launch event in a mini skirt, showcasing her alluring appearance. We would like to reflect on the article published in the September 17, 2010, issue.

Praised for her priceless enameled legs

On August 31, 2010, Ai Kato made an appearance in a mini skirt, showcasing her beautifully long legs. That day, she attended the autumn new product launch event for Uniqlo’s original shoe brand. Kato, the first image character for Candyish, wore a pair of patent leather pumps. To highlight the shoes, she appeared in a mini skirt, but the press couldn’t take their eyes off her stunning legs. At that time, Kato was 27 and single. When asked about marriage, she responded:

“I’m not thinking about it at all right now, but if I can, I hope it happens someday.”

She responded casually, with ease.

Three years later, in 2013, she married a man who was seven years older and a tombstone company president. Afterward, she dedicated herself to raising her three children. Now, after focusing on motherhood for a long time, she made her public return to a fashion event after eight years. When asked about the woman she admires, Kato said:

“I really admire women who have a strong core, who stay true to themselves, and live gracefully.”

Even after more than 20 years since her days as a beautiful girl talent, Kato revealed her unchanging beauty, and we look forward to her future endeavors.

Even at 41 years old, she still retains her outstanding style and youthfulness (from her Instagram @ai_kato1212)