Hiromi Oshima Nude
In Japan, where curvaceous figures are not the fashion norm, Hiromi Oshima never entertained the idea of becoming a model. “I’m too buxom to be a Japanese model,” she says. “There it doesn’t matter if you have nice breasts or a booty. All the models are tiny and super skinny.” When Hiromi was growing up in Tokyo, her life revolved around one goal: being accepted into a strict private school to appease her parents. “I couldn’t even go to McDonald’s after class,” she says. “If I wanted to hang out with other boys and girls, I had to change out of my school uniform so I wouldn’t get caught.” When she wasn’t sneaking off or nose-deep in books, Hiromi took jazz dancing lessons. “Music and dancing have become more than just hobbies,” she says. “They’re my life. I dance to anything with a nice groove that gets my body moving — hip-hop, house, R&B.”
Hiromi’s life took a new turn when, during a trip to Florida, she had a chance meeting with a Playboy photographer, who was impressed with her looks. Convinced she should make a go of it in the States, she graduated from college with a degree in communications, moved to the Sunshine State and posed in several Playboy special editions before being picked as Miss June.
“I’m thrilled,” she says. “I want to use my Playmate money to travel all over Europe — London, Finland, Germany — because I’ve never been there.” Though she’d miss her family and friends back home, Hiromi would like to become a U.S. citizen. “Now I have to go back to Japan every three months because I don’t have my green card. It’s a long 18-hour flight. I don’t think I’ll stay in Florida, but I definitely want to live in the States. I’d like to settle down and build a nest. I’ve always wanted a Chihuahua, but my parents tell me I shouldn’t get one right now because I travel too much. The separation would be stressful for both of us.” And as for the guy who would share dog-walking duties with her? “Let’s see,” she says. “I like brawny guys. When they hug me I feel comfortable and protected. I feel so big when I hold hands with Japanese guys — they’re so skinny. I had a lot of buddies in Tokyo, but I never had a steady boyfriend. They all treated me like one of the guys. I had to be tough and funny, hang out and do guy stuff. In America I definitely feel more feminine.”
Photography by Stephen Wayda