TOKYO (TR) – Uta Kohaku, a former popular adult video (AV) actress, is revealing the dark realities behind her industry debut over a decade ago, citing the dangers of Tokyo’s nightlife districts and stalker clients as the primary reasons she turned to porn.
Uta Kohaku, who debuted in 2010 at the age of 20 and quickly rose to fame for her hardcore performances, recently sat down with Nikkan Spa! (Oct. 20) for a tell-all interview detailing her turbulent youth and the bizarre fallout with her family.
Dropping out of high school after just one month, Kohaku spent her teen years roaming the streets of Shinjuku Ward’s notorious Kabukicho red-light district. She described herself as an early version of the infamous “Toyoko Kids” — a term used for runaway youths who loiter in the area — often not returning home for half the month.
Despite eventually passing the entrance exams for Teikyo University, she dropped out after just six months and began working at hostess clubs. However, she quickly grew disgusted with the dangerous and predatory nature of the nightlife scene.
“Customers always have ulterior motives,” Kohaku said. “They want something in return for the money they spend. Basically, they want to sleep with you. I found that bargaining to be extremely troublesome.”
“Whim”
After a brief stint in the underground commercial sex trade, the constant fear of sexually transmitted diseases and “semi-stalker” clients waiting outside her workplace drove her to seek a more regulated environment.
“I thought entering a professional industry would be safer for my body and mind,” she explained, revealing she applied to an AV production company on a “whim.”
Kohaku kept her new career a secret, but her mother discovered the truth a year later. In a bizarre confrontation at a Shibuya pub, her mother was furious—but not for the expected reasons. Having discovered a scene where Kohaku incorporated her 10 years of classical ballet training, her mother slammed her glass on the table and yelled, “I didn’t pay expensive monthly tuition for ballet classes so you could do this!”
Her mother allowed her to continue in the industry, but imposed strict penalties: Kohaku was banned from attending family funerals and weddings, and was warned to keep a low profile so her mother wouldn’t lose her own job.
Lingering shadow
Today, Kohaku enjoys a normalized relationship with her mother, but she continues to grapple with the lingering shadow of her adult video career.
While the industry now allows former actresses to request a halt to the sale of their past videos, Kohaku says the massive volume of her work — some of which was filmed under different names — makes the process overwhelming. She also expressed hesitation about pulling videos that feature her former co-stars, not wanting to erase their shared hard work.
Though she says she does not regret her time in the AV industry, Kohaku admits she is looking for an exit strategy from her stage name.
“As long as I am ‘Uta Kohaku,’ my past as a sexy actress will always come up,” she said, expressing a desire to finally shed her adult industry persona and move forward with her growing base of new fans.