Sola Aoi – SoraNews24 —Japan News— https://soranews24.com Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today. Tue, 23 Apr 2024 02:44:14 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.4 https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/05/en_rocket_1024.png?w=32 Sola Aoi – SoraNews24 —Japan News— https://soranews24.com 32 32 176746664 Japanese former adult actress Sola Aoi gives birth to twins, shares photo of newborns https://soranews24.com/2019/05/04/japanese-former-adult-actress-sola-aoi-gives-birth-to-twins-shares-photo-of-newborns/ https://soranews24.com/2019/05/04/japanese-former-adult-actress-sola-aoi-gives-birth-to-twins-shares-photo-of-newborns/#comments Sat, 04 May 2019 13:00:01 +0000 http://soranews24.com/?p=451112 New mother welcomes twins into the world.
On May 1, the ascension ceremony was held for Japan’s new emperor, Naruhito, and with it came the start of Japan’s new Reiwa era. But the same day marked the start of a different chapter in the life of Sola Aoi: motherhood.
Aoi, who rose to international fame as an adult film star before transitioning into more mainstream acting and media personality work, announced her pregnancy late last year, and then began regularly sharing her thoughts and experiences on her official blog as her due date approached. Last month, after consultation with her doctor, she decided to have a Cesarean section birth, which was scheduled for the morning of May 1, and was even the subject of an Internet-streamed documentary.
帝王切開① ー アメブロを更新しました#蒼井そら#帝王切開https://t.co/EbE5avtdta
— 蒼井そら(SOLA AOI) (@aoi_sola) May 3, 2019
The operation went smoothly, and Aoi has now shared a photo of her and her husband’s double blessing with this snapshot of the twins, sleeping soundly after coming into the world.
“It was painful and difficult,” Aoi says of the delivery, “but I did my best, and after giving birth, I felt immeasurably fulfilled.” She also says that she experienced a sense of calm and peacefulness as she held her children for the first time. “You’re warm,” she thought. “Your hearts are beating. You were inside my womb.”
With the arrival of the twins, Aoi, who was single up until her marriage a year and a half ago, is once again going to experience a big change to her home life, but it sounds like she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Sources: IT Media, Instagram/aoi_sola
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]]> https://soranews24.com/2019/05/04/japanese-former-adult-actress-sola-aoi-gives-birth-to-twins-shares-photo-of-newborns/feed/ 0 451112 Japanese former adult video actress’ documentary promises to show her giving birth in live stream https://soranews24.com/2019/04/17/japanese-former-adult-video-actress-documentary-promises-to-show-her-giving-birth-in-live-stream/ https://soranews24.com/2019/04/17/japanese-former-adult-video-actress-documentary-promises-to-show-her-giving-birth-in-live-stream/#comments Tue, 16 Apr 2019 15:00:23 +0000 http://soranews24.com/?p=449236 
Sola Aoi’s C-section to be highlight of program that will stream throughout Asia.
Sola Aoi has had a lot of eyes on her throughout her career, which started with several years as a prominent adult video actress before transitioning to more modest mainstream media roles. Most recently, she’s been sharing photogenic pregnancy photos through her social media accounts as the due date approaches for the twins she’s currently carrying.
It’s sure to be a big day for 35-year-old Aoi and her husband, who’ll be welcoming their first children into the world, and if any members of Aoi’s sizable international fanbase want to join that welcome committee, at least in spirit, there’s a way for them to do just that.
Online video service Abema TV has announced that it will be streaming a documentary about Sola’s pregnancy, titled The Day Sola Aoi Gives Birth 〜Welcome to the world, Sola’s baby〜 (the singular “baby” seems to be just a grammatical miscue, and not the producers stingily refusing to extend the greeting to both of the twins). The crew began meeting with Aoi and gathering materials for the project about three months ago, and as the name implies, it’s going to stream, live, on the actress’ due date, on which she’s chosen to give birth by Caesarian section delivery.
But the timing of the stream isn’t just for sentimental reasons, as Abema TV is promising “You will be able to see Sola Aoi giving birth on her due date.”
Aoi says that while she used to be averse to the idea of childbirth, she’s since changed her opinion entirely on the subject. “I want to leave a record of how much we hoped for these children who are being born to us,” the mother-to-be said in regards to the documentary, which will be available for viewing not just in Japan, but throughout Asia, with optional Chinese subtitles.
The stream starts at 10 p.m. on April 30, and further availability/access details can be found on its official website here.
Sources: Abema TV via Jin, Sola Aoi official blog
Top image: Abema TV
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]]> https://soranews24.com/2019/04/17/japanese-former-adult-video-actress-documentary-promises-to-show-her-giving-birth-in-live-stream/feed/ 0 449236 AS 1 Japanese former adult video actress opts for Cesarean section birth, shares new maternity photos https://soranews24.com/2019/04/12/japanese-former-adult-video-actress-opts-for-cesarean-section-birth-shares-new-maternity-photos/ https://soranews24.com/2019/04/12/japanese-former-adult-video-actress-opts-for-cesarean-section-birth-shares-new-maternity-photos/#comments Fri, 12 Apr 2019 01:00:11 +0000 http://soranews24.com/?p=448985 Even fans who’ve spent years looking at Sola Aoi’s body have never seen it quite like this before.
With the sakura blooming, Sola Aoi, who spent several years as one of the Japanese adult film industry’s most famous and popular performers, recently headed out to the park to do some cherry blossom viewing with her husband.
お花見。 ー アメブロを更新しました#蒼井そら#桜https://t.co/ht2O3LEy1L
— 蒼井そら(SOLA AOI) (@aoi_sola) April 3, 2019
However, next year their family flower party will have more participants, as Aoi is currently pregnant. As a matter of fact, her due day is coming up in less than a month.
If Aoi looks particularly radiant in the above photo, it’s because she’s carrying not one child, but twins.
▼ Aoi’s illustrated rendition of her current physical state.
胸焼け。 ー アメブロを更新しました#蒼井そら#妊娠後期https://t.co/Am35quce3E
— 蒼井そら(SOLA AOI) (@aoi_sola) April 6, 2019
Aoi, who’s transitioned into more mainstream, keep-your-clothes-on acting work in the last few years, has been keeping her fanbase updated throughout the course of her pregnancy, and on April 10 updated her official blog to announce that she’s decided on a Cesarean section birth.
The 35-year-old Tokyo native came to the decision after much thought. “As a woman, labor pains are something I had wanted to someday experience, since long ago,” Aoi said, referring to the relative lack of anesthetics used in vaginal birth in Japan. “Thinking of my children, [though,] a Cesarean section is the safest choice,” she concluded, citing difficulties and possible complications with having twins for a first-time birth.
Initially Aoi was apprehensive about the pain of having a C-section and after-procedure scarring, although she reaffirms that “I have no more plans to appear nude professionally, and I’m at an age where wearing a bikini is getting kind of tough.” However, after speaking to a friend who gave birth by Cesarean section 10 years ago, she felt reassured that she’s made the right choice. “Her scar had healed so much that if she hadn’t pointed it out when she showed it to me, I wouldn’t have even noticed it,” she says, and given how reportedly “awesome” her husband is, it’s doubtful he’ll see any scar she acquired while giving birth to their children as anything other than a visual reminder of her love for them.
Source: Sola Aoi official blog via IT Media, Instagram/aoi_sola
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]]> https://soranews24.com/2019/04/12/japanese-former-adult-video-actress-opts-for-cesarean-section-birth-shares-new-maternity-photos/feed/ 0 448985 Japanese former adult video actress Sola Aoi is pregnant, shares maternity photos https://soranews24.com/2019/03/13/japanese-former-adult-video-actress-sola-aoi-is-pregnant-shares-maternity-photos/ https://soranews24.com/2019/03/13/japanese-former-adult-video-actress-sola-aoi-is-pregnant-shares-maternity-photos/#comments Wed, 13 Mar 2019 14:00:19 +0000 http://soranews24.com/?p=445313 ”Seriously?” asks internationally famous actress, who’s shocked every time she takes a bath at how quickly her body is changing, but knows it’s for not just one, but two special reasons.
2018 was an eventful year for Sola Aoi. Though she’s now retired from the industry, Aoi spent several years as arguably Japan’s most famous adult film actress, building up an international fan base, and those fans had mixed feelings of happiness, sadness, and probably even some jealousy as she announced her marriage in January of last year to a guy she says is neither handsome nor rich, but very caring and kind.
A few months later, Aoi found herself the victim of some cowardly vandalism to her car, though it at least seems to have been a random incident, and not a case of someone specifically targeting her. But fortunately for the 35-year-old Tokyo native, life was back to a happy upswing after that, as she revealed that she’s pregnant.
▼ Aoi with her musician husband, DJ Non
As 2018 wound down, Aoi announced her pregnancy, having kept it under wraps for the first several months. With her due date coming up, she’s been sharing maternity photos of herself, while providing updates about her experience.
コメント。 ー アメブロを更新しましたhttps://t.co/LUaTu53lZR pic.twitter.com/H6KX9dCI74
— 蒼井そら(SOLA AOI) (@aoi_sola) December 23, 2018
And if you think that she has an especially maternal glow in these photos, it might be because the love she and her husband have for one another has manifested itself not just as one baby-to-be, but two!
Yes, Aoi is expecting twins, and while her long-time fans might be very familiar with the contours of her AV-industry-days body, she’s radiating beauty of a different category these days.
双子妊婦の8ヶ月のお腹②。 ー アメブロを更新しました#蒼井そら#妊娠後期https://t.co/I3lyuulj2m
— 蒼井そら(SOLA AOI) (@aoi_sola) March 12, 2019
With just a few weeks left to go before welcoming a double-sized bundle of joy into the world, Aoi says the twins are growing at a rate of 100-150 grams (3.5-5.3 ounces) a week, each, for a total of 200-300 extra grams for her to be carrying on her ordinarily slender 156-centimeter (61-inch) frame.
双子妊婦の8ヶ月のお腹。 ー アメブロを更新しました#蒼井そら#妊娠後期https://t.co/K8IvndoCtX
— 蒼井そら(SOLA AOI) (@aoi_sola) March 12, 2019
“It’s getting hard to even go outside, so I think I’m going to start ordering my groceries online soon,” muses Aoi. Now with less than two months to go until her due date, we might be seeing less of her online as she conserves energy and saves her strength, but odds are once the twins are born, she’ll be sharing photos of the two new members of her and her husband’s family.
Source: Sola Aoi official blog via IT Media, Instagram/aoi_sola
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]]> https://soranews24.com/2019/03/13/japanese-former-adult-video-actress-sola-aoi-is-pregnant-shares-maternity-photos/feed/ 0 445313 Former Japanese porn star Sola Aoi announces pregnancy, hits back at trolls https://soranews24.com/2018/12/18/former-japanese-porn-star-sola-aoi-announces-pregnancy-hits-back-at-trolls/ https://soranews24.com/2018/12/18/former-japanese-porn-star-sola-aoi-announces-pregnancy-hits-back-at-trolls/#comments Tue, 18 Dec 2018 03:00:13 +0000 http://soranews24.com/?p=435189 Aoi has a message for those who say they “feel sorry for the children of adult video actresses”.
After making her adult video debut in 2002 at the age of 18, Tokyo-born Sola Aoi quickly became one of the biggest names in the industry, with a huge following in Japan and overseas.
Over the last decade, though, Aoi has moved away from the adult video world, appearing in mainstream TV variety programs and dramas, and the Japanese media no longer refer to her as an “AV actress”, choosing to refer to her as a “sexy actress” instead.
▼ Aoi just before she made her debut.
▼ Now she’s an actress in TV dramas.
However, the 35-year-old still remains a porn star in many people’s eyes, and despite announcing her marriage to Japanese musician DJ Non, – who, in her words, is “neither handsome nor rich, but has removed all of my uneasiness about having been in adult films, as well as everything else” – Aoi has had to bear the brunt of online trolls and their hurtful comments.
In her latest blog post, published on 11 December, Aoi announced her happy pregnancy news with her husband, but before doing so, she wrote a whole page of thoughts on the insensitive comments she’s received, opening with: “These AV actresses who have children…poor children.”
According to Aoi, she saw this comment online after the announcement about her marriage to DJ Non was made, and it’s one that’s appeared numerous times, again and again, even before she was married. While she acknowledges the fact that people have a right to express their opinions, it appears that Aoi herself now wants to speak her own mind on the topic, hitting back at trolls by asking people to focus on what’s important: the happiness of the parent and child.
▼ Aoi has often expressed her fondness for babies.
Writing in short phrases that read like a stream-of-consciousness poem, Aoi says “The unhappiness of a child is an unhappy thing for an actress’ parents and an unhappy thing for a non-actress’ parents”.
She goes on to write:
“If you think that children of AV actresses will definitely be bullied in the future, then that’s more a reflection of your core values.”
“To people who say, ‘If you’re poor you’re unhappy. If you’re rich you’re happy’, I want to say that’s not true. It’s a simple way of looking at things.”
“Of course, it’s better to have some money, but I don’t think if you’re poor it automatically means you’re unhappy.”
“Of course, it’s better not to do AV, but if you do AV it doesn’t mean you’re unhappy. It might be a far-fetched excuse, but either way, I want to have a child. My desire to have a child is like anyone else’s.”
“Good relationships between parents and children are not necessarily based on parents’ professions, they’re based on the child’s environment.”
“Environment.”
“A long time ago, I received comments and messages on this blog from people saying ‘My mother worked in the sex industry, and I was unhappy. So please don’t have a child.’ But that’s your environment, it’s not my child’s environment.”
“My parents, siblings and other relatives knew I was an AV actress. Regardless of what path they wanted me to take, they always supported me as an individual and never disowned me, which was really wonderful.”
“They never told me ‘do this, do that’ or ‘don’t do this, don’t do that’, without listening to my side of the story, so they’ve always respected my opinions, ever since I was small.”
“They know my character better than anyone else because they’ve watched me grow up since the day I was born.”
▼ Aoi says she has a good relationship with her family.
“Of course they gave me guidance, but because I’m the type of child that does whatever I set out to do, my mother had faith in me.”
“I didn’t want to just be an AV actress until the very end, so when I told them that, they believed me.”
“So when I told them I was getting married, they were really happy.”
“I thought about so many things before having a child, and decided I want to give them grandchildren.”
“Even though some people say AV actresses shouldn’t have children, no matter what, I want to have a child.”
“And I want to become a mother like my mother. I know it won’t be easy.”
“And I have a report. It was announced for me at an event already, but I’ve now been blessed with a new life.”
“I am five months pregnant.”
“I had a bad time with morning sickness every day for about two months. I’m anxious as it’s my first pregnancy, but I will become a mother next May.”
“I look forward to your continued support.”
“Sorry this was so long for just reporting my pregnancy.”
▼ And with that, she included this picture of herself, beaming with happiness in an elegant ball gown.
Aoi appears to be pre-empting the trolls with her extra-long pregnancy announcement, sharing her views and family experiences in an attempt to get people to broaden their minds and be more accepting of her pregnancy.
Aoi and her husband want everyone to know that their child will be raised in a loving environment, and they’ll be doing everything they can to ensure their child’s happiness, starting right now by protecting their baby-to-be against the inevitable public backlash.
Source: Sola Aoi official blog via Kinisoku
Featured image: Instagram/aoi_sola
]]> https://soranews24.com/2018/12/18/former-japanese-porn-star-sola-aoi-announces-pregnancy-hits-back-at-trolls/feed/ 0 435189 Aoi Sola Japanese porn star AV adult video idol beautiful women actress pregnant news Japan Japanese porn star Sola Aoi shares story of rude prank in carpark https://soranews24.com/2018/05/23/japanese-porn-star-sola-aoi-shares-story-of-rude-prank-in-carpark/ https://soranews24.com/2018/05/23/japanese-porn-star-sola-aoi-shares-story-of-rude-prank-in-carpark/#comments Wed, 23 May 2018 05:00:58 +0000 http://soranews24.com/?p=414044 The adult video actress was less than happy with this phallic discovery.
For many of our readers, Sola Aoi needs very little introduction. As one of Japan’s most famous adult video stars, Aoi has gained a following of adoring fans around the world, but over the last decade she’s slowly moved away from porn, preferring to describe herself simply as a “Japanese actress” on social media.
In the Japanese media she’s now often referred to as a “sexy actress” rather than an “adult actress”, and at the beginning of the year, she surprised everyone with the shock announcement that she had tied the knot with Japanese musician DJ Non, who, in her words, is “neither handsome nor rich, but has removed all of my uneasiness about having been in adult films, as well as everything else.”
Speaking of her desire to become a mum and start a family, it appears that Aoi has opened up a new chapter in her life, and many fans are keen to keep up to date with her journey on her official blog. While many of her posts show Aoi out and about, busy with meetings and having fun with friends, one of her most recent entries, posted on 21 May, revealed that the star had a day that wasn’t so great, after she found herself on the receiving end of an unwanted prank that happened in a Japanese carpark.
▼ Aoi shared this tweet with her followers online to let them know she’d updated her blog, with the simple remark “This happened”, followed by the kanji for “angry” in brackets.
やられた(怒) ー アメブロを更新しましたhttps://t.co/JXrQA0c5xK pic.twitter.com/WfZ2xqrlCx
— 蒼井そら(SOLA AOI) (@aoi_sola) May 21, 2018
While it’s not easy to make out what the photo is about in the tweet, the details on her blog explained the story.
According to Aoi, she was about to start her parked car when she noticed the windshield was a little hazy and dirty as it seemed to be covered with sand-like particles. Thinking she should visit a carwash sometime soon, she turned on the windscreen wipers to clean the glass, only to hear a horrible clattering sound as they moved.
Baffled, she took a closer look and realised that one of the wipers had been bent into a right angle.
▼ That’s what was in the photo she shared online:
やられた(怒) ー アメブロを更新しましたhttps://t.co/JXrQA0c5xK pic.twitter.com/WfZ2xqrlCx
— 蒼井そら(SOLA AOI) (@aoi_sola) May 21, 2018
At this point in her recollection of the story, Aoi inserts an emphatic “○○CK！！！！！！” expletive into her post, before continuing with “Well, that happened”. Aoi says this is the first time for her to be on the receiving end of a prank like this, describing it as “the worst”.
Not one to be defeated, she took her car to the dealer and had them fix the wiper for her, but Aoi says she doesn’t know what she’ll do if something like this were to happen again. Signing off with the words “muka muka”, which describes a “seething anger”, one thing’s for certain – we wouldn’t want to be in her line of sight if she’s ever pranked again.
Aoi’s fans were quick to lend their support and words of advice, leaving comments like:
“This isn’t a prank! It’s damage to your precious car and a crime!”
“Do you have any suspicious residents living near you? Maybe you should check the security cameras.”
“This is unforgivable! I wish there was something I could do to help you.”
“This same thing happened to me about a week after I bought a new car so I know how bad you must feel.”
“If I were you I’d be making a police report on the matter.”
While Aoi has made no mention of whether or not the matter was reported to the police, it appears that the star has moved on from the incident, meeting up with friends for lunch, followed by a hot latte at a fashionable cafe, where she almost burned her hands on the glass it was served in.
そランチ。 ー アメブロを更新しましたhttps://t.co/9Ocu0B0CIH pic.twitter.com/4yHSrABt8K
— 蒼井そら(SOLA AOI) (@aoi_sola) May 22, 2018
It seems Aoi can’t catch a break these days. But as one of Japan’s most famous people, we have a hunch things will be brighter soon for the well-liked actress.
Source: Narinari
Featured image: Instagram/aoi_sola
]]> https://soranews24.com/2018/05/23/japanese-porn-star-sola-aoi-shares-story-of-rude-prank-in-carpark/feed/ 0 414044 Aoi Sola Japanese adult video porn actress Japanese former adult video star Sola Aoi announces marriage to man who’s “not handsome or rich” https://soranews24.com/2018/01/02/japanese-former-adult-video-star-sola-aoi-announces-marriage-to-man-whos-not-handsome-or-rich/ https://soranews24.com/2018/01/02/japanese-former-adult-video-star-sola-aoi-announces-marriage-to-man-whos-not-handsome-or-rich/#comments Tue, 02 Jan 2018 13:00:31 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=399766 Internationally beloved actress explains why her new husband is “awesome” anyway.
With the Internet being the preferred distribution channel of adult video enthusiasts, the industry has become largely globalized. Still, few performers have achieved the sort of international success that Japan’s Sola Aoi has.
Actually, calling the former adult video actress “Japan’s” is a bit of a contentious claim, given that Aoi has spent considerable amounts of time living and working elsewhere in Asia, with China, Thailand, and Korea all having been graced by her presence at live events or in movies and TV series. But while the actress’ pornographic body of work was likely the point of entry for many members of the Sola Aoi fanbase, she’s moved away from outright porn over the last decade, to the point where the Japanese media now often describes her as a “sexy actress” rather than a flat-out “adult actress.”
And now Aoi is ready to transition into yet another new stage of her life, as she’s just announced her marriage. On January 2 (Japan time), Aoi posted on her blog that she and Japanese musician DJ Non have tied the knot, and shared a photo of herself wearing her wedding ring through her Instagram account.
In her blog posting, Aoi said “I’ve always wanted to get married. I love kids, and it’s always been my dream to start a lovely family…My [husband] is neither handsome nor rich, but he has removed all of my uneasiness about having been in adult films, as well as everything else.”
▼ Aoi and DJ Non
ブログを更新しました。 『日頃応援してくださっている皆様へ。』https://t.co/rYvp4kcadB#アメブロ pic.twitter.com/acouvizEO7
— 蒼井そら(SOLA AOI) (@aoi_sola) January 1, 2018
Aoi, whose works predate the recent industry rule changes that allow adult film actresses to halt the sale of their movies after five years on the market, went on to talk more about her feelings regarding her former primary profession. “I don’t regret making adult films, but it’s also not like I don’t feel any embarrassment about how such work is viewed by society. To create a family, you have to accept everything about each other, your past and future, so I think my husband is really an awesome guy for accepting me.”
As alluded to in Sola’s comment about her husband’s finances, DJ Non isn’t a famous, household name in Japan, but it sounds like the two of them have very compatible personalities, which is something money can’t buy.
However, unlike many Japanese entertainers, especially those with a “sexy” image, it doesn’t sound like Aoi is going to be stepping away from the limelight now that she’s no longer single. “To all of my fans and associates,” she wraps up her blog post with “I am still the same Sola Aoi I have always been, and I look forward to your continuing support.”
Source: Livedoor News/Sports Hochi via Jin, Sola Aoi official blog, Instagram/aoi_sola
]]> https://soranews24.com/2018/01/02/japanese-former-adult-video-star-sola-aoi-announces-marriage-to-man-whos-not-handsome-or-rich/feed/ 0 399766 Emperors, anime icons, and porn stars show up in six-nation survey of most famous Japanese people https://soranews24.com/2017/04/27/emperors-anime-icons-and-porn-stars-show-up-in-six-nation-survey-of-most-famous-japanese-people/ https://soranews24.com/2017/04/27/emperors-anime-icons-and-porn-stars-show-up-in-six-nation-survey-of-most-famous-japanese-people/#comments Wed, 26 Apr 2017 16:00:32 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=374036 
Respondents in the U.S., China, and four other countries’ top 10 answers included Pokémon, military leaders, and adult film actresses.
Over the last few decades, Japanese media and celebrities have been making inroads into popular culture overseas. South Korean audiences follow trendy Japanese TV dramas, American youths marathon anime through online streaming services, and sports fans cheer on Japanese athletes at venues around the globe.
Amidst this evolving media environment, the Tokyo-based Japan Press Research Institute has been carrying out annual awareness surveys, asking people of other nations what they know and feel about Japan. In the latest iteration, the organization spoke to roughly 1,000 participants each in the U.S., the U.K., France, China, South Korea, and Thailand. In one part of the study, respondents were asked to give, if they could, the name of a famous Japanese person, living or dead, that they knew.
While there was plenty of overlap, certain individuals appeared only on one country’s list, or were far better-known in one territory than others. Let’s take a look at each nation’s top 10 responses.
● U.S.A.
1. Shinzo Abe (80 responses)
2. Emperor Hirohito (55)
3. Ichiro (11)
4. Emperor Akihito (11)
5. Yoko Ono (11)
6. Isoroku Yamamoto (11)
7. Yasuo Fukuda (7)
8. Akira Kurosawa (6)
9. Hayao Miyazaki (6)
10. Hideki Tojo (5)
Japan’s current prime minister occupied the top spot in the U.S., a nation with whom his country has considerable economic and defense relationships. Other political figures were World War II-era leader Emperor Hirohito and his contemporaries Imperial Navy Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto and Imperial Army General Hideki Tojo, as well as current Emperor Akihito and former prime minister Yasuo Fukuda, who served in that capacity for roughly a year from 2007 to 2008.
Moving on to the arts, we see conceptual artist Yoko Ono, perhaps better known to many overseas as the lover of Beatles member John Lennon, along with Japan’s most famous live-action and anime film directors, Akira Kurosawa and Hayao Miyazaki. Finally, the sole sports representative is baseball player Ichiro, who’s been showing off his skills at America’s pastime in the Major Leagues for 16 years now.
● U.K.
1. Emperor Hirohito (63)
2. Yoko Ono (13)
3. Shinzo Abe (11)
4. The Prime Minister (8)
5. The Emperor (7)
6. Shinji Kagawa (6)
7. Kazuo Ishiguro (6)
8. Hokusai Katsushika (6)
9. Haruki Murakami (5)
10. Hideo Kojima (5)
Hirohito garnered far more responses than any other person in the U.K. poll, which is also the first (though not the last) list to include the vague responses of “the Prime Minister” and “the Emperor,” which were apparently good enough for the Japan Press Research Institute’s interviewers.
With the U.K.’s lack of interest in baseball, Ichiro didn’t make the cut, but Japanese athletics are here represented by professional soccer player Shinji Kagawa, who had a two-year stint with Manchester United. Japanese-born, U.K.-raised novelist Kazuo Ishiguro, author of Remains of the Day, edged out fellow writer Haruki Murakami, who were joined by master ukiyo-e artist Hokusai and iconic video game creator Hideo Kojima, of Metal Gear fame.
● France
1. Emperor Hirohito (93)
2. Shinzo Abe (37)
3. Naruto (18)
4. Hayao Miyazaki (16)
5. Yoko Ono (15)
6. The Emperor (15)
7. Akira Kurosawa (13)
8. Akira Toriyama (10)
9. Pikachu/Pokémon (10)
10. Kei Nishikori (9)
France’s passion for anime and manga manifested with no fewer than four of its slots going to figures from the world of Japanese animation and comics, and not just real people like Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama. Coming in at third was fictional ninja Naruto, star of the anime/manga franchise of the same name, and Pokémon mascot Pikachu also secured a spot in the top 10 after his votes were pooled with those of the collective species of Pokémon in general (no doubt much to the chagrin of Eevee fans).
In the sphere of sports, we once again see a different game capturing the public’s attention with the inclusion of tennis player Kei Nishikori.
● China
1. Shinzo Abe (319)
2. Junichiro Koizumi (74)
3. Hayao Miyazaki (54)
4. Haruki Murakami (42)
5. Momoe Yamaguchi (25)
6. Hideki Tojo (18)
7. Ken Takakura (16)
8. Isoroku Yamamoto (16)
9. Keigo Higashino (16)
10. Toyotomi Hideyoshi (15)
China and Japan have never had a particularly harmonious political relationship, and their high-profile disagreements and military conflicts are reflected in a number of modern and former political leaders on the list, including Junichiro Koizumi, Japan’s prime minister from 2001 to 2006, and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the 16th century Shogun-substitute who twice invaded Korea with the aim of pushing onwards to China.
On friendlier notes, Hayao Miyazaki had his strongest showing here and mystery novelist Keigo Higashino cracks the top 10. The Chinese list also showed a soft spot for old school Japanese show business stars. Actress Momoe Yamaguchi and actor Ken Takakura, whose careers were most active in the 1970s, starred in TV series and movies which were able to see distribution in China during a period when the country was far more restrictive about foreign media than it is even today, and apparently left a lasting impression.
● South Korea
1. Shinzo Abe (531)
2. Toyotomi Hideyoshi (49)
3. Ito Hirobumi (34)
4. Kakuei Tanaka (13)
5. Junichiro Koizumi (11)
6. Yasuhiro Nakasone (11)
7. The Emperor (10)
8. Haruki Murakami (8)
9. Tokugawa Ieyasu (8)
10. Mao Asada (5)
Politicians dominated the Korean list. In addition to those previously discussed, the top responses included Ito Hirobumi (Japan’s first Resident-General to oversee Korea during the period the country was under Japanese rule), former prime minster Kakuei Tanaka (who served two terms in the early 1970s), Yasuhiro Nakasone (prime minster from 1982 to 1987), and Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the three-century shogunate that followed Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s rule and comtinued until the end of Japan’s feudal era.
The Korean responses also give us our first professional figure skater in the top 10, the recently retired Mao Asada.
● Thailand
1. Shinzo Abe (178)
2. Doraemon (111)
3. The Emperor (59)
4. Emperor Akihito (50)
5. Maria Ozawa (20)
6. Kobori (17)
7. X-Japan (16)
8. Kyoko Fukada (16)
9. Nobita Nobi (14)
10. Sora Aoi (13)
And finally, we come to Thailand, which turned in the most unique list of the bunch. Aside from Prime Minister Abe and Emperor Akihito, you’re not likely to find any of these entries in a social studies textbook, but most of them are, in their own ways, influential figures in modern Japanese culture (with the exception of Kobori, who’s actually a Japanese character in a Thai novel).
Anime robot cat Doraemon was famous enough to grab second place, and his series costar Nobita Nobi also climbed onto the list, along with esteemed rock band X-Japan (which actually has five members) and actress/singer Kyoko Fukada.
Thai respondents also were familiar with half-Canadian, half-Japanese former adult video actress Maria Ozawa and Sola Aoi, who, like Ozawa, rose to prominence as a porn star before transitioning into less salacious media work in other parts of Asia. The filmographies of Ozawa and Aoi, which include Former Sadist Her Royal Highness-Internal Cum Gangbang Damaged and Wet and Wouldn’t You Like to Be Shown Sola’s Sex Thoroughly? are in stark contrast to Doraemon and Nobita’s roles in Great Adventure in the Antarctic and Nobita and the Birth of Japan, but that just goes to show how much variety there is in Japan’s media output.
Source: Japan Press Research Institute via Jin
Top image: Pakutaso
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