Summer’s wrapping up and the water’s getting colder, but Kyra Shirahase (sometimes styled Kaira) is making sure we don’t forget those long beach days just yet.
The Chiba-born professional bodyboarder and model just released her second print photo book, Blue Sight, on September 16 through Futabasha. She’s about to turn 29, and this one goes further than anything she’s put out before.
If you’ve followed her work, you already know she has that lean, sun-kissed athletic body that comes from years on a board. This book leans all the way into it. There are shots where she’s covering up with her hands, others where wet fabric leaves almost nothing to the imagination, and some where she’s standing on the sand with nothing on at all. The tan lines are extreme — the kind you only get from hours under the sun riding waves. They’re basically the star of several photos.
She’s done semi-nude work before across a bunch of digital and print books. Her first print collection, Kaira., already showed her peeling off the bikini and living that surf-girl life. Blue Sight just takes the same vibe and turns the heat up. It’s the most explicit she’s gone so far.
Kyra didn’t start bodyboarding until she was around 20, which makes her results even more impressive. She took third at the World Tour Final in Portugal in 2024. Off the water she’s also acted, including a lead role in the 2015 film Caesium and the Girl, and she’s built a solid following — over 130,000 on Instagram.
The timing feels right. Just as the weather starts cooling off, here’s a reminder of what peak summer looks like on a Japanese beach. If you like athletic bodies, serious tan lines, and that easy surf-girl energy, this one’s worth checking out.