Former Dempagumi.inc Member Mirin Furukawa Reflects on Her “Second Life,” Inspired by Shohei Ohtani

What is the basis of your life?

“Thinking too much about ‘what comes next’ can make you anxious. I thought that if I could put on a live performance that would go down in history, the next path would naturally open up.”

One month after the ending live concert held on January 4th and 5th, 2025, Mirin Furukawa, known as “Mirin-chan” from Dempagumi.inc, sat down for an interview. Currently featured in FRIDAY, she took on a surprising gravure photoshoot challenge! This is a special interview (part 3) that delves into the life of this former idol who spent 16 years in the spotlight.

Interview Part 1: “Running through 16 Years as an Idol… Mirin Furukawa from Dempagumi.inc Reveals the ‘Surprise’ After the Final Live”

Interview Part 2: “‘Mommy isn’t an idol anymore’—Former Dempagumi.inc member Mirin Furukawa Talks About Her Family”

ーーIn past interviews, you’ve referred to life after being an idol as your remaining years.

“I thought that once I graduated, I might not be in the public eye anymore. Maybe not fully retired, but I figured I would only work if I received an offer. While I was busy working as an idol, my husband (note: manga artist Shuichi Aso) wasn’t able to create many works, so I was also thinking about passing the baton to him in terms of work.”

ーーNow that the ending live is over, how do you see your life going forward?

“I’m the type who thinks, ‘You can’t live off just doing fun things.’ But once I stopped being a part of Dempagumi.inc and thought about what my core motivation would be going forward, I realized that ‘enjoying life’ would be at the center of it.”

ーーThat’s quite a surprising conclusion for the Mirin-chan we’ve known.

“Right? (laughs). I only started thinking this way after I graduated. It made me realize that when adults say, ‘You should enjoy life,’ that’s what they mean.

You know how Shohei Ohtani used to do mind mapping in high school to achieve his goals? He would write his main goal in the center and the steps he needed to take around it. I tried doing the same to figure out my future, and when I thought about what to put in the center, it ended up being ‘enjoying life.'”

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What are the chances of returning to Idol?

ーーWhat else did you write on your mind map?

“I wrote things like wanting to be a ‘mom talent’ or pursuing a solo career—totally personal things, so it’s a bit embarrassing… As an idol, I was supported by many people, but from now on, I’ll be on my own. So, I thought maybe it would be fun to play guitar or create original songs. I suddenly got this random ambition and started listening to songs by Aimyon and Masaki Suda (laughs).”

ーーDo you think there will be a day when we can see ‘Mirin-chan’ as an idol again?

“I’m really torn about that… I love singing and dancing, but I’m also wondering if it’s the right time to return to being an idol. If I were to do it, maybe it would be like ‘Dream Morning Musume’—I’d suddenly jump in with the younger members and say, ‘Let me dance to Future Diver!’ or something like that (laughs).”

ーーYour autobiography “At the End of Twin Tails, #Mirin’s Autobiography” will be published on March 14.

“This book is sort of like a ‘will’ for me. It’s a bit strange, but I’ve always had this fantasy about wondering how many people would cry at my funeral if I passed away. I want as many people as possible to cry for me at my funeral, and I’ve always said, ‘When I die, I want to write my will on Twitter.’

In the midst of that, I was given the opportunity to write a book. I wanted to leave behind how I feel now as an idol, and I hope that someday my children will read it. Even if it ends up gathering dust, I’d be happy if it sits on a shelf somewhere and people think, ‘There was an idol like her.'”

Having lived 16 years as an idol, “Mirin-chan” is now stepping into the second phase of her life.

“Denpagumi.inc has come to its end. Now it’s time for me to simply enjoy my life. Results and numbers are important, but there’s no need to get discouraged over them. I don’t want to push myself too hard—I want to do things that make me happy, that bring me joy, and make me feel fulfilled. I plan to enjoy the rest of my life to the fullest.”

You can watch a behind-the-scenes video of the making of Mirin Furukawa’s first and last serious gravure photo shoot, the final challenge of her idol career, available now on “FRIDAY Subscription.”

Mirin Furukawa is a gamer idol from Kagawa Prefecture. She has been leading “Denpa-gumi.inc” since its formation, and published her first book, “At the End of Twintails, the Autobiography of #Misuzu,” on March 14.