Christina Lindberg in Japan

We trawl the internetz so you don't have to.

A friend recently visited Sweden so I suggested he hook up with actress Christina Lindberg who would be 61 years young now. Lindberg started out as a nude model around 1968 in her native Sweden and then transitioned to softcore sexploitation films.

Sex and Fury poster

Christina Lindberg with Ike Reiko

In 1973 she appeared in the film Sex and Fury alongside Ike Reiko. According to Wikipedia, she got this gig as a result of a publicity tour to Japan promoting a film she had made in Sweden called Exponerad which caused a stir at the Cannes Film Festival.

Meeting the press

Being interviewed by the press

When I get more time, I'll try to figure out just how many and what Japanese films Lindberg appeared in. Right now I'm only finding two -- thought she had appeared in more than that. Anyone know?

Sadly, my friend was too rushed during his trip to meet with Lindberg-san.

Roman Porno Lives! Nikkatsu Celebrates 100

Queen of SM Tani Naomi

Throughout a good chunk of the month of May, a roman porno film festival was taking place at the Eurospace theater in Shibuya. The event was in celebration of the 100 year anniversary of the founding of the Nikkatsu film studios.

Sadly, I didn't know anything about it until a friend emailed me asking if I had attended. Well, I would have attended if I had known about it! Especially since last Sunday the special guests were the Queen of SM herself, Tani Naomi, now 63, and famed director Konuma Masaru, now 74.

A large number of roman porno films ranging from the early 1970s to the 1980s were screened and these included two SM films involving Tani and Konuma: Wife to Be Sacrificed and Tattooed Flower Vase.

Tattooed Flower Vase, Nikkatsu, 1976

They held one of those live "talk show" things where the guests of honor are seated on stage along with someone asking the questions while the audience listens intently as the icons, now advanced in years, reminisce about the past.

There was also a book signing for Konuma's just-released autobiography. I'm having trouble with the translation of the title but it's something like Nikkatsu Roman Porno: My Life (わが人生　わが日活ロマンポルノ).

Konuma Masaru's autobiography

Additional coverage and pics of the event can be found here and here.

Bakushi and Cameraman Asano Yuu

Thanks to the internet, Japanese photographers Sugiura Norio and Tanaka Kinichi have become widely known outside their home country. These are probably the most recognized names internationally (among SM photographers), but there have been many others who have made an impact in Japan yet remain relatively unknown abroad. One of these is Asano Yuu.

Konjoubo and the Criminology Museum

A couple of colleagues and I have been doing some research into this instrument I previously identified as konjoubo. It turns out that "konjoubo" is probably a misnomer.

I first heard this term a few years ago from kinbaku model Aiko who had the apparently misnamed device applied liberally to her cute bottom shortly beforehand.

Thinking about it, I'm pretty sure I know now why she referred to it as konjoubo; something like the one pictured above has been for sale at 100 yen shops as well as possibly the chaotic (but fun) Don Quijote chain of variety stores.