The New Year (Oshogatsu) period in Japan is characterized by the various household decorations people put up, the special food that is cooked for consumption on January 1, and the TV marathons that people indulge in, largely for lack of anything else to do.
But there are rays of hope underneath the dregs: occasional shows that contain segments almost expressly designed to make the male members of the household sit up and take notice.
Former AKB48 idol and model Haruna Kojima, who we featured in our recent roundup of New Year tiger cosplay, was part of the cast of a January 1 nighttime show, a holiday special with comedian Hiroiki Ariyoshi apparently covering 77 hours in Okinawa — considerably warmer than most of the country at this time of year.
Warm enough to lounge around in a very sexy swimsuit, as viewers found out.
Images of Kojiharu in her bust-revealing swimming costume, her legs and pale skin on full display, swiftly went viral. The 33-year-old was clearly pleased with how she looked, posting her own pictures of the appearance to her official social media and attracting tens of thousands of likes in the process.
On the other hand, the footage of Ariyoshi surrounded by attractive women half his age in skimpy clothing basically encapsulates the state of Japanese TV.
Haruna Kojima appeared on the show with fellow AKB48 alumnus Minami Minegishi and the tarento Nao Asahi.
