This week’s cover girl] Nozomi Miyabe: “I played the most girly heroine in the history of ‘Rider'”!

I am proud of my butt!

–How was your first cover shoot?

Last summer’s FRIDAY photogravure was in clothes, so this was my first time in a bathing suit. And since it was a cover shoot, I was very nervous. ……　Last time, I was fussing just to get in front of the staff for a fitting, so maybe this time was better than that (laughs). Perhaps it was because I went to the shoot prepared, but I was able to take on the challenge of filming with the image of the readers who would be watching me on the other side of the camera.”

–What are the highlights of the shoot?

My favorite part is the cut in the brown swimsuit, which shows off her butt. I’ve been working on my body at the gym so that my hips don’t sag, so I think this outfit was the best way to show off the results of my muscle training. Also, there was a pool and classic cars in the house studio where we shot, so you will enjoy many variations of the photos. During the shoot, there was also an incident in which a spider crash-landed on my forehead (laugh), but I hope you can imagine such a rare occurrence and see their ″facts and expressions″ as if they were spending time together in the house.

–(Laughs) “Is the buttocks your favorite part of the body?

I think it’s my butt …… (laughs). My waist is around 60cm, but my hips are almost 90cm. I used to have a complex about the fact that my hips were too big for my thin upper body, but now that I am doing gravure, I am able to look at the gap in a positive way. I have been going to the gym since I was in high school. I used to do cardio exercises to lose weight, but recently I have been doing muscle training to keep myself from getting too skinny. The gradation from her hips to her legs is what attracts me!

–What was it that got you into show business in the first place?

I had declared that I wanted to be a model since I was 5 years old, so I guess I had always had a yearning to be in the entertainment industry. I remember looking at the fashion magazines my mother used to read and talking about Yuri Ebihara (46), or “Ebi-chan,” at the age of five, saying, “She’s so cute! I loved fashion, and in elementary school, I even put together my own outfits, so much so that my homeroom teacher gave me the title of “fashion watchdog” (laughs).

–The following year, she made her debut as a model and actress. You are currently very active as a model and actress!

I played the role of Sachika Amane, the most girly heroine ever, in “Masked Rider Gav” (TV Asahi), which was a major turning point for me until last year. Although I had acting experience, I had the impression that I had been given roles that suited my image, but in “Masked Rider,” I was given a role that was far removed from my character. In reality, I am not the innocent and cheerful type like the heroine, so I had a hard time breaking down my own walls.

–How did you break down the wall?

The director gave me the advice that I had to live in the film, so I tried to act in a way that was one step up in gear to match the tension of the gal. I also studied videos of gal on SNS so that I could incorporate gal into my own life, and even in my private life, I used heavy makeup and changed my way of speaking. The filming period was about a year and two months, but since I also had a movie and a play to do after that, I played the role of “gal” for a full two years (laughs). (Laughs) Through this experience, I developed a gyaru mindset, or rather, an ego that says, “I am me,” and I feel that I became freer and less concerned about what others think of me.

I’m ready to do something fun!

–Do you have any new roles that you would like to try?

I would like to play a “villain” someday, because I realized how fun it is to act in a way that I would never say or live in a normal life! At the time of my debut, there were so many talented and attractive people in the entertainment industry that I sometimes worried that my individuality would be buried. However, after my experiences in “Kamen Rider” and gravure, I began to think that there was an “atmosphere” somewhere that only I could bring out. I want to become an actor who can change the atmosphere of a picture.

–How is your student life?

I started performing when I was in my first year of high school, but I missed most of the school events because of work. I didn’t have any memories of my youth. …… I moved to Tokyo from my hometown in Aichi Prefecture when I was 15 years old and started living alone, so I was busy with my daily life. So, I joined a hula dance club because I wanted to enjoy my student life at university. We had BBQs at training camps and went to Disneyland with friends during long vacations. We also turned an unused corner of the school building into a secret base and had dinner together (laughs). I am enjoying my youth quite a bit!”

–I love that you are fulfilled in both your public and private life.　Finally, what are your goals for this year?

First, I would like to publish a photo book. I have just started gravure, but it has become my favorite job because it allows me to express myself. Second, I want to try my hand at “speaking work. I would like to do more work that I truly enjoy, such as radio and variety shows.

Nozomi Miyabe 22 years old
Born in Aichi Prefecture. She made her debut in the entertainment industry after winning the grand prix in “Miss Teen Japan 2019. While expanding her activities as a model and actress, she is also working hard on her schoolwork as an active university student.

My best “MOVIE” recently
New Cinema Paradise

I started watching movies under the influence of my grandfather who lived with my parents. Recently, I have been into Italian films, and my favorite film is “New Cinema Paradise. The music and locations are wonderful, and every moment is beautiful beyond imagination. I like films set in Italy, so I would love to visit there someday!　I also love the “Godfather” series of American films.”

From the February 20/27, 2026 issue of FRIDAY