An AV idol is a Japanese idol

Japanese idol

In Japanese culture, are media personalities in their teens and early twenties who are considered particularly attractive or cute and who will, for a period ranging from several months to a few years, regularly appear in the mass media, e.g...

 who works in the pornographic business

Pornography in Japan

Pornography in Japan.-Before the 20th century:Shunga or pornographic wood-block pictures were printed with all imaginable situations. These often took the form of a book with sentences to describe verbal utterances of the partners, as well as to offer brief descriptions of a scene...

, often both as an actress as well as a model

Model (person)

A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....

 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. 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.

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. Fornander reports that "a background in porn is not necessarily a skeleton in the cupboard anymore. In some cases, it’s a career move."

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. 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. 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.

AV actress

AV performers were often struggling actresses who could not find work in the theatrical Roman Porno films and girls from the soapland

Soapland

A ' is a Japanglish and indicates a paradise for men in Japanese. It is said, since in Japan prostitution is officially prohibited by the government, that it is a type of brothel in Japan where male clients can engage in sexual activity with female prostitutes, although officially the clubs do...

s. AV star Kaoru Kuroki

Kaoru Kuroki

, is a former adult video performer and a multi-media personality whose role as a media counselor expressing outspoken views on sex and society have drawn comparisons to La Cicciolina and Dr. Ruth.- Early life :...

 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."

AV actresses are usually recruited by scouts in Tokyo neighborhoods such as Roppongi

Roppongi

is a district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan, famous as home to the rich Roppongi Hills area and an active night club scene. Many foreign embassies are located in Roppongi, and the night life is popular with locals and foreigners alike...

, Shinjuku and Shibuya

Shibuya, Tokyo

is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2008, it has an estimated population of 208,371 and a population density of 13,540 persons per km². The total area is 15.11 km²....

. 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. AV actresses make between ¥200,000 and 4 million yen per video. Steve Scott, president of Third World Media

Third World Media

Founded in 1999 by Steve Scott and veteran director Ed Hunter, Third World Media is recognized in the adult industry as one of the first producers of wall-to-wall entertainment featuring authentic ethnic performers exclusively from outside of the United States....

, 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.

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."

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

Onsen

An is a term for hot springs in the Japanese language, though the term is often used to describe the bathing facilities and inns around the hot springs. As a volcanically active country, Japan has thousands of onsen scattered along its length and breadth...

 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." 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."

Some major AV types include:

Busty

While a few early AV idols such as Kyoko Nakamura and Eri Kikuchi

Eri Kikuchi

is an early Japanese AV idol of the 1980s, and one of the first Japanese AV actresses to be known primarily for her large breasts.-Life and career:...

 made their careers off their large busts, Noriyuki Adachi singles Kimiko Matsuzaka

Kimiko Matsuzaka

is a Japanese AV idol who was prominent during the late-1980s and early-1990s noted for her large breasts. An authority on the AV industry points to Matsuzaka's career as the beginning of the "Big Bust Boom" in Japan.- AV Debut :...

's 1989 debut as the point at which the "Big Bust Boom" (巨乳ブーム - Kyonyu Boom) was set on fire. In the years following Matsuzaka's debut, the AV world was never without another major big-bust AV idol, including Miki Sawaguchi

Miki Sawaguchi

, born September 1, 1975 in Yokohama, Japan) is one of Japan's best known adult video performers. On television she has appeared as a regular cast member on two shows and made several guest appearances on other shows...

, Mariko Morikawa

Mariko Morikawa

is a Japanese AV idol known for her very large, natural breasts. Though publicity touted her Japanese brassiere size as a 124-centimeter "Q-cup," her premier video stated that she was a 104-centimeter I-cup.-Life and career:...

, and Anna Ohura

Anna Ohura

is a Japanese AV performer and model, known for her very large natural breasts. In 2003, according to the Taipei Times, she claimed to have the largest breasts in the Japanese adult film industry...

. 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. However, in the mid-1990s, a trend for "mature women" models in AVs became evident. 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

Aki Tomosaki

is a Japanese actress who has made a name for herself in the growing "mature woman" genre of the Japanese AV industry. The Japanese AV industry has awarded her for her work in this genre.-Life and career:...

 in 2000, Asuka Yūki‎ in 2005 and Maki Tomoda

Maki Tomoda

is an award-winning Japanese actress who is best known for her appearances in adult videos where her long and varied career has cemented her status as an AV idol...

 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.

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

Kyoko Aizome Kyoko Aizome is a Japanese erotic actress, singer, AV director, and writer who has been called, "the first hard-core porn actress in Japan."-Early life:Kyōko Aizome was born on February 9, 1958 in Noda Chiba Prefecture. Aizome grew up in a troubled household. Her father was a police officer who beat his wife,... Kate Asabuki Kate Asabuki is a Japanese actress who appeared in Nikkatsu's Roman Porno films of the 1980s, and was an early adult video performer.-Life and career:Asabuki studied French and English in college, and joined Nikkatsu to work in their Roman Porno films in 1982, while still attending university. She took her... Mari Ayukawa Mari Ayukawa is a former Japanese AV idol and pink film actress.-Life and career:Mari Ayukawa was born in Tokyo on December 2, 1969. Ayukawa had nurse education in high school and she was a medical school student when she made her AV debut in the July 1988 Arena release, .... Yumika Hayashi Yumika Hayashi was a Japanese AV idol and pink film actress. She earned the title of "Japan's Original Adult Video Queen" during a 16-year career in which she starred in nearly 200 AVs and appeared in over 180 films... [Top]

Eri Kikuchi Eri Kikuchi is an early Japanese AV idol of the 1980s, and one of the first Japanese AV actresses to be known primarily for her large breasts.-Life and career:... Hitomi Kobayashi Hitomi Kobayashi is an important early Japanese AV idol. One of the founding figures of the Japanese adult video, she has been called indispensable to any discussion of the AV... Kaoru Kuroki Kaoru Kuroki , is a former adult video performer and a multi-media personality whose role as a media counselor expressing outspoken views on sex and society have drawn comparisons to La Cicciolina and Dr. Ruth.- Early life :... Yuko Maehara [Top]

Kimiko Matsuzaka Kimiko Matsuzaka is a Japanese AV idol who was prominent during the late-1980s and early-1990s noted for her large breasts. An authority on the AV industry points to Matsuzaka's career as the beginning of the "Big Bust Boom" in Japan.- AV Debut :... Rena Murakami Rena Murakami is a Japanese actress and former AV idol.- Life and career :After beginning her career as a gravure idol, Murakami made her AV debut in the March 1988 h.m.p. Miss Christine release, . In December of her debut year she had a role in Toei's mainstream drama release, . She had another role in a... Keiko Nakazawa Keiko Nakazawa , born September 9, 1965, is an award-winning Japanese AV idol and pink film actress who gained popularity among AV viewers during the mid-1980s. She was described as "the most popular video queen in 1987".- Life and career :... Nao Saejima Nao Saejima is a Japanese AV idol and model of the 1980s and 1990s who also starred in photobooks, V-Cinema, and feature films, including Nikkatsu's Roman Porno series.-AV career:...

1990s

Minori Aoi Minori Aoi is a Japanese gravure and AV idol.-Debut and early AVs:Born in Tokyo on March 28, 1980, Minori Aoi was active in tennis during Junior High School and High School. She made her AV debut in the February 1999 release for the Media Station Cosmos Plan label, Pure Heart . Her first video was a difficult... Ami Ayukawa Ami Ayukawa is a Japanese AV Idol who worked for both "pro" studios such as Alice Japan and h.m.p., and also for independent companies like Moodyz and Wanz Factory.-Life and career:... Akira Fubuki Ai Iijima Ai Iijima was a Japanese media personality and AV idol. She belonged to the entertainment agency Watanabe Entertainment until her retirement.-Early life:Born as , she described a troubled early life in her autobiography. She was raped in her early teens, and had an abortion... Asami Jo Asami Jo is a Japanese AV Idol from Tokyo. Tokusatsu fans also know her as the villain Shibolena in the Super Sentai series Denji Sentai Megaranger.-Life and career:Jō was born in Tokyo and was a TV commercial model before starting a career in pornography... Bunko Kanazawa Bunko Kanazawa is a prolific Japanese adult film actress, who has been called "one of the biggest AV idols in Japan."-Debut - Cosmos Plan:Bunko Kanazawa was born April 4, 1979 in Kanagawa prefecture). She reports that as a child she was good at mathematics and science, but horrible in Japanese and English... Azumi Kawashima Azumi Kawashima , born August 8, 1979 in Tokyo, Japan, is a Japanese idol and adult video actress.-Life and career:Azumi Kawashima was born in Tokyo on August 8, 1979. Her debut video was Promise released under the Try-Heart Corporation's Sexia's label in December 1998. In January 1999, Kawashima starred in Naive,... [Top]

Yuri Komuro Yuri Komuro is a Japanese AV idol, actress, and author. She was one of the top actresses in the AV field during the late 1990s.-Early life and AV career:Yuri Komuro was born in Japan's Kanagawa Prefecture on July 28, 1976,... Jun Kusanagi Jun Kusanagi is a Japanese model and AV idol famous for her metric G-cup-sized bust. She has been called "one of Japan's most prolific and popular photo model/AV stars."-Early life:... Aika Miura Aika Miura is a popular and award-winning Japanese AV idol who made a clear mark on the AV industry. In a remarkably long and prolific career for an AV actress, she released an average of one film a month over a seven year period—excepting 1998—before she retired in 2002.... Haruki Mizuno Haruki Mizuno is a popular Japanese AV, gravure idol, and mainstream media celebrity.-Life and career:Mizuno was born in Tokyo on July 21, 1979. She dropped out of high school, and thinks that if she had not become an AV star, she would be working at soapland.... Kei Mizutani Kei Mizutani is a Japanese adult film actress. She has appeared in multiple photo books, movies, and TV series in Japan and her DVD sets are popular in Japan, the United States, and Europe.-Career:... Mariko Morikawa Mariko Morikawa is a Japanese AV idol known for her very large, natural breasts. Though publicity touted her Japanese brassiere size as a 124-centimeter "Q-cup," her premier video stated that she was a 104-centimeter I-cup.-Life and career:... Madoka Ozawa Madoka Ozawa is a Japanese AV idol and V-Cinema actress who has been described as "a very popular ... AV actress in the late 1990s" and "the number one AV idol of 1997".-Life and career:... [Top]

Rui Sakuragi Rui Sakuragi , is a former Japanese AV Idol who has been described as a "real AV Queen", the "top Japanese AV idol of the mid-1990's" and the "biggest star" in AV in 1992. She has also appeared widely in mainstream films and videos and on TV.-Life and career:... Miki Sawaguchi Miki Sawaguchi , born September 1, 1975 in Yokohama, Japan) is one of Japan's best known adult video performers. On television she has appeared as a regular cast member on two shows and made several guest appearances on other shows... Sakura Sena Sakura Sena is a big-busted Japanese glamour model and adult actress. Until March 2002 she used the name in her adult video career.-Life and career:Sena was born January 31, 1975 to a middle-class family in Chigasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture... Hitomi Shiraishi Hitomi Shiraishi is a former Japanese model, adult video actress, and a movie and TV actress from the 1990s who has been called "the eternal porn queen" and been described as "one of the most popular AV actresses of 1990s"... Riria Yoshikawa Riria Yoshikawa is a Japanese actress, AV Idol, and gravure idol.-Life and career:Riria Yoshikawa was born on July 11, 1970 in Tokyo, Japan and made her adult video debut at age twenty in the November 1990 Alice Japan release, . Yoshikawa was the star of director Sachi Hamano's pink film, released by Exces in... Sally Yoshino Sally Yoshino is a Japanese striptease dancer, model, and AV idol. She has also performed under the name .-Early life:Sally Yoshino was born in Tokyo on November 28, 1978. Her father was a member of a skate team, and Yoshino began figure skating at the age of three... Maiko Yūki Maiko Yuki is a Japanese AV idol, actress, and stripper. One of the top AV idols in the mid-1990s, she was named the "AV Girl of the Year" in 1998. In 2004 Yūki was the star performer in the first Japanese strip show to perform in the People's Republic of China.-Early life:...

2000s

Yua Aida Yua Aida is an award-winning former Japanese model and AV idol.-Early life:Yua Aida was born in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on 12 August 1984. Aida was an active girl and involved in many sporting activities during primary and middle school. Tennis was her strongest sport throughout middle school. In high... Hotaru Akane Hotaru Akane aka is an award-winning Japanese model and AV idol. She is active in many media formats in Japan including a role in a mainstream theatrical film, and is a popular blogger. Her adeptness at female ejaculation has earned Akane the title, "Shiofuki Queen". She retired from AV work in 2008.-Early... Kokoro Amano Kokoro Amano , is an AV Idol who starred in pornographic movies between 2001 and 2004 . She worked mainly for Soft On Demand and Moodyz.-Life and career:Kokoro was born 30 August 1982 in the city of Miyako, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. She was seeking employment at the time that she was recruited for work in the AV... Sora Aoi Sora Aoi is a Japanese AV idol, nude model, and media personality. In addition to being a multiple award winning actress in the AV field, she has also attained mainstream media recognition.- Early life :... Rin Aoki Rin Aoki is a Japanese model and adult video actress. She began as a Gravure idol and later moved to hardcore video work where she became an award-winning AV Idol.-Gravure Idol:... Minami Aoyama Minami Aoyama is a Japanese AV idol and pink film actress. She has appeared in award-winning pink films, and was herself given a Best Actress award for her work in this genre in 2006.-Life and career:... Ran Asakawa Ran Asakawa is a famous and extremely prolific Japanese model and AV idol who made her debut in the adult entertainment field in 2001.-Life and career:Ran Asakawa was born in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan on 4 September 1980. Her first sexual encounter happened when she was 19 and was with a businessman... Yuma Asami Yuma Asami is a Japanese adult video actress. Beginning in 2005 Asami appeared in AVs for Alice Japan and S1 No. 1 Style. Her adult videos have won first prize in Japanese Adult Video Awards, and she has won awards as an adult actress... Kyoko Ayana Kyoko Ayana , born April 15, 1981 in Japan's Kanagawa Prefecture, is a Japanese AV Idol who debuted in 2001. According to Peter Payne, founder of the Japanese popular culture site, J-List, Ayana had "claimed Japan's top big breast idol spot."-Life and career:... Shelly Fujii Shelly Fujii -Life and career:Fujii was born on February 18, 1990 in Tokyo, Japan, daughter of a Japanese mother and an American father. The stage name "Fujii" was chosen for her resemblance to singer Lena Fujii... Fuko Fuko is a Japanese gravure idol and AV idol, known for her natural 47-inch bust.-Life and career:Fuko first appeared in soaplands under the name "Love" , a name she used for topless photos at the Tokyo Topless site in 2005. In the year 2006, Fuko rapidly achieved fame in Japan, appearing in a number of... Shoko Goto Shoko Goto is a busty Japanese adult video actress. She takes a Japanese J-cup bra .- Life and career:Born on January 18, 1985, in Miyazaki Prefecture in Japan's southernmost island of Kyūshū, Shoko debuted on the Japanese adult entertainment scene with her photo shoot in the September 2004 issue of Bachelor... Meisa Hanai Meisa Hanai -Life and career:Hanai was born on July 20, 1986 in Japan. Like only a few other Japanese AV actresses, among them Maria Ozawa, Tina Yuzuki and Anna Ohura, she is of mixed heritage. Her father is Japanese and her mother is Bulgarian.... Chihiro Hara Chihiro Hara is a multiple award-winning Japanese adult video performer.-Life and career:Chihiro Hara was born on May 22, 1984 in Tokyo, Japan. She made her debut in adult videos in November 2004 with the S1 No. 1 Style studio in New Face x Semen. Her debut was part of the first group of videos simultaneously... Mai Haruna Mai Haruna is a popular and prolific Japanese model and AV idol. She debuted in 2002 and performed in a variety of Japanese adult video genres until her retirement in 2005.-Life and career:... Chihiro Hasegawa Chihiro Hasegawa , also known as Nami Funakura , is an award-winning Japanese AV idol who has starred in more than 200 adult videos on various labels.-Life and career:... Yui Hatano Hitomi Hayasaka Hitomi Hayasaka is a Japanese model, actress and former adult video performer.-Life and career:Hayasaka was born on June 28, 1982 in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan... Hikari Hino Hikari Hino is a Japanese AV idol, or porn star who has performed for several prominent adult video companies.-Life and career:Hino was born March 7, 1986 in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. In July 2005 she debuted at age 19 on the Crystal-Eizou company's Venus label in the video G's Curiosity - Hikari Hino... Honoka Honoka is an award-winning Japanese adult video actress and popular TV personality and actress. She retired from the AV industry in 2008.-Life and career:... [Top]

Mayura Hoshitsuki Mayura Hoshitsuki was an award-winning Japanese adult video actress who retired from the adult industry in 2010. Her extended career, popularity and impressive filmography qualify her as an AV idol.-Life and career:... Milk Ichigo Milk Ichigo , also often billed as Miruku Ichigo, is an award-winning Japanese adult video actress who has had an exceptionally long career.-Life and career:... Sakurako Kaoru Sakurako Kaoru is a Japanese gravure model, AV idol and pink film actress. First coming to prominence as an award-winning AV actress, Kaoru successfully made the transition to the theatrically released softcore pink film genre... Yuria Kato Yuria Kato is a Japanese adult actress, AV idol, and photo model from Tokyo, Japan. She usually plays passive roles. Her AV debut was with the Cher label in the November 2001 release Love Berry.... Meguru Kosaka Meguru Kosaka is a popular and prolific Japanese AV idol known for her large G70-cup breasts. She is a recent addition to a long line of "Big-Bust" models in Japanese adult videos often traced back to 1980's idol Kimiko Matsuzaka.-Life and career:... Hikaru Koto Hikaru Koto is a former Japanese AV idol and model.-Life and career:Koto made her adult video debut at age eighteen in the September 2003 release, on the h.m.p./Platinum Tiffany label... Emi Kuroda Emi Kuroda aka is an AV and pink film actress who was born in Osaka in 1978. She is best known for playing the title role in director Mitsuru Meike's The Glamorous Life of Sachiko Hanai .-Life and career:... Ai Kurosawa Ai Kurosawa is an award-winning Japanese model and AV idol. She made her debut in the adult entertainment field in 2001, and after appearing in dozens of AVs , she retired in 2006 but made a comeback in 2007.-Early life:... Miho Maeshima Miho Maeshima , also known as Miho Maejima, is a popular Japanese model and AV idol who formerly appeared on broadcast television in Japan.-Life and career:... Kaede Matsushima Kaede Matsushima is a Japanese model, actress and adult video performer who has had a long career as a top AV Idol. She was described as a "Japanese superstar" at Allmovie.-Life and career:... Mihiro Mihiro , also known as , is a Japanese model, singer, TV personality and award-winning adult video actress.-Life and career:Mihiro was born in Niigata prefecture on May 19, 1982. She began a career as a softcore nude model as early as May 2001 when her video Dream was released followed by the... Saya Misaki Saya Misaki , also known as was a Japanese adult film actress. Misaki's career spanned over two years during which she appeared in at least seventy DVDs.- AV career :... Ryoko Mitake Ryoko Mitake is a popular and multiple-award-winning Japanese AV idol. Throughout her career she alternated between the two AV studios, Alice Japan and Max-A. At the end of her first year in AV, Mitake was given two Best Actress awards in different AV ceremonies, and at the end of her second year she was given... Nozomi Momoi Nozomi Momoi was a popular and prolific Japanese AV idol, known for her "baby face that topped off a huge set of boobs" She appeared in over 100 movies, appearing in up to ten releases per month. In an incident that shocked the nation, she was murdered at the age of 24.-Early life:Nozomi Momoi was born in Tokyo... Ran Monbu Kurumi Morishita Kurumi Morishita is a well-known adult video actress who had a long and prolific career. As of late 2010, Amazon listed 148 DVD titles for her, reflecting her status as a prominent AV Idol. She retired from the adult entertainment industry in 2009.-Life and career:... Ayano Murasaki Ayano Murasaki is a Japanese adult video performer.-Life and career:Ayano Murasaki was born in the Ibaraki Prefecture of Japan on March 29, 1969. She made her adult video debut in late 2003 at the age of 34. The market for such "mature woman" or "madame" actresses appeared in Japanese porn films in the mid-1990s... Mai Nadasaka Kyoko Nakajima Kyoko Nakajima is a Japanese AV idol of the early 2000s.-AV debut & VIP:Nakajima was born on March 12, 1983 in Saitama Prefecture, Japan), and her interests include music and tennis.She made her AV debut in May 2003 with the video I Want More Than a Kiss! for the h.m.p... [Top]

An Nanba An Nanba also known as Ann Nanba is a Japanese adult video actress who has had a long and prolific career during which she has won multiple awards. At the beginning of 2009, the DMM and Amazon sites both listed more than 250 DVDs available under her name. She retired from AV work in 2008.-AV debut and... Nana Natsume Nana Natsume is an award-winning former AV idol and a well-known celebrity in Japan.-Life and career:Natsume was born on January 23, 1980 in Sakai, Osaka, Japan... Anna Ohura Anna Ohura is a Japanese AV performer and model, known for her very large natural breasts. In 2003, according to the Taipei Times, she claimed to have the largest breasts in the Japanese adult film industry... Nao Oikawa Nao Oikawa born April 21, 1981 in Hiroshima, Japan is a Japanese actress, TV Personality and was also a former AV idol who was very popular in early 2000s.- Life and career :... Maria Ozawa Maria Ozawa , who used the name early in her career, is a former Japanese adult video actress known in Japan as an AV idol.-Early life:Ozawa was born in Hokkaidō, Japan. Her mother is Japanese and her father is Canadian. Since she always attended an international school, she claims that her English reading... Naho Ozawa Naho Ozawa is a Japanese model, singer and a former prolific AV idol. She retired from the adult industry in 2007.-AV debut - Try-Heart:... Asuka Sakamaki Asuka Sakamaki is a Japanese AV idol from Tokyo who was born on October 8, 1982.-AV career:Sakamaki made her AV debut in May 2002 in the video First Class for Try Heart's Sexia label, the label under which she continued to appear in several more videos... Sakura Sakurada Sakura Sakurada is a Japanese actress, model and adult video star who has also used the name for still photo shoots. Her long and prolific career and international recognition mark her as an AV Idol.-Early career - "Uncensored Movies":... Ria Sakurai Haruka Sanada Riko Tachibana Riko Tachibana is a popular and award-winning Japanese adult video idol . Taller than average, Tachibana debuted in 2003 and starred in many adult videos which emphasized her height. An extremely prolific actress, Tachibana had performed in over 200 AVs when she was awarded for Most Appearances at Japan's Adult... Maria Takagi Maria Takagi aka Rika Inoue is a multiple award winning former Japanese adult video star who is now a TV actress.-Life and career:Takagi's debut adult video was the December 2002 release Super-Star for the Max-A Calen label. In 2003 she was the winner of five awards at the Kuki Inc.-owned XCity's Adult Video... Maki Tomoda Maki Tomoda is an award-winning Japanese actress who is best known for her appearances in adult videos where her long and varied career has cemented her status as an AV idol... Aki Tomosaki Aki Tomosaki is a Japanese actress who has made a name for herself in the growing "mature woman" genre of the Japanese AV industry. The Japanese AV industry has awarded her for her work in this genre.-Life and career:... Akira Watase Akira Watase was a popular and prolific Japanese AV idol who retired from the adult video industry in 2005.-Life and career:Akira Watase was born July 2, 1980 in Tokyo, Japan.). Her AV debut was in the May 2000 Media Station Cosmos Plan release, Venus.... Manami Yoshii Manami Yoshii is a well-known Japanese adult film actress.-Life and career:Yoshii's first AV was the November 2000 release, Growing Up Journal. Water Fruit was Yoshii's second adult video. Like her first release, it was made for the KUKI studio... Akiho Yoshizawa Akiho Yoshizawa , often known simply as Acky , is a Japanese adult video and pink film actress.-AV debut - Alice Japan & Max-A:Yoshizawa was born in Tokyo, Japan on March 3, 1984 and after working as a gravure idol, made her AV debut in 2003 under contract to two studios, Alice Japan and Max-A... Asuka Yūki Tina Yuzuki Tina Yuzuki , also known as Rio, is a Japanese AV idol who debuted in 2005, while appearing in videos produced by the Max-A and S1 studios. After starring in AVs in various genres during her first year in the industry, she won an industry award as Best New Actress for 2006. Since late 2007, she has used the...

2010s

• Saori Hara
  Saori Hara
  is a former Japanese AV idol, model and actress who has also used the name .-Life and career:Saori Hara was born in Hiroshima Prefecture to a Japanese mother and a father of mixed German-Japanese parentage.-Mai Nanami:...
  
  
• Azumi Harusaki
• Hitomi Tanaka
  Hitomi Tanaka
  also known as Hitomi is a Japanese AV idol and gravure idol. She is well known for her large breasts, Japanese size 97J -Life and career:...
  
  
• Kirara Asuka
• Yui Hatano
• Sora Aoi
  Sora Aoi
  is a Japanese AV idol, nude model, and media personality. In addition to being a multiple award winning actress in the AV field, she has also attained mainstream media recognition.- Early life :...
  
  
• Mei Haruka
• Ameri Ichinose

Sources

• avidol.xcity.jp/english AV Idol Profiles (English)
• b-v.co.jp AV Idol Interviews (Japanese)
• JSexNetwork: One of the largest english based AV Idol and model portal (English)
• Web I-dic Profiles (Japanese)
• Japanese AV Directory (English)