JAV News Roundup - August Edition - Volume 2

Trapstar here, reporting live from ZENRA headquarters. Bringing you the latest buzz in the Twitter JAV space in recent days.

Moe Amatsuka Throws AM Album Party

The actress who finds herself quite often amid AV debates, more so lately because of her stance on the new AV law had a release event planned for her fans, earlier this month. And, just to make our readers aware this wasn't any of that fan meet & greet sort of events, rather the event, in particular, was to commemorate Amatsuka-san's brand new music album, 'AM'. The event seems to be a strategic move from her talent agency to quote, 'pave a path for the actress to usher into the realms of the mainstream music industry.

To quote the agency's tweet on the event, the particular one was scheduled for August 6th commemorating the actress first venture besides her existing profession as an AV performer. Adult custom shop SofMap Akiba served as the event venue for the launch of her album, AM, which the actress headlined through her live performances in the past. The actress quoted her desire to perform at the much sought-after venue, having earlier performed one of her concerts, in the venue. For the fans to get a gist of it, Moe further added through the tweet that August, in particular, has several events in store for them.

"Thank you for receiving the flyer in the heavy rain

We have decided that it will be difficult to secure a place, so please let us take revenge on a sunny day!

Mr. Kurishita also rushed over

Thank you so much for coming in the rain"

Given her jam-packed schedule for the current month, the actress still managed to associate herself with a noble cause, lending a hand in distributing pamphlets about raising awareness among the common populous regarding the AV law. The actress was joined by a handful of her colleagues from the industry who joined forces to distribute handouts to politicians on a rainy evening near the Shimbashi station, more on the coverage later. For fans to gain access to the launch event & Moe's exclusive live performance on the day, they had to shell out a total of 3500¥ that covered the cost for the album. Multiple purchases were liable to some additional perks that included a photo session with Moe, and autographed belongings from the actress's collection among a few, on top of basic perks. A casual scroll through Twitter will make one realize that not much was revealed regarding the album launch event at Sofmap, however the comments on Moe's final tweet from the event paints a completely different picture. To quote post the event, fan reviews started doing the rounds. With close to a couple of thousand likes, the former Ebisu Muscats idol who planned to take on an entirely solo path as a musician couple of years ago, looked immaculately gorgeous flaunting a pearl necklace, while donning a floral gown for the event, as she posed for the red carpet during her album launch event. The 28-year-old actress was quoted via a tweet, reflecting upon her abstinence from real-world meetups, while passing on her regards to her fans who made the album launch event a grand success by turning up in numbers.

"Thank you very much for coming to celebrate the release of AMs, even though it was short notice! Seeing everyone's faces for the first time in a long time and talking to them directly gave me the feeling that I was finally back to myself, and it cheered me up. I hope I can send energy to everyone."

Moe Amatsuka's FANZA, Twitter & Instagram 

Airi Kijima Celebrates the Ninth Anniversary 

The Ebisu Muscats idol might just part ways with the band when the current generation disbands later this month but the 33-year-old idol doesn't seem too bothered retiring from AV anytime soon. On the contrary, the Attackers regular ushered into her tenth year in the business with the advent of her ninth anniversary celebration, this month. In foresight, August seems to be quite a jam packed month for the actress, with multiple fan events lined up to commemorate the month-long anniversary.

"Airi Kijima made her debut today
We celebrated her 9th anniversary safely

Thanks to everyone who supported us,
My life really shined...
Thank you for meeting me

I would appreciate it if you could spin my miracle story that connects from here as I enter my 10th year."

Her agency, Duo, recently dropped a bomb on Twitter by announcing that it had planned to accommodate an exclusive bus tour in the schedule to conclude the celebration, that might've sent a handful of fans into a frenzy. Furthermore, an exclusive page has been set up that has all the inside scoop one needs to be aware of pertaining to the itinerary or packages (generally 1 night/2 day trip ranges from 77,000¥ to 110,000¥ for those wondering), before hopping on the bus with the adult performer. The page has a certain video message from Airi wherein she further elaborated on the perks being offered with the package that varies from steam photo session, one on one interactions, fruit picking to cracking a lottery to party with the actress later in the night and even stand a chance to win exclusive hampers. Considering the price, that seems to be quite the irresistible deal to skip on. The particular bus tour seems as if it's a big deal already among the fans given that it sold out hours after it was announced on the platform. One could get a rough idea of how enthralled the fans seem to be after a year long wait of not being able to meet the Ebisu Muscats idol due to the pandemic, but the upcoming tour offers them to retrieve their dream into reality as most fan comments under the post had a similar flair constrained within phrases such as, "I applied" & "application complete".

For those who can't await the waiting list could certainly opt for this particular event schedule prior to the bus tour. Airi's agency has another inexpensive event in the works, that's supposed to be a BBQ party at some off grid beach house in the vicinity of Kanagawa. Restricted to 30 cap, one could avail unlimited drinks, barbecue by the beach, exclusive photo session with Airi and a game of bingo all inclusive of the 33,000¥ price tag. Bidding farewell to a group that she has been a part of for close to a decade might be personally tough for the actress to fathom in the near future when it disbands, but finding herself to be relevant in the adult business after all these years might be quite overwhelming in itself for the 33 year old adult performer who couldn't resist from broadcasting this personal feat earlier in the month. While one could come up with several ways to compliment the actress I guess concluding the column with this fan quote seems fairly apt, "While I don't really mind enhanced AV actresses, it's still pretty nice to see for once an actress keeping her body fully natural for so many years, it's actually quite an achievement to be honest. Hopefully she'll be here, with her glorious perfectly intact bush. for her 10th anniversary, next year", and so we hope, as well.

Airi Kijima FANZA & Twitter 

Aika Yamagashi Inaugrates Her Photo Exhibition

On the occasion of her fifth anniversary in the business this month, the former reporter turned adult star Aika Yamagashi decided to surprise her fans with a photo exhibition, well you heard that right! The Ebisu Muscats idol who has been stirring up headlines lately as her group disbands later this month, opened doors for her fans and industry peers alike to the Atelier art gallery at Harajuku. As per the event page, the exhibition commenced earlier this month on August 6th and showcases shades of the actress in collaboration with the famed gravure photographer Yuji Fukishima who has a clientele list featuring acclaimed gravure models. The photo exhibit titled 'Encircle' developed in collaboration with the photographer in Aika's own words "over a period of a year and a half" portrays the Premium goddess in various shades of emotions and certainly gives off the vibe of a collectors piece. As per sources, a selection of these masterpieces on canvas from the exhibit are set to retail in the vicinity of 50,000¥ to 110,000¥ That's a pretty overwhelming figure, considered a fan invests in it just for the sake of hanging it on the wall.

"Commemorating the 5th anniversary of debut. We have decided to hold a photo exhibition!

Aika Yamagishi x Yuji Fukushima Photo Exhibition, "En-circle' "

The Ebisu Muscats star further spilled some details in an interview given to the AV publication Dxbeppin on the occasion of her anniversary month and the commencement of the photo exhibition. In the interview, Aika was quoted saying that it took her through a personal journey, having been shot five times by the photographer in a span of one and a half years. It's quite enchanting as a fan to experience these spectacular shades of the actress in person, spread over the entire venue. On being asked about the hidden message behind the title of the exhibition, the actress spoke that the title, Encircle is something she connected with on a personal level, "If it weren’t for this connection, I wouldn’t have been able to continue this job for so long, so I wanted to speak directly about the connection", further adding that it was web of connections and encounters that landed Aika her first gig in the adult business. "There are too many connections, but if I hadn't gone to my current agency for an interview, I wouldn't have been an actress. I think it's thanks to Mr. S exclusive manufacturer), so the first encounter is really important". On being asked to choose her favourite shot among those showcased, the muscats idol was quick with her reply, "The scene I shot in bed was filmed with the fans in mind.” Aika had a word on her chemistry while working with the legendary photographer, "This is a large black-and-white photo. I didn’t tell Mr. Fukishima about my past, but he read my mind and gave me a ray of light". The adult star concluded her interview with a message for her fans on the inaugural of her photo exhibition, "I'd like you to come to the photo exhibition to enjoy only Aika Yamagishi. Ebisu Muscats
is in their 6th year, has graduated, and I think this August will be a turning point." Further adding "I hope I can continue to have fun with everyone so that I can continue to give everyone a lot of energy as an AV actress." on the advent of her fifth year in the industry.

"I went to see Yamagishi Aika-chan's photo exhibition a little earlier. The venue was full of wonderful photos, and it was a comfortable space (Personally, I really liked the arrangement of the photos!) It will be held from 8/6-21, so please go see it by all means"

The event that will run till late August, attracted quite a lot of fan noise. While her agency surprised Aika with a magnificent bouquet on the inauguration of her exclusive exhibition, the swarmed venue of Atelier Y had many renowned faces from the likes of Ayano Katou, Minami Aizawa & Marina Shirasi grace the event on the eve of August 6, passing on their heartiest wishes to the 'woman of the hour'.

Shop exclusive portraits from the photo exhibition, here.

Aika Yamagashi's FANZA, Twitter & Instagram 

Ruka Kanae Opens Doors To Her New Cafe

Ruka Kanae recently inaugurated her cafe, and I can't resist the urge to jump off my couch. The former TPower's girl ultimately pulled the wraps off her much awaited project in the making, last month, which happens to be the actress's take on a typical girl bar that seems to be in abundance around the metropolitan districts of Tokyo & Shinjuku. With an equally strange name, ARUE, the former affiliate to industry heavyweights like Anri Okita chose to stand out with a distinct identity for the newly opened food & beverage spot in Kabuchiko. Anri, being a long time friend to the actress, expressed support by presenting the actress with an extravagant garland on her new venture,

"Ruka-chan opened a bar in Kabukicho. It seems that the store is in a great place
Ladies and gentlemen, please come and visit us. Congratulations!"

So did Yui Hatano & Hibiki Otsuki, close industry pals with the actress who recently shot a swimsuit issue with the former adult performer and if the pictures from their significant Twitter handles are to be believed, the trio had a hell lot of fun posing for the camera after a long time. While Hibiki was nowhere to be seen during the launch event, Yui certainly made her presence felt as is quite clear from this particular tweet.

"Hatana-san came to Arue and gifted me a high-class orishian. Thank you!"

Having donned her boss lady cape, the former adult star was recently looking for potential bar maids for her 'girl-bar' themed cafe. Ruka made a call on her official Twitter handle searching for her future 'girl squad'. Via a tweet, the actress was quoted asking, for prospects to reach out to the concerned contacts. While most of what is on her Twitter handle is basically surface stuff, not much was disclosed pertaining to the interior aesthetics of the bar besides the distinct champagne bottles with the trademark ARUE tag in monochrome, which makes room for curiosity among the fans who might've to just occassionally drop by to find out what's the big deal with a 'girl bar' owned by a former AV celebrity. Meanwhile to register interest & hype from her admirers Ruka put a couple juniors from her agency to work at her new venture during the launch period, as she awaits hiring a full blown lineup of bar maids in the future who will be put forth on the frontline to attend to her loyal clientele. Besides, a lineup of merchandise featuring the actress's pet feline is also up for grabs if someone from our reader base decides to go hang out at the spot and indulge in the luxury of being served by the bar maids at her cafe. The TPower's girl also recently found herself as the face on a billboard that went up near the station. One industry insider (@kajiterumitsu) caught hold of it near the spot and informed via a tweet. Later, he along with a couple other renowned faces from the industry graced the launch event of the cafe owned by the former AV star while her junior colleagues from the industry attended the guests, for the evening.  Wrapping up this column with Ruka-san's tweet expressing her gratitude towards her fans & colleagues seems so wholesome.

It was a wonderful grand opening with queues and full tables from beginning to end! Thank you very much. If you didn't get in, don't be discouraged and come again Akiru-chan, Ah-chan, Yuna-chan, and Moa-chan are very active. Goods are sold out illustration T-shirts! Thanks for the champagne too!

Ruka Kanae Twitter & Instagram 

Mana Sakura Takes A Break From AV

The adult business gets weary in the long run and while there are few instances of physical repercussions, it has mostly to do with the mental fatigue that the actresses deal with on a day to day basis. Such is the case with Mana Sakura, as the actress recently opened up via a Twitter post sending off clear indications that the latter had taken a toll on her, lately. In the note, that was respectively shared on both the platforms, Twitter & Instagram, the actress was quoted.

To everyone

I've been pushing myself forward for 10 years, but lately, I often feel like I'm out of breath, so after consulting with my office, I decided to take a break (about 2 months). To all of you who are looking forward to the regular program, to all the staff who kindly agreed to take a break, I apologize for being selfish. The AV that is released every month will be released even during the holidays. (Please take a look!) I think I'll update my SNS, including announcements, at my own pace.

I will use this period of time that I have been given, and I will definitely return with a refreshed mind and body, and I will continue to develop the energy to work steadily as an AV actress for a long time.

~ Mana Sakura

As per reports, the SOD regular has cleared backlogs of her shoots for the studio before leaving for the short hiatus. However, that doesn't take into account any upcoming appearances pertaining to fan meets, radio and television appearances and it seems quite likely for schedules of corresponding events to be halted until further notice. Regardless, fans should have plenty to binge on until Mana resumes work. Although, the actress didn't further comment on the situation and her stance on the same stands unclear for now, it's pretty safe to assume that the actress referred to the break as a certain "see you later" rather than a "goodbye", clearly indicating to the fact that the particular hiatus would possibly help her to revive her career and make a comeback as a 'refreshed' individual in the near future. Given the fact that the Mines Pro girl is among a rare breed talents in the industry who has managed to sustain her career for over a decade now without a possible breakdown or fall out with her agency and studio, is in itself quite outrageous to digest in contrary to the common running joke among the industry peers within the lines of, "have a blast, till you last".

In a business, in which the protagonists are hardwired to function as a public figure round the clock and put up a smiling face every now and then when the camera shutter clicks, it's understandable for a couple few to be overwhelmed with constant attention lingering around them and finding oneself, to quote Mana, out of breath, not being able to process the fatigue that comes with the day to day events. Lucky for the actress, that she has a supportive bunch of fans who understood the gist of the intention behind the message and offered full support, consequently. To put forth my opinion, I certainly hope the actress has carefully considered her priorities before deciding upon the short hiatus from AV and her decision was not taken in a rush or liable to outside influences, if that seems to be the case it will majorly narrow her chances of making a comeback and keep her fans in a limbo. Agreeable to the extent that this is not Mana Sakura pulling off a full time retirement stunt, I'd leave it as it is, that it's more of a "see you later" than "goodbye". I guess Mana Sakura's fans will agree on this.

Mana Sakura's FANZA & Twitter

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