An AV idol (AVアイドル, Ēbui aidoru, short for adult video idol) or AV actress (AV女優, Ēbui joyū) is a type of pornographic film actress in Japan. It is a sub-category of the idol culture in Japanese pop entertainment. AV idols work in the pornographic business, often both as an actress as well as a model as the video performances vary widely, from suggestive softcore imagery to hardcore pornography. The industry is noted for having frequent turnovers; since the dawn of the AV industry in the early 1980s, hundreds of AV idols have debuted every year, with an average career span of about a year, appearing in five or ten videos during that time.[1] Few notable AV idols have careers spanning longer than a decade, have a wide general public recognition, or make a significant impact on the industry in some other manner.[2]
The line between "adult" and "family" entertainment in Japan is not as clear-cut as it is in some other countries. A celebrity may appear in AVs after already having established a career in mainstream television. Also, it is not rare for a popular AV actress to go on to become a mainstream celebrity.[2]
The AV, or "Adult Video" market is a major industry in Japan, reportedly worth about ¥400 billion ($4 billion) per year. In 1992, it was reported that over 11 AVs were being made every day by over 70 production companies in Tokyo alone. The AV market was estimated to make up about 30 percent of Japan's video rentals.[1] It was estimated in 1994 that, between legal and illegal videos, around 14,000 AVs a year were being made in the country, in contrast to about 2,500 in the United States.[3] In an English language interview in 2011, AV idol Azusa Maki estimated that as many as 10,000 girls attempt to get into the Japanese AV industry each year.[4]
AV performers were often struggling actresses who could not find work in the theatrical Roman Porno films and girls from the soaplands.[5] AV star Kaoru Kuroki has been credited with raising the status of AV idols in the public's eye. According to cultural essayist Rosemary Iwamura, "she didn't seem to be making videos because of a lack of options but rather as an informed choice."[6]
AV actresses are usually recruited by scouts in Tokyo neighborhoods such as Roppongi, Shinjuku and Matahine. These scouts are affiliated with talent agencies who then hire the actresses to the AV production companies. Some women wishing to appear in AVs apply to the production companies, but they are usually referred to the talent agencies. The production companies are typically charged ¥1.5 million (US$15,000) or more for an actress to appear in a video.[1] AV actresses make between ¥200,000 and 4 million yen per video.[7] Steve Scott, president of Third World Media, an importer of Japanese adult movies to the United States, estimated a top-tier AV star could make up to nearly ¥36 million for an eight-picture deal.[8]
AV fans are invited to follow the progress of a prominent AV actress' career over several video appearances. In her AV debut video, the actress is introduced as a "new face," and her inexperience is played up in interviews preceding the modeling and sex scenes. Following this debut video, the AV audience follows the actress' journey through sexual awakening, and her eventual specialization, after about five AV appearances, in a specific genre such as lesbianism or SM. Once the actress has established herself as a mature AV star, she has the options of continuing into some of the more outrageous AV genres, retiring, or, sometimes, re-emerging under a new name as a "new face."[1]
In 2022, the Japanese government passed a new law that made pornography legal in the country. The new set of laws also aims to protect actors who were pressured into entering the industry, by giving them rights to prohibit the sale of videos in which they appear after five years from initial release date.
Types
The author Nicholas Bornoff identifies some Japanese AV stereotypes as
...the prim Office Lady, the virgin-next-door, the randy farm girl, the leotarded aerobics enthusiast, the sexy predator in the hot-spring resort and ... the self-assertive slut who is put in her place by being gang-banged on the floor of the cutting room.[9]
AV director "Tarzan" Yagi says that a successful AV actress should fit a stereotype which "can be identified at a glance, making it easier for viewers to recognize the type they prefer." Yagi mentions "the 'slender' type, 'Lolita' type, 'buxom' type and so on."[10]
Some AV idols have garnered a substantial following outside Japan, resulting in some of their content being subtitled into other languages.[11]
In June 2008, a bill that proposed the imposition of a ban on child-pornography possession was submitted to the House of Representatives of Japan where it was brought before the Diet in September, but failed to pass. On 15 July 2014 penalties were added to the simple possession of child pornography as a result of the revision of the law.
Some major AV types include:
Schoolgirl (Joshikōsei)
The most dominant type of Japanese pornography centers on the stereotype of the cute ("kawaii") and innocent-looking but sexually eager female high school student in a school uniform. AV idols of this sort are innumerable and ever-changing, though most are 18 years of age or older. The schoolgirl trope is a reflection of the JK business (compensated dating with adolescent girls), which is popular with older men.[12]
Busty (Bakunyū)
While a few early AV idols such as Kyoko Nakamura and Eri Kikuchi established careers due primarily to large breasts, Noriyuki Adachi sets Kimiko Matsuzaka's 1989 debut as the point at which the "Big Bust Boom" (巨乳ブーム - Kyonyu Boom) began.[13] A string of big-bust AV idols followed, including Hitomi Tanaka, Fuko, Miki Sawaguchi, Mariko Morikawa, Rin Aoki, Nozomi Momoi and Anna Ohura. By the mid-1990s, the Big Bust genre had become a staple of the AV industry.[citation needed]
Mature (Jukujo)
The vast majority of AV actresses debut in their late teens,[1] but in the mid-1990s a trend for "mature women" became evident.[14] While youth remained the norm, the broadening in tastes led to "mature" AV stars like Aki Tomosaki in 2000, Asuka Yūki in 2005 and Maki Tomoda in 2006, all of whom had passed their 30th birthdays at the time of their debuts. These actresses became popular in AVs with an incest theme. Yoko Shimada the international actress did AV with TEK-032 and TEK-034 sold on R18.com a channel specialising in AV films.[15]
^ abcdeFornander, Kjell (July 1992). "A Star is Porn". Tokyo Journal. Archived from the original on 2006-05-16. Retrieved 2007-02-18.
^ abIwamura, Rosemary (1994). "Letter from Japan: From Girls Who Dress Up Like Boys To Trussed-up Porn Stars – Some of the Contemporary Heroines on the Japanese Screen". Continuum: The Australian Journal of Media & Culture, vol. 7 no. 2. from the original on 3 May 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-25. In addition to the influence of pornography on mainstream cinema, the line between pornography and family entertainment, such as daytime television, is blurred. It is not uncommon in Japan for a waning female television star or singer to feature in pornographic videos. Similarly, there are women actors from pornographic videos who move into daytime television.
^Diamond, Milton; Ayako Uchiyama (1999). . International Journal of Law and Psychiatry. Pacific Center for Sex and Society; University Of Hawai`i. 22 (1): 1–22. doi:10.1016/s0160-2527(98)00035-1. PMID 10086287. Archived from the original on 16 February 2007. Retrieved 2007-02-18.
^Wilks, Jon (June 27, 2011). . Time Out Tokyo. Archived from the original on 4 July 2011. Retrieved 8 July 2011.
^AV producer Shoichi Yoshimura, quoted in Fornander, Kjell (July 1992). "A Star is Porn". Tokyo Journal. Archived from the original on 2006-05-16. Retrieved 2007-02-18.
^Iwamura, Rosemary (1994). "Letter from Japan: From Girls Who Dress Up Like Boys To Trussed-up Porn Stars – Some of the Contemporary Heroines on the Japanese Screen". Continuum: The Australian Journal of Media & Culture, vol. 7 no. 2. from the original on 12 March 2007. Retrieved 2007-02-18.
^Stovall, Albert. . Sake Drenched Postcards. Archived from the original on 8 March 2007. Retrieved 2007-02-18.
^"Japanese porn exporters put their money where the mosaic is". gramponante.com. 22 August 2008. Retrieved 2010-11-29.
^Bornoff, Nicholas (1994) [1991]. "18 (Naked Dissent)". Pink Samurai: An Erotic Exploration of Japanese Society; The Pursuit and Politics of Sex in Japan (Paperback ed.). London: HarperCollins. p. 609. ISBN0-586-20576-4.
^Connell, Ryann (2005-07-11). "Porno queen's mysterious death -- murder or suicide?" (PDF). vitalyuncensored.net. Retrieved 2007-02-18. Kamiyama, Masuo (2005-10-22). . mainichi-msn.co.jp. Archived from the original on 2005-11-24. Retrieved 2007-02-18.
^"(Subtitled) Japanese Adult Videos List | JAV Subtitled". (Subtitled) Japanese Adult Videos List | JAV Subtitled. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
^Reith-Banks, Tash (15 June 2019). "Schoolgirls for sale: why Tokyo struggles to stop the 'JK business'". theguardian.com. Retrieved 2022-04-15.
^Adachi, Noriyuki (1992). アダルトな人びと - Adaruto na Hitobito ("Adult" People) (in Japanese). Tokyo: Kodansha. p. 50. ISBN4-06-205546-5.
^. Shin-Toho History. Archived from the original on 2007-05-15. Retrieved 2007-02-18.
^Stovall, Albert. . Sake-Drenched Postcards at bigempire.com. Archived from the original on 2 March 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-03.
Sources
Adachi, Noriyuki (1992). アダルトな人びと - Adaruto na Hitobito ("Adult" People) (in Japanese). Tokyo: Kodansha. ISBN4-06-205546-5.
Bornoff, Nicholas (1994) [1991]. "18 (Naked Dissent)". Pink Samurai: An Erotic Exploration of Japanese Society; The Pursuit and Politics of Sex in Japan (Paperback ed.). London: HarperCollins. pp. 589–621. ISBN0-586-20576-4.
(Japanese)
AVアイドル
Fornander, Kjell (July 1992). "A Star is Porn". Tokyo Journal. Archived from the original on 2006-05-16. Retrieved 2007-02-18.
March 25, 2023
idol, 2012, film, idol, film, avアイドル, Ēbui, aidoru, short, adult, video, idol, actress, av女優, Ēbui, joyū, type, pornographic, film, actress, japan, category, idol, culture, japanese, entertainment, work, pornographic, business, often, both, actress, well, mode. For the 2012 film see AV Idol film An AV idol AVアイドル Ebui aidoru short for adult video idol or AV actress AV女優 Ebui joyu is a type of pornographic film actress in Japan It is a sub category of the idol culture in Japanese pop entertainment AV idols work in the pornographic business often both as an actress as well as a model as the video performances vary widely from suggestive softcore imagery to hardcore pornography The industry is noted for having frequent turnovers since the dawn of the AV industry in the early 1980s hundreds of AV idols have debuted every year with an average career span of about a year appearing in five or ten videos during that time 1 Few notable AV idols have careers spanning longer than a decade have a wide general public recognition or make a significant impact on the industry in some other manner 2 Pornographic magazines on shelves in Japan Pornography portalSex work portal Contents 1 AV industry in Japan 2 AV actresses 3 Types 3 1 Schoolgirl Joshikōsei 3 2 Busty Bakunyu 3 3 Mature Jukujo 4 See also 5 References 6 SourcesAV industry in Japan EditThe line between adult and family entertainment in Japan is not as clear cut as it is in some other countries A celebrity may appear in AVs after already having established a career in mainstream television Also it is not rare for a popular AV actress to go on to become a mainstream celebrity 2 The AV or Adult Video market is a major industry in Japan reportedly worth about 400 billion 4 billion per year In 1992 it was reported that over 11 AVs were being made every day by over 70 production companies in Tokyo alone The AV market was estimated to make up about 30 percent of Japan s video rentals 1 It was estimated in 1994 that between legal and illegal videos around 14 000 AVs a year were being made in the country in contrast to about 2 500 in the United States 3 In an English language interview in 2011 AV idol Azusa Maki estimated that as many as 10 000 girls attempt to get into the Japanese AV industry each year 4 AV actresses EditMain category Japanese pornographic film actresses AV performers were often struggling actresses who could not find work in the theatrical Roman Porno films and girls from the soaplands 5 AV star Kaoru Kuroki has been credited with raising the status of AV idols in the public s eye According to cultural essayist Rosemary Iwamura she didn t seem to be making videos because of a lack of options but rather as an informed choice 6 Akari Asahina posing at an autograph signing event in Kobe AV actresses are usually recruited by scouts in Tokyo neighborhoods such as Roppongi Shinjuku and Matahine These scouts are affiliated with talent agencies who then hire the actresses to the AV production companies Some women wishing to appear in AVs apply to the production companies but they are usually referred to the talent agencies The production companies are typically charged 1 5 million US 15 000 or more for an actress to appear in a video 1 AV actresses make between 200 000 and 4 million yen per video 7 Steve Scott president of Third World Media an importer of Japanese adult movies to the United States estimated a top tier AV star could make up to nearly 36 million for an eight picture deal 8 AV fans are invited to follow the progress of a prominent AV actress career over several video appearances In her AV debut video the actress is introduced as a new face and her inexperience is played up in interviews preceding the modeling and sex scenes Following this debut video the AV audience follows the actress journey through sexual awakening and her eventual specialization after about five AV appearances in a specific genre such as lesbianism or SM Once the actress has established herself as a mature AV star she has the options of continuing into some of the more outrageous AV genres retiring or sometimes re emerging under a new name as a new face 1 In 2022 the Japanese government passed a new law that made pornography legal in the country The new set of laws also aims to protect actors who were pressured into entering the industry by giving them rights to prohibit the sale of videos in which they appear after five years from initial release date Types EditThe author Nicholas Bornoff identifies some Japanese AV stereotypes as the prim Office Lady the virgin next door the randy farm girl the leotarded aerobics enthusiast the sexy predator in the hot spring resort and the self assertive slut who is put in her place by being gang banged on the floor of the cutting room 9 AV director Tarzan Yagi says that a successful AV actress should fit a stereotype which can be identified at a glance making it easier for viewers to recognize the type they prefer Yagi mentions the slender type Lolita type buxom type and so on 10 Some AV idols have garnered a substantial following outside Japan resulting in some of their content being subtitled into other languages 11 In June 2008 a bill that proposed the imposition of a ban on child pornography possession was submitted to the House of Representatives of Japan where it was brought before the Diet in September but failed to pass On 15 July 2014 penalties were added to the simple possession of child pornography as a result of the revision of the law Some major AV types include Schoolgirl Joshikōsei Edit The most dominant type of Japanese pornography centers on the stereotype of the cute kawaii and innocent looking but sexually eager female high school student in a school uniform AV idols of this sort are innumerable and ever changing though most are 18 years of age or older The schoolgirl trope is a reflection of the JK business compensated dating with adolescent girls which is popular with older men 12 Busty Bakunyu Edit While a few early AV idols such as Kyoko Nakamura and Eri Kikuchi established careers due primarily to large breasts Noriyuki Adachi sets Kimiko Matsuzaka s 1989 debut as the point at which the Big Bust Boom 巨乳ブーム Kyonyu Boom began 13 A string of big bust AV idols followed including Hitomi Tanaka Fuko Miki Sawaguchi Mariko Morikawa Rin Aoki Nozomi Momoi and Anna Ohura By the mid 1990s the Big Bust genre had become a staple of the AV industry citation needed Mature Jukujo Edit The vast majority of AV actresses debut in their late teens 1 but in the mid 1990s a trend for mature women became evident 14 While youth remained the norm the broadening in tastes led to mature AV stars like Aki Tomosaki in 2000 Asuka Yuki in 2005 and Maki Tomoda in 2006 all of whom had passed their 30th birthdays at the time of their debuts These actresses became popular in AVs with an incest theme Yoko Shimada the international actress did AV with TEK 032 and TEK 034 sold on R18 com a channel specialising in AV films 15 See also EditChronology of adult videos in Japan Pornography in Japan Hokutu Corporation Gravure idol Junior idolReferences Edit a b c d e Fornander Kjell July 1992 A Star is Porn Tokyo Journal Archived from the original on 2006 05 16 Retrieved 2007 02 18 a b Iwamura Rosemary 1994 Letter from Japan From Girls Who Dress Up Like Boys To Trussed up Porn Stars Some of the Contemporary Heroines on the Japanese Screen Continuum The Australian Journal of Media amp Culture vol 7 no 2 Archived from the original on 3 May 2007 Retrieved 2007 04 25 In addition to the influence of pornography on mainstream cinema the line between pornography and family entertainment such as daytime television is blurred It is not uncommon in Japan for a waning female television star or singer to feature in pornographic videos Similarly there are women actors from pornographic videos who move into daytime television Diamond Milton Ayako Uchiyama 1999 Pornography Rape and Sex Crimes in Japan International Journal of Law and Psychiatry Pacific Center for Sex and Society University Of Hawai i 22 1 1 22 doi 10 1016 s0160 2527 98 00035 1 PMID 10086287 Archived from the original on 16 February 2007 Retrieved 2007 02 18 Wilks Jon June 27 2011 Maki Azusa The Interview Time Out Tokyo Archived from the original on 4 July 2011 Retrieved 8 July 2011 AV producer Shoichi Yoshimura quoted in Fornander Kjell July 1992 A Star is Porn Tokyo Journal Archived from the original on 2006 05 16 Retrieved 2007 02 18 Iwamura Rosemary 1994 Letter from Japan From Girls Who Dress Up Like Boys To Trussed up Porn Stars Some of the Contemporary Heroines on the Japanese Screen Continuum The Australian Journal of Media amp Culture vol 7 no 2 Archived from the original on 12 March 2007 Retrieved 2007 02 18 Stovall Albert The AV Director Sake Drenched Postcards Archived from the original on 8 March 2007 Retrieved 2007 02 18 Japanese porn exporters put their money where the mosaic is gramponante com 22 August 2008 Retrieved 2010 11 29 Bornoff Nicholas 1994 1991 18 Naked Dissent Pink Samurai An Erotic Exploration of Japanese Society The Pursuit and Politics of Sex in Japan Paperback ed London HarperCollins p 609 ISBN 0 586 20576 4 Connell Ryann 2005 07 11 Porno queen s mysterious death murder or suicide PDF vitalyuncensored net Retrieved 2007 02 18 Kamiyama Masuo 2005 10 22 The sultry secrets of AV starlets prolonged careers mainichi msn co jp Archived from the original on 2005 11 24 Retrieved 2007 02 18 Subtitled Japanese Adult Videos List JAV Subtitled Subtitled Japanese Adult Videos List JAV Subtitled Retrieved 2022 10 18 Reith Banks Tash 15 June 2019 Schoolgirls for sale why Tokyo struggles to stop the JK business theguardian com Retrieved 2022 04 15 Adachi Noriyuki 1992 アダルトな人びと Adaruto na Hitobito Adult People in Japanese Tokyo Kodansha p 50 ISBN 4 06 205546 5 Satomi Shinozaki biography Shin Toho History Archived from the original on 2007 05 15 Retrieved 2007 02 18 Stovall Albert The AV Actress Sake Drenched Postcards at bigempire com Archived from the original on 2 March 2007 Retrieved 2007 03 03 Sources EditAdachi Noriyuki 1992 アダルトな人びと Adaruto na Hitobito Adult People in Japanese Tokyo Kodansha ISBN 4 06 205546 5 Bornoff Nicholas 1994 1991 18 Naked Dissent Pink Samurai An Erotic Exploration of Japanese Society The Pursuit and Politics of Sex in Japan Paperback ed London HarperCollins pp 589 621 ISBN 0 586 20576 4 b v co jp AV Idol Interviews Japanese AVアイドル Fornander Kjell July 1992 A Star is Porn Tokyo Journal Archived from the original on 2006 05 16 Retrieved 2007 02 18 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title AV idol amp oldid 1140334771, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
