Even after officially retiring, Yua Mikami remains a name with a special influence in the Japanese and Asian entertainment industry.
Recently, in a television program, the artist left the audience astonished when recalling a lifelong memory. A personal hair strand of hers was once auctioned and closed at 3 million yen, equivalent to over 500 million Vietnamese Dong at the current exchange rate.
According to Yua Mikami, the story occurred when she was at the peak of her career.
One day, while casually browsing online, she discovered a collectible trading card featuring a strand of her body hair being sold on an auction platform. What surprised her was that the starting price was only around 1,000 yen, a very small amount compared to her level of fame at that time. However, within a short period, the item quickly attracted the attention of many participants, driving the price up to an unbelievable level before “the hammer fell” at 3 million yen.
“Even I couldn’t believe it. I asked myself: Is my hair really worth that much?” – Yua Mikami humorously recalled. This half-joking, half-serious statement quickly spread across social media, becoming a hot topic of discussion and once again demonstrating her rare appeal at the height of her career.
Born in 1993, Yua Mikami is considered an icon in her field for many years, possessing a massive fan base not only in her home country but also in China, South Korea, and Southeast Asia. In 2023, she unexpectedly announced her retirement while her career was still flourishing, shocking her fans. Since then, Yua Mikami has shifted to various other entertainment activities, most recently joining a basketball cheerleading squad, continuing to maintain her media presence.
Also during the interview, the artist once again declined to disclose her earnings during her active years, stating that this is a principle she always adheres to as advised by her management company to avoid disrupting the income landscape in the industry. Notably, when she bid farewell to her old career in 2023, Yua Mikami treated herself to a luxury watch worth about 10 million yen, marking an important milestone in her life.