Top Japanese Porn Star (Notes from Under the Tatami Mats–60 … My Adventures in Japan)

She took control of her life, in a way that most Japanese women could never do.

The dear and sweet Miss Iijima Ai was definitely not typical.    

For one thing, she truly enjoyed her work. For another thing, she parlayed her early success in “AV” (that’s “adult video,” as they euphemistically call it), into success as a day-time TV personality.

AV path to success

Moreover, she did it so well that she was able to make the transition after working in the AV biz for only a short time. To a great extent, she took control of her life, in a way that most Japanese women or even men could never do.   

On her way to the mainstream, she spent a number of years working on late-night soft-porn TV shows. (To clarify, in Japan soft porn is not necessarily considered to be porn, so we can safely say that she segued quickly from being a porn star to being a mainstream celebrity.)    _{(Image source)}

Say no more, and move on

Having run away from home as a teen, she soon started working in the “mizu shobai.”  (The term “mizu shobai,” which translates as “water trade,”  is a euphemism for the nighttime entertainment industry, whose periphery may or may not overlap with the sex industry. ‘Nuff said, and plenty unsaid.)   

Within the space of a few years, she had become the pre-eminent AV star of the time. Then she turned her back on that, and shifted to the mainstream, where she became one of the most popular Japanese personalities ever.   

Ai died in 2008, presumably of pneumonia. 

For what it’s worth, in 2009, she was posthumously given a Special Award at the Takesi Kitano Entertainment Awards. Can't Beat  that.        _{(Image source)}

   Introduction to – “Notes from Under the Tatami Mats”  _{(right-click on title)}

Top 7 Evocative Bowie Lyrics Referring to Japan

Top 3 Japanese Band Names

Top 1,000 Worst Pop Bands

... and more

Links to my Other Series …

      Introduction – "Intro to Vocab-ability"   _{(right-click on title)}
      Guide – "Guide to Entries"   _{(right-click on title)}
      Index– "Index" to all Chapters and Sections   _{(right-click on title)}

      Lou Reed – "Anthology of Memorable Lyrics, Part 1"   _{(right-click on title)}
      Lou Reed – "Anthology of Memorable Lyrics, Part 2"   _{(right-click on title)}

_{Images sourced from Google Images, unless otherwise indicated or unless my own.}