Former Otona-AKB48 member Mariko “Mariri” Tsukamoto (38) is set to have her modeling debut in the December issue of “Be ST” (美ST) magazine.

Tsukamoto who is a housewife and mother of two, beat out 5,066 women this past April for the chance to be an Otona-AKB member. She graduated from the group on September 1st and during her four months in AKB she participated in CMs, concerts, and handshake events.

There will also be an interview in the same magazine. She states, “I don’t regret being in AKB48. When I would return home there were times that I was so exhausted that I would just fall asleep in the entryway. There were also days that I cried a lot in front of my husband. I am very grateful to my family and the kind members. I really felt that I could do anything once I started and age was no longer a thing that could hold me back.”

In regards to her debut as a model she commented, “I’m absolutely looking forward to this experience. I want to absorb all of the beauty information that I can and become a more polished woman.”

(via: Oricon)