BEJING — China and Japan, long at odds with each other over political and cultural differences are experiencing tension of a different sort – and that’s sexual.
According to a report by The Daily Beast, China's lust for Japanese porn and its stars is insatiable.
Although adult content is technically illegal in China, porn is easily accessible and local shops can’t keep the Japanese DVDs in stock.
One pirated DVD shop in Shanghai said that Japanese stars Julia Kyoka and Yui Hatano (who resembles Taiwanese model and actress Lin Chi Ling) are extremely popular. And former porn star Sora Aoi [pictured] is a best seller.
The films are especially hot in their unpixilated form. “Customers always prefer those if we have them,” a Chinese shop owner told the Beast.
Some stars even have Chinese social media accounts, have made cameos in Chinese film and TV, and Aoi even raised funds for victims of the 2010 Yushu earthquake.
And despite the Chinese government’s attempt to distance itself from Japan because of past and present conflicts, Chinese men are embracing Japanese porn with a fervor.
“My male friends all share their films when we are at school,” a university student said. “The fact that it’s from Japan just makes it cooler.” He then asked the Beast reporter — who lives in Hong Kong (unaffected by the strict China porn blockade) — if he could get him a few Japanese videos.