Before we had streaming and downloadable formats, we had Blu-ray and DVD. And before that, back in some period lost to the mists of time — namely, the 1980s and 1990s — we have VHS video tapes.
The arrival of VHS marked the full birth of the Japanese adult video industry, hence the name.
The new format had incredible commercial potential for widespread distribution of content and meant hardcore porn was no longer a niche but an easily accessible, widely consumed form of porn (as opposed to the simulated sex in “pink” sexploitation, whose decline was hastened by AV).
VHS was the heyday of porn maestro Toru Muranishi, who enjoyed immense wealth and success with his lavish productions.
And of course, VHS enabled such aspects of viewing that we now take for granted as instant playback and freeze-frame. You could rewatch your favorite scenes whenever you wanted and pause on the best parts, though the grainy quality of freeze-framed images was nothing like the crystal sharpness of digital content.
We take a look back at some of the stunning Japanese porn stars who were big in the VHS era of AV via the striking covers that graced their releases.
The design of the covers, while not so different from the DVD and Blu-ray covers of the current industry, are full of garish colors and big fonts that lend them a distinct look.
Many of these VHS releases are now obscure, available only in fuzzy tapes circulating on online auctions or in boxes at flea markets. A few, though, have found new audiences by being digitized and made available to stream by DMM.
Ai Komori (小森愛) (b. 1969)
Ai Komori had a fleeting career (1989–1990) that she then revived in the early 2010s as a jukujo performer.
Mina Kawai (河合美奈) (b. 1978)
Mina Kawai had a similarly blink-and-you-miss-it career of just three years in the late 1990s, but she packed them in during that time.
Madoka Ozawa (小沢まどか) (b. 1978)
Madoka Ozawa enjoyed more success, performing from 1996 to 2004. She’s still only in her mid-forties, meaning the tantalizing prospect of a cougar Madoka Ozawa is out there somewhere.
Marina Matsumoto (松本まりな) (b. 1969)
Following a pattern, Marina Matsumoto’s initial career spanned the years 1988 to 1990, but she then made a comeback as an older performer in her forties during the 2010s.
Mariko Kishi (希志真理子) (b. 1972)
Mariko Kishi was active in the early 1990s and then made a comeback in the second half of the decade. That’s here in the freeze-frame image at the top of the article.
Rena Murakami (村上麗奈) (b. 1967)
Rena Murakami performed in AV releases in the late 1980s and 1990s, and was also (like many other AV performers) a stripper.
Mirei Asaoka (朝岡実嶺) (b. 1970)
Mirei Asaoka was active from 1991 to 1993.
Miki Sawaguchi (沢口みき) (b. 1975)
Miki Sawaguchi really milked, to coin a phrase, her main assets (those J-cup breasts) in a career that began in 1996.
Hiroko Kurita (栗田ひろこ) (b. 1973)
Hiroko Kurita’s career was sadly a brief one that only last three years in the early 1990s, though she also released a photo book during that time.
Asami Saki (早紀麻未) (b. 1973)
Little information about Asami Saki seems available online, but this release from 1991 suggests she was born to be an AV queen. Long may she reign.
To be honest, there are so many more that we may write a follow-up post in the near future. Stay tuned for more porn nostalgia.
The arrival of VHS marked the full birth of the Japanese adult video industry, hence the name.
The new format had incredible commercial potential for widespread distribution of content and meant hardcore porn was no longer a niche but an easily accessible, widely consumed form of porn (as opposed to the simulated sex in “pink” sexploitation, whose decline was hastened by AV).
VHS was the heyday of porn maestro Toru Muranishi, who enjoyed immense wealth and success with his lavish productions.
And of course, VHS enabled such aspects of viewing that we now take for granted as instant playback and freeze-frame. You could rewatch your favorite scenes whenever you wanted and pause on the best parts, though the grainy quality of freeze-framed images was nothing like the crystal sharpness of digital content.
We take a look back at some of the stunning Japanese porn stars who were big in the VHS era of AV via the striking covers that graced their releases.
The design of the covers, while not so different from the DVD and Blu-ray covers of the current industry, are full of garish colors and big fonts that lend them a distinct look.
Many of these VHS releases are now obscure, available only in fuzzy tapes circulating on online auctions or in boxes at flea markets. A few, though, have found new audiences by being digitized and made available to stream by DMM.
Ai Komori (小森愛) (b. 1969)
Ai Komori had a fleeting career (1989–1990) that she then revived in the early 2010s as a jukujo performer.
Mina Kawai (河合美奈) (b. 1978)
Mina Kawai had a similarly blink-and-you-miss-it career of just three years in the late 1990s, but she packed them in during that time.
Madoka Ozawa (小沢まどか) (b. 1978)
Madoka Ozawa enjoyed more success, performing from 1996 to 2004. She’s still only in her mid-forties, meaning the tantalizing prospect of a cougar Madoka Ozawa is out there somewhere.
Marina Matsumoto (松本まりな) (b. 1969)
Following a pattern, Marina Matsumoto’s initial career spanned the years 1988 to 1990, but she then made a comeback as an older performer in her forties during the 2010s.
Mariko Kishi (希志真理子) (b. 1972)
Mariko Kishi was active in the early 1990s and then made a comeback in the second half of the decade. That’s here in the freeze-frame image at the top of the article.
Rena Murakami (村上麗奈) (b. 1967)
Rena Murakami performed in AV releases in the late 1980s and 1990s, and was also (like many other AV performers) a stripper.
Mirei Asaoka (朝岡実嶺) (b. 1970)
Mirei Asaoka was active from 1991 to 1993.
Miki Sawaguchi (沢口みき) (b. 1975)
Miki Sawaguchi really milked, to coin a phrase, her main assets (those J-cup breasts) in a career that began in 1996.
Hiroko Kurita (栗田ひろこ) (b. 1973)
Hiroko Kurita’s career was sadly a brief one that only last three years in the early 1990s, though she also released a photo book during that time.
Asami Saki (早紀麻未) (b. 1973)
Little information about Asami Saki seems available online, but this release from 1991 suggests she was born to be an AV queen. Long may she reign.
To be honest, there are so many more that we may write a follow-up post in the near future. Stay tuned for more porn nostalgia.