【This Week’s Cover Girls】Yuzuha Hongo, Aoi Mizobata & Mao Takano: “We Watched the Brazil Match Together After the Shoot ♡”

A close-knit collaboration!

——How was it working together as a trio for this shoot?

Hongo: “We’re also close in our private lives, so it was really fun! I think our lively, playful dynamic came through in the photos, too. We played table tennis between takes, and Aoi was way too good (laughs).”

Mizobata: “It’s not that I’m good—the two of you were just being too cautious (laughs).”

Hongo: “In the end, it came down to a match between Mao and me to decide who was the weakest (laughs).”

Takano: “The shoot took place right in the middle of the Soccer World Cup, and staying up late to watch soccer was a great memory, too.”

Mizobata: “It was the day of Japan vs. Brazil, and we thought, ‘Since we have the chance, let’s watch it together,’ so we gathered in my room.”

Hongo: “Aoi and I cheered as hard as we could, but Mao lost her battle with sleep and watched the game with her eyes half-closed (laughs).”

Mizobata: “The moment Japan scored, Yuzu and I screamed, and Mao was so startled that she suddenly woke up (laughs). She’d basically been asleep until then, but when we checked Mao’s X account, she had posted something along the lines of, ‘The World Cup is so exciting!’ It sounded as though she’d been watching the whole match, so Yuzu and I burst out laughing.”

Takano: “The two of them were so loud cheering that I definitely woke up when Japan scored (laughs).”

Mizobata: “The game ended around 4 a.m., and we took a two-hour nap before heading to the shoot. As expected, I was hit by a wave of sleepiness. Whenever I had a chance during the shoot, I was trying to fall asleep.”

——All three of you belong to the same agency. What is your relationship like professionally?

Hongo: “In terms of years in the industry, I’m the senior. But we’re all around the same age, so rather than feeling like a senior and juniors, it feels more like we’re classmates.”

Mizobata: “Yuzu is senior to us both in terms of her career and as a gravure idol, but she creates such an approachable atmosphere. So when we work together, it feels like we’re close friends. If Yuzu were the kind of person who acted like a senior all the time, I don’t think we could have had such a fun, relaxed shoot like this one.”

Takano: “When Yuzu and I worked together on the previous ‘FRIDAY’ shoot, I spoke to her very politely the whole time. But during this shoot, she said, ‘Let’s talk casually!’ From then on, it felt like we could talk as friends. A month after the shoot, the three of us even went out for drinks together, right?”

——As gravure idols, what do you respect about each other?

Takano: “I’m the shortest of the three, so when we take photos together, I sometimes stand on my tiptoes and try to make my legs look as long as possible. But the two of them are really good at posing in ways that make their legs look longer, and I really admire that! During this shoot, too, I learned a lot by watching their poses and thinking, ‘If I adjust the angle of my legs a little more, they’ll look even longer and more streamlined.’”

Hongo: “I’ve been doing gravure for more than five years, but Aoi and Mao had a level of composure that made it hard to believe they’d only been doing it for about a year. Maybe it’s because they’ve already had a lot of experience. I watched them thinking, ‘They’re really impressive.’”

Mizobata: “Yuzu is the one with an incredible level of professionalism. As soon as the photographer calls cut, she immediately checks the photos and thinks about what could be improved, then applies that feedback to the next shot. And Mao is amazing because she can create so many different expressions, from bright, girl-like smiles to alluring, sophisticated looks.”

Overflowing with fun

——Are there any jobs you’d like the three of you to do together besides gravure?

Takano: “I’d like to start a YouTube channel together. I love strawberries, so I’d like our fans to watch a video of the three of us going strawberry picking.”

Hongo: “I’d like to do radio! I’ve done it by myself before, but I haven’t had many opportunities to talk with multiple people. I’d like to do a free-talk segment where one of us shares what she’s been up to each week, or a segment where the three of us help solve problems sent in by listeners. It would also be great if we could appear together in a short drama!”

Mizobata: “You took the words right out of my mouth (laughs). With the three of us, there’s no doubt that YouTube and radio would be a lot of fun, so please send any offers our way!”

——Finally, could you say a few words to the readers looking forward to this collaborative gravure shoot?

Mizobata: “We each appear in various media outlets, but I’m sure there are expressions and poses that we can only show when the three of us are together. I want everyone to pay attention to those!”

Hongo: “Because the three of us are also close in our private lives, I think this gravure shoot is filled with lots of natural expressions and a genuine atmosphere. I hope you enjoy it!”

Takano: “The shoot with the three of us was really fun, and I think that fun comes through in the photos, too. I’ll work hard so that we can do another gravure shoot together!”

Yuzuha Hongo, 23
From Osaka Prefecture. Graduated from NMB48 in 2023. She currently works as an actress as well.

Aoi Mizobata, 25
From Osaka Prefecture. Joined seju in 2025. Her first photo book, Aoi Mama de. is currently on sale.

Mao Takano, 22
From Tochigi Prefecture. Joined seju in 2025. Her first photo book, Mao no Koto, is currently on sale.

Recent Favorite “SNS & FOOD” Picks: setlog / Mala Tang / Kakigori

Hongo: “I’m really into ‘setlog’ right now. If you record a two-second video every hour, the app creates a day-long Vlog for you!”

Mizobata: “I’m so hooked on mala tang that I’ll go get some whenever I have free time. I’m also trying to get Mao-chan hooked on it.”

Takano: “I’ve gotten really into visiting kakigori shops. A café near my house started offering kakigori, so I helped with the taste testing and gave them my feedback.”

From the September 11 & 18, 2026, combined issue of “FRIDAY”