Japanese porn is an intriguing genre of sexual videos. Featuring some of the world’s most stunning women in erotic scenes, Japanese porn is popular among audiences in Japan due to its taboo status.
Japan may be more accepting than many Asian nations when it comes to sexual content; however, they still enforce strict rules for filming pornographic material – for instance censoring actors genitalia in such films.
Tokyo Decadence (1994)
Nihilistic Comedy of Manners and Morality with Kinky Sex This gritty low-budget flick adapted from Murakami’s novel Topaz features an unassuming call girl named Nikaido who services Tokyo’s freaks as she navigates a relationship between vulnerable yet passionate work as she services them for money (she even finds humor in losing a dildo in a toilet!). Unfortunately, however, in its final act the film suddenly deflates due to running out of ideas; while an awkward plot device such as adding courage pills doesn’t help much either (though Nikaido does excellently).
Nobuyoshi Araki wrote the screenplay and supplied photo inserts, featuring in several cameo appearances in this film.
Tokyo Decadence 2 (1995)
Tokyo Decadence 2 or Topaz as it’s better known in the US is a low-budget sex comedy directed by Murakami Ryu and inspired by one of his short stories in Coin Locker Babies collection; much like that novella it shows Japan during its bubble and postbubble years as a place where anything from your wildest fantasies or worst fears could occur.
Nikaido gives a memorable performance as she serves the freaks of emotionless Tokyo as a call girl, yet somehow never quite fulfills its full satirical potential; too serious at times for its own good; with one scene where she takes an unpromising pill in order to strengthen courage at work being particularly unsatisfying and disappointing.
Tokyo Decadence 3 (1999)
Whore and Leaving Las Vegas are both films dealing with prostitution, wherein it’s easy to discern that their main characters are immersed in what they do for a living; Tokyo Decadence stands out because Ai’s face clearly communicates her revulsion for those she entertains; she barely speaks during the entire film but her facial expressions convey its horror effectively. However, later in the movie events take an unsettling turn when Ai meets Mistress Saki who introduces her to drug use and inappropriate sexual encounters that takes her down an altogether different path.
At first marketed in the US as a pink porn flick, this nervy drama is actually more psychodrama than unrestrained erotica. As its title implies, its story centers around an antiheroine who struggles to establish her personal independence while traversing through Seven Circles of Hell (sexual degradation at various hands of various johns and gangsters). Crisp colors and seductive lighting create a high-productive sheen as Ai experiences further humiliations as her sexual life becomes ever more complicated.
Ryu Murakami (unrelated to Haruki), has written fourty novels, twelve short story collections, and various collections of essays, in addition to making this film. Turbine marks his sole directorial attempt, yet its strength can be seen through its impressive sequences and performances by some impressive actors. Turbine offers two versions of its movie on DVD: one featuring more explicit language during S&M sessions (ArrowDrome version) while also providing two different video quality options: good but with faded darker scenes.
Tokyo Decadence 4 (2001)
Miho Nikaido makes an unforgettable impression as a submissive BDSM hooker in this compelling drama adapted from Murakamis novel, as she encounters various perverted and disturbed Japanese clients day-after-day who thrust their own sick sexual fantasies onto her body.
Tokyo Decadence may feature explicit sexual content, yet is far from being a carnal film. Instead, it serves as a character study exploring Japan in the 80s with sexuality not depicted as either romantic or tragic – rather as part of making sense of this world that seems driven by fear and desire.
Crisp colours, seductive lighting and slow dollying camera work give a highly mesmerising cinematic experience as Nikaido puts her best foot forward for various fetish clients. At its most powerful moments, the movie depicts humiliation caused by one of Nikaido’s regular johns while aiding another dominatrix to bring down another victim of sexual servitude.
Unearthed Films offers an excellent Blu-ray release with this film, but its lack of an overall narrative arc often makes some scenes feel like endless illustrations. As Nikaido repeatedly strips down and up for client after client, you begin longing for the story to move along. Unearthed Films offer a good package for this release featuring an essay by Ryuichi Sakamoto as well as interview clips featuring Nikaido, Murakami, and cast members; plus all regions coded DVD case with reversible cover art artwork!
Tokyo Decadence 5 (2004)
No one starts reading Murakami Ryu short fiction with the intention of raising their moral standards, no matter the circumstances; all his stories often move in one direction – towards sex, drugs and bloodshed. Kurodahan Press had the foresight to offer their translator Ralph McCarthy this opportunity and bring these tales from Japan into American audiences – the sexual and comic elements are well balanced while Nikaido adds flair by invigorating long walk scenes with vulnerability and charm.
Tokyo Decadence 6 (2006)
This riveting, unsettling film, set in Tokyo’s sexual underworld, probes deeper into human nature. An innocent young girl finds herself thrust into this perverse realm where humiliation, abuse and use become commonplace – it’s powerful due to this protagonist’s vulnerability as she searches for love and something real in an otherwise perverted environment.
Miho Nikaido’s scenes as she endures the abuse from Yakuza men and being used for intimate sexual relations are captivating to watch, with crisp colours and seductive lighting creating an atmosphere that draws audiences into Tokyo’s toxic underbelly with ease. Watching is difficult but rewarding in its subtextual layers – its beauty difficult to resist in such an urban landscape as Tokyo itself!
This movie may offend some, but is nevertheless an intriguing depiction of our modern societies’ dependence on sexual encounters for spiritual and psychological escape, turning flesh into a commodity to provide relief from fear and alienation. Additionally, it offers an ominous portrayal of Japan since the bubble burst; Nikaido gives an outstanding performance conveying emotions from enthralled to disillusioned through her expressions ranging from romantic to bitterly critical and detached.