ZENRA Exclusive Interview: Director Rizu Suzuki

ZENRA had the honor of interviewing Rizu Suzuki (鈴木リズ) aka Liz aka the Director of the Momotarou series Yariman Wagon (Slut Wagon).

You can follow her online or support her works with Momotarou below:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AV_rizu

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/av_rizu

Momotarou: https://www.indies-av.co.jp/specials/rizu_special_page/

Z: Aside from directing, what is your daily work routine like?

R: My day-to-day life is filled with visiting physical media outlets, developing merchandise, participating in new movie release events, going in front of the camera as well for extra appeal for said releases, writing, and even appearing in non-adult events.

Z: Fans familiar with your work may not know this, but you also do Public Relation (PR) work for Momotaro and Plum. What does PR work for a JAV studio entail?

R: I create movie titles and come up with movie ideas and product information. Reaching out to as many people and companies as possible to get our works known is what I try my hardest at!!

Z: If Momotaro and Plum gave you a blank check to make the biggest and wildest video of your dreams what would you make?

R: Simple: it would be taking the Slut Wagon nationwide. We’d visit video shops across the country picking up guys to have sex with. We’d show off the beauty of all 47 of Japan’s prefectures along with having sex with 47 different men. 

Z: You work with Momotaro and Plum exclusively but have you ever been approached from another studio to direct a video? Would you ever be open to that if allowed?

R: Yes, I have been approached, but I work exclusively for Momotaro and Plum. The reason is because I see many ways to improve upon both studios and want to help them achieve this. What’s more, I just really love my coworkers so this is where I wish to continue working.

Z: You've described yourself as a masochist and have even done SM shows. Would you ever like to make a JAV like that?

R: BDSM movies are extremely niche. I’d rather focus on how we can attract more fans to the Yariman Wagon series.

Z: You’ve mentioned before you’ve been with 200 men but you’ve also mentioned you’re a lesbian. I have to ask… how did you manage to get with that many men?!?!

R: It’s actually over 230 now! I’ve also engaged in Yariman-like antics to pickup a fair share of women too. And then there’s all those matching apps that have led to hookups in the city and introductions via friends for larger group encounters.

Z: Following up, since you are a lesbian in real life… how come you’ve never made lesbian porn?

R: This somewhat overlaps with a previous question, but it’s mainly due to how niche lesbian porn is. An idea is to perhaps make softer movies with this theme to attract people who have not seen much AV.

Z: I know you like to change your hairstyle a lot, including a time you had some pink highlights. Any reason for this or is it just for fun?

R: In the past, perhaps, but now this type of long black hair has been my trademark so I’m sticking with it. I’d like to be the torchbearer for my fans thus going for a softer look may detract from that.

Z: I’ve noticed you’re always wearing those iconic glasses of yours. Was that a conscious decision you made to pick such identifiable glasses?

R: Like my hair, it’s become part of the image everyone associates me with. In private, my vision isn’t too bad and normally I may only use contact lenses. However, for fans “Rizu Suzuki” = long black hair slightly older lady with glasses. This is why I appear this way in all our media.

Z: Speaking of ways to support you, where can I get one of those keychains? (she has keychains that the actress gives out to people on the wagon)

R: I give them out at our events! Or of course the other option is by being picked up by the Yariman Wagon.

Z: Many of our readers dream of becoming male JAV actors. How possible do you think that dream is, and what would our readers need to do to achieve it?

R: It’s almost impossible for a regular guy to become a JAV actor. Even among the 100 that may actually apply, it’s doubtful even one has what it takes. Perhaps out of 1,000 applicants, maybe 2 will make the cut. There’s just a lot required of them from simply having to have sex with someone they may not actually care for, being told to ejaculate when it’s time, being told to perform in awkward positions (not to mention memorizing the order for a longer shoot!), and even simply the ability to act if it’s a drama movie.

Z: It's quite known in Japan that tattoos are seen negatively. In JAV, many actresses and actors are made to cover their ink. You have tattoos and are quite active in the tattoo scene. What are your thoughts on tattoos and showing them in JAV?

R: There are many people in Japan who hate tattoos. There are guys who can’t get it off if their partner is inked. Being inked limits the performing offers one may receive. In spite of this, I have nothing but respect for performers who have tattoos.

Z: Recently, the website DMM ran for distributing videos outside of Japan (R18.com) closed down. This has made it extremely difficult for foreign fans to purchase your works, especially as DMM has started to region lock their website (it is essentially impossible to access if you are outside of Japan). How can foreign fans support you and your work? Is there anything the industry can do to make it more accessible to people?

R: For now at least tourism is higher than ever so if you come to Japan, please make time to also come to our release events where you can support us directly. 

Z: Momotaro is one of the few JAV studios that regularly imports western movies. May you tell more about this aspect of the company?

R: Momotaro had an unusual start: it began by importing western movies. I really love western adult films, by the way. Nowadays, we are known for flying over some of these performers and shooting them here. While importing foreign films remains niche, it’s something I hope our company continues to do.

Z: I’ve noticed that female directors often participate more directly in their videos. Sometimes Nao Masaki will actually participate in the video; in your case I recall you chatting with Kaho Shibuya while in an onsen. Is there something about being female that makes this more acceptable?

R: Fans of the Yariman Wagon may think I may eventually join in on the sex. However, that’s a tall order as it’s already a ton of work simply to operate the camera correctly. But of course there are times when I can put the camera down...and I’ll leave that to your imagination. :)

Z: Speaking of Nao Masaki, for a long time the two of you have been the most prominent female directors. Do you view her as a sort of rival in the industry?

R: We appeared on stage together at the 2017 AV OPEN awards so I wouldn’t consider us ‘rivals’. Conversely, she is someone I really look up to in our industry. She’s been doing it longer and her type of filming is very different from mine.

Z: Recently we’ve seen more actresses start directing films. Mao Hamasaki and Yui Hatano have directed and Rena Aoi has turned into a full time director. What are your thoughts on former actresses turning directors?

R: They probably think due to appearing as performers, they know what it takes to make a great movie and since I have never done AV, there are things I may be limited at shooting. This is not a critique per say because they probably know more about what’s going on in the minds of performers given their own experiences.

Z: Recently Rena Aoi started filming a series called 逆ナン！ゴー！ゴー！バコバコワゴン (that’s directly from the title) for Das which is very similar to your series. How do you feel about other directors being inspired by your work? Does it being another female director change your opinion of it? She has even had Hibiki Otsuki in it, someone you have worked with.

R: I’m elated that our Yariman Wagon series has been so influential. It’s difficult though to put to words how I feel about that series since it emulates both our theme and look almost with surgeon-like precision. Imitation is just flattery so seeing this series just pushes me harder to make ours even better. Thank you!

Z: You mentioned in an interview with June Lovejoy that you are a fan of S&M and have even done some work there yourself. Have you ever considered adding some S&M to this series?

R: We’ve had masochistic men in the past who we’ve had bound and stepped on with boots. While I don’t want to turn it into a BDSM movie, if the guy really is into it, there’s no harm in adding some.

Z: Speaking of adding your own flavor to the films, have you ever considered a release where you are the star?

R: Sex in private is best for me. Seeing what actresses do is almost overwhelming especially at their pace!

Z: As you are gearing up for your 40th entry in the series, do you ever have concerns about how similar the entries are? Or do you find that between all the activities you do and letting the actress be themselves that it keeps each entry unique?

R: I film the series and make casting choices based on actresses whom I think will not only be happy to appear in it, but will use the series as a calling card of sorts. In other words, if in an interview they are asked what kind of person they are, simply showing off their Yariman Wagon title would do the job. I think these movies show off the performers in their best light. Of course things change and thus we adapt the series accordingly.

Z: Speaking of entries, I’ve noticed that you only release films once every couple of months. Is that because your videos take a lot of time to produce?

R: Oh, I’d love to shoot even more! But the realities of my other job requirements makes it only feasible to shoot them at the pace we do.

Z: In some of your releases you film outside of the wagon. I recall in Non Ohana’s you had a campfire and filmed the final scene in a tent. What inspires you to venture outside of the wagon?

R: There’s only so much you can do in a small car. Fun is what’s most important and it was important to do that while challenging ourselves with something a little different.

Z: And when it comes time to eat, who decides where you eat?

R: It just depends on the atmosphere at the time! You can learn a lot about a person by how they eat...and these scenes in a way can be a little naughty, don’t you think?

Z: Speaking of what you do in your videos, who picks the entertainment? I remember in Kurea Hasumi’s you went to a golf range, then later on ended up checking out some fish. Did Kurea decide?

R: Normally, it’s the actress who picks it out. Sometimes it differs such as with Ayaka Tomoda whom knew I wanted to try my hand at training so that’s what we did.

Z: Are there challenges directing a porn video when you do certain things in public? I remember in Eimi Fukada’s entry you were at the arcade but had to blur out a lot of it whereas in AIKA’s you went bowling and didn’t have to blur out too much. It was much better with less blur!

R: JAV movies require strict Ethics screening before they can be released. If a film is shot, but fails screening and does not make necessarily adjustments, it cannot be released. There are various requirements and sometimes we are told to blur so that is what we do.

Z: In general though, most of your series are shot within the wagon, such a small setting. Are there ever any difficulties in shooting in such a confined setting?

R: It’s very confining and even more so when you are trying to get the right lighting, the right angles, and gosh knows what else.

Z: Since your film has you driving around Japan, do you ever run into actual fans of the series? Especially with all the stickers on your car…

R: We have! It’s often after the fact a fan will reach out on Twitter saying they saw the car because of the stickers.

Z: Has anyone ever asked to drive the wagon? Have you let them?

R: We get requests, but the only people who go behind the wheel are the performers and myself.

Z: Speaking of vehicles, recently we saw Moodyz bring back their Bako Bako Bus Tour series. Have you ever wanted to film such a video yourself? Could you imagine a slut bus video where you drove around a bus with 15 women in it?

R: Oh, that would be so nice and that really is a great series. However, I do not possess a license to drive a bus.

Z: Some of your entries are quite long, in fact Yui Hatano’s was nearly five hours long. Are there any challenges with filming lengthy videos?

R: There are not really any extra challenges. For us on the front-line, it’s not really any different, but I do feel sorry for the person in charge of editing it!

Z: In an interview with Nobita a few years ago you mentioned wanting to create something where people could see how actors treat the women very well during filming. Have you considered doing behind the scenes stuff to help show that? We see you often filming eating or just hanging out with them, but what about the actual behind the scene content? Celeb no Tomo does a lot of that and maybe it would help.

R: That’s something I would like to do. The atmosphere on set is always very enjoyable and just like Celeb no Tomo, we like to hold many fan events where we can all eat together, play games, and other fun things like that. You can hear many behind-the-scenes stories if you attend.

Z: I’ve noticed when you are picking up guys you often do so outside of DVD stores. Is that a choice you’ve made to make it more realistic?

R: If a shop like that is in the area, that’s where we do our nanpa! However, we try not to be too noisy as we do not want to cause too much of a disturbance.

Z: You recently filmed again with Yuu Kawakami after having filmed with her around 6.5 years earlier. Was this experience different going for round two after such a long time? Are there others you want to film with again?

R: Yuu Kawakami and myself are very close. Across those six years I have visited her shop many a time and we’ve developed quite a bond. However, there is a difference between meeting up in private and meeting up for a shoot. Both then and know, Yuu knows what we want to show in the Wagon and has thus made for really fun and efficient shoots. I’d definitely like to shoot actresses again though sadly some already have retired.

Z: Your most recent release features Ayaka Tomoda in it and I have two questions about that release. Firstly, Ayaka was working at Faleno/Dahlia for the past four years as an exclusive actress and your film came out almost immediately after she was no longer exclusive. Is she someone you have wanted to work with for a long time? Secondly, that entry features a Black foreigner in it. What was the experience like having such male talent?

R: Her manager reached out to us and we booked the shoot as soon as her exclusive contract concluded. She performed with Momotaro in the past and her work was a top-seller and was a perfect match for the Yariman Wagon. It was a black guy because that’s who happened to be at the shop when we made our stop. If it happened to be a white guy, then that’s who would have been in the shoot.

Z: You’ve mentioned that a lot of the cast members are actresses that you were already friends with. Does your relationship with them change after filming this series with them?

R: During the shoot itself, we make plans for the release event. At the event and of course leading up to it after the shoot itself, we may exchange messages and the like on social media. 

Z: Your series gives actresses the opportunity to be very natural but also very slutty. Who was naturally the most slutty actress? One of our writers met Akari Niimura and said she offered to suck a fan off at the fan meet. Is she actually that slutty?

R: Akari Niimura is a very active type. She has a very outgoing personality. The next time I see her I’ll ask if she really did make that type of offer at a fan event. All the performers who appear in the Yariman Wagon have their erotic charms. Some may be natural masochists, but most use this series to act out their sadistic inclinations and I hope our fans enjoy it.

Z: Speaking of duos, you’ve also worked with the iconic Hibihata. You’ve also filmed with each of them separately. How different are they when they work together? All of us fans see them as best friends, maybe even secretly lovers (okay okay I know you might not want to put this but I’m gonna try anyway because we’re all dying to know), is that the sense you got as well?

R: The three of us together versus filming them separately sees them acting in very different ways. Also sorry guys, but they are not lovers in private though you are free to continue fantasizing...

Z: In Alice Otsu’s release she really painted your car with her squirt. Her squirting on the roof is a pretty iconic scene among the writers. Was it as bad as cleaning up jizz from a bukkake set?

R: Honestly, her being able to reach the ceiling was really surprising. We’ve had our fair share of shiofuki in the Wagon, but none with that type of reach! Cleaning it up after was not a fun task.

Z: Speaking of squirting, can you help settle a debate for me? Who was the wettest actress (read: best squirter) you worked with? Alice Otsu? Kaho Shibuya? Hibiki Otsuki? Mao Hamasaki? One of our writers listed all four of them among the top 10 squirters of all time.

R: When it comes to their squirting abilities, they are all fantastic and I’d feel guilty about attempting to rank them. However, in terms of liquid volume, it’s Alice Otsu. While I can also squirt, the amount that comes out depends on how much liquids I’ve had that day and whom I’m with.

(credit Oppaira for the clip)

Z: Sometimes you shoot with actresses like Mina Kitano who are new to the industry compared to an industry veteran like Chisato Shoda. What are the differences between someone who is new and someone who is very experienced? And what are the differences between someone who is younger (read: in their 20s) vs someone who is mature (read: in their 50s)?

R: It comes down to presentation though Mina Kitano I would not consider an industry newcomer. A veteran knows what fans want and knows how to show it. Newcomers may lack that ability, but are more open to trying out new things to find it. A veteran also will give valuable insights to help make the shoot even better whereas newcomers will be more receptive to acting on good advice.

Z: You had a release a year ago with Melody Marks who is not a fluent Japanese speaker. What was the experience like filming with her? You looked really confused sometimes and had to call June for help.

R: Melody was quite shy and needed June’s help for the nanpa scene. Though from this shoot, I realized my own English skills were lacking and have been working on improving them. June is very professional and did a great job translating though sometimes we’d start talking really quickly and mix up English and Japanese.

ZENRA: Thank you for taking time to answer these questions for us.