Former HKT48 member Sugamoto Yuko hangs out with former AKB48 members Maeda Atsuko, Itano Tomomi and Shinoda Mariko

Sugamoto Yuko may not be remembered as a first gen member of HKT48, as she was only with the group less than a year before graduating.

But she worked hard in culinary school and in 2015, was a semi-finalist in the “Miss iD 2016” and in 2016, she became an Instagram influencer with over a million followers and now successful entrepreneur.

She established a private office, KOS and raised sales of 200 million yen for her live commerce business and skin care brand YOAN (which is derived from the words “You and Angel”) and is said to be making 100 times more than when she was an idol.

Sugamoto recently posted a photo with her Maeda Atsuko, Itano Tomomi and Shinoda Mariko as they had lunch as Shinoda’s home.