Ichiro's niece starts modeling

11-year-old Kurumi Suzuki, the niece of beloved baseball player Ichiro, has just made her entry into show business as a model. On Wednesday, she appeared at a DVD release event for the American show "Hannah Montana," along with other celebrities such as Akane Osawa (23).

Kurumi, who is in sixth grade, is the daughter of graphic designer Kazuyasu Suzuki, Ichiro's older brother. Since seeing Ichiro on television when she was younger, she has been dreaming of becoming a celebrity. Kazuyasu discussed the matter with his friend, the director of talent agency Suns Entertainment, and they signed a contract three years ago.

Suns Entertainment is known for signing many well-endowed gravure idols, such as Megumi, but company head Yoshiharu Noda reportedly promised to not make Kurumi do any swimsuit modeling.