Evening tabloid Nikkan Gendai (Oct. 25) reports that the arrests of female users of a dating site for the upload of obscene images are a sign that these days anyone can be an adult video (AV) star.
Last Thursday, officers from Kagoshima, Nagasaki and Shizuoka prefectures and the Tokyo Metropolitan Police announced the arrest of Taeko Yoshida, a 53-year-old resident of Tokyo’s Kita Ward, and five other female suspects for allegedly uploading films in which they appear fully naked to the deai-kei “encounter” matchmaking site Asobo — a violation of laws regarding the creation of obscene electromagnetic media.
All six suspects have reportedly admitted to the allegations. “It was an enjoyable way to earn income,” police quoted Yoshida, who uploaded 100 films and was paid 300,000 yen.
In July, officers raided the Shibuya, Tokyo offices of YourNet, which operates Asobo. Law enforcement is now investigating YourNet for its role in the uploading of the videos.
According to Nikkan Gendai, Asobo opened 10 years ago and has more than 1.5 million registered users. The site requires males to pay 1,000 yen for membership. They can then buy points, priced at 10 yen each, which can be redeemed for the chance to view various obscene films uploaded by women.
“Women are free to join,” says an IT journalist. “It is a popular among amateurs, such as housewives and students.”
Uncensored clips, in which genitalia is not obscured, is found in a section of the site called “Secret Presents.” To view these films, a mail costing five points must be sent to the female who produced the footage. A reply would then be sent that includes a link to the requested clip, which can be viewed for an additional three points.
The eight points can then be redeemed for cash, which crime journalist Atsushi Tashiro says can mean a nice chunk of pocket money.
“You figure that’s 80 yen per person,” says Tashiro. “If you get 100 viewers, that’s 8,000 yen. The women do the filming in their spare time, and they can obscure their faces as needed — it’s easy money.”
The journalist adds that a lot of housewives upload images in a another section of the site that features 10-minute, uncensored masturbation clips, each priced at 300 yen.
“This is an era in which anyone can be an AV actress,” he says.
Source: “Jukunen shufu ga kozukai mukuteki de…imaya ‘daredemo AV joyu’ jidai no kowai,” Nikkan Gendai (Oct. 25, page 9)
