It is indeed a bit naive, the wast majority of idols be it singers or gravure models make little to no money, only the really big ones can live off it (and Tomoe is not that big).
If anyone doubts Kakimatsu's story, do a Google reverse image search of this photo. You won't find it anywhere on the web, so he couldn't have just taken it from Tomoe's blog or some other public source.
Check out my post above. The only "idols" making enough money to live comfortably are the ones seen regularly on prime time Japanese broadcast television. Tomoe is not one of them.
I once read an article that stated that the average Gravure Idol makes about as much as an average office worker. They even gave a number. I think it was 250,000 yen per month. But I don't have the link to the article anymore.
That article was no doubt talking about famous gravure idols. At the risk of repeating myself, Tomoe is not famous outside of junior idol fandom, which is a very small (and dark) fandom. You could walk around a busy intersection in downtown Tokyo with a big photo of Tomoe for a half an hour before you found anyone who knew her name. (Or rather, someone who would admit to knowing her name.)
You can be a "fan" and a realist at the same time
They are both adults now, Mayumi is 21 and Tomoe is 20.
I don't think the issue is being a jr.idol it's more what kind of gravure you are doing, there are plenty of jr. idols that do videos of them just running around doing stuff with no lingering shots of their ass or crotch and such, that kind is absolutely harmless and I don't think that will harm their career.
At first: Thanks a lot gokkunfan for all these "old" sets. It was really the right thing to post to relax the tense discussion that has had build up here.
My heart was beating fast while reading your posts. I think I would have almost fainted being at that restaurant and seeing Tomoe. If I would have managed to stay conscious I would have been going down on one knee to ask her for a date. Though Tomoe most likely wouldn't understand what I say. 
