In the second installment of our series of interviews exploring what makes women shine, we feature former Japanese national gymnastics representative Rie Tanaka. In the second half, we spoke to her about beauty and fashion, along with her striking, radiant smile.

■ Maintaining a "Beautiful Figure" Through Stretching and Exercising During Her Active Days

Even after retiring, Tanaka has maintained her toned, beautiful body. In January of this year, she released her first co-authored book, "Beautiful Figure Stretching & Exercising" (Sekai Bunka Publishing), which has recently garnered attention.
"The methods introduced in this book are based on the training I used during my active days. I personally trained my hip joints, core, and back daily to alleviate the symptoms of osteoarthritis of the hip. This training has many benefits for everyday life, such as improving posture and walking gracefully. That's why I continue to do it even now that I'm no longer active." She also leads an active lifestyle, going to the gym and taking up golf. 。
。 English: "After the Olympics, I took a break from sports and realized that I really do love moving my body. I try to sweat every day by exercising and taking half-body baths. As well as sweating, I also try to beautify from the inside out and make sure to eat plenty of warm vegetables."
■ Tanaka Rie's style for makeup is "natural"
When it comes to makeup, Tanaka basically goes for a "natural" look. "I use a light foundation and use brown eyeliner to create a calm look around the eyes. For blush and lipstick, I often use pink or orange. Lately I've been interested in red lipstick."
On the day of the interview, she used a light foundation to create a radiant complexion, and layered a pink cream blush that was close to her skin color with a slightly darker pink powder blush to create a bright impression. She used brown eyeshadow to add a gentle touch to her distinct facial features. "If you want to achieve facial features like Tanaka's, eye makeup is key. Adding volume to your eyelashes and finishing with a brown liner will give your eyes a crisp look," says makeup artist Mochizuki Kaori.
Tanaka, who typically wears curly hair, wore her hair in loose, fluffy curls on this day, creating a feminine and mature look. Hairstylist Ito Hiroyasu adds, "I also recommend a center part. A center part emphasizes the balance between the left and right sides of your face, making it a hairstyle that can be said to be the privilege of beautiful people."
■ Fashion is definitely monochrome
In contrast to her feminine image, Tanaka says, "My closet is full of monochrome clothes." While her fashion style is typically casual, she also easily pulls off dresses and other items. "My stylist often takes me shopping after work. I don't have any particular brand preferences, I always choose based on my intuition. I never have any second thoughts," says Tanaka, who also chose the dress she wore that day herself. The color was, of course, monochrome. The mini-skirt is perfect for her active lifestyle. Meanwhile, stylist Tomoko Eriguchi has also advised her to gradually broaden her fashion horizons by incorporating warm colors like orange and pink, and she's experimenting with new styles. "I'll do my best to pull off colorful clothes. If you see me wearing them on TV or in magazines, I hope you'll think I tried something new!" (laughs). [Profile of Rie Tanaka] Born June 11, 1987, in Wakayama Prefecture. Assistant Professor, Department of Child Sports Education, Nippon Sport Science University. Started gymnastics in the first grade at Kii Elementary School, and won the individual all-around championship at the Kinki Championships in her third year at Wakayama Kita High School. Entered Nippon Sport Science University, where she placed second at the 2009 All-Japan Championships and fifth at the Universiade. In 2010, she entered the graduate school at Nippon Sport Science University, placing fourth at both the All-Japan Championships and the NHK Trophy. At the World Championships, she received the Longines Prix de Elegance, awarded for the most beautiful routine. At the Asian Games in November, she won a bronze medal in the individual all-around and a silver medal in the vault. In 2012, she won her first All-Japan Championships in April and the NHK Trophy women's individual all-around in May. In December 2013, she announced her retirement from active competition. In March 2014, she was appointed as a director of the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.