Reiwa’s Oogiri Queen Mitsuho Fukudome Explains Why She’ll Never Date a Boat Racer

“I realized I became popular when the betting amount at boat races increased by one digit.”

Mitsuho Fukudome (21), who was a member of AKB48 until July 2022 for about three years, gained widespread attention in March 2024 after appearing on Nobuyuki Sakuma’s YouTube channel, “Sakuma Nobuyuki’s NOBROCK TV.”

When asked to suggest a ridiculous show title like “I drained all the water from a pond,” she quickly answered, “I tried cleaning my grandpa’s belly button” in just five seconds.

Sakuma, who found it hilarious, praised her on “All Night Nippon” saying, “I’ve found a great talent,” which led to a surge in her appearances on variety shows like “Odoru! Sanma Goten!!” (Nippon TV). She quickly rose to fame as the “Reiwa Oogiri Queen.” However, she humbly reflects on it:

“Honestly, Oogiri is tough. I still don’t think my answers are funny, so I don’t understand why everyone is praising me so much (laughs).”

A possible love affair with a boat racer?

What further elevated Fukudome’s fame is her unparalleled love for boat racing. Born into a family where her grandfather and father were both avid fans of the sport, she has been visiting boat racing venues since childhood. She’s a true enthusiast, even keeping a betting ticket of her favorite racer, Makoto Fushimi (40), as a charm in her phone case.

In the October 11, 2024 issue of this magazine, Fukudome was featured as a candidate for the next top variety idol, with the only concern being her potential romantic involvement. When shown the article, Fukudome responded:

“I saw it! I never thought I’d see my name in FRIDAY, I thought, ‘That’s super scary’ (laughs). They seem to be worried about me having a romance with a racer, but seriously, that will absolutely never happen, so you can relax. Because if I married a racer, I wouldn’t be able to buy betting tickets anymore (laughs).”

The January 10 release of FRIDAY (January 24-31 issue) and the paid version FRIDAY GOLD include an extensive feature on Fukudome, where she shares her “scandalous incidents” and reveals her ideal type of man, speaking candidly with no holds barred.

For more details and multiple photos, please check here↓↓

Mitsuho Fukudome, the new balladol ace who loves boat racing: “My goal for this year is as I wrote on the colored paper.”

 

From the January 24/31 issue of FRIDAY