Honda Marin 1st写真集 MARIN

Figure skater Honda Marin releases her 1st photobook through Kodansha on her 24th birthday. The 144-page collection captures something entirely different from her ice performances. The gaze here is softer, more intimate. The grace remains, but freed from competition.

"I was born in summer and my name is 'Marin,' so I wanted to shoot in a summer setting," she explained. The destination: Taichung and Kaohsiung in Taiwan—cities that blend resort glamour with nostalgic atmosphere, places she'd visited countless times since childhood for competitions and ice shows.

The shoot wanders through streets like a casual stroll before giving way to dramatic poolside sequences. What strikes me immediately is her physique—toned core, beautiful back, flawless skin. Two decades on ice built something remarkable, and photographer Higashi Kyosuke captures it with restraint that makes the athletic beauty feel earned rather than posed.

In a ballet studio, she dances for the camera. In a hotel room, the discipline shows—strong and supple, the body of someone who competed on the world's biggest stages. The range surprises: innocent sideways glances give way to unexpectedly bold, grown-up shots. That gap between the two is what makes the book captivating.

One shot she'd envisioned from the very beginning: diving into a pool while wearing a dress. "I really wanted to do that," she said. The result captures the collision of elegance and spontaneity that defines her appeal—formal and playful in the same frame.

I'll be honest: if you're expecting something daring, this isn't it. The approach is modest, and at ¥2,970, you might wish for more. But that's not really the point. This book delivers exactly what Honda Marin represents—transparency, freshness, poise. A top athlete releasing herself from competition into something personal. The summer light of Taiwan, the confidence of 24, the body shaped by ice. If you wanted the wholesome-to-grown-up range rather than provocation, this is the debut you were waiting for.