Full Details

Title: Utami Hayashishita “Luxury”
Release: September 2021
Size: A4
Pages: 52
Cost: ¥3,000
Where to Buy: Stardom Online Shop and Third Party Vendors

Currently in Stardom, Utami Hayashishita leads the Queen’s Quest faction and spent the bulk of 2021 as the World of Stardom Champion. At only 23 years old, she is one of the top female wrestlers in the world, recognized by both fans and wrestling critics alike as one of the best on the current scene. As is generally the case with Stardom, Utami Hayashishita is not only great in-ring but she takes an active part in their photobooks as well, as she gets her second “solo” photobook release since joining the promotion in 2018 with Luxury.

Unlike Utami’s last photobook, which was part of the MyStar series, Luxury is a full-sized photobook and clocks in at over 50 pages. The additional pages allow for a more varied photobook this time, with many different locations and outfit changes. Luxury definitely leans more into the ‘gravure’ side of modeling, with Utami posing in a range of lingerie. Unlike Bikiniing, which is a more narrow focused and includes the bulk of the Stardom roster, the solo photobooks allow for a more diverse photospread and are the better option for fans of a specific Stardom wrestler. Fans of Utami and Stardom photobooks will want to find this one, however Joshi fans that do not enjoy the more risqué photobooks should probably skip Luxury. Here are a sample of pictures from the photobook:

The post Utami Hayashishita “Luxury” Stardom Photobook Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Full Details

Title: Ho-Show Tennyo Photobook
Release: 2013
Size: A4
Original Cost: ¥2,500
Where to Buy: Third Party Vendors (Buyee, eBay, etc.)

Before Kairi Hojo was an international superstar, she was slowly working her way up the Stardom ranks mostly in the tag team division. After spending much of 2012 pulling rookie duties, in 2013 she found her first title success teaming with Natsumi Showzuki as the team known as Ho-Show Tennyo. The success would be short-lived however as Natsumi left wrestling in May of 2013, cutting their title reign incredibly short. While Natsumi’s career was over soon after it started, Kairi would go on to became a superstar in Stardom before wrestling in WWE for three years to gain fans around the globe.

Even though this was not Kairi’s first appearance in a photobook, it was her first being one of the featured wrestlers. In traditional Stardom fashion, the photobook mostly features Kairi and Natsumi in swimwear, but does have some casualwear shots as well. While many of the pictures are of them together, there are also solo shots of both wrestlers in a variety of locations. Kairi would go on to be featured in many Stardom photobooks but it is a more rare look at Natsumi Showzuki, who showed a lot of potential during her short wrestling career. With plenty of length, this photobook is sure to be enjoyed by fans of Kairi Hojo, as long as they don’t mind the general theme of the book. Here is a sample of pictures from the photobook:

The post Ho-Show Tennyo Stardom Photobook Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Stardom Santa 2018 Photobook Details:

Official Title: Stardom Santa 2018 Photobook
Release: December 24th, 2018
Size: B5
Cost: ¥2,000
Where to Buy: Third Party Venders (eBay, Buyee, Toudoukan, etc.)

This photobook was obviously made with the Christmas season in mind, and was released in time for Stardom’s Korakuen Hall event on December 24th, 2018. This is one of Stardom’s most unique photobooks as it only contains Stardom’s roster wearing Santa outfits. Some wear what may be considered “sexy” Santa outfits, but still Santa nonetheless. The following wrestlers are included:

• Momo Watanabe
• Utami Hayashishita
• AZM
• Konami
• Jungle Kyona
• Kagetsu
• Hazuki
• Arisa Hoshiki
• Mayu Iwatani
• Tam Nakano

The most surprising inclusion is Kagetsu, as either due to her own personal preferences or to stay in character, she did not always appear in Stardom’s more “free spirited” photobooks. Each wrestler had at least two pictures (most had more) in various poses, all of course following the theme. Its an interesting book with perhaps limited appeal due to the really narrow scope, but its a unique presentation that I think most fans would enjoy, even if it was just to flip through once for a chuckle. Here is a sample of pictures from the photobook:

The post Stardom Santa 2018 Photobook Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Full Details

Title: Bikiniing 9 Stardom Visual Book
Release: August 14th, 2020
Pages: 80
Size: A4
Cost: ¥3,000
Where to Buy: Stardom Online Shop or Third Party Vendors (eBay, Buyee, etc.)

For the 9th edition of the photobook, the following wrestlers were featured:

• Maika
• Himeka
• Konami
• Jungle Kyona
• Momo Watanabe
• Utami Hayashishita
• Syuri
• Starlight Kid
• Mayu Iwatani
• Tam Nakano
• AZM
• Giulia

As sure as the sun will rise in the East and set in the West, Stardom will release a Bikiniing book every year. 2020 has been a dumpster fire but that won’t stop them, as once the pandemic slowed in Japan the wrestlers of Stardom were back in the studio for Bikiniing 9. Like in many years in the past, the pictures were taken in a studio and not on an actual beach (or outside at all), making the photobook slightly less interesting but still living up to its name.

All the wrestlers in the photobook were given at least three pictures, with no one wrestler dominating the spread. One interesting aspect is they clearly took a ton more pictures than the photobook would fit. That itself isn’t surprising, but some of the wrestlers clearly made multiple wardrobe changes even though only one photo of some of the ‘secondary’ outfits made the book. I imagine that made for a long day of taking pictures, and who knows how many photos they took to just have three or four chosen. Beyond the photos of each wrestler individually, there are also pictures of the wrestlers all together, and also in their factions.

The cast for the photobook is a good rundown of the biggest wrestlers in the promotion, with the only obvious exclusion being Natsuko Tora. But Oedo Tai doesn’t always participate in Bikiniing since it doesn’t flow with their gimmick, and since Natsu Sumire isn’t a contracted wrestler that may have been why she wasn’t included. Still, all the big stars are here and its sure to be a hit for fans of the promotion. For fans concerned about Stardom using underage wrestlers in their photobooks, AZM is the only wrestler included this year under 18, which she is still a few months away from. So an improvement over past years and its very possible this will be the last year with a wrestler under 18 years old. Here is a sample of pictures from the photobook:

The post Bikiniing 9 Stardom Visual Photobook Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Tae Honma in Mexico Photobook Details:

Official Title: Tae en Mexico Official Photobook
Release: October 31st, 2019
Pages: ~50
Cost: ¥2,000
Where to Buy: Champion Shop

Joshi wrestlers having photobooks is far from a novel concept, but I do enjoy when we get a surprise or unexpected photobook from a more “under the radar” wrestler. This photobook certainly qualifies, as Tae Honma is not as well known to most fans even though at the time this was released she had been wrestling for over four years. She is a member of Actwres girl’Z and for the first several years was not highlighted in the promotion, but recently has gotten a chance to shine in other promotions and her stock is rising in Actwres girl’Z as well. In 2019 she traveled to Mexico and took part in some CMLL events, which is what this photobook features.

If you are only a fan of ‘sexy’ photobooks, this isn’t the photobook for you. While Tae Honma is an attractive woman, this photobook focuses on her sightseeing in Mexico and training in CMLL. Her attire ranges from casual to her in-ring gear, with nothing more scandalous than that. As a change of pace, I enjoyed it, as not every photobook has to feature bikinis and skin to be worthwhile. Still, its worth noting since it is a departure from the norm and from what some fans may be expecting. The photobook is full size and all in color, and provides plenty of content for the relatively low price. Here is a sample of pictures from the photobook:

The post Tae Honma in Mexico Official Photobook Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Stardom DREAM SLAM 2018 Memorial Photobook Details:

Title: Stardom DREAM SLAM 2018 Spring Festival Memorial Photobook
Release: Spring 2018
Size: A4, approximately 96 pages
Cost: ¥2,500
Where to Buy: Third Party Vendors (Ebay, Buyee. Toudoukan, etc.)

While most Stardom photobooks are based around a theme or a wrestler, the DREAM SLAM 2018 Memorial Photobook is different as it focuses on a pair of Stardom events in 2018. At 96 pages, it is one of the larger Stardom photobooks and thoroughly covers the two shows, with the event on April 1st featuring Stardom’s first Exploding Bat Death Match.

This is one of my favorite photobooks released by Stardom, and there are a lot of reasons why. Since the book features just two events, it has a very narrow focus which allows them to feature more wrestlers and in more situations. The pictures include the wrestlers before their matches, during their matches, and after their matches instead of just photos taken in a studio or “on site” like many Stardom photobooks. Since the second show had the Exploding Bat Death Match, the action shots are great and present the wrestlers in a unique light. Most of the wrestlers have individual full page pictures from one of the two events, allowing them to highlight their entire roster rather than just the more popular wrestlers. This was also one of the peak ‘modern’ times for Stardom, when Io Shirai still led the promotion and Oedo Tai was in full swing, so looking back at it in 2020 is a nice walk down (recent) memory lane. For fans of Stardom, especially during that time period, this is a must-buy. Here are a sample of pictures from the photobook:

The post Stardom DREAM SLAM 2018 Memorial Photobook Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Full Details

Title: Bikiniing 5 Stardom Visual Book
Release: July 31st, 2016
Cost: ¥2,500
Where to Buy: Third Party Vendors (eBay, Buyee, etc.)

For the 5th edition of the photobook, the following wrestlers were featured:

• Io Shirai
• Mayu Iwatani
• Kairi Hojo
• Jungle Kyona
• Hiromi Mimura
• Toni Storm
• Chelsea
• Shanna
• Yoko Bito

Stardom has gotten into a grove on Bikiniing photobooks by now, as instead of featuring the entire roster and all the gaijins available, they focus on a smaller sample of wrestlers so that more photos of each can be shown. The usual suspects are included in Bikiniing 5, with Io Shirai, Mayu Iwatani, and Kairi Hojo all making their annual appearance, but we have some newer faces as well. Yoko Bito returned to Stardom in 2016 and thus made her return to Bikiniing, plus we get newer wrestlers Hiromi Mimura and Jungle Kyona. They are joined by three gaijin this year – Toni Storm, Chelsea, and Shanna. While Toni Storm and Chelsea were regulars in Stardom for a stretch of time, Shanna wasn’t there as long and is the biggest surprise in this year’s edition.

As is generally the case, the photoshoot focused on the wrestlers in swimwear, with multiple outfits for each. No underage wrestlers this year, which is always a plus, and any photobook with Io and Kairi is going to be a hit. Here are a sample of pictures from the photobook:

The post Bikiniing 5 Stardom Visual Photobook Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Full Photobook Details

Title: Stardom X Stardom FOTO LIBRE #2
Release: 2011
Pages: ~32
Cost: ¥2,500
Where to Buy: Third Party Vendors (eBay, Buyee, Toudoukan, etc.)

The FOTO LIBRE photobook series has been around for several years and is not promotion specific. The photobooks generally feature one wrestler and while most are masked wrestlers, its not a hard rule and in the past many non-masked wrestlers have been featured as well. Popular wrestlers such as Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask, Prince Devitt, Ultimo Dragon, BUSHI, Dr. Wagner Jr., and Io Shirai have all been featured in a FOTO LIBRE photobook, with some being featured multiple times. For Stardom X Stardom FOTO LIBRE #2, instead of focusing on a wrestler, an entire event was featured as the series took an early look at the wrestling promotion Stardom.

What is perhaps most interesting about this photobook is it was created very early in Stardom’s run, and before Io Shirai joined the promotion. So we see a glimpse of who was initially planned to be the future of the promotion, with Yoko Bito on the cover and both Mayu Iwatani and Arisa Hoshiki featured heavily. The pictures from the photobook were taken during Stardom’s event on July 24th, 2011 (titled of course Stardom X Stardom), where Nanae Takahashi won the World Of Stardom Championship. Since the photobook focuses on that show, we also get pictures of Haruka and her match against Kenny Omega, which would become famous down the road. This is a smaller photobook than most of the ones in the FOTO LIBRE series, but the pictures inside are priceless and its a fun look back at the beginning of one of the most popular Joshi promotions today. Here is a sample of pictures from the photobook:

The post Stardom X Stardom FOTO LIBRE #2 Photobook Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Tokyo Joshi Pro Back Stage Pass Vol. 1 Photobook Details:

Title: Tokyo Joshi Pro Back Stage Pass Vol. 1
Release: Spring 2020
Cost: ¥2,750
Where to Buy: DDT Shop

While Tokyo Joshi Pro is no stranger to photobooks, with Back Stage Pass Vol. 1 the promotion went in a different direction than your typical photobook. As the name implies, the bulk of the book takes fans backstage to what goes on before and after the matches, from setting up the ring, training, getting ready to go to the ring, and what happens once they return backstage. For this photobook they focused on three wrestlers: Yuka Sakazaki, Suzume, and Mina Shirakawa. Its a unique and welcomed combination, as while Yuka and Mina are popular, Suzume is still looking to find her place in the promotion so giving her a bit of the spotlight can only help her short term visibility with fans.

Beyond the backstage pictures, the photobook does include some posed pictures in both the wrestler’s wrestling gear as well as in casual attire. I don’t think it breaks the theme of the photobook as these pictures could very well be taken backstage also, and it provides fans some ‘normal’ photobook pictures to give the book some variety. Since the name implies there will be more of these released in the future, and they certainly have the roster for it, hopefully this will be the start of a new series for Tokyo Joshi Pro. Here is a sample of pictures from the photobook:

The post Tokyo Joshi Pro Back Stage Pass Vol. 1 Photobook Review appeared first on Joshi City.

DESTRUCTION BABY Rika Tatsumi Photobook Details:

Title: DESTRUCTION BABY
Release: May 2020
Cost: ¥3,000
Where to Buy: DDT Shop

While Stardom is best known for their Joshi wrestler photobooks, Tokyo Joshi Pro produces a couple a year as well for their roster. Many of the photobooks they produce are for a team or a faction, so its a special occasion when an individual wrestler gets a photobook all to her own. For fans of strictly gravure-style photos, this photobook may not completely scratch that itch, but its a fun look at Rika Tatsumi that likely matches her personality.

To say this is not your typical photobook would be an understatement, and while it would have been easy for them to just take 50 modeling pictures of Rika and call it a day, they went in a different direction. A good percentage of the pictures have Rika in unique scenarios, such as eating jelly, in various costumes. There are a few pages of Rika in ‘casual’ attire, and the photobook ends with a decent number of bikini pictures. The pictures range from being in very bright settings to dark settings, and it provides a solid variety that should satisfy any fans of Rika Tatsumi. If you go in expecting a Stardom-style modeling or bikini book, this isn’t that, but its a very well done presentation that mixes things up and is never dull. Here is a sample of pictures from the photobook:

The post Rika Tatsumi DESTRUCTION BABY Photobook Review appeared first on Joshi City.