On December 12rd, a launch event for Morning Musume '23 member Sakurai Rio's second photobook, "naturally" (published by Naturally Odyssey Publishing), was held in Tokyo.
The film was shot at the resort facility "VISON" in Taki Town, Mie Prefecture, and Toba Aquarium in Toba City. At "VISON," viewers can enjoy the vast sky and windswept mountains, artistic and tasteful architecture, and a bustling market where you can enjoy gourmet food made with popular ingredients. At night, the entire town is transformed into digital art with a light-up show and illumination, creating a fantastical location.
Also, at "Toba Aquarium," I was deeply moved to see the long-awaited sea otters "Kira" and "Mei." In front of the "Coral Reef Diving" tank, I was able to appreciate the colorful tropical fish and vivid coral reefs, creating an immersive atmosphere as if I was in the deep sea.
Regarding this photobook, she explained, "This time, as it is my second photobook, I shot the photos in Mie Prefecture. This time, I shot at a commercial facility in Mie Prefecture called VISON, and it's filled with the nature of Mie Prefecture and contains a lot of natural photos of me, so I think it's a book that will allow you to enjoy seeing that natural me. The title is "naturally," which plays on the word "natural" and my nickname, "Rairy," so I think that's something to draw attention to. I really like my nickname, "Rairy," so I was very happy to have it in the title."
Regarding the filming in Mie, she said, "It was my first time to go to Mie Prefecture, but I lived in Hyogo Prefecture when I was in elementary school, so I feel a certain affinity with the area as it is closer to the Kansai region, and I was happy to be able to go there. I myself had always wanted to visit Toba Aquarium, so when I was told that we would be filming in Mie Prefecture, I told the staff that I would also like to go to Toba Aquarium, and they said, "Let's go since we're here. We also decided to film there, and the filming at Toba Aquarium is included in the footage. VISON has a huge variety of gourmet food, and I got to try all kinds of different dishes. I also had keema curry. It was quite luxurious, with the egg not cracked but on top, and I could enjoy the slightly crunchy texture, so I was able to try some unusual curry, and it was a very enjoyable filming experience in terms of food as well."
Showing off her favorite photo, she said, "This time, we had our photo shoot at Atelier Vison "KATACHI museum," which is also a building located within the VISON commercial complex. I usually wear my hair up quite a lot, for example in a high half-up style or in a ponytail, and my fans tell me that they really love seeing me with my hair up, so this time I had it in a ponytail, which still lets my personality shine, and as I've said before that I love architecture, I thought that being in a museum-like setting like that allowed me to be photographed in a way that allowed me to be myself, and more than anything, I love this profile shot." She also highlighted the attention to her profile.
It seems that there are also shots of me wearing glasses, and she said, "I often wear fake glasses, and my fans often tell me that they like me wearing glasses. So, I was able to fulfill their request to wear glasses and had some casual photos taken of me wearing them in my room. This time, they chose a lot of things that I think I would like as my costumes, based on clothes that I would like, so I think that's something I want people to pay attention to."
Finally, Sakurai Rio said, "Morning Musume '24 Sakurai Rio's second photobook will be released on December 2024, 12. The title is "naturally." My nickname is "Rairi," so I included my nickname "Rairi" in the title this time. You might be able to see my natural, relaxed expression, and since it's my nickname, you might even be able to see the idol-like expression of "Rairi," so I hope everyone will pick it up. The photobook is a little small, so I think it's easy to carry around, and it comes with a DVD, so I hope everyone will buy it. Thank you."
Morning Musume '24 Sakurai Rio Photobook "naturally" (published by Odyssey Publishing)
モーニング娘。'24
Sakurai Rio Photo Collection
"Naturally"
Release date: August 2024, 12
Specifications: B5 size, 96 pages
Includes making-of DVD (approx. 29 minutes)
List price: 3,500 yen (3,182 yen + 10% tax)
Photo: Yamashita Fukare
Published and distributed by: Odyssey Publishing
ISBN: 978-4-911265-05-5
Shooting cooperation
VISON Beautiful Village
https://vison.jp/
Toba Aquarium
https://aquarium.co.jp/
