Gravure idol Momiji Kuribara is finally going all the way. Her debut print nude photo book, titled Land of the Beautiful Butt, hits shelves on September 30.
The 29-year-old Saitama native has only done digital photo books until now, so this is a big step up. She sat down with Weekly Playboy for an interview in the August 10 issue and shared how it all went down.
“I was nervous before the shoot started because it was my first time doing nude work, and the outfits were unlike anything I’d ever worn for glamour shoots before. The settings were quite extraordinary, too.”
She also did an advance nude shoot for the magazine itself. Looking back, she said:
“Honestly, I did have some inner conflict about whether it was okay to go nude, but once we actually started shooting, it was really fun. There was a sense of liberation in having nothing to hide… since I was baring my true self, in a sense, it was actually easier to do than a swimsuit shoot.”
The book’s title is a direct nod to her best feature. “My large hips are my best feature. I’ve always had a big bottom — partly because I have naturally wide hips, and also because I played basketball from fourth grade through junior high.”
From the Weekly Playboy shots we’ve seen so far, her breasts get plenty of attention, while the actual photo book previews lean hard into that famous rear.
It’s still unclear whether the final book includes full-frontal (hair nude) shots. We’ll have to wait until release day for confirmation.
Momiji’s path into modeling is a little different from the usual story. After high school she went to beauty school, got her hairdressing license, and worked at a salon. Then she switched to an apparel shop for about four years. Around her 25th birthday she started wondering if that was really the life she wanted.
“I realized that if I kept living the way I was, I’d definitely have regrets when looking back on my life. So, I decided to try my hand at the entertainment industry, which is something I’d always wanted to do.”
She also works as a race queen and cosplayer on the side. She’s done some pretty provocative semi-nude work before — pasties, foam, the works — and once even got an outfit that was basically just Band-Aids. That experience apparently helped push her toward going fully nude.
With her 30th birthday falling on September 29 (one day before the book drops), she decided it was the perfect time for a new challenge. Her goals for the next decade? More magazine spreads and a couple more photo books.
Looking forward to seeing the finished product.
