Former Japanese gymnast Nijiho Tsurumi reveals post-retirement work as entertainer

Nijiho Tsurumi, once hailed as a "genius girl" in Japanese gymnastics and a former national team member, has shared her experiences working in nightlife entertainment after her athletic career ended. Tsurumi, 33, retired in 2015 after an Achilles tendon rupture and subsequently took on various jobs, including working as an entertainer, a beef bowl chain fast-food worker, a parliamentary aide, and an entertainment agency employee.

Explaining her unconventional career choice, Tsurumi stated she believed nightlife districts offered the most efficient way to meet successful individuals, a crucial step for her aspirations to start her own business. Despite facing numerous rejections, she persevered, starting at a snack bar in Nagano before building a clientele and moving to more upscale venues in Roppongi and Ginza.

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I felt that if I didn't learn by talking to managers, I couldn't manage anything.

"I felt that if I didn't learn by talking to managers, I couldn't manage anything," Tsurumi said, prioritizing her desire to learn over her fear of public judgment. She now operates a gymnastics class and is involved in nurturing aspiring idols, aiming to make gymnastics more mainstream through collaborations.

Tsurumi also highlighted the issue of low wages in the gymnastics sector, noting that the income from her gymnastics classes is insufficient to provide adequate salaries for coaches. She advocates for elevating gymnastics into a "spectator sport" akin to figure skating to diversify revenue streams and improve compensation for its demanding labor.

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I felt that if I didn't learn by talking to managers, I couldn't manage anything.