Jôsei-muke and a Study into Porn for Women
It’s not often you see academic studies and papers into pornography and rarer still are studies into JAV. It’s not exactly a topic of prestige or acclaim. Who cares what people want from their smut anyway? Well Maiko Kodaka, a PhD student in Anthropology and Sociology from the University of London, disagrees. She took an in-depth, well-researched, and nuanced look into Jôsei-muke AV. The growing popularity of porn for women and the surrounding fan subculture that has taken shape.
AV for Women
First let’s learn a bit about the main topic Jôsei-muke AV, which roughly translates to “Adult Video for women”. Porn for women isn’t a new concept for porn fans who have probably seen it in some form or another over the years especially Western porn viewers. It is just porn made with a female audience in mind. Jôsei-muke isn’t all that different from mainstream JAV except for serving a different demographic.
SILK LABO
The leading maker of Jôsei-muke is SILK LABO, a studio that sits under Soft on Demand’s massive umbrella and it’s fair to say they have a near monopoly of the market. Fulfilling a genre that has seen a growing demand in recent years. An article with the Abema Times notes that from 2012 to 2017 it has seen an online membership increase from 10,000 to 70,000. At the time women’s magazine steady polled their readers with 57% saying they had seen Jôsei-muke. This was back in 2017 and the genre has grown even larger since. Compared to back then SILK LABO’s output has increased and even added VR releases into their rotation. Meanwhile, other labels have come up such as emblem and Mura ch.
The Content
Looking through it as a regular of more mainstream JAV I noticed a few things. First, quite a few regular actors and actresses make an appearance. The videos are more cinematic, studio-quality production, and drama-focused like you would see in a Tameike Goro or Madonna production. The videos were about the same length as your average JAV film however only because they were bundled together. These are like your typical featured film for example Saika Kawakita will get a monthly film that will feature her and only her for 2-3 full sex scenes with 1-2 side scenes. Meanwhile, the guys only get one scene which is both sold separately and bundled with others.
SILK LABO’s videos come in three flavors; Cocoon, Silk, and Undress. Cocoon is softcore and for beginners with no explicit sex shown, Undress is kinkier with more play involved, while Silk sits between both. Content-wise, SILK LABO is pretty samey. Dramas with little in costume, theme, or sex play variety. The women are usually in more submissive and passive roles while the sex is less hardcore and rough on average. All of this has been noted but the makers defend their style by saying this is what their viewers want.
Even though the idea of porn for women makes you think that the whole focus is on the man during sex, this isn’t the case. While there is much more focus on the man, I found that the camera gave equal attention to both. If anything the focus was mostly wanting to show the passion between both man and woman. It’s honestly something even male/hetero viewers can enjoy.
Male AV Idols
The male talent, also known as Eromen or Lovemen, functions not much differently than female AV actresses. The most popular talents have, like their popular female counterparts, signed exclusive deals. One name I have seen pop up from time to time has been Ittetsu Suzuki who was the first male AV actor to have an exclusive contract with a studio in 2012.
Outside of their video work, there is extensive fan outreach. Putting on events to entertain while selling movies, photos, and merchandise. Fan events and meets are just as vital as the videos maybe more so. One SOD employee who organized events had to say “To be honest with you, selling DVDs or online content does not make a lot of profits. That’s why we have to rely on fan meeting events”. A sentiment we’ve heard before on the female side too. Outside of their AV job, many actors work in host clubs where their fans can catch them for even more one-on-one time.
Who are the Fans?
So who are these women that are fueling this growing market? It might surprise you. In Kodaka’s research, she found that they came from all over. From bored housewives looking for some excitement in their free time, to middle-aged women unfulfilled in their marriage search, to 20-year-old university students looking for social connections, to even fellow adult entertainers in similar jobs. A stripper isn’t the first type of person that comes to mind as a big porn fan.
The stories behind these women range from funny to sad to touching. The stripper/hostess spending her funds and personal time on hosts is like some ironic setup. Meanwhile, the old housewives going to see their favorite actors with their friends is almost cute. While university student’s tale goes from a younger woman looking to explore her sexuality and social circles to ending up in the red from frequenting too many hostess clubs is a sobering tale.
My impression of these women and their interest in AV is a desire for connection ahead of lust. Wanting to be seen and felt by someone else and not like many male viewers who are into AV first and foremost for the pure smut. Though quite a large contingent fall into the same hardcore fandom as these ladies. In the porn world, we know these as Simps. Going far above and beyond what a typical porn fan does which is just watching their favorite videos.
The Parasocial Phenomenon
I don’t think this trend is unique to Jôsei-muke. This same type of relationship is seen on the AV actresses' side of JAV. It is all spawned off of Idol culture and we have seen it move beyond that in recent times. Though it may impact this growing female audience and their greater desire for connection. These types of personal yet not really personal relationships are quite akin to Parasocial Relationships. From K-pop fans and their favorite Bias, to streamer viewers and their favorite subs, to music lovers and their stans.
Jôsei-muke AV actors just bring it to a higher and more intimate level with in-person fan events and physical relationships. It kind of shows the allure of host and hostess clubs but in newer modern forms. We live in an age where constant connection is available online and yet crave for it intimately. Reading through these women’s stories should be a reminder for conscious healthy consumption and moderation in life.
Closing
There is a whole lot more the paper covers from the ethics of commodified relationships, to porn as women’s liberation, to the history of idol culture, and more. If you are like the other dozen people in the world that want to get forensic about porn consider giving it a look. Researcher Kodaka has done something few have thought to do for JAV.
Credit:
Kodaka, Maiko (2023)
Embrace me as I am: Japanese Pornography for Women and the Fan Community surrounding Male Porn Stars
PhD thesis. SOAS University of London
Abema Times
https://times.abema.tv/articles/-/2228421
Atsuhiko Nakamura
Namae no nai onnatachi (2013) & AV Bijinesu no Shōgeki (2015)
By jmsorry @ July 26th, 2023
By Panking @ February 15th, 2021
By RamenBoss @ March 31st, 2021