Her Life Was Turned Upside Down by the “Hostess Club Yoga” Report! Former Gravure Idol Yuko Shoji: A “Completely Different Person” 8 Years After the *Bunshun* Scoop

“I was just running a yoga studio—I never imagined it would be reported as ‘hostess club yoga’… From there, inquiries flooded in, and my life really changed completely.”

In 2018, *Shukan Bunshun* reported that Yoshimasa Hayashi (65), then Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, had “visited a dubious private yoga studio using an official vehicle.”The owner of that yoga studio was Yuko Shoji (42), a former gravure idol who was also active as a member of the Ebisu Muscats.

Eight years have passed since then—

When asked about that time, Shoji, surprisingly, smiled.

“Looking back now, I’m actually glad that whole incident happened.”

Why on earth does she feel that way?

We spoke with Shoji—who is now a mother of two and taking on new challenges—about her turbulent life so far.

The Relationships She Discovered in the Entertainment Industry

Shoji began her career in the entertainment industry in her twenties. After working as an event hostess, a race queen, and at photo sessions, she became a gravure idol. While immersed in that glamorous world, she says she was sometimes bewildered by the unique interpersonal dynamics of the entertainment industry.

“Back then, I was often in charge of organizing drinking parties with celebrities and athletes. When I mentioned this to other gravure models and members of the Muscats, a producer told them, ‘Yuko’s been going out drinking with these athletes.’

That’s actually why I was taken off a regular show once. Everyone was such a gossip (laughs). So I learned that you shouldn’t just tell people everything.”

On gravure photo shoots, the actual shoot would sometimes differ from what she’d been told beforehand.

“Even if we’d agreed on ‘this far,’ they’d try to get me to take off more on set. Things like that happened back then.”

Even so, gravure work was something Shoji had always dreamed of. And when she was around 23, the first publication to feature her in a full-fledged gravure spread was, coincidentally, *FRIDAY*.

Her First Gravure Shoot Was in FRIDAY’s “Sealed Insert”

“Even though it was my first time, it was an 8-page sealed insert right off the bat. I think the headline was something like, ‘Former Lucky Legs member Yuko Shoji has bared this much,’ featuring semi-nude photos. Up until then, my only experience had been photo sessions and working as an event hostess, so I was absolutely thrilled.”

I also remember the shooting location vividly.

“We shot in a place that was like a suite at a luxury hotel near Kodansha. I was so moved, thinking, ‘I can actually shoot at a hotel this nice?’”

Shoji, who had been working in the gravure industry, turned to yoga at the age of 25.
The catalyst was a sudden breakup with the man she was dating at the time. Her boyfriend at the time was self-conscious about his slightly overweight figure and had been trying to lose weight. However, instead of exercising, he relied on diet pills and other substances to lose weight rapidly, which put a strain on his body and led to his sudden death. He was only 36 years old.

“Because of that experience, I became even more determined to help people who want to lose weight do so through exercise and in a healthy way. That’s why I decided to open a yoga studio.”

However, the studio Ms. Shoji envisioned was a little different from a traditional yoga studio.

“I wanted to create a yoga studio that men could enjoy too. I figured if the instructors were cute girls, men might actually enjoy coming (laughs). Since I used to work in the entertainment industry, I had many friends who were models and gravure idols, so I asked them, ‘Let’s all get our yoga certifications and become instructors!’”

After obtaining her certification, Shoji started her own company.

“When you’re in show business, auditions and jobs come up suddenly. It’s hard to work fixed shifts. So I thought, if I ran my own studio, I could take time off when I had work. That’s why, from the moment I got my certification, working at another yoga studio was never an option for me.”

The studio, which started in a single apartment unit, moved to a larger space with a monthly rent of about 500,000 yen about a year later. She was off to a solid start as a business owner.

However, in 2018, the studio’s name became known nationwide in a way he could never have imagined.

Revenue Triples Thanks to “Hostess Club Yoga”

When it was reported that Mr. Hayashi had visited the studio run by Ms. Shoji, her name—along with the buzzword “Cabaret Yoga”—spread like wildfire. The studio was flooded with inquiries, and Ms. Shoji found herself forced to refute the reports, stating that “some of the details were inaccurate.”

“My life really changed overnight. Some of the girls I’d been working with suddenly quit, saying, ‘Working here will give me a bad reputation.’ It was really sad…”

On the other hand, there were staff members who stayed by her side even amid the uproar.

“There were some who told me, ‘No matter what happens, I’ll stick with you.’ I felt I had to do my best for the sake of the girls who stayed.”

And Shoji herself made a decision: she would not “run away” from the controversy.

“People around me told me, ‘You should lay low for now’ and ‘You shouldn’t answer any media interviews.’ But I didn’t run away—I replied to inquiry emails myself. I thought it was better to explain things honestly.”

In the midst of the controversy, Shōji continued to stand at the forefront herself. Then, something unexpected began to happen.

“People who learned about the studio through the news coverage started coming in.”

Compared to before the controversy, the studio’s revenue reportedly increased about threefold.

“Of course, things were tough after the controversy. But in the end, a lot of people learned about us, and by actually coming in, they realized we weren’t some shady studio. I think that turned out really well.”

Now, eight years later, Shoji looks back on the controversy with a laugh.

“I don’t think there are many people who’ve been bashed that hard and managed to climb back up from there, are there? Looking back now, it’s kind of like—not that I’m Becky or anything—‘Thank you, Bunshun!’ (laughs)”

Mr. Hayashi, who sparked the controversy, is still active on the front lines of politics. I met Mr. Hayashi at a dinner party.

“He was incredibly humble, approachable, and down-to-earth. Back then, I just had the vague sense that he was ‘someone important.’ When I see him appearing frequently on TV now, I’m struck anew by the thought, ‘An amazing person like that actually came to the studio.’”

What are your thoughts now on Mr. Hayashi, who was at the center of the controversy?

“He’s still very active, and I hope he continues to appear in the media more and more. I’d even like to see him become Prime Minister. I want him to change Japan as it is today.”

Time has passed since the scandal, and her life has changed dramatically. Currently, as a single mother raising two children, she presents a completely different image from her former days as a “sexy gravure idol.”

“Pregnant with a Third?” A 10-kg Weight Gain Sparks a Resolution

The births of her two children coincided with the COVID-19 crisis. With fewer opportunities to go out or exercise, she gained about 10 kg. Even after giving birth, she struggled to return to her previous weight. What finally spurred Shoji to take action was a casual remark from an acquaintance she hadn’t seen in a long time.

“They asked me, ‘Are you pregnant with your third?’ (laughs). That’s when I thought, ‘I really need to get serious about losing weight.’”

At the gym where she started going to get in shape, her trainer asked her, “Why don’t we enter Best Body Japan together?” Although Shōji had been practicing yoga for many years, serious strength training proved to be far more grueling than she had imagined.

“At first, everything was tough. Especially the dumbbells—I kept thinking, ‘There’s no way I can lift something this heavy! I can’t do it!’ (laughs). Afterward, my whole body was sore, and my legs were shaking.
But I gradually got used to it, and now I’m even training with 8-kg dumbbells.”

Currently, she combines strength training, cardio, and stretching, with each session lasting about two hours. No matter how busy she is, she goes to the gym five days a week.

“You brush your teeth every day, right? It’s the same thing—working out has become a completely ingrained habit for me now.”

And Shoji went on to win a bodybuilding competition. If you compare her appearance from her gravure modeling days to her current, well-toned physique, the transformation is obvious at a glance.

Shoji’s current goal is to become the national champion at the Best Body Japan competition, which will be held on November 22. In the future, she hopes to take on a role promoting bodybuilding.

“Someday, I’d like to become an instructor or a judge. There are so many women around me who say, ‘I want to lose weight’ or ‘I want to change my body,’ so I want to get them involved by saying, ‘Let’s go to the gym together.’ I want to increase the number of women who go to the gym and do bodybuilding.”

And at the end of the interview, Shoji laughed as she made this “request” to FRIDAY.

“First, I’m aiming to be the national champion at the Japan Championship on November 22. And if I win that title… FRIDAY, please do another gravure photo shoot with me (laughs).”