A top actress has come under scrutiny for excessive exposure in a commercial.
On the 16th, a commercial featuring Haruka Ayase was released on the official channel of a Japanese spa brand. Although the ad originally aired last year, it was re-broadcast this year, bringing it back into the spotlight.
The issue is that the commercial sparked considerable controversy when it first aired last year. Haruka Ayase participated as a special ambassador for the brand, and the commercial was shown from March through the summer of last year.
In the opening scene, Haruka Ayase stands by a hotel window bathed in morning sunlight. With her hair tied up and her back facing the camera, she boldly bares her upper body. The alleged problem lies in the level of exposure: her upper back, down to her waistline, fills the screen. While this use of topless imagery created a strong impact at the start, it also fueled ongoing controversy.
After the commercial aired, netizens questioned, “Why was it necessary to strip?” The dominant responses criticized the scene, saying it “wasn’t natural direction,” “was unnecessarily revealing,” and “the level of exposure was too high for an advertisement, making it off-putting.” However, some voices defended it, saying it was “just the concept of the commercial.”
This controversy has been reported in Japanese media, extending its ripple effect. The re-use of the contentious commercial has reignited debates.