Retirement is something people often look forward to. However, for those in the showbiz, retirement can be a wistful future.
Veteran actress and pin-up model Aki Mizusawa (水沢アキ) has decided to gracefully exit the scene by publishing one last album. “I’ve decided to use this photo album to repay my fans a favour at the end of my acting life,” she said.
Aki Mizusawa, real name Suihi Akiko (スィーヒ 昭子) debuted as an actress at age 17 and later a singer. Yet, her career only took off after a magazine photo shoot with Kishin Shinoyama. In 1986, she launched a personal photo album titled “Mizusawa Aki’s Passion”. At least 240,000 copies of the album were sold and it sealed her status as “the queen of photography”. She is also known for having an affair with Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan (成龍).
In 2013, Mizusawa claimed that they dated for a year in the 1980s. Sin Chew Daily once reported her describing Chan as a gentleman with a well-built physique during a variety show in Japan. Although her children have expressed their doubts about the claim, Chan himself did not deny it. After her brief fling with Chan, Mizusawa married Guy Chihi, an American businessman and voice actor. They had two children but divorced after 7 years. Since then, she has not had any relationships.
During an recent interview with the magazine “Women Themselves (女性自身)” the 66-year-old admitted she had always been a romantic. “When I was young, I seemed to be a woman who lived for love. I felt ashamed if I could not always have a partner by my side,” she explained. However, after the divorce, she hasn’t remarried or fallen in love for over 30 years.
The star chalked it up to her relationship experience. She believed that eventually, people will get tired of their relationships, no matter how good their partner is. “Since we (get) tired (of being) together, it’s better to live alone,” she said. “I don’t want my life to be swayed by a man again.”
Although the actress found it in her to let go of romance, she couldn’t let go of her glory days. As her nostalgia for the entertainment industry grew, Mizusawa decided to model one last time. After turning 65 last year, she hired photographer Kishin Shinomiya for her photo album “Aki Mizusawa 1975-2020”. She decided to show her “true self” to her fans.
The photos were taken at home with blooming cherry blossoms in the background. “The cherry blossoms are beautiful, but as the focus, I’m a bit… but it’s okay. I’m 65 years old. It droops because of the weight but that’s okay, because this photobook is my masterpiece. It makes sense to record all the moments of these 45 years,” she said.
The actress explained it was to mark the “end of her acting life” as she feels the era has no need of her anymore. She also revealed that a female friend complimented Mizusawa by saying she was inspired by the album.
Source: China Press.
