TOKYO (TR) – Adult video (AV) actress Yume Ono, who shocked the industry this past March by debuting under the controversial catchphrase “A former woman with a male family register,” has opened up about her grueling battle with gender dysphoria and her unconventional path to the adult entertainment world.
Born biologically female, Ono identifies psychologically as male. During her college years, she underwent hormone therapy and legally changed her family register to male. However, she now presents herself socially as a woman — and works as an actress in the AV industry.
In a recent tell-all interview with Spa! (July 16), Ono described her high school and university years as “hellish.”
“What on earth am I?”
Raised by a single mother after her parents divorced, she lacked basic knowledge about puberty. “I didn’t know how to use sanitary pads, so I would often spend days with my lower half covered in blood,” she recalled.
As she grew older, the disconnect between her body and mind worsened. By the time she entered nursing college, she had legally changed her name and begun testosterone treatments. She lived stealthily as a male student, a situation she described as agonizing.
“I was constantly terrified of being found out,” Ono said. “I kept asking myself, ‘What on earth am I? Am I living a lie?'”
Turning point
The turning point came during nursing school, where professors introduced her to the concept of gender existing on a three-part spectrum: biological, psychological and social. Ono realized that while she was biologically female and psychologically male, her “social gender” could be female.
Standing at just 160 centimeters with a slender frame, Ono deduced that she would be treated as “weak” in a male-dominated society, but could thrive and utilize her looks in a female sphere.
“When I gained that knowledge, I finally realized I wasn’t a liar,” she said. “By accepting every barrier, I eventually turned into a kind of invincible ‘monster.'”
After working as a registered nurse, Ono gravitated toward the nightlife and sex industries, working in cabaret clubs, the sex trade, and STD clinics. However, she found that traditional nightlife work drained her.
“Customers in kyabakura [hostess clubs] didn’t really like me; they just wanted to do sexual things without spending much money,” Ono revealed. The disillusionment caused her to develop a psychological block toward sex in her private life.
“Comfortable for me”
She ultimately found her sanctuary in front of the camera. “In the AV industry, there’s no messy interpersonal drama. You can crash 100% of your pure sexual emotions into the work alongside the crew and male actors. It was incredibly comfortable for me.”
Despite the complexities of her identity, Ono views the adult entertainment sector as a highly accepting, prejudice-free environment.
Now, she hopes her public profile can serve as a lifeline for others struggling with societal gender norms. Issuing a stern warning to the general public, Ono criticized the normalization of bullying based on the “self-deprecating” trans characters often seen on Japanese variety television.
“I will absolutely not forgive the general public making discriminatory remarks or bullying transgender people just because of what they see in entertainment,” she warned.
“To anyone struggling, I want to tell you: You are not a liar,” Ono said. “I’m just being honest with my sexuality and my life.”
