An AV idol (adult video idol; AV actress (AV女優, Ēbui joyū?)) is a Japanese idol who works in the pornographic business, often both as an actress as well as a model as the video performances have a wide range, from just the idol strolling around their house doing chores in bikinis to hardcore porn. 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 Notable AV idols have careers spanning several years, have a high general public recognition, or make a significant impact on the industry in some other manner.2 Contents 1 The AV industry in Japan 2 The AV actress 3 Types of AV idols 3.1 Busty 3.2 Mature 4 Notable AV idols 4.1 1980s 4.2 1990s 4.3 2000s 4.4 2010s 5 See also 6 References 7 Sources 8 External links The AV industry in Japan 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 mainstream celebrity.3 Fornander reports that "a background in porn is not necessarily a skeleton in the cupboard anymore. In some cases, it’s a career move."1 The AV, or "Adult Video" market is a major industry in Japan, reportedly worth about ¥400 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.4 The AV actress

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 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 poses at an autograph-signing event in Kobe AV actresses are usually recruited by scouts in Tokyo neighborhoods such as Roppongi, Shinjuku and Shibuya. 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 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 Types of AV idols

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, last but not least, the self-assertive slut who is put in her place by being gang-banged on the floor of the cutting room."9 Also, noted AV director "Tarzan" Yagi says that a successful AV actress should fit into an easily-identifiable type 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 major AV types include: Busty While a few early AV idols such as Kyoko Nakamura and Eri Kikuchi made their careers off their large busts, Noriyuki Adachi singles Kimiko Matsuzaka's 1989 debut as the point at which the "Big Bust Boom" (巨乳ブーム - Kyonyu Boom) was set on fire.11 In the years following Matsuzaka's debut, the AV world was never without another major big-bust AV idol, including Miki Sawaguchi, Mariko Morikawa, and Anna Ohura. By the mid-1990s, the Big Bust genre had become a staple of the AV industry. Mature The vast majority of AV actresses make their debuts in their late teens.1 However, in the mid-1990s, a trend for "mature women" models in AVs became evident.12 While youthful debuts would still remain the norm, this broadening in tastes would pave the way for the debuts of future "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 older actresses became popular in AVs with an incest theme.13 Notable AV idols Of the literally hundreds of women who make AV debuts in Japan yearly, this is a list of a few AV idols who are notable for reasons such as a making a major impact on the industry, for their high public visibility, or for their extraordinarily long careers. 1980s Kate Asabuki Yumika Hayashi Eri Kikuchi

[Top] Hitomi Kobayashi Kaoru Kuroki Kimiko Matsuzaka [Top] Rena Murakami Keiko Nakazawa Nao Saejima 1990s Minori Aoi Ami Ayukawa Akira Fubuki Ai Iijima Asami Jo Bunko Kanazawa Azumi Kawashima [Top] Yuri Komuro Jun Kusanagi Aika Miura Haruki Mizuno Kei Mizutani Mariko Morikawa Madoka Ozawa [Top] Rui Sakuragi Miki Sawaguchi Sakura Sena Hitomi Shiraishi Riria Yoshikawa Sally Yoshino Maiko Yūki 2000s Yua Aida Hotaru Akane Kokoro Amano Sora Aoi Rin Aoki Minami Aoyama Ran Asakawa Yuma Asami Kyoko Ayana Fuko Shoko Goto Meisa Hanai Chihiro Hara Mai Haruna Chihiro Hasegawa Yui Hatano Hikari Hino Honoka [Top] Mayura Hoshitsuki Milk Ichigo Sakurako Kaoru Yuria Kato Meguru Kosaka Hikaru Koto Ai Kurosawa Erena Kurosawa Miho Maeshima Kaede Matsushima Mihiro Saya Misaki Nozomi Momoi Ran Monbu Kurumi Morishita Ayano Murasaki Mai Nadasaka Kyoko Nakajima An Nanba [Top] Nana Natsume Anna Ohura Nao Oikawa Maria Ozawa Naho Ozawa Asuka Sakamaki Sakura Sakurada Ria Sakurai Haruka Sanada Riko Tachibana Maki Tomoda Aki Tomosaki Akira Watase Manami Yoshii Akiho Yoshizawa Asuka Yūki Tina Yuzuki Ako Makino Saki Ootsuka 2010s Saori Hara Azumi Harusaki Anri Sugihara Hitomi Tanaka Kirara Asuka See also Chronology of adult videos in Japan Pornography in Japan References ^ a b c d e f Fornander, Kjell (July 1992). "A Star is Porn". Tokyo Journal. Archived from the original on 2006-05-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20060516235928/http://www2.gol.com/users/coynerhm/pornborn.html. 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. http://wwwmcc.murdoch.edu.au/ReadingRoom/7.2/Iwamura.html. 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."  ^ Iwamura. ^ Diamond, Milton; Ayako Uchiyama (1999). "Pornography, Rape and Sex Crimes in Japan". Pacific Center for Sex and Society; University Of Hawai`i. http://www.hawaii.edu/PCSS/online_artcls/pornography/prngrphy_rape_jp.html. Retrieved 2007-02-18.  ^ AV producer Shoichi Yoshimura, quoted in Fornander, Kjell (July 1992). "A Star is Porn". Tokyo Journal. Archived from the original on 2006-05-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20060516235928/http://www2.gol.com/users/coynerhm/pornborn.html. 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. http://wwwmcc.murdoch.edu.au/ReadingRoom/7.2/Iwamura.html. Retrieved 2007-02-18.  ^ Stovall, Albert. "The AV Director". Sake Drenched Postcards. http://www.bigempire.com/sake/av_director.html. Retrieved 2007-02-18.  ^ "Japanese porn exporters put their money where the mosaic is". gramponante.com. http://gramponante.com/japanese-porn-exporters-put-their-money-where-the-mosaic-is/. 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?". mainichi-msn.co.jp. http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/waiwai/archive/news/2005/07/20050711p2g00m0dm010000c.html. Retrieved 2007-02-18.  Kamiyama, Masuo (2005-10-22). "The sultry secrets of AV starlets' prolonged careers". mainichi-msn.co.jp. http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/waiwai/archive/news/2005/10/20051022p2g00m0dm002000c.html. Retrieved 2007-02-18.  ^ Adachi, Noriyuki (in Japanese). アダルトな人びと - Adaruto na Hitobito ("Adult" People). Tokyo: Kodansha. p. 50. ISBN 4-06-205546-5.  ^ "Satomi Shinozaki biography". Shin-Toho History. Archived from the original on 2007-05-15. http://web.archive.org/web/20070515003453/http://xxx.xcity.jp/SHIN-TOHO/HISTORY/S_SHINOZAKI/index.html. Retrieved 2007-02-18.  ^ Stovall, Albert. "The AV Actress". Sake-Drenched Postcards at bigempire.com. http://www.bigempire.com/sake/av_actress.html. Retrieved 2007-03-03.  Sources Adachi, Noriyuki (in Japanese). アダルトな人びと - Adaruto na Hitobito ("Adult" People). Tokyo: Kodansha. ISBN 4-06-205546-5.  avidol.xcity.jp/english AV Idol Profiles (English) 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) Fornander, Kjell (July 1992). "A Star is Porn". Tokyo Journal. Archived from the original on 2006-05-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20060516235928/http://www2.gol.com/users/coynerhm/pornborn.html. Retrieved 2007-02-18.  JSexNetwork: One of the largest english based AV Idol and model portal (English) Web I-dic Profiles (Japanese) Japanese AV Directory (English) External links v · d · eJapanese erotic cinema Actresses Yua Aida · Kyōko Aizome · Hotaru Akane · Runa Akasaka · Izumi Aki · Kokoro Amano · Minori Aoi · Sora Aoi · Rin Aoki · Minami Aoyama · Kate Asabuki · Mayu Asada · Ran Asakawa · Yuma Asami · Asami · Kyoko Ayana · Ami Ayukawa · Mari Ayukawa · Risa Coda · Akira Fubuki · Fuko · Shoko Goto · Meisa Hanai · Lemon Hanazawa · Chihiro Hara · Saori Hara · Mai Haruna · Chihiro Hasegawa · Hitomi Hayasaka · Yumika Hayashi · Hotaru Hazuki · Hikari Hino · Rinako Hirasawa · Honoka · Mayura Hoshitsuki · Milk Ichigo · Ai Iijima · Reiko Ike · Ayame Ikehata‎ · Kiyomi Itō · Asami Jō · Bunko Kanazawa · Sakurako Kaoru · Yuria Kato · Tamaki Katori · Mariko Kawana · Azumi Kawashima · Kyōko Kazama · Eri Kikuchi · Hitomi Kobayashi · Riri Kōda · Yuri Komuro · Konatsu · Meguru Kosaka · Hikaru Koto · Mayu Kotono · Hitomi Kudo · Emi Kuroda · Kaoru Kuroki · Ai Kurosawa · Jun Kusanagi · Miho Maeshima · Megumi Makihara · Kaede Matsushima · Marina Matsushima · Kimiko Matsuzaka · Mihiro · Saya Misaki · Ryōko Mitake · Junko Miyashita · Aika Miura · Miki Mizuasa · Haruki Mizuno · Kei Mizutani · Nozomi Momoi · Mariko Morikawa · Kurumi Morishita · Rena Murakami · Ayano Murasaki · Kyoko Nakajima · Keiko Nakazawa · An Nanba · Nana Natsume · Anna Ohura · Nao Oikawa · Madoka Ozawa · Maria Ozawa · Naho Ozawa · Nao Saejima · Asuka Sakamaki · Sakura Sakurada · Rui Sakuragi · Motoko Sasaki · Yōko Satomi · Miki Sawaguchi · Sakura Sena · Hitomi Shiraishi · Kazuko Shirakawa · Miki Sugimoto · Suzi Suzuki · Riko Tachibana · Maria Takagi · Runa Takamura · Rumi Tama · Hitomi Tanaka · Naomi Tani · Noriko Tatsumi · Yui Tatsumi · Maki Tomoda · Aki Tomosaki · Hime Tsukino · Akira Watase · Manami Yoshii · Riria Yoshikawa · Sally Yoshino · Akiho Yoshizawa · Asuka Yūki · Maiko Yūki · Maria Yumeno · Tina Yuzuki Actors Taka Kato · Kin'ichi Kusumi · Mitsuyasu Maeno · Yoshiya Minami · Chocoball Mukai · Ken Shimizu · Shirō Shimomoto · Shigeo Tokuda · Micky Yanai Directors Kaoru Adachi · Hideto Aki · Zack Arai · Tarō Araki · Sachi Hamano · Yasuharu Hasebe · Katsuyuki Hirano · Noboru Iguchi · Toshiharu Ikeda · Yutaka Ikejima · Shinji Imaoka · Takashi Ishii · Teruo Ishii · Shunya Ito · [Jo]Style · K*WEST · Shūji Kataoka · Yoshikazu Katō · KINGDOM · Satoru Kobayashi · Kazuo "Gaira" Komizu · Masaru Konuma · Minoru Kunizawa · Kiyoshi Kurosawa · Tatsumi Kumashiro · Alala Kurosawa · Kazuhiko Matsumoto · Company Matsuo · Mitsuru Meike · Yoshimitsu Morita · Kan Mukai · Toru Muranishi · Giichi Nishihara · Dragon Nishikawa · Koyu Ohara · Randa Mai · Kazuhiro Sano · Uzumaki Sasaki · Hisayasu Satō · Toshiki Satō‎ · Kōji Seki · Kazuyoshi Sekine · Chūsei Sone · Masayuki Suo · Norifumi Suzuki · Yūji Tajiri · Banmei Takahashi · Tetsuji Takechi · Tetsuya Takehora · Yojiro Takita · Rumi Tama · Goro Tameike · Noboru Tanaka · Tohjiro · Naoyuki Tomomatsu · Kaoru Toyoda · Toshiya Ueno · Kōji Wakamatsu · Mamoru Watanabe · Yumi Yoshiyuki · Tadashi Yoyogi · Takahisa Zeze Films List of Japanese sexploitation films · List of Nikkatsu Roman Porno films Tarō Araki filmography · Sachi Hamano filmography · Yumika Hayashi filmography · Hotaru Hazuki filmography · Yutaka Ikejima filmography · Shinji Imaoka filmography · Kiyomi Itō filmography · Sakurako Kaoru filmography · Kyōko Kazama filmography · Kan Mukai filmography · Maria Ozawa filmography · Sakura Sakurada filmography · Motoko Sasaki filmography · Yōko Satomi filmography · Rumi Tama filmography · Yumi Yoshiyuki filmography Writers Oniroku Dan · Takao Nakano · Koichiro Uno Studios Alice Japan · Athena Eizou · Atlas21 · Attackers · CineMagic · Cross · Crystal-Eizou · DAS · Dogma · Glory Quest · h.m.p. · Hokuto Corporation · IdeaPocket · Japan Home Video · KMP · Kuki · Madonna · Max-A · Maxing · Media Station · Million Film · Moodyz · OP Eiga · Real Works · S1 No. 1 Style · Shuttle Japan · Soft On Demand · TMA · Try-Heart Corporation · V&R Planning · Waap Entertainment · Wanz Factory Awards Adult Broadcasting Awards · Japanese Adult Video Awards · Pink Grand Prix · Pinky Ribbon Awards Related articles AV idol · AV Open · Bukkake · Chronology of adult videos in Japan · Cosplay · Eroge · Futanari · Gokkun · Hamedori · Hentai · Japanese bondage · Junior idol · List of hentai computer games · List of Japanese celebrities · List of Japanese idols · List of Japanese gravure idols · Lotion play · Net idol · NEVA · Nyotaimori · Omorashi · Panchira · Pink film · Pornography in Japan · Shunga · Ganari Takahashi · Tamakeri · Tarento · Ushiro Takatekote · Wakamezake