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It’s been two years since Japan introduced new legislation aim at protecting young women from malicious actors in the adult video (AV) industry. Not everyone’s happy with the law. Last month, 100 AV stars and producers came together to demand changes. Instead of protecting them, they say it’s killing their industry and threatening their livelihoods.
Pink protest against dysfunctional law
Mogami Ichika, 27, and approximately 100 porn stars like herself marched in the rain, carrying pink umbrellas and wearing pink raincoats on the streets of Ginza, Tokyo on February 23rd. They were demanding legislators revise the current AV Law to “save the AV industry from the danger of collapsing.”
TV producer and talent Terry Ito, 74, marched front and center, guiding the pack to Yurakuchō Station where protestors collected petition signs. The group plans to submit their signatures to the National Diet.
Behind him, spectators saw women carrying a banner that read “The law that was supposed to protect stars is instead pushing them into a dead end.”
The march was reportedly the Japanese AV industry’s largest demonstration to date.
Passerby heard Terry shout out “Protect Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Choice in Employment!” and “Recognize AV as content!”
Why the law is problematic
The law came into effect in 2022 when Japan’s age of adulthood shifted from 20 to 18. The goal was to intervene between underage girls and predatory AV productions. It stipulated that filming can only start one month after a star signs their contract. Additionally, a company can’t release films until four months after production ends. Producers also have a legal obligation to supply a copy of the contract to the signee.
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Legislators intended the law to protect women from appearing in AV without understanding the full terms. In particular, it targeted unscrupulous companies who would coerce young women into appearing in porn. A common pattern was forcing women to sign a contract before they read it and then threatening legal action if the victim didn’t carry through on the terms.
However, the AV industry’s actresses and producers say it’s causing more harm than good for working professionals who depend on the industry for their livelihoods. Protestors say that the months-long bans are too restrictive and violate their constitutional right to work.
AV actress Yatsuhashi Saiko, 30, participated in last month’s march. She told reporters that when considering “freedom of speech and freedom of choice in employment, the fact that these laws can be made arbitrarily is problematic.”
The damage done
The law has reportedly caused a decrease in the number of productions as well as new actors and actresses. As a result, stars are turning to underground productions.
To illustrate how the law is backfiring, Terry drew a comparison between the AV Law and the Prohibition era between 1920 and 1933 in the U.S.
“Alcohol was banned and then the mafia made it. Actresses are only going to the miserable and dark world overseas.”
Actresses who were able to make films last year could still only earn ¥400,000 (USD 2,664) in an entire year, signaling how the law has tanked the AV industry.
It isn’t just those on camera who will struggle from the industry’s decline.
“I used to work at an AV shop. If AV disappears, so will the jobs of those behind the scenes. I had worked at a normal company but couldn’t adapt. The AV industry welcomed me. I want to give back. I’ve been doing this for about four years but it’s what makes life worth living. It gives my existence a purpose. I don’t want it to disappear. Unless somebody speaks up, nothing will change,” Mogami said.
AV director Nimura Hitoshi, 59, founded the march’s sponsoring association. He says he has “been in [the AV industry] for about 35 years since entering as a male actor” and that the AV Law is “a problem of human rights.”
“It’s about protecting every human being’s dignity. Suddenly, one day, we were robbed of our income. I want people to understand that.”
Sources
セクシー女優がAV新法改正でテリー伊藤とデモ 最上一花「受け入れてくれたのがAV業界」. 日刊スポーツ
過去最大！セクシー女優ら100人が銀座デモ「AV新法」改正要求テリー伊藤も参加「海外の闇の世界」懸念. よろず〜ニュース
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