TOKYO (TR) – Yui Oguri of idol group AKB48 appeared at an event at an undisclosed location in the capital on Saturday to promote the release of her first photo and style book, “AB Blood Type, Left-Handed.”
At the event, Oguri expressed happiness for being able to perform at the Nippon Budokan theater in Tokyo for AKB48’s 20th anniversary celebration.
“Half the audience was female, and while the AKB audience is changing, I’m happy to be able to release a photo and style book that can be enjoyed by both men and women,” she said.
During the photo shoot for the book, she visited Oita Prefecture, a place she had always wanted to visit.
“I’ve always felt close to horses,” she said, “but I rarely had the chance to meet one, so this was the first time I got to take photos with one and ride one. I was so excited and had so much fun.”
Regarding the title “AB Blood Type, Left-Handed,” she revealed, “I always like to ask, ‘What’s your blood type?’ The staff were surprised [one time when I said that ] and asked, ‘Wouldn’t that be a fun title?’ That’s how we decided on it.”
She went on to say that this year has been full of challenges. “First, I worked really hard to run the Tokyo Marathon, a distance I’d never run before,” she said. “I’ve also been able to try a variety of things, like variety shows.”
When asked about her goals for next year, she confidently declared, “Personally, I want to work hard to make it onto the breakout talent rankings.”
Social media has a strong influence on her. She said, “I myself find myself stopping to look at posts that make me think, ‘That’s a little weird,’ or ‘It’s weird but addictive!’ so I want to show more than just the cute and pretty side of myself.”
