Over the weekend, a single photo of Japanese model and former J-pop idol Saori Araki, cheeks puffed up in a smile, laptop in hand, dressed in a grey business suit, ignited a wave of semi-ironic thirst and earnest adoration.

It seems like some of the same internet users who derided the Gen Z Boss And A Mini girlbosses are now obsessed with a person they believe is a run-of-the-mill "Japanese salarywoman."

So, why did a photo of a woman who supposedly looked like she stepped off a Tokyo commuter train go so viral online? Here's a look at all the memes people shared about Japanese Salarywoman Saori Araki.

What's With the Photo of Saori Araki in a Grey Suit, and Why Are People Calling Her a Japanese Salarywoman?

On July 24th, 2025, Saori Araki posted a photo to her X (formerly Twitter) account, @kawausosuki0513, dressed in a grey suit with a shoulder-length bob and a puffed-cheek smile, holding a black laptop.

The caption was simple: "Good morning ☀️." The image was taken during a visit to the Japanese design and manufacturing company Takeda, and quickly went viral, amassing over 40 million views and 100,000 likes within four days.

To many viewers unfamiliar with her modeling background, Araki resembled a typical Japanese salarywoman, and they began waxing poetic about how she represents the "beautiful mid" archetype in a Japanese context.

How Did Internet Users React to the Photo of Saori Araki?

The photo prompted a flurry of responses and memes online over the following days that ranged from people declaring their undying devotion to Saori Araki to those comparing her to Western ideals of beauty.

On July 25th, 2025, X user @badchestpain retweeted the image with the caption, “Just wrapped my car around a telephone pole,” receiving over 50,000 likes in a day. Instagram user @moist654 reposted that same tweet, where it gained another 10,000 likes within three days.

On July 27th, X user @eigenrobot posted a side-by-side image of Araki and American actress Sydney Sweeney from her recently viral American Eagle ad campaign, captioning the post, "Which Way Western Man style," alongside a poll asking people to choose between the two women.

The momentum continued when Araki herself posted a follow-up photo on July 27th, flashing a peace sign in the same grey suit.

X user @kpoping6 responded with a George Bush Learning About 9/11 meme captioned, "A second photo has hit the timeline," cementing Araki’s brief reign over this week's discourse.

So, Who Is Saori Araki Anyway?

Saori Araki is a Japanese model and actress from Nagasaki and is currently based in Tokyo. Araki was also notably a member of the J-pop idol group Tokyo Girls Bravo (東京ガールズブラボー), which debuted in January 2024, and she graduated from the group in early 2025.

These days, Saori Araki works as both a model and actress in Japan.

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For the full history of Japanese Salarywoman Saori Araki, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.