One of the year's biggest stories continues to get bigger.
Exploitation and coercion in the Japanese AV industry has been condemned for trafficking. It has sparked a public debate about labor rights for porn performers, or the lack thereof.
The issue of coercing women to appear in porn has even led to arrests. In days past, such people in the porn industry were presumably protected by the Yakuza but the ongoing civil war may have shaken up the system.
Amid intense media attention, now an AV industry association has issued a formal apology and promised reform.
The Intellectual ...
The recent interest in Japanese AV performers' labor and human rights continues to develop. It's one of the big stories of the year so far.
Following the arrest mere days ago of a porn performer agency for forcing its roster of women to appear in porn and other recent developments like a damning report and seminar on the issue of exploitation and trafficking, now comes news that former AV star Mariko Kawana has launched a new orgnization to help.
There are already groups like Lighthouse: Center for Human Trafficking Victims (formerly Polaris Project Japan) and Human Rights Now (HRN) as ...
A company president of a Japanese AV talent agency has been arrested for allegedly forcing a woman to appear in pornography.
It was learnt on June 11th that Marks Japan was raided by cops and three of its employees arrested. Police also raided other related businesses, including two production companies.
The allegations stem from a woman who signed up to Marks Japan's roster of talent as a gravure idol in 2009, but was then sent to a porn shoot in September 2013 despite knowing she did not want to appear.
Marks Japan's talent includes everyone from relatively innocuous things like ...
Karaoke is a way of life in Japan. You can't expect a gathering of friends not to end sometimes with a trip to a dark karaoke box for a sing-song.
We also know from experience karaoke rooms are great places to "seal the deal" on a date.
But we didn't know that you could have such adult fun with karaoke itself.
Joysound -- one of Japan's main karaoke systems -- seems to have an adult setting where you can play songs with videos featuring fully nude AV stars.
The images aren't great but they should give you some idea of the awesomeness of this!
If you turn on the ...
Porn workers of the world, unite! Do Japan’s porn actresses and actors have labor rights? This was the question asked in a recent feature in the Japan Times.
Ostensibly a report on a May 4th talk at a Koenji cafe, it was about the AV industry's response to Human Rights Now (HRN), which had issued a damning report about the local AV industry.
The international NGO, which is based in Tokyo and has U.N. special consultative status, reported the results of an in-depth investigation into the pornography business in Japan. The report concluded that the industry had violated the human ...
The stalker who stabbed music idol Mayu Tomita may have appeared anonymously in Japanese porn as an uncredited, amateur performer.
The 27-year-old Tomohiro Iwazaki stabbed the underground idol in around 20 places with a 8.2cm knife after taking the bullet train from Kyoto to Tokyo to wait at a station near where she was holding a concert.
Tomita reminds in critical condition while Iwazaki is in police custody. The case has generated a storm of negative press about the police response and Japan's problem with stalking. After the horrific murder in 2013 of high-school student Saaya ...
In 2015, Nippon Television landed in hot water when it rescinded a job offer for a college graduate after it found out she had experience as a Ginza hostess. Rina Sasazaki took the broadcaster to court and won a settlement as well as her original job offer back again.
Here's a similar cautionary tale.
Kayo Matsumoto is a freelance TV presenter (called "announcers" in Japan). She was forced to leave TV Aichi in September 2014 after her dabbling in porn was exposed. As we know, the AV industry is absolutely huge and every year an army of women debut in porn. Most have short careers and an ...
Following a sex scandal (alleged prostitution!), the gravure idol Shoko Takasaki has made her porn debut on the Muteki AV label, which specializes in porn featuring former idols and actors.
Ahead of her debut as "Shoko Takahashi" (changing her names for legal reasons after she left her previous agency), our voluptuous lady posed semi-nude for some ravishing shots...
Though there was some confusion over the rumors of Takasaki's switch from gravure to porn, the naysayers have been proved wrong and these images reveal what a delight the results appear to be...
Behold some initial ...
Known for her perfect body and gorgeous G-cup bust, Shoko Takasaki was until late last year one of the top rising gravure idols in Japan and a potential star in the general entertainment industry.
But the gravure world is a fickle one and idols are sometimes more desperate for money than you might think, plus quickly learn that their looks and bodies are their top advantage in a ruthless industry where management expects to sleep with new talent.
In September, images surfaced that seemed to show her engaging in enjo kosai (compensated dating, a euphemism for prostitution), causing her to ...
Did voice actress and singer Emi Niita appear in a Japanese porn film in 2008?
The 30-year-old cutie is best known for voicing Honoka Kosaka in Love Live! She also appeared in last year's Kohaku Uta Gassen.
But before she was famous she may have appeared in an AV from the series "Amateur Illustrated Encyclopedia". At least, that's what's being alleged by a tabloid and is currently causing explosions online.
We can't confirm the story. Her agency has denied it and threatened to sue. Fans are parsing the women in the film (which has jumped up the DMM adult rankings because of the scandal) ...
