Last month’s online auction scandal could mean that many of Japan’s top gravure (pin-up) idols will this year enter the adult video (AV) industry — merely one of the possible developments for Japan’s adult-entertainment biz, reports Shukan Asahi Geino (Jan. 17).
On December 7, Osaka and Kyoto prefectural police arrested the manager of the site World Auction for allegedly utilizing fake bids to drive up prices on various consumer goods.
Models Aki Hoshino and Yoko Kumada acknowledged to having received payments for making false claims regarding purchases of products on World Auction.
An insider in the AV industry tells the tabloid that sources of income for the management agencies of such models had already been drying up. “Writing these types of articles is one way to generate revenue,” says the source. “But even without the added problems brought by the scandal times were very tough for the agencies. We expect idols troubled by this predicament to flood into the AV industry.”
The industry has one particularly busty bikini model in mind: 30-year-old Hitomi Aizawa, whose impact could be equivalent to Minako Komukai — the stripper-turned AV star who debuted in 2011.
But reorganization of the industry is inevitable, which the magazine notes is evident in the announced dissolution of AV and gravure modeling agency Ebisu Muscats.
“Some of their principal talent will retire from the AV industry after the company’s breakup,” says AV writer Kemuta Otsubo (on Twitter @kemta). “As for the new generation, interest is high for Mana Sakura (on Twitter @sakuramana0000), who has dark hair and a very neat and clean appearance. Appeal for this style will continue with the likes of SOD Create’s Iori Kogawa and S1’s Ayumi Kimino.”
For the fuzoku (or commercial sex) trade, things are on the rise, so to speak — at least for customers. Fuzoku writer Jun Nakashima says that it’s a buyer’s market.
“For full service options, punters must head to big-name chains, where bargain prices are on offer,” says the writer. “Gals aren’t being paid much these days, so tacit consent among proprietors allows for them to likely go all the way for an added financial nudge.”
Nakashima goes on to say that with the ongoing deflationary environment even cute girls are being forced into the sex trade from mainstream industries.
Clubs featuring older women, termed jukujo, are expected to continue the popularity they enjoyed last year.
“Some hostess clubs started employing AV actresses,” says a fuzoku site organizer. “Increasingly, these places allowed customers to take the gals off the premises for a little after-hours fun. This trend is expected to continue.”
For non-professionals, the depression is having a significant impact on their sex lives, sleaze scribe Yukinori Otani relates to the magazine. This year will be no different, he says.
“Economizing is the theme,” says Otani. “In the last year, no-charge smartphone services like LINE, Skype, and Kakao Talk have gained popularity for hooking up, perhaps for telephone sex or a sex-friend arrangement.” (K.N.)
Source: “AV fuzoku saizensen,” Shukan Asahi Geino (Jan. 17, pages 205-206)
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