Shocking Interview with porn star Sora Amakawa about bad agencies, unpaid wages, and industry changes

The online version of monthly magazine Spa! recently published a two-part interview with the Japanese porn star Sora Amakawa, describing her early career and experience with management agencies that didn’t pay her fees.

We’ve translated and edited some highlights from the two interviews.

You debuted in the porn industry in 2019. What led you to join a talent agency that represents adult film performers?

Sora Amakawa: I needed to earn money to support my family, so a friend introduced me to a talent agency that specializes in adult film actresses. However, that friend was receiving a scouting commission (a system where the scout receives money as long as the woman works for the agency) from the agency. She even put a GPS tracker on me and kept me captive for six months. I’m calling her a friend here, but looking back, the relationship was suspicious.

You were being controlled by that friend?

Amakawa: They restricted my meetings with other people, dragged me to various places even when I was tired, and controlled even my meal times and menus, robbing me of time to think. That’s how I was brainwashed.

And it seems that the agency you were with at the time did not pay your wages. How long were you with that agency?

Amakawa: I was with them for about three years, from my debut in 2019.

In 2019, the so-called new AV Law didn’t exist yet. Was the total amount of wages paid by the production company disclosed to you by your agency?

Amakawa: It was around the time that the Production Association’s regulations were established requiring the total amount of wages to be disclosed to the performers. The manufacturer transfers the fee to the agency first and the agency temporarily holds the fee.

First, my agency gave my fee to the friend who introduced me to them. She said I was too emotionally unstable and needed a friend to manage it. The agency president seemed to believe here. The amount I ultimately received was about 25% of the total fee. On top of that, because I was being taken in by that friend, I was also made to pay for her rent, food, and utilities under the guise of miscellaneous expenses. That situation continued for about a year after my debut.

I guess I completely trusted my friend. Moreover, that friend would spread rumors to my fans that I can’t manage herself.

Didn’t you have any doubts about that person embezzling your earnings or constantly making you pay for things?

Amakawa: Of course I had doubts. But if I resisted, they would start a negative campaign against me, and they had a GPS tracker on me. Before I knew it, an environment had been created where it was better for them if I kept quiet.

It’s like you were brainwashed. How did you escape from that?

Amakawa: I cut off all contact, including the GPS and social media. I had a lot of followers on social media because I had debuted as an actress, but I deleted them. I was determined to escape.

Were you still not paid by the agency?

Amakawa: It seemed the president was using company funds and earnings for gambling. Filming was continuing, so the production company was paying me, and the money should have been saved, but I found out he was gambling and losing a lot. I had savings, so I lived off my savings for about a year.

In the end, how much money were you not paid?

Amakawa: Several million yen.

Did you consider suing or pursuing a criminal complaint?

Amakawa: There were actresses who were fighting civil cases, but it seems their secrets were posted online and exposed. Considering all those stories, I thought it would be safer to leave it at that. I did consult with a lawyer. I think there are various types of contracts, like individual business contracts or service contracts, but there wasn’t a contract with the agency itself. I kept asking them to create a contract, but in the end, they never did.

You had the issue of non-payment of wages at another agency, right?

Amakawa: I think I’m probably the only adult film actress to have two consecutive non-payment issues. The second time, the unpaid amount was around ¥1 million. After leaving my previous agency, I was hesitant about continuing my career as a performer, but I couldn’t make a living without working, so I joined a new agency through an introduction from someone I trusted at the time.

Even though I was filming several films a month, I wasn’t getting paid, so I requested payment, and they said there were continuous delays. It seems the president at the time had bought out the previous agency, and I think he was struggling to make those payments.

The other actresses in the agency had all been paid. I realized that I hardly had any opportunities to meet with the president or see the other girls anymore. Looking back, I think I was isolated from those around me, and I no longer had an environment where I could talk to anyone. Whenever something came up, it was always just me and the president talking. I found out about the unpaid wages about a year after I left the agency. I managed to arrange a meeting with the president of the agency, but he ran away on the day of the meeting and didn’t show up. Since then, I haven’t heard from him at all.

Despite having gone through that experience twice, why are you still working as an adult performer?

Amakawa: My current agency was founded by someone who used to be my manager. He understands me the best, and he was the most capable person at my previous agency.

Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the industry in the future?

Amakawa: Because the agency receives payment from the production company first, it’s almost impossible to deal directly with individuals. Recently, a certain number of actresses create their own independent productions or work freelance. If you have a relationship of trust, you can shoot and sell your own works.

You joined an industry campaign to make the new porn law easier for performers and crew. What is your stance now?

Amakawa: I’ve been keeping a close eye on it. The mandatory one-month cooling-off period from contract signing to filming is problematic if an actress has to cancel on the day of filming due to sudden illness or other reasons. Because the performance contract has to be finalized a month in advance, if even one performer suddenly falls ill, there’s no replacement, and the shoot it totally called off.

How should that be fixed?

Amakawa: People who want to coerce performers will likely try to do so regardless of whether the contract is signed a month in advance or a year later. And if a performer can’t show up on the day of filming, the shoot is canceled, so I think it would be better if the regulations were a little more flexible in that regard.

You’re currently appealing to opposition lawmakers and former lawmakers who lost their seats.

Amakawa: Lobbying is quite important. However, there are a lot of relatively compliant people in the industry, so we often end up skipping the proper steps and just charging in. But in lobbying, it’s also very important not to make enemies. If you get that wrong, relationships can deteriorate very quickly. When everyone is trying to work together in unison, if someone rushes ahead and charges in, there are a lot of people who already have negative feelings towards the industry.

I hope we can incorporate more feedback from those on the ground in the future. I think it’s important to listen carefully to the voices of the people actually working in the industry and adjust the system accordingly.