Ririka Fukui said She have Gained Confidence in her Once-Insecure Body

“I wanted to gain confidence, so I decided to take on the challenge.”

— In just five months since your debut, you’ve already joined the ranks of popular gravure idols! How do you feel about it?

“When my agency first approached me about doing gravure, I had no intention of accepting. I had always been self-conscious about my body and lacked confidence, wondering who would even want to see me. But as I took on the challenge, readers started telling me things like ‘You did great!’ and ‘You’re cute,’ which made me feel like I had made the right decision. Now, I genuinely think I’m glad I did it.”

— What was the decisive factor that made you take on the challenge?

“My manager encouraged me by saying, ‘Your insecurities can be your greatest strength.’ That gave me the push I needed. Also, as I studied different books and magazines, I saw models confidently expressing themselves, and I found that really inspiring. Rather than dwelling on my insecurities, I wanted to gain confidence, so I decided to go for it.”

— After making your decision, you spent months preparing for your debut, including intense dieting, right?

“I took Pilates classes and received nutritional guidance at a personal gym. For three days, I followed a diet of only meat, fish, and eggs, with absolutely no sweets. It was tough because I love sweets and used to eat them all the time, but I stayed disciplined. In the end, I successfully lost 4 kg, and now I feel much more confident about my body, which used to be my biggest insecurity!”

— Your hard work paid off, leading to a breakthrough with multiple magazine covers. You also graced the cover of this issue of ‘FRIDAY’ for the first time.

“Thank you! This is actually my second time appearing in ‘FRIDAY,’ but the response after its release was the biggest yet (laughs). This time, we shot in Yamanashi Prefecture, and since I worked with the same staff as last time, I felt relaxed during the shoot. We even had an early-morning session at a private hot spring and got to admire Mount Fuji—it was an amazing experience!”

— Was there anything specific you focused on for this shoot?

“Since ‘FRIDAY’ has a wide readership, including many older readers, I wanted to bring out a more mature look. For example, instead of braids, I opted for more natural, down hairstyles, and we went for a softer, more natural makeup style. I frequently discussed these details with the staff, always thinking about how to make the readers happy.”

— You’re already adjusting your approach based on different publications—seems like you’re quite used to gravure shoots now!

“I’m really grateful for the many opportunities I’ve had in these five months but I wouldn’t say I’m ‘used to it’ (laughs). I still get nervous before every shoot, but the encouraging comments from readers always give me strength.”

— In addition to your impressive career, you recently celebrated your 20th birthday! Congratulations!

“Thank you! Of course, I was happy to receive birthday messages from my family and friends, but the messages from people I’ve met through work were especially touching. As for presents, someone from work gave me chocolates that were so delicious I was in awe (laughs).”

— Since you turned 20, have you attended a coming-of-age ceremony?

“I attended my coming-of-age ceremony in my hometown of Gifu Prefecture. Since I had work, I returned to Tokyo right after the ceremony, but it was great to catch up with my family and friends. The highlight, though, was getting to see my dog again! Ever since moving to Tokyo about a year ago, I haven’t felt homesick because of work, but being away from my dog is still tough. So whenever I feel lonely, I ask my mom to send me videos to cheer me up (laughs).”