This week’s cover girl] Erika and Marina Momose “I don’t want to lose to each other in cuteness!

A photo book that was their goal

–I heard that your photo book will be released on March 25. Congratulations!

Eri & Mari “Thank you!

Eri: “It has been my goal to publish a paper photo book of the two of us since I returned to gravure in December ’24, so I am happy to see it come true.

–What did you think when you heard about the photo book?

Eri: “I heard about it from my manager last October, but I didn’t really feel it at the time.

Mari “I was told casually, ‘There was talk about a photo book, and Kodansha has decided on it.

Eri “Yes, that’s right. I got a real feel for it when I heard at a subsequent meeting that we were going to shoot on Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam and that this was the kind of image we wanted to capture there.

–Eri “What did you two talk about before you went to Vietnam?

Eri “It was a six-day trip, and it had been a long time since I had been abroad, so I was very prepared from the day before.

Mari “I received a line from Eri-chan. Mari “I received a message from Eri-chan saying, ‘I’m taking this with me, so you should prepare properly, too. She had a detailed list of more than 50 things I needed to bring, and it was a big help.

Eri “I received a reply from Mari saying, ‘I forgot my passport! Mari-chan replied, “I forgot my passport! I’m so glad I sent her the list.

–This issue’s gravure is an advance look at a photo book that is yet to be released. What is your favorite outfit?

Eri: “I like the pink gold satin fabric lingerie. It reminds me of a high-class pussycat, and it’s so cute and celebrity-like!”

Mari “I think I would have to say the denim bikini. It matched the local atmosphere and I thought it looked great in the photos.

Eri: “The cover of the magazine has a luxurious atmosphere, while the denim bikini has a country taste. I think we were able to show various aspects of ourselves.

–Please tell us about the highlights of the photo book for the fans who are eagerly awaiting its release.

Eri: “All of the photos are spectacular, and in my opinion, they are all highlights. Usually in gravure, the expressions and compositions are limited due to the atmosphere of the medium and the number of pages. But with a photo book, it’s a whole book about us, so I get to do everything I want to do. I feel that the book contains all of our current work, including more explicit photos and photos that emphasize how close Mari and I are.

Mari: “There are poses that we have never dared to do before, such as unhooking a bra. I hope you will be pleased with these photos as well.

–Mari: “I have a simple question: do you feel shy when you pose intertwined with each other as sisters?

Eri: “Even though we are sisters, it was a pose we don’t usually do, so I was a bit embarrassed. However, because we are sisters, we were able to be as close to each other as we wanted. Our pair shoots are not the usual close contact.

Mari: “I don’t think I’m embarrassed. But when we pose with our noses and foreheads pressed together, I hold my breath so Eri doesn’t catch me breathing through my nose.

Eri “I understand. I don’t like it. I hold my breath too (laughs).

Cuteness is non-negotiable.

–You two are close sisters, but is there anything you don’t want to lose to each other?

Eri & Mari: “I guess cuteness.

Mari: “Eri can beat me in adult sexiness, but I can’t lose to her in cuteness.

Eri “I don’t want to lose in photoshoots either.”

Mari “We both think that the angle that shows the left cheek is cuter, so we often argue about which side to stand on.

–Mari “We both think that the angle showing the left cheek is prettier.

Eri “Yes, we do. Mari is a quiet girl in front of others, but in front of me she is quite outspoken. When she comes over to my house, she starts to do some weird poses by herself, like gymnastics or yoga.

Mari: “Flexibility!　It’s flexibility!

Eri “Then he says, ‘Isn’t it amazing?　Can you do this pose too, Eri? I thought that was a little creepy (laughs).

–Mari “She is very sensitive about humidification.

Mari: “I humidify a lot!

Eri “My bedroom is 6 tatami mats, but I use a humidifier for 20 tatami mats and make it look like a humid jungle when I sleep.

Mari “The humidity is so high that it feels like a mist sauna. (Laughs.) Even in a hotel in Vietnam, she started wetting a huge towel and said, “Please help me wring it out! and brought it to me.

Eri: “I am a “humidified kitchen” person who hates dryness.

–What about the future? Do you have any goals for the future?

Eri “I just achieved my big goal of a paper photo book, so I am looking for my next goal. ……

Mari “I would like to broaden my activities, such as singing.

Erika
Born in Tokyo. 158 cm tall. She is the older sister of Marina Momose. Hobbies are cooking, self-nailing, and makeup.

Marina Momose
Born in Tokyo. 151cm tall. Height 151cm, sister of Erika. Hobbies are skating, skiing, singing, and makeup.

My best recent “TEA TIME
Baking bread / Chamomile

Erika: My cooking class experience led me to join a baking class. I bake Stollen bread mixed with dried fruits and nuts and bring it to Christmas parties with my friends, or serve the bread I bake at home to Mari.

Mari: Passion oolong tea I found in Vietnam is delicious and I often drink it after returning to Japan. I also like herbal teas such as chamomile, but the combination of green tea and Japanese sweets is the best!

From the February 13, 2026 issue of FRIDAY