We got pretty excited when news broke in May that model Haruna Yabuki was releasing a hair nude photo book by Kishin Shinoyama.

Now that the collection — called simply “Haruna” — has hit the shelves, we are pleased that some scans are making the rounds online.

More will surely emerge over the weeks — and hopefully better quality ones, too. For now, enjoy Haruna’s lush thirty-something body. If she seems too good to be true, remember that her celebrity boyfriend wasn’t satisfied and two-timed her with a hostess. She literally found him in bed with his other lover.

Shoko Takasaki stunned us when she made her porn debut earlier this year as Shoko Takahashi.

Though her switch to AV came because she was mired in a prostitution scandal, her release on the Muteki label was such a roaring success that is going to release a second film on September 1st. “G-cup Perfect Body Celebrity Shoko Takahashi” is being released by Moodyz as part of the AV Open 2016 series.

Takasaki/Takahashi has also been busy with several hair nude (full-frontal nude) shoots, showing off her gorgeous G-cup body for all the world to see.

Some of these are grainy scans, but we think you get the idea!

After Momona Kito won a top porn award for her debut as Yua Mikami in the AV industry, we predict Shoko Takasaki/Takahashi will be similarly rewarded with a gong after the year is done.

BuzzFeed Japan asked some of the top gravure idols to come into the studio and spill some home truths for them.

Each gravure idol was asked to pose with a notepad telling us what their life was really life.

Here is Nanoka, saying “Life is simple.” Apparently she spends her days off just sitting around at home.

Rina Hashimoto dispels one of the myths of her job. “I don’t enjoy the locations.” While it might seem like paradise to fly to Hawaii or other exotic locations for photo shoots, the reality of the job is apparently less glamorous. You spend all day shooting from morning till night, and the food you get time for is instant noodles.

Rin Tachibana says: “I never meet people.” Despite being gorgeous, Rin claims she hasn’t had a boyfriend since she launched her gravure career.

Iroha Yanagi says: “It’s tough.” All that posing for photo shoots takes its toll on the body.

Saki Yanase says: “I’m really an I-cup.” People tend to think that gravure idols lie about their all-important bust sizes, but Saki says hers is really that big.

Continuing a trend here, Hikaru Aoyama says: “I love being at home.” Again, she spends her days off just relaxing at home.

Asuka Kishi says: “My dog is my play partner.” Shame, we are available for that role!

Finally, the butt-astic Yuka Kuramochi says: “It’s not comfort.” What she means by is that she spends her life posing for photos in long shoots that cause her body to ache. Moreover, the money isn’t very good!

One of the big misconceptions about gravure is that you get get rich posing in a bikini. Not true. If you can branch out into TV appearances or acting roles you can make some reasonable money. But your salary is dedicated by an agency, who take most of the cash — and there is a lot of competition out there. The market is basically saturated. The gravure idols are only really one up from booth companions at events or race queens or ring girls. It’s quite a far cry from fashion modelling.

Oh, and then there are all the other secrets, such as the coercion and sex with management, drugs and yakuza involvement.

It’s the usual story. An idol hits 30 and her career is on the verge of waning. What can she do to raise the ante? Oh, right: strip off.

And so it goes that Shoko Hamada has revealed her cute butt to us at the ripe old age of 30.

The former race queen, gravure idol and so-time music idol (yes, we all remember that classic from 2004, “Lolita Race Queen”) has dropped her clothes for a photo shoot, and the results are petty fine.

Sure, her butt’s a bit flat — this is Japan, after all — but it has grab-me-now charm.

Of course, all this flesh is designed to promote Shoko Hamada’s latest DVD, which comes out in late August. Next stop, an AV from MUTEKI?

Here’s an older shot of Shoko that we like. Sometimes showing less is more.

The controversy over exploitation and coercion in the Japanese porn industry continues to rage.

Following allegations, condemnations, arrests, and apologies, now comes another development. The popular AV star Saki Kouzai has come forward with the revelation that her porn debut was also coerced.

In a 20-hour interview with Bunshun Shukan, she has come forward alleging both coercion and makura eigo, or the casting couch: you have to sleep with people to get ahead.

She is currently suing Ryo Aoki, the head of Marks Japan who was previously arrested for a previous coercion case. Three people were fined over that case. Kouzai says she was then “brainwashed” into believing the production company was her family.

Kouzai has some 300 titles to her name. She was originally a race queen who made her porn debut in 2011 after she was scouted in front of Gotanda Station. She says she was deceived by Aoki and then on the subsequent shoot in the countryside, there were 20 men present and she couldn’t say no. After three years with her production company she then formed her own company in June 2014 to have better control over her career.

Kouzai has since opened a women-only section at Love Toys Shop Max, an adult store located in Umeda, Osaka. All the staff are women and Kouzai herself is often there. The store opened earlier this summer and features a Tenga store on the lower floors. It is Tenga’s second Osaka shop, after the first one in Namba.

But it should be noted that the 30-year-old Kouzai is still very much part of the industry and appears in new releases.

The grim reality of the porn industry is that you may get just ¥30,000 for an appearance. A major star may command large fees, perhaps even ¥1 million — but then the management company will take almost all of it. Contracts are often made in advance before an actress knows the industry or establishes herself, and she is later bound to various clauses regarding fees and appearances.

The management companies and production companies are often linked, creating a web of businesses dominated by men who are naturally looking to raise their profits. The needs of the performers caught in the middle are not the priority.

More images have emerged from Minami Minegishi’s new photo book.

There was some initial buzz about it last month over a preview “hand bra” picture that appeared.

Now some other images have appeared and they show Minami Minegishi at her slinky best.

“Watashi wa Watashi” (I am Me) is shot by famed nude photographer Meisa Fujishiro.

It went on release on July 12th but so far hasn’t been selling well. In fact, the major AKB48 photo book releases from Rino Sashihara and Haruna Kojima sold much better.

Now that Haruna Kojima will graduate AKB, the last original member left is 23-year-old Minegishi, but even this status isn’t enough to boost her sales. Perhaps fans will demand she shave her head again in shame?

If you like dancing and you like gravure idols with big breasts, then head to Circus Tokyo on August 10th. The enticingly named N.U.D.E. Vol.1: Our Paradise promises to have six top gravure models manning the DJ booth.

The ladies spinning the beats are: Tsukasa Wachi, Sara Oshino, Rina Hashimoto, Aya Hazumi, Haruka Kai, and Airi Shimizu.

Despite the name of the event, they won’t be naked. Still, this is a great opportunity to see a real gravure model up-close and in the flesh.

The ladies will be choosing the music, dancing and “posing”, so expect to see some serious cleavage on display.

The privilege doesn’t come cheap. Tickets cost ¥3,000 in advance and ¥3,500 on the door.

We have no idea of the scale of this event. It might be pretty small or it might be crammed with hot, sweaty man all eager to see their favorite glamor model. The playlist is already online.

It will be broadcast on internet TV channel AbemaTV.

The wonders of Japanese television continue to amaze us.

Now we have Sukapa! Suei Taikai, a “water contest” program that consists of half-naked Japanese female AV porn stars playing such games as licking an popsicle off a man’s crotch or transporting a giant ball between two girls’ busts, and then over slippery blocks floating on a pool. Quality TV indeed.

The performers included the newly minted AV queen Yua Mikami, aka Momona Kito formerly of SKE48.

Others strutting their stuff were Miri Mizuki, Umi Hirose, Hibiki Otsuki, Saki Hatsumi, Ruka Kane, and more.

We like how the young ladies cover their breasts when not required to bare them for the games, even though they spend much of their professional lives naked on screen. Even porn stars have some modesty, it seems.

Perhaps it goes without saying that this show is broadcast on BS SPTV, part of the same SKY PerfecTV satellite TV network responsible for the joy that is the “boob aid” grope-a-bust event during a charity telethon every year.

The Japanese Twittersphere, specifically that surrounding gravure idols and the like, loves to come up with random “anniversaries” and celebrate them with themed pictures shared on the social network.

In the past, we’ve seen Condom Day on May 6th as well as women showing off their legs for Golden Week. There are meant to be many more, usually based on puns on Japanese words and numbers: July 5th as Bikini Day, May 10th at Maid Day, etc…

Well, apparently August 2nd was Panties Day, which resulted in various gravure idols and others doing what they do best: make our mouths water with lust with some incredible selfies.

Technically speaking, these probably aren’t quite panchira, since the ladies aren’t even bothering to wear skirts, but anyone with a hankering for nice lingerie on nice girls was surely happy when they checked Twitter on August 2nd.

Yuka Kuramochi, she of the incredible butt, was quick to post her contribution.

As was erotic photographer Kuchikaseya Moira.

Here is idol Mai Tsukamoto going all-American on us.

Let’s check those legs in close-up.

There seemed to be some confusion, though. A few others thought that it was Bunny Day. Not that we’re complaining.

Former SKE48 Momona Kito has cemented her porn career as Yua Mikami with a newcomer award and bestselling releases.

In her latest adult title, she puts her curvy body to the test with a bondage-inspired porno that will have her fans licking their lips in anticipation. Watch Yua Mikami as she has solo male partners and eventually two at the same time… all while tied up in various stages of bondage and unable to move.

Once again, she is given the Shimiken treatment. With male performer numbers so limited, these men get to have multiple encounters with our favorite ladies. Shimiken already got to enjoy the ravishing body of former gravure idol Shoko Takasaki in her porn debut.

In related news, Yua Mikami’s contract with Muteki is over and she is moving to a different production company. This new title, out in September, should be her final Muteki release.

Muteki specializes in “crossover” porn, where celebrities or people from other industries switch to AV and want to make a splash with their debut (e.g. Shoko Takasaki). It makes sense that Mikami now moves forward with a different sort of agency. Her new home is S1 No. 1 Style, which also looks after the likes of Minami Kojima, Akiho Yoshizawa, and Mimi Saoto.

S1 is part of the same group as Muteki, though (the AV industry is very incestuous, with many companies interrelated, just like the adult toy industry here), so presumably Mikami won’t have to change her professional name (again) as many AV stars have to when they switch agencies (e.g. Shion Utsunomiya becoming Rara Anzai and then simply Rion).

We are pleased to report the comeback of long-forgotten model and singer Iconiq.

Iconiq swept into the public eye in 2010 with a campaign for Shiseido’s line of Maquillage cosmetics, showing her face and trademark cropped hair. It was a brilliant look.

She was marketed as a mystery woman and little information was released about this apparent star-in-the-waiting.

No one seemed to know who she was but everyone predicted big things for her.

Some investigation by the tabloids revealed that Iconiq is Korean-Japanese, like a large number of celebrities in Japan. In fact, Iconiq was a member of the South Korean girl group Sugar, which debuted in 2002, before transforming into a model for Shiseido back in her native Japan.

She tried to follow this up with releases as a solo singer in Japan, achieving partial success.

And then she disappeared. She reportedly had some agency troubles, which stunted her career just as it was getting started.

Now she’s back, on the wrong side of thirty (she was born in 1984) and trying to re-ignite her career as an actress.

What better to go about it than by posing nude?

She has had many names (including Ayumi) but now goes by Yumi Ito (she couldn’t go by Ayumi Ito, since there’s already an actress with that name — and she looks great in the buff, too!). How long will this career second life last?

Hey, if it doesn’t go well, she could always take things to the next level: the hair nude!

They say there’s always one.

At a recent photo shoot, one steadfast member of AKB48 refused to strip while her peers all obligingly took off their clothes to pose in bikinis.

Eight idols from the music group are on the cover of the current issue of Shukan Shonen Magazine, which is celebrating the top eight idols from the June “election”.

The only girl not looking cute in her swimwear is Haruka Shimazaki (Paruru), who placed eighth among the ladies featured.

The other idols include Mayu Watanabe (second), NMB48’s Ayaka Yamamoto (fourth), Sakura Miyawaki (AKB48), and of course, the winner, Rino Sashihara.

Any fan disappointed by Paruparu’s modest would have not been consoled by the rest of the shoot inside, where the seemly young lady continued to keep her clothes on.

Netizens have been quick to find other examples of times when Shimazaki has seemed “left out” or isolated from proceedings — whether by coincidence or choice.

The magazine shoot was promoting the 45th AKB48 single, whose singers were selected from the results of the summer election.

Shoko Takahashi (aka Shoko Takasaki) has been making an impression with her new AV release, her first on the Moodyz label after her spectacular debut for Muteki earlier this year.

The beach-set “G-cup Perfect Body Celebrity Shoko Takahashi” was released on September 1st and makes ample use of the star’s signature bust — and her radiant smile. After all, no bikini is big enough to keep those breasts under wraps for long.

It’s a whopping 165 minutes long, so expect plenty of gratuitous swimwear shots and more.

Moodyz are really capitalizing on the Shoko boom, releasing another film in October — a threesome theme, it seems. Keep rolling them out, folks!

The former gravure idol turned prostitute turned porn star has made a superb transition into the adult industry, which will surely become a model case for other celebrities in the future exploring the idea of a porn career.

Takahashi also recently posed for one of the hottest shots of the year, standing naked next to the voluptuous body of Momona Kito (Yua Mikami). Like Takahashi/Takasaki, Kito/Mikami also made her own incredible debut on Muteki last year.

Among the mountain of porn and nude shoots we see every day, an image like this only comes about once in a while. Make us into a sandwich, squeezed between these two beauties!

Want to see what Kanna Hashimoto is like in bed? The sweeter-than-sweet is unlikely to be making her actual porn debut any time soon (though many of her music idol peers do have a habit of “graduating” into adult careers, so it’s not completely off the books), but the next best thing is this Kanna Hashimoto lookalike porno.

Kanna, if you recall, burst into the mainstream in 2013 after capturing the hearts of Japan’s netizens. Since then she has become a major force in the music idol industry and fronts big advertising campaigns.

This porn title stars Kaname Otori, who was born in 1995 and is making her debut. It is released as a limited edition in September, though reservations are already finished. Demand seems high, which perhaps reflects more the appetite for girls who look like Kanna Hashimoto.

Japanese porn has a whole subgenre of “lookalike” porn. In the past we have seen a Kyary Pamyu Pamyu lookalike and several other “AV versions” of celebrities, actresses, singers and so on. Sometimes this is very convincing, other times it is plain cheeky, like the Beyz Kobo Idol from Moodyz, which is meant to be Momoko Tsugunaga from Berryz Kobo.

Sometimes this descends into parody, such as the AV from 2015 that was inspired by the Ryutaro Nonomura “crying politician” case (it also inspired an adult manga).

Photographer Yasumasa Yonehara is up to his old tricks again. And boy are we grateful.

We reported on his Runner’s Pai series of videos earlier in the summer, which seemed to consist of nothing more than busty gravure idols running on treadmills because… just because.

In July he organized a live music event called NDG Champion Carnival at Shibuya Club Asia, a nightclub located in the heart of Shibuya’s “love hotel hill” (very handy, by the way), featuring the likes of Mai Tsukamoto running for all their worth while their assets bounce up and down. Just because.

Yonehara exhorts the audience not to take pictures but just to watch the feast unfolding before their eyes. We agree fully: it’s awesome enough to watch this after the fact on video, but just imagine how incredible the spectacle was to see in the flesh.

You ain’t seen nothing till you’ve witnessed Yuki from Nature Danger Gang with nipple patches barely covering her essentials while she runs fast on a treadmill.

For more lingering shots of Mai Tsukamoto’s G-cup bust bouncing up and down, see Yonehara’s treadmill video of her running. Just because.

A new series of instant noodle ads use a gravure idol, music idol, go-go dancers, race queen, and well-known seiyuu. What more could you ask for?

Kara-Ou is apparently pretty spicy — so hot, in fact, that they hired in-demand gravure idol Sayaka Tomaru and music idol Erina Kamiya as well as Karen and Kazue, go-go dancers from CYBERJAPAN DANCERS (yes, the troupe that’s perhaps the sexiest thing in Japan right now), race queen Aya Hayase, and voice actress Chiaki Takahashi.

Watch these ladies get hot and sweaty as they gulp down the noodles.

Here is busty Sayaka Tomaru.

And the G-cup idol Erina Kamiya, a member of masked idol band Kamen Joshi.

And Karan and Kazue from CYBERJAPAN DANCERS.

This is Aya Hayase.

And finally, Chiaki Takahashi — still got it what it takes at nearly 40.

Well, this might seem like a pretty incongruous ad for ramen, perhaps we should remember than noodles have a long association with busty ladies.

For example, the video game Senran Kagura once inspired some “breast ramen” dishes.

And then there’s the I-cup proprietor of the notoriously delicious Oppai Ramen snack bar in Musashi-Koyama, known for shaking her assets as she prepares your noodles.

The latest big porn debut is another lady who is switching from mainstream entertain to AV.

The actress and model Anri Sakaguchi released “What a day!!” on the Muteki label this month, which specializes in crossover debuts.

Sakaguchi is the daughter of the late actress Ryoko Sakaguchi and golfer Tateo Ozaki. The 25-year-old apparently has large debts and has been forced to turn to porn to make ends meet.

The first pictures from Sakaguchi’s release have now emerged, showing her nipples and tits that are on the modest yet pointy side.

It has been reported that her fee is ¥120 million, though she may only take home around ¥20 million.

We personally have our suspicions about a lot of the press coverage of this debut, and think a lot of it can be put down to hype or bored tabloid magazines making things up.

Sakaguchi is a minor celebrity. Why would she command such a high fee from Muteki? Is the studio just rolling in stupid amounts of money after its successes with Shoko Takahashi/Takasaki and Yua Mikami (Momona Kito)?

The numbers just don’t add up: “What a day!!” would have to sell at least 100,000 copies on DVD just to make up for her fee, let alone the other costs of the production and marketing.

And in a crowded market of 35,000 porn releases a year, we don’t think there are so many men excited to see Sakaguchi do the business.

If we’re even more blunt, she’s not even known for being especially attractive. The only reason someone would fork out ¥3,000 for her porn DVD would be out of curiosity… and that’s what the internet is for.

There are also rumors that Sakaguchi is so desperate that she has been making extra cash as a hooker at delivery health parlors. Needless to say, she is no longer on the books of her agency, Avilla.

Fumi Nikaido has seen her acting career over the past two or three years, though she started off as a junior idol and much of her popularity — for reasons that are apparent — still hinges on her natural looks.

Oh, boy, does she know how to exploit them.

She has already shown off her naked butt for us in 2014.

Now the Okinawan-born, English-speaking vixen tempts us by dressing up for Weekly Playboy (as part of a big 50th-anniversary issue) as a bunny girl.

We love how the photo shoot really shows off her curves and saucy looks.

She’s a gal who clearly knows how to enjoy herself, and the tabloids would have us believe she is a “man-eater” who spends her private time chasing older men.

She can chase us around any day of the week she fancies!

If you are passing through Shinjuku Station this week, check out the massive Weekly Playboy billboard along the Metro Promenade underground walkway, showcasing 10 nubile gravure idols in life size. The billboard is bookended by the covers of the latest issue (with Fumi Nikaido) and the very first (with Agnes Lum).

Bring on the next 50 years of Weekly Playboy!

Earlier this year Weekly Playboy already organized one of the best photo shoots ever when they brought together 50 gravure idols in one studio.

As part of its 50th anniversary celebrations the magazine also put up a billboard in Shinjuku with life-sized images of top models.

Now the generous editors have followed up with 51 Japanese porn stars, all lined up naked in one mega assembly.

Sadly the nipples and pussie are censored for the online version (the print edition, maybe not so). What’s the point of getting all this flesh together if you’re not going to show it?!

How many do you recognise?

We’ll help you out. The 51 princesses include Ayaka Tomoda, An Tsujimoto, Mana Sakura, Hitomi, Marina Shiraishi, Asahi Mizuno, Rin Kuramochi, Hibiki Otsuki, Riku Minato, Rika Hoshimi, Iori Kogawa and many other big stars.

But it’s also nice to see there are some real veterans in the selection, such as Nozomi Hazuki (born in 1968) and Kimika Ichijo (born in 1964).

It reminds us of the naked porn star “lineup” photo we spotted way back in 2010. Now there’s a whole new generation of ladies dominating the industry.

When so many idols and models are releasing their own new photo book every month, how do you stand out?

Well, the producers of the new Ai Okawa photo book came up with a novel marketing strategy that will certainly take some beating.

It meant you could experience undressing the alluring fashion model with a “bra strap” attached to the reverse of her latest photo book. It allows the enthusiastic male reader to unclip the bra from Ai Okawa’s naked back.

And when your Ai Okawa fantasies run dry (as if), you can even use the bra wrapping to practice your girl-undressing techniques. Here’s how to do it one-handed, which is always a useful trick to learn.

Unfortunately this gimmick was not included on all the copies of Ai’s new photo book. It was only on copies sold at two launch events in Osaka and Tokyo on October 29th-30th. Still, we reckon these will be selling nicely on online auction sites right around now.

Ai Okawa is a fashion model, former music idol, lingerie model and TV celebrity. She doesn’t usually get categorised in the gravure field but her revealing photo shoots more than qualify her for it.