How a Japanese porn actress taught the Chinese about sex

When Japanese actress and former porn star Sora Aoi announced that she was going to get married, this news caused a violent reaction in Chinese social networks. The fact is that the actress played an important role in the life of the younger generation of Chinese.

Source: BBC

On New Year's Eve, Sora Aoi posted a photo with an engagement ring on her Weibo account, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, and announced the happy news of the engagement to her fans around the world. Within 48 hours, the post received more than 170,000 comments and 830,000 likes.

Aoi started her career in the porn industry in the early 2000s and starred in more than 90 adult films. Although pornography is considered illegal in China, this has not stopped Chinese men from going crazy for Aoi.

The popularity of Aoi in China increased dramatically when the Chinese Internet began to develop at a rapid pace. New web portals, online communities, and streaming platforms appeared. This contributed to the dissemination of all kinds of information, including illegal pornographic materials.

In high school, Liu Qiang watched movies with Aoi in MP4 format and recorded them on media to swap with friends. With the development of technology, they began to watch videos on the Internet, because it's easier that way.

Pornography is the main source of information about sex for young Chinese. At school, sex education is limited, and parents avoid this topic in conversations with children.

In 2009, Peking University conducted a study in which 22 thousand young people aged 15 to 24 years participated. Each participant was asked three questions about the health of the reproductive system, and only 4.4 percent of respondents were able to answer correctly. The researchers also found that most young people learn about sex on their own.

Lin Yinhe, the first female sexologist in China, warns against using pornography as a tool for sexual education. In her opinion, porn depicts sex in an exaggerated form, and many young people may be misled by this, because they will compare themselves with porn actors.

So how did Aoi stand out in the era of free distribution of pornography? Sex remains a taboo topic in many Asian countries, but Aoi claims that she has never reproached herself because of a career in the porn industry. She has always said that she likes her job because it gives her the opportunity to travel and meet fans all over the world. Even when Aoi is insulted in the comments, she responds politely and warmly. Her openness and frankness helped her earn the respect and recognition of fans.

Aoi started a Twitter account on April 11, 2010. When the news of this reached China, where Twitter is banned, netizens began downloading VPN clients en masse to bypass the "Great Chinese Firewall". This night was later called "Sora Aoi's night". Seven months later, Aoi started a Weibo account. Now 18 million people have subscribed to it — more than Taylor Swift and David Beckham.

Sora Aoi left the porn industry in 2011 and began her career as a singer and actress. She has released several singles and played in several films and TV series. China remains a lucrative market for it. It seems that she has put a lot of effort into getting to know Chinese culture better. Every post of the actress on Weibo is written in Chinese. In addition to the language, she also studies Chinese calligraphy. In 2013, one of her works was sold for 92 thousand dollars.

It is paradoxical that with the differences existing between China and Japan, Aoi is so popular among Chinese men. China still remembers the brutality of Japan during World War II. In addition, there is a territorial dispute between these countries over the status of the islands, known in China as the Diaoyu, and in Japan as the Senkaku Islands.

Professor Nge argues that the phenomenon of Sora Aoi in China is a symbol of how, in the era of globalization, people build their identity not only on the basis of their nationality, but also on the basis of the media content they consume.

Perhaps Aoi serves as a reminder to young people across Asia that, despite their nationality and different political views, they have more in common than they think.