Question about selfie photos: Since summer is coming, I’d like to post a swimsuit photo, but a little while ago I sent in a rear-view photo of myself in a bikini thong and the staff rejected it… Was the thong not allowed? Micro bikinis aren’t allowed either, right? Could you tell me where the line is for what can be posted?

Maezawa from the President’s Office here as well. I think the problem is that the photos were selfies. Why not bring a swimsuit and try having the photos taken again? Universe is currently moving away from using revealing photos, but I don’t think they’d refuse if the woman brought the swimsuit herself. That said, if you feel too embarrassed to show it to the staff, that may be why it was rejected. A thong that would be acceptable to wear at the beach should probably be fine. If it’s a staff member taking the photos, they can likely control the shots and avoid focusing too much on the thong area. However, they may still decide the swimsuit is too revealing, so just in case, I’d recommend bringing a non-thong swimsuit as well. You might be wondering, “Do they really take swimsuit photos at Universe?” Around last summer, saying it was a parade of swimsuits would be an exaggeration, but there were quite a lot of swimsuit photos. In fact, many of the photos were taken in swimsuits available at the branch, so it was almost like, “Would you mind changing into a swimsuit for the interview?” Since they went a little overboard last year, the current policy is generally not to recommend swimsuits this year. But women who bring their own may be treated differently. If you say you’d like to retake the photos in a swimsuit, they might appreciate your enthusiasm and approve it—even if six months haven’t passed yet.

My super high-leg, thong-style swimsuit wasn’t rejected… Maybe it wasn’t sexy enough. I’ll have to rethink it… Marika

I’m Taro, a male member. That’s a pretty common debate. I once got into an argument with a veteran woman in the admin department over how far you could undress for a party act before it became vulgar. One benchmark we came up with was a sumo wrestler’s mawashi. It’s essentially a thong, yet sumo is Japan’s national sport and is broadcast on public television in broad daylight. I’d say that level of exposure is perfectly acceptable, even at a very conservative company. Since only adult men see you at a dating club, I’d think revealing outfits wouldn’t be a problem—in fact, they’d probably be appreciated. If you check and they still say no, just add a mosaic blur. The finer, the better, please.

I’m Kazu, a male member. Since you’ve already been turned down, it’s probably best to ask directly on LINE. Alternatively, try gradually increasing how much of the swimsuit is covered and see where she draws the line. I’ll be looking forward to your summer vacation research presentation.