The Highlight: “A Body That’s as Jiggly as Pudding!” Erika & Marina Momose [This Week’s Cover Girls]

Enjoying Taiwan to the Fullest

——I hear you visited Taiwan for a two-night, three-day trip this time. Where did you shoot the photos?

Erika: “We focused on shooting at Japanese-style hotels, luxury hotels, pools, and charming tea houses.”

——Please tell us your favorite shot.

Marina: “It’s the killer shot we took at the hotel while I was wearing the dress! I love that elegant and cute lingerie-style dress—the final look is sexy yet refreshing.”

Erika: “For me, it’s the pool shot where I’m wearing a tube-top swimsuit. I think the highlight is our genuine, playful smiles as we’re goofing around together. Another favorite is the scene at the tea house where I’m wearing a cheongsam over my swimsuit. Since it’s left open in the front, it looks really sexy—it’s definitely one of my favorites.”

Marina: “When we get in the pool, we tend to splash the photographer or just can’t help but goof around, can we? (laughs)”

——Are there any memorable moments from the shoot?

Erika: “There was a sauna right by the pool, and it was so much fun chatting with Mari-chan while we warmed up.”

Marina: “I absolutely love saunas!”

Erika: “I got out halfway through, but Mari-chan stayed in there for about an hour straight. When she came back a little while later, there was a ton of steam coming off her shoulders (laughs).”

Marina: “Even while Erika was shooting her solo shots, I waited in the sauna for about 10 minutes straight (laughs).”

——Did you get to enjoy your time off as well?

Erika: “We got some free time between shoots, so the two of us went for a Taiwanese massage. Also, on the last day, it was amazing to finally get to drink that Taiwanese beer I’d been wanting to try during lunch!”

Marina: “Oh, and Eri-chan, you tasted all kinds of tea at the tea shop and bought a huge amount of souvenirs, didn’t you? (laughs)”

Erika: “I had so much fun brewing tea with Taiwanese-style tea sets that I went ahead and bought a whole set after I got back home!”

——Your first photo book, which was a goal of yours, was released in March—things are really going great for you right now.

Marina: “We’re so grateful for all the attention we’re getting, so going forward, we want to expand our range of activities beyond just gravure modeling.”

Erika: “We’re the epitome of the ‘hungry spirit,’ so we’re not satisfied with where we are at all! Our current goal is to take over every gravure page in magazines with ‘Erimari’!”

——You made your return to gravure modeling two years ago after a six-year hiatus. How did your fans react?

Marina: “Everyone has been so warm. I’ve gained about 50,000 followers on social media, which makes me really happy.”

Erika: “I gained about 70,000 followers too. The number of fans leaving direct messages of support has really gone up as well.”

Their close bond remains unchanged

——Now that you’ve cleared the major hurdle of the photo book, do you feel that the two of you have evolved?

Marina: “I’m still enjoying every shoot and finding a sense of freshness in them.”

Erika: “In a good way, I want to stay the same and not let success go to my head. I was truly happy to release the photo book. But since I still have a mountain of goals I want to achieve, I want to keep taking on even more gravure projects that surpass that photo book.”

——Have there been any changes in terms of body sculpting?

Erika: “I pushed myself pretty hard before the photo book shoot, so now that it’s over, I’m eating lots of delicious food (laughs). Looking at the photos from this shoot, I thought, ‘Oh, I’m looking a little flabby…’ so I’m going to get back in shape!”

Marina: “I wanted to keep my feminine curves, so I focused on strength training at home to shape my body. But Eri-chan was hitting the gym nonstop and got seriously buff, didn’t she? (laughs)”

Erika: “I was calculating my PFC (nutrient) balance, and there was even a time I cried because I was denying myself my favorite melon bread for so long. But the next morning, I ate just half of it and went for a super intense walk. I don’t want to go back to that lifestyle for a while (laughs).”

——So that means this time we’ll get to see both of you with more natural, soft, and curvy bodies, right?

Erika & Marina: “Yes, we’re all jiggly and bouncy! (laughs)”

——Now that your work schedules have gotten busier, has your personal relationship changed?

Erika: “Since we see each other so often at work, we don’t go out of our way to meet up as much in our personal lives. But I don’t feel lonely at all.”

Marina: “We’re really close, so we message each other like crazy on LINE every day. Just the other day, for Eri-chan’s birthday, I treated her to her favorite sushi!”

Erika: “I was stuffed—thanks for the treat! (laughs)”

——Finally, could you tell us about your future goals?

Erika: “I want to prioritize communicating with our fans, so I’d like to try my hand at game streaming, which a lot of people have been asking for.”

Marina: “I’d like to branch out beyond gravure modeling into fashion modeling and beauty content as well. I’d be happy if more women got to know us better.”

Erika: “Huh!? That’s not fair—I want to do that too! (laughs)”

Erika
From Tokyo. The older sister of the Erimari sisters. She’s also active as an influencer, primarily on TikTok

Marina Momose
From Tokyo. The younger sister of the Erika-Mari sisters. She boasts over 1 million total followers across social media platforms

My Recent Favorite: “HEALING TIME”
Food Experiences / Incense

Erika: A little while ago, I went on a tour of a sake brewery in Nagano Prefecture on my day off. I love “culinary experiences,” so recently I bought a block of red sea bream at Tsukiji, marinated it in kelp, and even tried my hand at making nigiri sushi.

Marina: In the evenings, I light some incense to relax while watching the drama *Gossip Girl* on Netflix—getting all on the edge of my seat—and jotting down my daily life in the diary I’ve been keeping for about three years. That’s become my favorite way to spend my time lately.

From the July 17 & 24, 2026, combined issue of *FRIDAY*