God’s gangster: Former yakuza Tatsuya Shindo preaches the gospel

Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

…Ezekiel 33:11

KAWAGUCHI, SAITAMA (TR) – From the cracked exterior paint to the crumbling wood trim, the “snack” club June Bride appears to have the appropriately rundown look favored by just about every watering hole in Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture. Impressions change, however, once one enters and sees the sketches of Jesus Christ taped to the silver wallpaper and the wooden cross propped against the back wall.

The proprietor is Tatsuya Shindo, and he is not a barman. From the age of 20, Shindo peddled stimulants in and around Tokyo for a gangster family under the nationwide Sumiyoshi-kai yakuza syndicate. When multiple jail stints followed thereafter, he decided to start offering something else entirely: the gospel. Read more

Soft power: Porn stars Saori Hara and Maria Ozawa among preferred Japanese perversions in China

In a special section dedicated to trends in China, weekly tabloid Shukan Post (Oct. 1) explains that while Japan may have recently been surpassed by its Asian neighbor in GDP it is China that still has a lot of catching up to do when it comes to debauchery. One article discusses the porn industry. Let’s take a stab at that, so to speak.

The tabloid explains that it is impossible to measure how much influence the Web has had on the world of AV, or adult video. China is certainly no exception as porn sites are growing exponentially and overtaking the popularity of video tapes and DVDs.

Minetoshi Yasuda, a nonfiction writer, says that while the Chinese Government imposes restrictions there are still numerous ways to cheat with a personal computer. “But law enforcement is not that aggressive,” the writer says. “It is more concerned with monitoring political sites and dealing with issues related to Tiananmen Square. Basically, they are simply pretending to monitor but in fact are not.” Read more

Lady judo jock goes for grappling with geeky guy

“Both at high school and university, I spent my time immersed in judo, to the degree that my proficiency was included on recommendation letters. Through hard workouts and protein supplements I developed a body that could not be regarded as feminine. More than breasts, my chest was a solid mass of pectorals.”

Thus begins a sultry selection from the October issue of women’s soft porn magazine Ai no Taiken Special Deluxe, as introduced in Shukan Bunshun (Sep. 23).

“The one thing I regretted,” the writer continues, “is that I had little luck finding male companionship. As a last resort I registered with a deai-kei encounter site, through which I met up with my current boyfriend. At our first meeting I saw he was a skinny, nerdy-looking guy with eyeglasses, which made us appear as an odd couple indeed. This may seem flaky, but for some reason he turned out to be just what I craved in a man. Read more

Boo! Scary Japanese sex stories to make your woody wilt

“Fifteen years ago, I had a part-time job delivering obento box lunches to a soapland. One thing I noticed was a girl wrapped in a yellow bath towel who was always seated in the corner of one of the private massage rooms.

“She herself never ordered a meal, but when I made my deliveries, she would always be there, wrapped in the same towel and sitting in the same position. One day I asked about her to another lady who was working in the soapland.

“‘Say what? That room isn’t in use by anyone. . .’ she told me. Could it have been my imagination playing tricks?”

The above is one of seven scary stories involving the sex business Jitsuwa Taiho introduces in its October issue. Here’s another.

“A friend told me he had called a deri heru, or delivery health, service to dispatch a girl to service him at his home. She turned out to be quite attractive and attentive, and best of all, she was willing to go all the way. Read more

Leah Dizon’s rumored AV debut has porn industry buzzing

A report from overseas indicating that singer and model Leah Dizon will soon be making her AV debut has aroused the ears of weekly tabloid Shukan Post (Sep. 24).

The tabloid specifically wonders whether Dizon will become the adult video industry’s kurofune (黒船), or black ship, a term often used for a non-Japanese person or entity who holds a threatening marketing position. The name comes from the ships, most notably those of Commodore Matthew Perry in 1853, used to open up Japan to trade to the West during the 15th and 19th centuries.

Fans were caught by surprise on September 6 when Hong Kong’s leading daily paper Apple Daily provided coverage online that the American-born Dizon is expected to debut in a porn film.

Shukan Post believes that because her father is a Chinese-Filipino she has garnered a large following in Asia, which has resulted in this report being a hot topic on many Chinese websites. Read more

Risk of HIV infection stalks Tokyo’s 2-chome gay enclave

TOKYO (TR) – Ko is a regular in the gay quarter of 2-chome, an area filled with small blocks of roughly 300 bars, clubs, video stores and small hotels in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.

Of slight build and sporting long, wavy hair, the 23-year-old provides out-call (deri heru) SM services, typically dispensed in love hotels or residences, to homosexual men. Bondage, whipping and humiliation are among his specialties.

During an interview at a coffee shop at the edge of 2-chome, Ko explains that should sexual contact be requested, a condom is a necessity. “And if I have to touch inside a customer, I’ll use rubber gloves,” he adds.

Yet many men do not take such precautions — a fact that has made the gay community the largest growth population for cases of HIV and AIDS in Japan, reports the Japan Foundation for AIDS Prevention (JFAP). Read more

Yoji Yamada nurtures Japan’s next generation in ‘Kyoto Story’

TOKYO (TR) – Famed Shochiku helmer Yoji Yamada passes on the art of filmmaking to Japan’s next generation in “Kyoto Story,” his collaboration with co-director Tsutomu Abe and a team of university students.

Yamada (“Twilight Samurai” and “The Hidden Blade”), Abe and 22 students from Ritsumeikan University College of Image Arts and Sciences teamed up on the film, set in Uzumasa, one of Kyoto’s most historic areas.

“How one goes about teaching filmmaking is a common point of discussion nowadays,” said the 79-year-old Yamada of the film following a press screening at The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan last week. “If you teach painting, of course you draw. If you teach music, you ask students to perform. So naturally, if you want students to understand filmmaking you must ask them to make a film.”

Abe said that the film industry is not the same as when he was young, a time when gaining knowledge was similar to theft. “I learned in the studio,” he said. “This is exactly why we came up with this project – to give students an opportunity. I do believe that the time is now to pass on these skills to the younger generation.” Read more

Churlish cherry boys’ circle jerk exploits good-natured gal’s generosity

“After I got my first personal computer I was having fun surfing the net, and one day I came across a home page titled ‘Take My Male Virginity…please.’ I was fascinated by the poor fellow’s hard-up situation and decided to meet up with the page’s webmaster, a Mr. T.”

Thus begins an episode from the October issue of women’s soft porn mag Ai no Taiken Special Deluxe, as introduced on a regularly featured page of Shukan Bunshun (Sep. 16).

Taking pity on T’s predicament, she humanely decided to assist in his defloration.

“I made arrangements to meet him at a café,” she writes. “But to my consternation, he brought along several of his acquaintances. They were all cherry boys — five of them in total. Read more

Thomas the Yak Engine? Publisher alleged to host gangster front company

Children’s books and criminal organizations go together like water and oil. However, reports weekly tabloid Shukan Shincho (Sep. 9), the pair is apparently coexisting under the same roof at the Tokyo headquarters of the well-known publisher Poplar Publishing, which prints Japanese language editions of the “Thomas the Tank Engine” series of books.

Established in 1947, Poplar began its shift in tenants last autumn. “In September, a company joined as a tenant on the 6th floor of the publisher’s headquarters in Shinjuku Ward’s Yotsuya district,” says an individual associated with the publisher who does not name the company in question. “This tenant joined under the direct referral of Hiroyoshi Usuda, the chairperson. The company is said to sell devices that eradicates pollutants from water.”
Read more

NHK offers tits for rating stats, and we mean breasts, folks

While public broadcaster NHK is regarded as a conservative channel, Shukan Asahi Geino (Sep. 9) reports that it has been broadcasting some sexually-charged programming of late.

The August 22 airing of “Tokyo Kawaii TV,” a program dedicated to female fashion, focused (quite literally) on cleavage. The program was designed to empower women, informing them on various methods for presenting their chests when they wear bikinis. The program kicked off with interviews of girls at Shonan Beach. It probably goes without saying that the camera was primarily positioned below the neck area.

Back at the studio, host Ikki Sawamura, an actor, asked his counterpart, female recording artist BENI, about the theme of the program. BENI responded, “cleavage.” Sawamura then quickly fixed his stare at BENI’s. Read more

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