Ruriko Kojima Says She Embraces Her True Self in Exclusive Long Interview Despite Feeling She Is Not “Smart Right Now”

A blonde hairstyle that highlights her bright expression. Ruriko Kojima (32), a talent who changed her look from her former trademark black hair, smiled shyly and said, “I tried mixing a bit of pink into the blonde for a spring feel, but it was hard to get it to settle into exactly the color I imagined.”

With every tilt of her head, her blonde hair swayed softly. Each of her movements conveyed the sensibility of a professional who accurately reads the intent of the FRIDAY photographer. Despite a two-and-a-half-year hiatus, her demeanor at the photo shoot was as refined as ever.

“Since announcing my return to activities last October, I’ve appeared on TV and online videos, but this is my first magazine interview. Thank you for having me.”

Having entered the entertainment industry at 15, Kojima has been active at the forefront for 13 years. After her hiatus, her current life is built on three pillars: talent work, entrepreneurship, and motherhood.

“For today’s shoot I wore a dress, but in my private life I stick to a thin turtleneck and jeans. I only own three tops and two pairs of jeans, and I just rotate them. It’s basically a uniform (laughs). I feel it’s a waste of time to worry about coordinating outfits.”

She entered the entertainment world in 2009 after winning the Grand Prix at the Horipro Talent Scout Caravan. Using her strong communication skills, she has worked across variety shows, sports programs, and educational programs as an MC.

One of the moments that made Kojima’s name widely known was her appearance in the 2017 lower house election special “Ikegami Akira’s General Election Live” (TV Tokyo). She was in charge of reporting from the election headquarters during the live broadcast, and her responses and commentary earned her the label “Kojiruri dominance.” However, she herself recalls having mixed feelings about it.

“Work did increase, which I’m grateful for, but I never felt like I was dominating. I felt like I was being expected to be perfect, and the bar for everything kept rising. It was heavy, and honestly quite tough.”

Amid overwhelming popularity and constant offers from the media, she left Horipro in February 2023. The following month, she married businessman Kota Kitamura (29 at the time of his death), who ran a sauna-related business. She also fulfilled her long-held dream of studying in China on a short-term program. After returning to Japan, she gave birth to her first son and devoted herself to household duties and childcare as a full-time homemaker.

Just when it seemed that a peaceful happiness would continue, everything changed in February last year—her husband suddenly passed away.

“I wanted to support him as he worked hard every day on his business. But, there may have been something in his heart that even I couldn’t fully understand. The more I think about it, the more painful it becomes, and since that day, I have experienced an emotional and physical hardship unlike anything before. Even in that situation, the reason I could think that I must move forward was, of course, my son.”

In October of last year, she established her own private agency and resumed her entertainment activities. In addition to working as a company president and talent, she also began working on a tea-related business, inspired by her personal experience of being comforted by tea during her difficult times.

“I’ve always liked tea, but I came to deeply realize that it’s not just the taste and aroma—taking a moment to breathe and relax with tea itself calms the mind and enriches life. Tea is profound, and it’s something I want to continue exploring. And I hope I can deliver something meaningful to people who are going through hardship or seeking comfort.”

Once she decides on something, she acts quickly. She sought guidance from a university professor specializing in tea science through personal connections, visited tea farmers, and even went to tea wholesalers.

In January this year, she opened a two-week limited restaurant in Akasaka, Tokyo, serving a tea-centered course menu. 268 customers visited, and Kojima herself handled customer service and explained the teas. She even set up the reservation website on her own—everything was a first-time experience. One might assume it was difficult, but she herself spoke rather casually about it.

“It was certainly challenging, but whether you’ve done something before or not isn’t important. What matters is whether you want to do it. In today’s world, you can look up almost anything using AI, and there are tools that let you build reservation sites. If you set your mind to it, you can manage even if it’s your first time.”

The two-week reservation slots were filled in an instant, and customer reactions were also strong. She said she felt a real sense of achievement.

“I was just relieved. Being able to feel confident that if I keep putting in my best effort, I can deliver something to people was a big deal for me. Honestly, while preparing, I was constantly dealing with vague anxiety—wondering, ‘Will this business really succeed?’ or ‘Is this something the world actually needs?’ But I was afraid that if I said it out loud, it would feel like everything would be for nothing.

At the peak of that anxiety last November, my manager said, ‘It feels like we’ve been preparing for a school festival forever,’ and I’ll never forget that. I realized she was thinking the same thing, even without saying it out loud.”

In fact, her current manager is a close friend of 20 years. Last year, Kojima personally asked her childhood classmate to take on the role. She immediately agreed and quit her previous job to join her.

“I couldn’t say, ‘This will definitely succeed.’ But I told her, ‘If you come with me, I will keep going until I make it succeed.’ That’s how I persuaded her.”

Kojima then quoted the late Matsushita Konosuke, often called the “god of management”: “Failure becomes failure because you stop. If you continue until success, it becomes success.”

“Before bringing her into the business, I had already decided: no matter what happens, I won’t give up. I will keep going until it succeeds. That’s why I was able to ask her to leave her job and join me—and I think she agreed because she could feel that resolve.”

After speaking with intensity and a spark in her eyes, she added with a wry smile, “It kind of sounds like old-school sports manga. It doesn’t feel very Reiwa.”

“I think it would be cooler if I could do things more smartly, but right now, I’m far from being smart. But that is the real me.”