Reiko Takagaki

Reiko Takagaki has been in the modeling business for 20 years, and her beauty continues to increase with her age. In this instance, we’re in someplace a little different from the usual Onitsuka Tiger style setting—a women’s magazine. We go in depth in this interview, asking about everything from fashion talk to personal anecdotes, and even get a glimpse of Reiko Takagaki’s enchanting smile.

Yes, I’m typically dressed more conservatively, but today I’m wearing something a little more “in” and casual. I like this kind of trendy look, so I was happy to give it a try for this shoot.

They’re cute, and have nice tight lines, so they’re very comfortable! When I realized I was wearing sneakers, I was surprised at how good they looked on me. I could easily wear these when shopping with friends, going out to eat and so on.”

Choose clothes that aren’t too casual, and combine subdued tones and colors. I wear sneakers pretty often, and usually go for fairly reserved color and style combinations.

I’ve been getting clothes with a Bordeaux color. The skirt I’m wearing today is wine-red, and I think it’s a nice autumn color. I’m also using wine-red lipstick and eyeliner, so I’m coordinating my makeup with seasonal colors too.”

Every year I make an effort to take advantage of the beauty and fun of the four seasons in Japan. I have two shibas, and every morning when I take them for a walk, I always look for the nice seasonal things in nature, like blooming flowers and the changing autumn leaves. After I started becoming more aware of things like that, I also began to get interested in seasonal flavors and food specialties. I really love food (smiles).

I love spending time at home, so whenever I have time off, I’m usually at home with my dogs. And of course spending time with family is the most important of all to me. I can’t see them very often, so I really want to take advantage of the time I have with my parents and grandparents.”

A lot of people ask me things like, “Don’t you ever get tired of it?”, but there’s plenty left in this profession for me to do. I think the reason I’m able to do a job like this, which requires a skill of expression, is thanks to my age and the time I’ve spent mastering it. But I also want to continue to do age-appropriate work, in order to model naturally and show my true self through my work.

To be honest, I didn’t think I’d be doing modeling for this long. But now I want to make it a lifetime career. Even when I’m a wrinkly old woman, I want to be wearing stylish clothes and enjoying a casual look. That’s the kind of model I want to be.”