The rather shocking notion one out of every 200 Japanese women have performed in porn films is becoming common knowledge in adult video (AV) industry circles, and Spa! (Aug. 28) sets about verifying that figure.
According to reference materials handed out during the March public symposium organized by the Nihon Ethics of Video Association, which evaluates AV films, the number of videos the association screened increased from 4,000 to 5,000 between 1989 and 1996 and to 9,000 by 2004.
The document estimates that in spite of the notion that the industry is shrinking, attributed to a rise in interest in various other media forms and a decrease in the youth population, roughly 2,000 to 3,000 new titles are released each month — a figure that takes into account other screening organizations as well as online distribution.
Given that 6,000 to 8,000 actresses are currently active, as Atsuhiko Nakamura’s book “Being an AV Actress” indicates, and between 4,000 and 6,000 actresses are being cycled in and out of the industry annually, such a figure is possible, Spa! believes. (For a breakdown on the math, Shukan Post offers a summary.)
Spa! decided to hit the streets and conduct a survey of 200 women in Shibuya, Tokyo’s top entertainment hot spot for young people, and Machida, known as a Mecca for young girls from the Tama region, in hopes of finding an actress at random.
As expected, the tabloid received many negative responses, such as that from an unemployed woman (technically termed a “freeter”), 24, who said there was no chance she would participate. A 20-year-old college student offered a similar response, saying , “I would never do that. I don’t understand the mentality of those women who appear.”
However, once the 1-in-200 figure was mentioned, the responses changed substantially: One or two of every 20 participants answered that an acquaintance is a porn actresses. “That ratio makes sense,” a 20-year-old student said. “It’s like being a shop attendant.” A college student thought that the ratio was realistic: “My college has about 100 students and we had one.” Another said that she has a friend who is an actress. “While the DVD package distorts her image, you can tell it’s her once you see the film,” she said.
The perception of the occupation has changed. Unlike in past days, “there are many kawaii (cute) actresses,” said a 23-year-old working in nursing care. An 18-year-old believes that if the girl draws a line between her private and working lives then such an occupation is acceptable. “With many kawaii girls appearing,” says a 20-year-old college student, “those who have made the cut seem to have developed a sense of superiority.”
In a sidebar article, actress Aino Kishi, explains that her first exposure to AV was while watching a video featuring popular actress Rio in a hotel room. “‘What an angel!’ I thought,” says Kishi. “Before that, I had this image that AV was for older people. It was a complete change. ‘What charming people, what a fascinating job,’ I thought.”
Many girls interviewed by Spa! were familiar with the names of such porn starlets as Rio and Kirara Asuka, who as well should be highly recognizable names to regular readers of The Tokyo Reporter.
The pollsters then asked the girls under what conditions would an appearance be possible:
“If they hide my name and put a mosaic on my face” — 23-year-old working in sales.
“If the actor is handsome” — 20-year-old student.
“If the DVD is released outside of Japan” — 23-year-old nursing school student.
“If I am confident about my body” — 18-year-old college student.
Kishi, who made her debut in 2008 on label Alice Japan, has some advice for those wishing to enter the field. “First, I’d ask if they are really serious. The job requires motivation, guts, and eroticism,” she giggles. “But if you do it, your self-confidence becomes a beautiful thing. The power in being a women is higher than a regular entertainer.”
Source: “Nijunin ni hitori futari wa shiriaini AV joyu ga irutoiu jijitsu,” Spa! (Aug. 28, pages 30-31)