TOKYO (TR) – The adult video (AV) industry is known for attracting women from all walks of life, but few boast a resume quite as bizarre as 34-year-old Michi Kitamura.
From crafting orthopedic shoes in Germany to directing corporate websites, Kitamura’s winding path ultimately led her to the AV biz — a move she says was spurred by a four-year intimacy drought in her previous marriage, she says in a tell-all interview with Spa! (Apr. 23).
Sexless for four years
Despite an eight-year relationship with her former husband, the couple had been completely sexless for four years, starting even before they officially tied the knot.
“I was optimistic and thought it would eventually resolve itself. I was basically deceiving myself to keep the marriage going,” Kitamura admitted. The final straw came when her husband confessed he did not want children, violating a core premise of their marriage.
Seeking a fresh start and a way to channel her desires, she divorced amicably and explored a drastic career pivot.
While working as a corporate web director, Kitamura was asked to show her face in company videos. Reluctant to take on that risk for a corporate job, she decided that if she was going to expose herself, she would do it on her own terms. After hearing about “chat hostess” work — whereby a woman speaks to a man online — paying up to 2.5 million yen a month, she entered the chat-lady industry, sometimes earning up to 1 million yen in just two weeks.
Sexless for four years
The lucrative stint as a chat hostess eventually pushed her to fully transition into a career as an exclusive AV actress.
Her path to the adult industry is sharply contrasted by her early twenties. At age 23, Kitamura spent two years in Germany as an apprentice shoemaker, crafting custom orthopedic shoes and insoles for amputees and patients with flat feet. Her artisanal career was cut short, she joked, when 3D printers began stealing her insole-making work.
When it came time to tell her family about her AV debut, the revelation went surprisingly well — eventually. While her friends and mother were quickly supportive, her father initially threatened to cut ties with her.
“He told me, ‘If you really want to do this, I have no choice but to disown you,'” Kitamura recalled. “I accidentally replied, ‘But how do you actually cut family ties?’ It completely derailed the conversation. My parents started wondering out loud how to actually do it, and eventually gave up.” Her parents now quietly support her from a distance.
Looking for new hubby
Despite her unconventional career, Kitamura is actively husband-hunting. She recently appeared on season 4 of the ABEMA reality dating show “Ai no Hyena,” though she admits her blunt nature sabotaged her chances. Attempting to break the ice with potential suitors on camera, she went full-throttle into explicit sexual topics, leaving the men completely alienated.
Unfazed, Kitamura continues to search for a partner via dating apps and matchmaking parties, though she acknowledges the hurdles.
“I plan to continue this job for the rest of my life. It gives me purpose, and I love interacting with my fans,” she said. “But finding a man who accepts my profession, wants children, and can handle my sex drive — that’s a pretty high hurdle to clear.”
