Tadashi Yoyogi
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese director of pink film and adult videos (AV). He is known as the "Father of Japanese Adult Video" and has been credited with establishing the model in his early work for many of adult videos produced since.
, Japan on March 18, 1938. For a time he was a manager of an ikebana
flower-arranging shop but then joined the pink film company World Eiga in 1963. He started directing first for the small Prima Project (Purima Kikaku) company and then with Watanabe Pro from 1974. His first movie as a director was Memoirs of a Girl of Pleasure (ある少女の手記・快感) which appeared in 1972. Yoyogi and other young directors were able to bring a new direction to pink film and soon established themselves next to the veteran directors. The Japanese Movie Database
entry for Yoyogi lists 9 films with Prima and another 26 with Watanabe Pro up to the beginning of 1981.
By 1980 in Japan, market penetration of the VCR was only about 1% and the market for home videos was small but growing and a number of companies started up about this time to take advantage of the new opportunities. Yoyogi directed his first adult video (AV) in November 1981 and soon afterwards founded his own company, Athena Eizou
. That first video, , starred Kyōko Aizome
, and it marked her debut in AV as well. Aizome and Yoyogi would go on to collaborate on a number of other softcore and hardcore projects in the next few years including the August 1982 theatrical film Karei Naru ai no Henreki Aizome Kyōko directed by Yoyogi for Joy Pack Film as well as the March 1983 Joy Pack release Kyōko Aizome's Somber Reminiscence.
Because the new medium of video was cheap and the equipment more portable, a new range of possibilities opened up to the AV director which Yoyogi was the first to take full advantage of. He began his popular AV series Document: The Onanie in 1982, shot in the pseudo-documentary style with an interview with the actress that would become a major component in many subsequent adult videos. The series used real sex and amateur performers to shed light on the "hidden sex life of Japan." When Onanie became a surprise success, investors started to move into the new media of adult video and a number of other companies were formed.
Yoyogi produced the first of his "Onanie" (masturbation) series of theatrical films with The Onanie for the Million Film
studio in November 1982. This was followed in April 1983 by Orgasm: The Climax (ＯＮＡＮＩＥ２ ザ・クライマックス) and then in July 1983 by the sequel The Document: Orgasms (ザ・ドキュメント オーガズム), both released by Joy Pack. The Weissers, in their book Japanese Cinema Encyclopedia: The Sex Films describe Orgasm: The Climax as depicting masturbation by a prostitute, a model, a TV personality and a transsexual, and ask "But can it really be called a movie?." In
The Document: Orgasms, handheld camera technique is used to follow an extended S&M session designed to lead to "orgasmic delight." A later entry in the series was Onanie 3: The Vibe (ＯＮＡＮＩＥ３ザ・バイブ) from Million in October 1984.
In the following years, Yoyogi directed a number of AV series for Athena Eizou
including , , , and especially his extended series which was launched in 1993 and reached the 100th installment in December, 2008. Yoyogi has continued directing at Athena Eizou where he maintains a weekly diary and many of his early works are available for download. Volume 108 of his The Interview series was released in April 2010.
Yoyogi's activities have also attracted the attention of the world of academia. Masakazu Tanaka, professor and cultural anthropologist at Kyoto University
gave a talk “Cult-Like Nature of the Activities of a Japanese Porn Director, Tadashi YOYOGI” before a panel at a conference on Gender and Spiritual Praxis in Asian Contexts, held in September 2006 at Lancaster University
and in February 2007, Yoyogi was the subject of a study by Tanaka titled published in the journal 人文學報 (Journal of Humanities).
Life and career
Tadashi Yoyogi was born in Fukuoka PrefectureFukuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.- History :Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen....
, Japan on March 18, 1938. For a time he was a manager of an ikebana
Ikebana
is the Japanese art of flower arrangement, also known as .-Etymology:"Ikebana" is from the Japanese and . Possible translations include "giving life to flowers" and "arranging flowers".- Approach :...
flower-arranging shop but then joined the pink film company World Eiga in 1963. He started directing first for the small Prima Project (Purima Kikaku) company and then with Watanabe Pro from 1974. His first movie as a director was Memoirs of a Girl of Pleasure (ある少女の手記・快感) which appeared in 1972. Yoyogi and other young directors were able to bring a new direction to pink film and soon established themselves next to the veteran directors. The Japanese Movie Database
Japanese Movie Database
The , commonly referred to as JMDB, is an online database of information about Japanese movies, actors, and production crew personnel. It is similar to the Internet Movie Database, but lists only those films originally released in Japan. The site was started in 1997, and contains movies from Meiji...
entry for Yoyogi lists 9 films with Prima and another 26 with Watanabe Pro up to the beginning of 1981.
By 1980 in Japan, market penetration of the VCR was only about 1% and the market for home videos was small but growing and a number of companies started up about this time to take advantage of the new opportunities. Yoyogi directed his first adult video (AV) in November 1981 and soon afterwards founded his own company, Athena Eizou
Athena Eizou
is an early pioneering Japanese adult video production company. They have offices in the Shibuya ward of Tokyo, Japan.-Company information:Athena Eizou was founded December 21, 1981 by pink film director Tadashi Yoyogi and Hikaru Kitoh...
. That first video, , starred Kyōko Aizome
Kyoko Aizome
is a Japanese erotic actress, singer, AV director, and writer who has been called, "the first hard-core porn actress in Japan."-Early life:Kyōko Aizome was born on February 9, 1958 in Noda Chiba Prefecture. Aizome grew up in a troubled household. Her father was a police officer who beat his wife,...
, and it marked her debut in AV as well. Aizome and Yoyogi would go on to collaborate on a number of other softcore and hardcore projects in the next few years including the August 1982 theatrical film Karei Naru ai no Henreki Aizome Kyōko directed by Yoyogi for Joy Pack Film as well as the March 1983 Joy Pack release Kyōko Aizome's Somber Reminiscence.
Because the new medium of video was cheap and the equipment more portable, a new range of possibilities opened up to the AV director which Yoyogi was the first to take full advantage of. He began his popular AV series Document: The Onanie in 1982, shot in the pseudo-documentary style with an interview with the actress that would become a major component in many subsequent adult videos. The series used real sex and amateur performers to shed light on the "hidden sex life of Japan." When Onanie became a surprise success, investors started to move into the new media of adult video and a number of other companies were formed.
Yoyogi produced the first of his "Onanie" (masturbation) series of theatrical films with The Onanie for the Million Film
Million Film
was one of the early independent studios which produced pink films. Along with OP Eiga, Shintōhō, Kantō and Kōji Wakamatsu's production studio, Million Film was one of the most influential on the genre during its first decade...
studio in November 1982. This was followed in April 1983 by Orgasm: The Climax (ＯＮＡＮＩＥ２ ザ・クライマックス) and then in July 1983 by the sequel The Document: Orgasms (ザ・ドキュメント オーガズム), both released by Joy Pack. The Weissers, in their book Japanese Cinema Encyclopedia: The Sex Films describe Orgasm: The Climax as depicting masturbation by a prostitute, a model, a TV personality and a transsexual, and ask "But can it really be called a movie?." In
The Document: Orgasms, handheld camera technique is used to follow an extended S&M session designed to lead to "orgasmic delight." A later entry in the series was Onanie 3: The Vibe (ＯＮＡＮＩＥ３ザ・バイブ) from Million in October 1984.
In the following years, Yoyogi directed a number of AV series for Athena Eizou
Athena Eizou
is an early pioneering Japanese adult video production company. They have offices in the Shibuya ward of Tokyo, Japan.-Company information:Athena Eizou was founded December 21, 1981 by pink film director Tadashi Yoyogi and Hikaru Kitoh...
including , , , and especially his extended series which was launched in 1993 and reached the 100th installment in December, 2008. Yoyogi has continued directing at Athena Eizou where he maintains a weekly diary and many of his early works are available for download. Volume 108 of his The Interview series was released in April 2010.
Yoyogi's activities have also attracted the attention of the world of academia. Masakazu Tanaka, professor and cultural anthropologist at Kyoto University
Kyoto University
, or is a national university located in Kyoto, Japan. It is the second oldest Japanese university, and formerly one of Japan's Imperial Universities.- History :...
gave a talk “Cult-Like Nature of the Activities of a Japanese Porn Director, Tadashi YOYOGI” before a panel at a conference on Gender and Spiritual Praxis in Asian Contexts, held in September 2006 at Lancaster University
Lancaster University
Lancaster University, officially The University of Lancaster, is a leading research-intensive British university in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. The university was established by Royal Charter in 1964 and initially based in St Leonard's Gate until moving to a purpose-built 300 acre campus at...
and in February 2007, Yoyogi was the subject of a study by Tanaka titled published in the journal 人文學報 (Journal of Humanities).
Selected filmography
| Film title | Release date | Studio | Cast | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Theatrical films |
|||||
| Document: Terrible Young Teen Pornography Dokyumento Poruno Osoreru Beki Rōtiin |
1973-04 | Prima Kikaku | 61 min. | ||
| Mystery Of a Woman's Body Semi dokyumento: Nyotai no Shinpi |
1975-02 | Watanabe Pro / Nikkatsu Nikkatsu is a Japanese entertainment company well known for its film and television productions. It is Japan's oldest major movie studio. The name Nikkatsu is an abbreviation of Nippon Katsudō Shashin, literally "Japan Cinematograph Company".-History:... |
Jun Aoba, Saeko Komiyama & Akiko Kamihara | 65 min. | |
| Monzetsu Cabaret Semi dokyumento: monzetsu kyabaree |
1976-10-20 | Watanabe Pro / Nikkatsu Nikkatsu is a Japanese entertainment company well known for its film and television productions. It is Japan's oldest major movie studio. The name Nikkatsu is an abbreviation of Nippon Katsudō Shashin, literally "Japan Cinematograph Company".-History:... |
Timmy Sugimoto & Ayako Hoshi | 70 min. | |
| Karei Naru ai no Henreki Aizome Kyōko |
1982-08-14 | Joy Pack | Kyōko Aizome Kyoko Aizome is a Japanese erotic actress, singer, AV director, and writer who has been called, "the first hard-core porn actress in Japan."-Early life:Kyōko Aizome was born on February 9, 1958 in Noda Chiba Prefecture. Aizome grew up in a troubled household. Her father was a police officer who beat his wife,... & Masayoshi Nogami |
90 min. | |
| The Onanie |
1982-11 | Million Film Million Film was one of the early independent studios which produced pink films. Along with OP Eiga, Shintōhō, Kantō and Kōji Wakamatsu's production studio, Million Film was one of the most influential on the genre during its first decade... |
60 min. | ||
| Kyōko Aizome's Somber Reminiscence Aizome Kyōko Kareinaru Tsuioku |
1983-03-11 | Joy Pack | Kyōko Aizome Kyoko Aizome is a Japanese erotic actress, singer, AV director, and writer who has been called, "the first hard-core porn actress in Japan."-Early life:Kyōko Aizome was born on February 9, 1958 in Noda Chiba Prefecture. Aizome grew up in a troubled household. Her father was a police officer who beat his wife,... , Masayoshi Nogami & Matsu Takada |
90 min. | |
| Orgasm: The Climax Onanie2 Za Kuraimakkusu |
1983-04-22 | Joy Pack | Yuko Taki & Kaoru Noguchi | 90 min. | |
| The Document: Orgasms Za Dokyumento Ōgazumu |
1983-07-29 | Joy Pack | Mami Fujii & Keiko Tanaka | 90 min. | |
| Kyōko Aizome: The Survival Aizome Kyōko: Za Sabaibaru |
1984-04 | Million Film Million Film was one of the early independent studios which produced pink films. Along with OP Eiga, Shintōhō, Kantō and Kōji Wakamatsu's production studio, Million Film was one of the most influential on the genre during its first decade... |
Kyōko Aizome Kyoko Aizome is a Japanese erotic actress, singer, AV director, and writer who has been called, "the first hard-core porn actress in Japan."-Early life:Kyōko Aizome was born on February 9, 1958 in Noda Chiba Prefecture. Aizome grew up in a troubled household. Her father was a police officer who beat his wife,... , Makoto Narita & Azusa Nakayama |
89 min. | |
| Onanie 3: The Vibe Onanie3 Za Baibu |
1984-10 | Million Film Million Film was one of the early independent studios which produced pink films. Along with OP Eiga, Shintōhō, Kantō and Kōji Wakamatsu's production studio, Million Film was one of the most influential on the genre during its first decade... |
Ryōko Orimoto, Naomi Kashiwagi & Matsuhisa Takada | 96 min. | |
| The Eros THE Erosu |
1986-03 | Million Film Million Film was one of the early independent studios which produced pink films. Along with OP Eiga, Shintōhō, Kantō and Kōji Wakamatsu's production studio, Million Film was one of the most influential on the genre during its first decade... |
85 min. | ||
| Traci Takes Tokyo Traci Takes Tokyo Traci Takes Tokyo is a pornographic movie released in 1986 which starred an underaged Traci Lords who also served as co-producer. It was the first project from Lords' own Traci Lords Company and filmed in Tokyo, featuring renowned pink film and AV director Tadashi Yoyogi as co-director... |
1986 | Kyōko Aizome Kyoko Aizome is a Japanese erotic actress, singer, AV director, and writer who has been called, "the first hard-core porn actress in Japan."-Early life:Kyōko Aizome was born on February 9, 1958 in Noda Chiba Prefecture. Aizome grew up in a troubled household. Her father was a police officer who beat his wife,... , Traci Lords Traci Lords Traci Lords , also known as Traci Elizabeth Lords and Tracy Lords, is an American film actress, producer, film director, writer and singer... & Don Fernando Don Fernando Don Fernando is a director and actor of pornographic films. He has been in the pornography business since 1977 and has won the Best Supporting Actor award twice during the Festival de Cine Erotica-Barcelona Fernando has won the award for Best Actor at the 2006 EXPOSEX Madrid Awards Gala, and was... |
Co-directed with Steven Cartier | ||
| Video title | Release date | Studio | Cast | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adult videos (AV) |
|||||
| April of Lust Inyoku no Uzuki |
1981-11 | Japan Video (日本ビデオ映像) |
Kyōko Aizome Kyoko Aizome is a Japanese erotic actress, singer, AV director, and writer who has been called, "the first hard-core porn actress in Japan."-Early life:Kyōko Aizome was born on February 9, 1958 in Noda Chiba Prefecture. Aizome grew up in a troubled household. Her father was a police officer who beat his wife,... |
Debut AV 29 min. |
|
| New Document The Onanie Part 11: '81 Miss Nude World 3rd Place |
1982-01-03 | Athena Eizou Athena Eizou is an early pioneering Japanese adult video production company. They have offices in the Shibuya ward of Tokyo, Japan.-Company information:Athena Eizou was founded December 21, 1981 by pink film director Tadashi Yoyogi and Hikaru Kitoh... NV-6064 |
Chie Yamamiya | 28 min. | |
| Dizziness Kyoko Aizome |
1982 | Athena Eizou | Kyōko Aizome Kyoko Aizome is a Japanese erotic actress, singer, AV director, and writer who has been called, "the first hard-core porn actress in Japan."-Early life:Kyōko Aizome was born on February 9, 1958 in Noda Chiba Prefecture. Aizome grew up in a troubled household. Her father was a police officer who beat his wife,... |
||
| Secret Sexual Technique Part 1: Soaking Wet |
1983 | Athena Eizou / Mimizuku Video Pack NV-9063 |
Kyōko Aizome Kyoko Aizome is a Japanese erotic actress, singer, AV director, and writer who has been called, "the first hard-core porn actress in Japan."-Early life:Kyōko Aizome was born on February 9, 1958 in Noda Chiba Prefecture. Aizome grew up in a troubled household. Her father was a police officer who beat his wife,... |
||
| Secret Sexual Technique Part 4: Aa, Minaide... |
1983 | Athena Eizou / Mimizuku Video Pack NV-9066 |
Takako Satō | ||
| New Secret Sexual Technique Part 4 |
1984-01-02 | Athena Eizou AV-T609 |
Hitomi Kobayakawa & Yūko Tamura | ||
| Secret Sexual Technique Special |
1984 | Athena Eizou AV-T905 |
Kyōko Aizome Kyoko Aizome is a Japanese erotic actress, singer, AV director, and writer who has been called, "the first hard-core porn actress in Japan."-Early life:Kyōko Aizome was born on February 9, 1958 in Noda Chiba Prefecture. Aizome grew up in a troubled household. Her father was a police officer who beat his wife,... |
||
| Psycho Hypnotic Ecstasy Part 1 |
1985 | Athena Eizou AS-603 |
Kyōko Aizome Kyoko Aizome is a Japanese erotic actress, singer, AV director, and writer who has been called, "the first hard-core porn actress in Japan."-Early life:Kyōko Aizome was born on February 9, 1958 in Noda Chiba Prefecture. Aizome grew up in a troubled household. Her father was a police officer who beat his wife,... |
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| Sexy 4 Volume 2: |
1985-11-21 | Athena Eizou AS-04 |
Mizue Morita, Miwa Yamaguchi, Miwako Sugihara & Keiko Takasaki | ||
| Sexy 4 Volume 8: Kokan DE Uinku |
Athena Eizou AS-33 |
Chiyako Uemura, Hisako Ishigami, Erika Nishihara & Saki Yamashita | |||
| Sexual Massage Deluxe Edition |
1986-10-15 | Athena Eizou AS-38 |
Yukari Taguchi, Yoshimi Tachiki, Yoshiko Tachibana & Keiko Natsuki | ||
| Lewd Performance: Ginza Karikari Musume |
1987 | Athena Eizou AS-52 |
Mariko Misaki & Aoi Sakita | ||
| Lewd Performance: Married Couple |
1987-07-15 | Athena Eizou AS-57 |
Miki Kanou | ||
| Lewd Performance: Reverse Shooting |
1987-12-05 | Athena Eizou AS-72 |
Mayumi Hoshino & Asami Yūki | ||
| Lewd Performance: Debauched Girls |
1988-04-05 | Athena Eizou AS-83 |
Makoto Yūki, Ayako Sakaguchi & Keiko Hayashi | ||
| Lewd Performance: Loss of Virginity Kana Kuromochi |
1989-01-10 | Athena Eizou AS-109 |
Kana Kuromochi | ||
| New Face Performance: Nurse Mayumi |
1989-07-05 | Athena Eizou Directors KW-7003 |
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| |
Athena Eizou AS-179 |
Yumika Hayashi Yumika Hayashi was a Japanese AV idol and pink film actress. She earned the title of "Japan's Original Adult Video Queen" during a 16-year career in which she starred in nearly 200 AVs and appeared in over 180 films... , Rie Takayama & Mako Natsuki |
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| Horny Amateur Wife |
1992-03-06 | Athena Eizou AS-235 |
Rie Yoshimura | ||
| The Interview: Koitsua Jyohdamadaze! |
1993-07-11 | Athena Eizou AS-310 |
Ayako Iwasaki, Maki Satō & Eriko Misaki | ||
| The Interview: Cry! Scream! Writhe in Agony! |
1993-09-11 | Athena Eizou AS-320 |
Yuri Kamiyama & Jun Motogi | ||
| The Interview: Two Prisoners Together! |
1995-04-11 | Athena Eizou AS-416 |
Reina Aoki & Erina Togawa | ||
| The Interview: 6 Nin No Okashi Ya To 7 Nin No Onna Tachi |
1997-12-11 | Athena Eizou AS-800 |
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| The Interview: Yarō Domo Mesu To Musume To Hitoduma Ya!! |
1998-02-11 | Athena Eizou AS-812 |
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| The Interview: Sengyō Shufu Kara Kaji Tetsudai Go Reijō Mo Ōhiraki Ashi!! |
1998-08-11 | Athena Eizou AS-848 |
Norika Kajihara, Manami Moriyama, Saori Mochizuki, Yuki Motomiya, Marie Yūki & Satomi Fujii | ||
| The Interview: Onna No Honshō Dai Mankai!! |
1998-12-11 | Athena Eizou AS-872 |
Mika Machida, Aya Takanashi & Idumi Kanda | ||
| The Interview: Gōka Inran - Shiru Dashi Dai Pafoomansu! |
1999-04-11 | Athena Eizou AS-896 |
Eriko Sawamoto, Hitomi Takaoka, Miharu Higuchi, Yū Imori & Rika Kawahara | ||