BREAKING: Minami Kojma Turns Entrepreneur, Noa Eikawa Eyes 2026 Exit, Yuki Takeuchi's U-Turn On Retirement?

Catch up on the most trending gossip that we had our eyes on in July

Just when we thought Yuki Takeuchi was about to retire, it seems as if life threw her a curveball, and now all of a sudden, she has made up her mind to delay her retirement by a year, which again, is good news for her fans!

By now, you’re probably aware of the rumors. The same question has been popping up in my DMs all week: “Is Yuki still retiring this year?”

Well, for those of you, Yuki subtly hinted at a major announcement while promoting her latest show 'Love Hyena 4' on X. The actress wrote, "Today, during the AbemaTV 'Pure Love' program, there’s an announcement. Please enjoy the program thoroughly until the very end!!"

Well, sit tight, because it’s far more complex than you’d expect.

For those who recall, it all started with an online rant, followed by a surprisingly candid interview with SmartFlash Japan. The 30-year-old opened up about being scammed by a sophisticated online fraud ring. Posing as law officers, they did not just scam her out of a couple of bucks; rather, they wiped her out clean of her savings. Every yen she had saved for her post-JAV life. Gone. Vanished. In a scheme so calculated, scammers posing as legal authorities moved the funds so smoothly that even the most jaded among us would pause for a breath.

When you deep dive, it gets even more chilling. A fake prosecutor contacted her, claiming she was involved in a fraud case. Yuki was told she needed to “prove her innocence” by transferring funds to the scammer’s account disguised as investigators, perhaps the oldest trick in the playbook, but here's where it gets scary. Apparently, the scammers had everything: her full name, her previous

address, even eerily authentic-looking court documents delivered via LINE messenger. Under immense pressure and without time to think, Yuki panicked… and handed it all over.

READ: Former JAV Star Defrauded Of Millions By Scammers!

After such shortcomings, you might expect Yuki to lock herself in a room, considering that she had already announced her retirement. But Yuki, uh-huh, not her, instead, she decided to bounce back from it. Now that she has delayed her retirement by a full year, the farewell date has shifted from December 31, 2025, to December 31, 2026.

Screengrab from a dating reality show in which Yuki currently features.

Yuki revealed this on a dating reality show she’s currently starring in, quoting, "Due to various reasons, I've decided to extend it for one year."

And while the reason behind the delay is too obvious (she just needs some emergency funds to fall back upon), fans can’t be happier with Yuki extending her stay for one more year.

And the word on the street is that she’ll make the best use of this time. Yuki will be freelancing for most parts of her career now, going the Sumire Mizukawa route and trying to land overseas gigs. All this for financial recovery, plain and simple.

Her next destination is likely to remain the Taiwan Adult Expo, happening from August 8th to 10th. Fans speculate that she’ll be headlining one of the days to bring in that extra moolah.

For me, there’s something refreshingly raw about the way Yuki has handled all this. It might feel as if her whole world is about to crumble, but she’s handling it all with dignity. Honestly? I respect the hustle. Kudos to her!

Yuki is certainly setting a narrative here. She's not bending to her circumstances; rather, she’s eyeing projects that could ultimately deliver her the financial freedom that’ll let her live life with dignity post-retirement.

So to answer your question: No, Yuki Takeuchi isn’t retiring yet. She’s here to say, and that gives one more year to cherish her performance and just another year to show us why she’s remained a fan favorite for so long. Yuki is a warrior, indeed!

Every dog has its day, they say, but in Minami’s instance, it’s her dogs who are living their best lives. And now, she’s stepped into those entrepreneur shoes to give them some cosy outfits with the launch of her brand, LOULOU.

Yes, that’s the name of Minami’s latest offering for her furry friends. On the eve of her 14th anniversary in JAV, Minami announced that she had been assigned the role of a company director. Now, many of you would be wondering what? Is she selling lingerie, makeup, and NFTs now? Apparently, no, she’s producing cute outfits for pet dogs now.

But of course, this isn't just some side gig for the 32-year-old. LOULOU was born out of something deeply personal. As per Kojima, her beloved pups once suffered from tracheal collapse, a respiratory condition that makes it difficult for them to breathe when overexcited or improperly harnessed. And like any devoted pet owner, she searched high and low for practical, safety-first dogwear that also looked fashionable… only to come up short every time.

Frustrated but determined, Minami had a lightbulb moment in early 2024. "If no one’s making what I want, why not make it myself?" she thought. And just like that, a new business was born. By March, she had already found a manufacturer and pitched her very first samples. You gotta admire that kind of hustle.

But don’t let the final product fool you, getting LOULOU off the ground has been anything but smooth for Minami. She admits that she had zero experience with the corporate know-how. No clue how to use a computer. Couldn’t navigate Excel if her life depended on it. She didn’t even know how to speak in proper business lingo! Poor, Minami.

Reflecting on her time building the brand from scratch, in one particularly instance, Minami revealed that she had never ridden the Shinkansen alone before heading to Osaka for a pitch meeting. “I was terrified,” she said. “But I told myself, if I want this badly enough, I have to push through.”

And then came the rejections, more than she could expect. Many manufacturers simply dismissed her, not even pretending to hide the reason: “You’re an AV actress. We can’t take you seriously.”

It’s the stigma that’s followed her throughout her career, but Kojima’s response is refreshingly defiant. “I don’t care if people look down on me,” she said. “My success today exists because of my AV work, not despite it.”

Now, that grit is paying off. LOULOU has finally taken off and now has its official website, a significant social media presence, and people are noticing the brand, its signature products, a line of adorable, Made-in-Japan dog clothes with integrated neck harnesses, has a luxe feel and serious attention to detail. Think of it more like Tokyo fashion week meets the world of pets.

And while people have this stigma associated with JAV actresses, Kojima is leaving no stones unturned. She’s showing up at pet expos, giving interviews, and trying her best to scale the brand. For Minami, this isn’t some celebrity side gig. She’s got it all covered from logistics, design choices, and even the packaging.

Whether her brand will become Japan’s next cult-favorite pet brand is too early to tell. Minami is making moves out of the JAV sphere, and it’s worthy of a mention.

So, in case you’re on the lookout for some cute outfits for your pet friends, you know exactly where to look now!

Just when we thought COVID was a thing of the past, veteran JAV actress Yuna Shiina became the latest name to test positive, and her fans are shook.

This July 7, the ever-elegant Yuna took to X with an update that felt mildly alarming. In a concerned tone, she confessed, “For the first time in my life, I had coronavirus! My symptoms have calmed down now, and I am on the road to recovery. It seems like the number of cases is increasing again recently, so please be careful and wash your hands and gargle when you get home!”

Wait, what?

Yes, despite the pandemic being largely behind us and vaccines having done their job (or so we thought), COVID seems to be creeping back into the headlines. And if a JAV royalty like Yuna Shiina gets affected, you know it’s not just background noise anymore.

Naturally, fans flocked to her post to wish her. One particularly commented read, “Yuna-san, please take care of yourself. Seeing you healthy and vibrant is what makes me happiest, so I sincerely pray for your speedy recovery! I love you!”

In times like these, it’s natural for fans to react this way. Not to mention, she’s been in the industry for a while now.

This comes after Yuna had made a much-talked-about comeback in March 2023 under Madonna. Since then, she’s remained exclusive to the studio, and trust me, she’s ageing like fine wine.

Screengrab from JUR-443

Take, for instance, her latest JAV to hit the market, a wicked cuckold fantasy, a plot Madonna is famous for, which follows Yuna being turned up by her cuck husband to middle-aged men for their

pleasure. It’s what many men fantasize about, and I’d say it’s a naughty plot, so watch it at your own risk.

Screengrab from JUR-443

After being down bad with the virus, things will certainly take a hit for the 38-year-old. Most likely a brief pause in her otherwise powerful comeback. But don’t let her stay down for long.

Here’s what makes this especially intriguing: Yuna is more than a performer. She’s part of a rare breed of JAV actresses who’ve been there and done that. Fans won’t likely take her advice lightly.

Of course, her tweet sparked some concerns in the inner circles of the JAV industry, something that’s been simmering for a while. Is COVID really on the rise again? Could another wave threaten productions, travel, or fan events? We do remember how it went for the JAV fraternity last time, right? And if it is returning, how actresses like Yuna cope with it is a major concern.

For now, though, it’s likely that she is recovering in quarantine, and reminding us to gargle and wash our hands like it’s 2020 all over again. So here’s to a speedy recovery for Yuna.

And until then? Stock up on masks, hand sanitizer, and maybe… a copy of her latest JAV. Just for comfort, of course

If you’ve followed this blog for long, you know that retirements happen here like fashion trends in Tokyo. And as usual, this week we’ve Noa Eikawa, who officially announced via X that she’ll be bidding adieu to the industry next year in July. Yeah, sucks, right?

If you didn’t know already, Noa Eikawa started off selling costumes, and JAV was more like a part-time gig for Noa. And after all these years, here she is now planning a farewell to mark her 10th anniversary in JAV. She certainly has come a long way!

Noa reflected via a tweet, “I will retire in July 2026. To focus on myself, I haven’t decided what to do after retirement. I’d be happy if you’d spend this moment with me.”

While her release frequency has slowed over the past year, this announcement clears any doubt that fans had regarding her future intentions.

For starters, Noa began her career as any other freelance performer would, with a short-lived exclusive contract. She’s mostly navigated her career independently, building a name and a brand in a cutthroat industry without the constant support of a major studio, which is no easy feat.

And then? She leveled up. Yes, in recent years, she had been promoted to the role of director at Life Promotion, the agency that now boasts her as one of its most high-profile veterans. Her behind-the-scenes influence isn’t to be overlooked. If she hadn’t earned so much respect and clout in the agency, she wouldn’t be announcing her retirement a full year in advance.

Nor would she have the privilege to go out there and shoot a retirement video in Okinawa.

Yes, Noa filmed an official retirement announcement video in sunny Okinawa, joined by Rena Aoi, who’s now swapped on-screen roles for a director’s chair. Though they were out there for a cause, I bet they both had some fun together.

It’s also true that Noa may not be dominating the release charts lately, and yes, her X feed may look more like a variety show star’s timeline than that of a typical JAV actress’s, but make no mistake, she isn’t leaving ‘cause the offers dried up; rather, it’s a voluntary exit. On purpose.

And that brings me to the real question every fan is asking: Will there be a retirement work?

Of course there will be! Noa’s still got a year left in this industry, and while no project has been officially announced yet, rumors suggest that discussions with studios are already underway. She’s too important not to be given a fitting send-off.

With a full year left until the curtains officially close, expect a lot of tributes, appearances, collaborations, and certainly a blockbuster farewell, JAV. You can’t ten years in the industry pass in the blink of an eye like nothing.

So, what’s next for Noa? Even she doesn’t know. But if history’s any indication, it’ll be whatever the hell she wants.

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