Saori Hara
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is a former Japanese
pornographic actress A pornographic film actor or actress, pornographic performer, adult entertainer, or porn star is a person who performs sex acts on video that is usually characterized as a pornographic film. Such videos tend to be made in a number of distinc ...
, model and actress who has also used the name and most recently .


Early life

Saori Hara was born in Hiroshima Prefecture to a Japanese mother and a father of mixed German-Japanese parentage.


Mai Nanami

Hara started her career as a child performer under the name Mai Nanami. As a teenager, she sang the theme song for the animated TV show ''
The Marshmallow Times is a manga by Lunlun Yamamoto. It was first published from 2004 to 2006 in the magazines ''Asahi Shōgakusei Shimbun'' and ''Asahi Chūgakusei Weekly'' (Asahi Shimbun group), and subsequently adapted into anime series directed by Hiroshi Fuku ...
'' on
TV Osaka JOBH-DTV (channel 7), branded as , is a Japanese television station serving as the affiliate of the TX Network for the Osaka prefecture. Owned-and-operated by , the station's headquarters and studios are in the Chūō-ku, Osaka, Chūō-ku ward of ...
in 2004. She also had parts in two movies in 2005, the March TV drama for TBS, and the April theatrical release, horse-racing melodrama ''Haru Urara'' (''Lovely Fields''), which was later released as a DVD. She had also made a bikini-model photobook, ''Mai Nanami First Photobook'', in May 2005 and a non-nude (gravure) DVD titled ''Mai Nanami: Yamagishi Shin Digital Movie Museum'' which was released in August 2005. As Nanami, she also played the female lead in another mainstream movie that was due to be released in Japan in 2006 but had its debut at the
American Film Market The American Film Market (AFM) is a film industry event held annually in early November. Historically, more than 7,000 people attend the eight-day annual event to network and to sell, finance, and acquire films. Participants come from more than 7 ...
in
Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...
in November 2005 as ''Deep Sea Monster Reigo''. The film was eventually released in Japan as '' Reigo: The Deep Sea Monster vs the Battleship Yamato''.


AV career

After a long hiatus, she re-emerged as Saori Hara in August 2008 and appeared in a non-nude
gravure Rotogravure (or gravure for short) is a type of intaglio printing process, which involves engraving the image onto an image carrier. In gravure printing, the image is engraved onto a cylinder because, like offset printing and flexography, it u ...
video titled ''Clear Water''. The next month, in September, she posed nude for the first time in the Japanese men's magazine ''
Sabra Sabra may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Sabra (character), a fictional Israeli female superhero in the Marvel Comics universe * Sabra (magazine), a Japanese magazine for men * ''Sabra Command'' the original title of the film ''Warhead'' * ...
'', and it was announced that she was contracted to the
Soft On Demand , often known as SOD, is a Japanese adult video group of companies which has its headquarters in the Nakano ward of Tokyo. SOD was founded in December 1995 by Ganari Takahashi, who retired from the company in March 2005 and is currently working ...
(SOD) adult video studio. She became the face of the SOD group in its anti- STD campaign in November 2008, a role formerly played by long-time SOD AV actress
Nana Natsume is a Japanese film actress, a former AV idol and a well-known celebrity in Japan. Life and career Natsume was born on January 23, 1980, in Sakai, Osaka, Japan (Her birthdate has usually been reported as 1982 and it is still listed as such on h ...
. Hara's first adult video (AV) was released by SOD in January 2009 with the title ''Real Celebrity Saori Hara: Miraculous AV Debut'' and was reported to have sold 100,000 copies. About the same time as her AV debut, Hara posed for a set of nude photos set in Tokyo public places by photographer
Kishin Shinoyama was a Japanese photographer. He is well-known for having photographed the covers for John Lennon and Yoko Ono's albums, ''Double Fantasy'' and ''Milk and Honey (album), Milk and Honey''. Before his marriage to Saori Minami in 1979, he took a ma ...
which was published January 28, 2009, by Asahi Press as ''NO NUDE by KISHIN 1 20XX TOKYO''. Shinoyama has said that he likes working with porn stars because they have no problems with nudity. However, both Shinoyama and Hara were charged by Tokyo authorities with
public indecency Indecent exposure is the deliberate public exposure by a person of a portion of their body in a manner contrary to local standards of appropriate behavior. Laws and social attitudes regarding indecent exposure vary significantly in different ...
. Also in early 2009, Hara was in the
TV Asahi JOEX-DTV (channel 5), branded as , and better known as , is a Japanese television station serving the Kanto region as the flagship station of the All-Nippon News Network. It is owned-and-operated by the a subsidiary of , itself controlled by ...
movie '' Mission Section Chief Hitoshi Tadano: Season 4 Special'', a tie-in to the fourth season of the
manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
-based TV show. Her May 2009 ''
hamedori Point-of-view pornography (also known as POV porn) is adult entertainment filmed to look as if the watcher were experiencing the sex act themselves. In POV porn, the shooting style is generally similar to gonzo pornography, with the person r ...
'' adult video for SOD, ''Real Celebrity Saori Hara: Brown Eyes'', directed by
Company Matsuo is a Japanese adult video (AV) director, producer and entrepreneur. He is credited with popularizing the Japanese porn genre of " hamedori", where the director/actor performs sexually with the actress and also films the actual action. He has be ...
, had the quarter-German Hara traveling to Germany for six days to explore her roots. The SOD studio celebrated the end of Hara's first year with the company with the four-hour
cosplay Cosplay, a blend word of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and Fashion accessory, fashion accessories to represent a specific Character (arts), character. Cosplayers often i ...
video, ''Real Celebrity Saori Hara: 8 Changes and Sweet Sex'', where she plays eight different characters. Not long after her AV debut, Hara had a role in the
Nikkatsu is a Japanese film studio located in Bunkyō. The name ''Nikkatsu'' amalgamates the words Nippon Katsudō Shashin, literally "Japan Motion Pictures". Shareholders are Nippon Television Holdings (35%) and SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation (28.4%). ...
sex comedy about the
porn industry The sex industry (also called the sex trade) consists of businesses that either directly or indirectly provide sex-related products and services or adult entertainment. The industry includes activities involving direct provision of sex-related se ...
, ''
Lala Pipo ''Lala Pipo: A Lot of People'' () is a 2005 Japanese novel by Hideo Okuda. It was made into a movie by the same name in 2009. ''Lala Pipo'' is the directorial debut of Masayuki Miyano. The screenplay was written by Tetsuya Nakashima, writer-direct ...
'', written by
Tetsuya Nakashima Tetsuya Nakashima (中島哲也) (born 1959) is a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He was born in Fukuoka, attending high school in Chikushino. His 2010 film '' Confessions'' was awarded Best Picture at the Japanese Academy Awards, whe ...
, which reached theatres in February 2009. In April of that same year, Hara had a featured part in the disaster-parody comedy
Saikin-rettō The film does not have an official English title yet. is a 2009 Japanese comedy film. It stars comedian Naoto Takenaka as "the General", the dictator of a fictional Asian country, which parodies the North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. The film also ...
and also sang the theme song for the movie. July 2009 saw her play the protagonist in
kunoichi is a Japanese term for . In popular culture, it is often used for female ninja or practitioner of ninjutsu (''ninpo''). The term was largely popularized by novelist Futaro Yamada in his novel in 1964. Although kunoichi have appeared in numerou ...
sexploitation A sexploitation film (or sex-exploitation film) is a class of independently produced, Low-budget film, low-budget feature film that is generally associated with the 1960s and early 1970s, and that serves largely as a vehicle for the exhibition o ...
V-Cinema Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, television series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strate ...
film that was also released in an AV version. Hara made a TV appearance with a major role in the late night 24-part
manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
-based
J-dorama , also called or J-drama, are television programs that are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. Format All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including romance, comedy, detective stories, horror ...
series Jōō Virgin, which was broadcast on
TV Tokyo JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as is a Japanese television station that serves as the flagship of the TX Network.Yuma Asami , is a Japanese actress, singer, and a former adult video (AV) actress and model. Starring in more than 600 adult films between 2005 and 2013, Asami was widely recognized as one of Japan's most famous and acclaimed adult film actresses with her ...
,
Akiho Yoshizawa , often known simply as Acky (あっきー), is a Japanese actress and former adult video (AV) actress, who also appeared in pink film and mainstream (non-erotic) film, as well as television. With a career spanning over more than 15 years and ove ...
and
Sora Aoi is a Japanese former AV idol, nude model, and actress. Starring in more than 600 adult films between 2002 and 2011, Aoi is widely considered to be one of the most popular adult video idols of the 2000s. Her popularity as a porn actress alone ha ...
. On December 11, 2009,
Shueisha is a Japanese publishing company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. Shueisha is the largest publishing company in Japan. It was established in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The ...
published Hara's autobiography titled ''My Real Name Is Mai Kato: Why I Became an AV Actress'' (本名、加藤まい 私がAV女優になった理由) (). The 144 page book details Hara's upbringing and family life, her views on sex and her career as a teen idol and eventual AV idol. Her book is one of a number of autobiographical publications by actresses about the AV industry going back to
Ai Iijima was a Japanese media personality, writer, activist and actress who was an AV idol early in her career, starring in more than 100 films. She later became the hostess on the nighttime television program, ''Gilgamesh Night,'' and transitioned away ...
's million-selling ''Platonic Sex'' and including
Mihiro , real name , is a Japanese actress, singer, fiction writer, television personality and former adult video (AV) actress. Life and career Mihiro was born in Niigata prefecture on May 19, 1982. She began a career as a softcore nude model as early ...
's partially fictional May 2009 work ''nude'' and
Honoka is a Japanese TV personality, actress, writer and former adult video (AV) performer who retired from the AV industry in 2008. Life and career Honoka was born in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. She is a licensed practical nurse and has appeared a ...
's tell-all ''Biography of Honoka: Mama, I Love You'' published in January 2010, which adult media reporter Rio Yasuda sees as marking a trend in which the AV industry is losing its stigma and being assimilated into
Japanese popular culture Japanese popular culture includes Cinema of Japan, Japanese cinema, Japanese cuisine, cuisine, Television in Japan, television programs, anime, manga, Video gaming in Japan, video games, Music of Japan, music, and doujinshi, all of which retain ol ...
. Hara continued her AV career with SOD in 2010 including the January release ''Real Celebrity Saori Hara: 22 Years Old – Awakening Sexual Desire'' and the August ''SOD Star x SOD Cinderella – Mega Gangbang'' where the plot revolves around "veteran" SOD actresses being paired against newcomers. She was the winner of Adult Broadcasting Award for Best Actress in March 2010 for her 2009 appearances on adult channel Midnight Blue. Hara's presence in mainstream films was maintained in 2010 with her role as an aromatherapy client in , which debuted at the
Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival The , also sometimes called YIFFF, is held in a resort-like environment in the small town of Yūbari on the northernmost Japanese island of Hokkaidō. From 1990 to 1999, the festival was known as the Yubari International Fantastic Adventure Fil ...
in February and was released theatrically in May. She also co-starred with
Asami Sugiura performed under the name , is a Japanese actress, model, and pornographic actress. Life and career Asami was born in Tokyo, Japan on September 19, 1985. At age 19, she appeared in the theatrical film , directed by Naoyuki Tomomatsu and released ...
and Mint Suzuki in the 2010 horror parody '' Horny House of Horror''. According to a 2010 article in ''Shukan Post'', Hara and
Maria Ozawa is a Japanese model and a former pornographic film actress of Canadian and Japanese ancestry. Early in her career as a model, she also used the name . Biography 1986–2002: Early life Ozawa was born in Hokkaido, Japan. Her mother is Japanese ...
were the two most downloaded AV actresses in China and in August 2010, it was announced that Hara was cast with fellow SOD actress for the US$3.2 million 3-D
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
erotic film '' 3D Sex and Zen: Extreme Ecstasy'' produced by Stephen Shiu who was the executive producer of the Category III film ''
Sex and Zen ''Sex and Zen'' (, ''The Carnal Prayer Mat's Stash of Illicit Love'') is a Hong Kong films of 1991, 1991 Cinema of Hong Kong, Hong Kong erotic film, erotic sex comedy film directed by Michael Mak (director), Michael Mak, and starring Amy Yip and ...
''. The film opened in April 2011.


Hiatus

Hara reportedly went through a
nervous breakdown A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness, a mental health condition, or a psychiatric disability, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. A mental disorder is ...
following the March
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami On 11 March 2011, at 14:46:24 Japan Standard Time, JST (05:46:24 UTC), a  9.0–9.1 Submarine earthquake, undersea megathrust earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region. It lasted approx ...
and decided to retire from
show business Show business, sometimes shortened to show biz or showbiz (since 1945), is a vernacular term for all aspects of the entertainment industry.''Oxford English Dictionary'' 2nd Ed. (1989) From the business side (including managers, agents, produce ...
, subsequently terminating her contract with SOD. As of April 2011, ''3D Sex and Zen'' co-star Yukiko Suo said that she had not been able to contact Hara after the events. Her last original adult video, ''Real Celebrity Saori Hara vs. Amateur Men: Gonzo Initiation'', was released on May 19, 2011. She announced her official retirement in August 2011 and a 5-disc compilation set marking her formal retirement that also featured some previously non-released scenes appeared on September 8, 2011. Before her retirement Hara also appeared as the lead actress in the Japanese-directed British-produced art film, ''Venus In Eros'' which premiered at the
Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...
in May 2011 and was released as a feature film in Japan in October 2012. In 2011, ''
Complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'' magazine ranked her at #19 in their list of “The Top 50 Hottest Asian Porn Stars of All Time.”


Career restart

After an absence of more than two years, in February 2014, Hara announced her return to the entertainment industry under the performing name Miyabi Matsunoi, given to her by actor . She revealed that for a while after her retirement she had been working part-time in a
Ginza Ginza ( ; ) is a district of Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo, located south of Yaesu and Kyōbashi, Tokyo, Kyōbashi, west of Tsukiji, east of Yūrakuchō and Uchisaiwaichō, and north of Shinbashi. It is a popular upscale shopping area of Tokyo ...
bar and that after a short courtship, she had
married Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
a man 24 years her senior in October 2012. According to an article in Nikkan Sports her new start will not directly involve the AV industry, as she now wants to engage in entertainment activities that her mother would approve of. She also said she had been depressed and was drinking heavily before her retirement from adult videos. Matsunoi appeared in the April 21, 2014, issue of Weekly Playboy in a nude photo spread under the headline "Rebirth." In 2015, Matsunoi was cast along Masahiro Inoue in the television series '' Garo: Gold Storm Sho'' where she plays Amily who serves as a reoccurring antagonist in the Garo series.


References


External links

*
Miyavi Matsunoi
at
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Miyavi Matsunoi
at
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Saori Hara
at
Hong Kong Cinemagic Hong Kong Cinemagic, sometimes referred to as HKCinemagic, was a bilingual ( French and English) website providing a repository for information about Chinese language films from Hong Kong, China and Taiwan, and the people who created them. The we ...

Saori Hara
at ao Hom Nay {{DEFAULTSORT:Hara, Saori 1988 births Living people Japanese gravure models Japanese pornographic film actresses Japanese women television personalities 21st-century Japanese women writers Japanese people of German descent Actresses from Hiroshima