Emi Aoki--Half Model Genealogy and Revitalization (1949-2020s)

Emi Aoki--Half Model Genealogy and Revitalization (1949-2020s)

Emi Aoki was born on May 24, 1949 in New York, USA. She moved to Japan at the age of 3 and grew up in Tokyo. In her third year of junior high school, she was scouted by photographer Shotaro Akiyama and made a spectacular debut as a cover model for the Weekly Bunshun magazine.

In the 1960s, she was active as an advertising model for major cosmetics manufacturers such as Shiseido and Kanebo, and dominated the world as a pioneer of half-models. 20 years old, she married Jun Inoue of the popular group sound band "The Spiders" and temporarily retired from the entertainment industry, but divorced at 33. She then sought a new path for herself and worked for the fashion brand Alpha Cubic. He also showed his talent in the business world, producing cafes and cakes in the food department.

In 1993, she remarried after a relationship with Ryozo Shibata, the founder of the brand. With Shibata's severance package, she purchased the Nishiazabu La Terre confectionery store and began managing it. However, the store closed in 2006. He continued his activities, including the launch of the members-only bar "Moon Dance," but the curtain came down again at the age of 62 to care for his mother.

In 2023, at the age of 73, she self-published a photo book, Laugh. In one volume, she quietly reflected on her past, compiling encounters with 171 people who had supported her throughout her life. Currently, she lives a peaceful life, working one or two days a week as a secretary to the chairman at "Parsons Inc. She also writes as an essayist and continues to give people empathy and hope through her own experiences.

Her never-ceasing smile in the face of every headwind is a portrait that quietly reflects the transition of the times.