On March 26th, AKB48's Itano Tomomi attended a press conference for the beach sandal brand, 'Bubbleflop', as their new image character.

Earlier it was reported that fellow member Maeda Atsuko would be graduating from the group. Itano revealed, "She asked for my advice beforehand."

She continued, "She thought about things her own way, and this is the answer she has given. Everyone has dreams other than AKB, I do too. I want Acchan to make her dreams come true."

'Bubbleflop' is a beach sandal brand that was launched in New York back in 2009. These sandals have themed decorations of fruits, sweets, and sports. It's also known for its special decoration called "bubble balls".

During this event, Itano presented her self-produced beach sandals, "Tomo, Model", and announced that it would go on sale in mid-June.

Regarding the production, Itano commented, "It was very fun, and I was honored. I want to gift it to the members." She also promoted the product saying, "The bubble balls are cute, so I want people to wear them when going to the beach during the summer."

Source & Image: Mantan Web