Atlas21
Encyclopedia
, formerly known as VIP, is a Japanese adult video company with headquarters in Tokyo
, Japan.
themes. In 1983 the company changed its name from VIP Enterprise to . By 1985, the studio was using actresses with some background in entertainment such as Anri Inoue (井上あんり) who made her AV debut with VIP in August 1985 with the video .
But the major event in the company's history in the 1980s was the debut of Hitomi Kobayashi
in 1986 in her video Forbidden Relationship. With her style and looks, Kobayashi was a major factor in bringing in the concept of the AV Idol
to the fledgling adult video industry and as the "AV Queen" brought outstanding sales to VIP. The next year, in February 1987, Nao Saejima
debuted with the company. Another early star for VIP was Rui Sakuragi
who made her debut in April 1989 under the name Masako Ichinose but took the name Rui Sakuragi the following year.
Sometime before 1997, Atlas21 joined with the Kuki
group of companies, which in addition to Kuki comprised Alice Japan
, Max-A
, Media Station (Cosmos Plan)
, Big Morkal and Sexia, and was at one time the largest family of AV companies in Japan. Along with the other companies in the Kuki group, Atlas21 belonged to the voluntary ethics organization called in English the Nihon Ethics of Video Association
(NEVA), or in Japanese 日本ビデオ倫理協会 (Nippon Bideo Rinri Kyoukai or Japan Video Morality Association), usually abbreviated as ビデ倫 (Biderin or Viderin). Prominent AV actresses who appeared in Atlas21 videos in the late 1990s include Asami Jō
, Jun Kusanagi
, Yuri Komuro
, Madoka Ozawa
and Bunko Kanazawa
.
and Bunko Kanazawa
, the new VIP also featured such actresses as Akira Watase
, Nao Oikawa
, Naho Ozawa
and Riko Tachibana
.
In 2005, the Atlas21 company reported capital of 13 million yen (about $130,000) and had 11 employees. Both Atlas21 and VIP ceased production of new adult video products in December 2006. From its official website at www.atlas21.co.jp, the company gives access to a site, www.vip-enterprise.com, which offers downloads of many of the early classic videos produced by the company including works by Hitomi Kobayashi
, Rui Sakuragi
and Ai Iijima
. The VIP label is now used by , another AV production company, which has been issuing videos under this label since at least 2001.
In addition to the Atlas label, the studio also used:
VIP
In addition to the VIP label, the following were also used:
Atlas21
VIP
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan.
VIP
The AV company was founded in June 1981 and issued its first video, titled , in December of that same year making it one of the first adult video companies to be established in Japan. The studio continued production in 1982 with works that included S&M and scatologicalCoprophilia
Coprophilia , also called scatophilia or scat, is the paraphilia involving sexual pleasure from feces...
themes. In 1983 the company changed its name from VIP Enterprise to . By 1985, the studio was using actresses with some background in entertainment such as Anri Inoue (井上あんり) who made her AV debut with VIP in August 1985 with the video .
But the major event in the company's history in the 1980s was the debut of 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...
in 1986 in her video Forbidden Relationship. With her style and looks, Kobayashi was a major factor in bringing in the concept of the AV Idol
AV Idol
An AV idol 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...
to the fledgling adult video industry and as the "AV Queen" brought outstanding sales to VIP. The next year, in February 1987, 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:...
debuted with the company. Another early star for VIP was 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:...
who made her debut in April 1989 under the name Masako Ichinose but took the name Rui Sakuragi the following year.
Stella / Atlas21
In January 1990 a new AV company, , was formed as a subsidiary to VIP and four years later in May 1994, the company name was changed from Stella to Atlas21. By July of that year, the company had undergone a major reorganization and the VIP company name and label were dropped in favor of the Atlas21 name and the Atlas label. Two new labels were also introduced as part of the newly named Atlas21 studio, "OZ" and "SAURS".Sometime before 1997, Atlas21 joined with the Kuki
Kuki Inc.
is a Japanese adult video company which has its headquarters in Ebisu Minami in the Shibuya ward of Tokyo. The company is involved in the production and distribution of videos, satellite and cable TV, and a large internet site, X CITY.-Company history:...
group of companies, which in addition to Kuki comprised Alice Japan
Alice Japan
was established on April 4, 1986 as the adult video label for Japan Home Video .-Company information:The early AVs produced by JHV went under the Penguin label, the first title being the 30 minute long softcore Asobinasareya, Tadakurue starring Hidemi Nakajima released May 21, 1984 with...
, Max-A
Max-A
is a Japanese adult video studio which is especially known for videos made under its Samansa and Calen labels which produced a number of innovative and quality AVs in the late 1990s and early 2000s.-Company information:...
, Media Station (Cosmos Plan)
Media Station
, originally founded as , was a Japanese adult video production company. In early 2011, they were integrated with the AV company KM Produce.-Company information:...
, Big Morkal and Sexia, and was at one time the largest family of AV companies in Japan. Along with the other companies in the Kuki group, Atlas21 belonged to the voluntary ethics organization called in English the Nihon Ethics of Video Association
Nihon Ethics of Video Association
The , usually abbreviated as Viderin or Biderin , was a Japanese video rating organization. NEVA was founded in 1972 and had its headquarters in the Chūō ward of Tokyo. It was a voluntary organization to ensure adherence to Japanese obscenity laws which prohibit any display of genitals...
(NEVA), or in Japanese 日本ビデオ倫理協会 (Nippon Bideo Rinri Kyoukai or Japan Video Morality Association), usually abbreviated as ビデ倫 (Biderin or Viderin). Prominent AV actresses who appeared in Atlas21 videos in the late 1990s include Asami Jō
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...
, 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:...
, 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,...
, 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:...
and 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...
.
Recent history
In August 1998, the company revived the VIP name as a separate subsidiary company, . In addition to earlier Atlas21 AV stars Ai KurosawaAi 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:...
and 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...
, the new VIP also featured such actresses as 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....
, 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 :...
, 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:...
and 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...
.
In 2005, the Atlas21 company reported capital of 13 million yen (about $130,000) and had 11 employees. Both Atlas21 and VIP ceased production of new adult video products in December 2006. From its official website at www.atlas21.co.jp, the company gives access to a site, www.vip-enterprise.com, which offers downloads of many of the early classic videos produced by the company including works by 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...
, 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:...
and 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...
. The VIP label is now used by , another AV production company, which has been issuing videos under this label since at least 2001.
Labels
Atlas21In addition to the Atlas label, the studio also used:
- Gaia
- Oz
- Saurs
VIP
In addition to the VIP label, the following were also used:
- Chao
- God
- Ribon
Actresses
A selected list of some of the actresses who have appeared in videos for VIP and Atlas21:
|
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... Mariko Kawana is a Japanese model and actress who has appeared in both softcore pink film and V-Cinema and has also been a hardcore adult video performer and director. She is now retired as an actress and has a second career as a writer.-Life and career:... 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... 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,... Mayu Kotono -Life and career:Kotono was born on December 15, 1980 in Tokyo, Japan. She made her adult video debut at the age of nineteen in the January 2000 video for Kuki Inc. and soon afterward appeared in a pictorial for Bejean magazine. Four months later in May 2000, she made her first video for the... 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:... 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 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.... 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... |
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... 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 :... 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:... 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:... 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:... 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:... 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... 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 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... Maria Yumeno is a Japanese pink film and adult video actress. In 2003, she was called one of Japan's highest-earning AV performers and "probably its most famous." Many of her movies emphasized her large bust and thin body.-Life and career:... |
Series
Some popular series produced by Atlas21 and VIP:Atlas21
- Cos-Para
- Home Delivery Soapland
- The Call Girl
- The Neo Uniform Connection
- The Uniform Connection
- Violent Lips
VIP
- Crime and Punishment
- The Uniform Connection