People come to gravure from different paths. Not all gradols start off at teenagers fresh to the industry and willing to do anything.
Some dip their elegant toes into the waters of gravure when the fancy takes them, having already establishing themselves as entertainers, singers, or actors. (By contrast, some quickly build strong mainstream careers as actors and would like us to forget the bikini shoots they did when they were 18.)
The former figure skater Mai Asada (older sister of Mao Asada) is one such example of the former. After competing at the international level in the 2000s, she now works on television as a sports commentator but the 32-year-old has posed for bikini shoots, playing on her good looks. Her first gravure shoot was in December 2014, several years after her skating career was over.
She has now made a highly anticipated (and highly publicized) return to gravure with her first shoot in four years, exploiting her alluring jukujo appeal.
The cover shoot appears in the current issue of Weekly Playboy, on sale locally from May 10.
