Yina Enohara: “Before my debut, I was a backpacker in Tokyo” [This Week’s Cover Girl’s Heart

Unexpected career path” before being scouted

–The location shooting was done on Miyakojima Island. I understand that this was your first time on Miyako Island.

The scenery was beautiful and the local meat (Tarama beef) was delicious. The most impressive part was shooting on the beach. The sand was amazingly smooth, and even if it got on my clothes, it came right off as soon as I brushed it off.

–Which outfit was your favorite?

I wore something similar when I made my gravure debut in February, so I felt nostalgic about it. It’s been less than a year since then, and I’m deeply moved when I think about it at …….”

–Did you always have an interest in the entertainment industry?

I don’t remember it at all, but my mother told me that I used to watch singing shows on TV and sing with a toy microphone. She used to point at the TV and ask, ‘How do I get in here?’ She would ask, ‘How do I get in here? So I think she was vaguely interested in it. By the way, my mother wanted to be an idol, and she is the most supportive of me.

–So you have been aiming for the entertainment industry since you were a little girl?

Actually, not really. I was just going to dance lessons and enjoying my student life in general. It wasn’t until the COVID-19 crisis that I was finally able to face my heart. Before my debut, I was backpacking and sharing a room with foreign backpackers in Tokyo, but due to the spread of the new coronavirus, everyone was ″hoping to go back to their own countries but couldn’t″ for about a year. I could go home anytime I wanted, and I could do anything I wanted, but I thought, ‘What in the world am I doing?

–So you were backpacking in Tokyo (laughs). Did you ever travel abroad?

The first time I went abroad by myself was to Korea when I was 20 years old. Naturally, I was frustrated because I didn’t understand the language at all. After that, I went back to Korea and lived in a share house for a month, and with a translation app in my hand, I talked with the locals. The staff at the share house told me that my current Korean was very rude (laughs). (Laughs) Thanks to my efforts, I am now able to converse with Koreans to the point where I have no trouble hanging out with them for a day. Using this successful experience, I went to many countries with only one backpack. I would have dinner with local people and talk with them using a translation app. Once we became friends, when they came to Japan, we would have dinner together over here and go to …….

–What was your most memorable experience in Korea?

Of course I had a great time in Korea, but the most memorable time was last year in Los Angeles. I stayed at a hotel near Skid Row, which is famous for being a high crime area. It was safe inside the hotel, but once I stepped outside, I was surprised to see the streets full of street people and drug addicts. Once, while I was observing a soup kitchen, I heard a gunshot from just beyond the fence!　I heard the sound of gunshots from right behind the wall. …… I can still hear the sound clearly. It was such a shocking experience that it blew away all my memories of Korea.

Ideally, we would be each other’s absolute best allies and best friends.”

–Have there been any surprises in Tokyo since you came to Tokyo from Osaka?

When I was backpacking in Tokyo before my debut, I thought Tokyo people were cold, but now I love it. But now I love it. If you get to know them properly, they are all very kind. Also, there are many good restaurants in Tokyo. The price of living in Tokyo is expensive, though. You can buy a takoyaki for 150 yen in Osaka, but here it costs about 600 yen.

–What are your plans for Christmas and New Year’s?

I’m working on Christmas. …… I would like to travel abroad during the year-end and New Year’s holidays, but considering the cost of airline tickets and the rising cost of living, it may be difficult. Right now, I would like to go to New York. In Europe, I have only been to Italy, so I would like to visit Paris and London.

–What is your ideal type of man?

My ideal man would be someone who is my best friend and my best ally. I don’t care what he looks like or how old he is. I don’t care what he looks like or how old he is. As long as he brushes his teeth, takes a bath, and trims his nails. And if they don’t have nose hair (laughs). I am an active person, so I would like someone who can take advantage of that. For example, if I have two days off, I don’t want someone who suggests a movie or a date that doesn’t have to be a consecutive holiday (laughs). Ideally, I’d like to go on an international trip with you!”

–On November 4, her first radio program, “Yona Enohara’s Do as You Like! started on November 4.

I’ve always dreamed of doing radio, but it’s still difficult. I have to explain in words what I can understand when I see it, since it is only my voice. The other day, the program staff gave me a book on “verbalization,” and I thought, ‘I’m not doing a very good job of putting things into words’ (laughs). I’m studying that book now.”

–What kind of work would you like to do in the future?

I would like to do a travel show or food reportage. I love to eat!

Ina Enohara
Inaism,” her first photo book, is currently on sale from Kodansha, and her radio show “Ina Enohara Ina’s Do as You Like! on AuDee. For the latest information, check her official X, Instagram, and TikTok (both @ina_enohara)!

Foods” is her latest boom.
“A set meal that I eat in one sitting.

Recently, I’ve been into putting rice, side dishes, and pickles in my mouth at the same time. If there is a set meal that includes fried bean curd, pickles and rice, I put the fried bean curd and pickles on top of the rice and put them in my mouth at the same time. The acidity of the pickles and the flavor of the karaage blend well together, making the white rice taste even better. I recommended my friend to try it and she said it was delicious, so please give it a try!

From the January 3, 10, and 17, 2025 issue of FRIDAY