Two Long-Forgotten Pink Films from 1967

Onna no Seidan -- Yamabe Pro, 1967

Right up there with SMpedia and Nawapedia is Eigapedia for information on long-forgotten early pink films.

I came across two such films there recently. The one above, Onna no Seidan, was one of many produced by Yamabe Pro (J). It came out in 1967, the same year Tani Naomi appeared in her first film.

Not long after her debut, Tani began appearing in SM pink flicks and she eventually teamed up with Yamabe Nobuo both personally and professionally as Yamabe became Tani's husband and manager. That union didn't last and he went on to marry Azuma Terumi, a model and actress who co-starred with Tani in Wife to Be Sacrificed.

Azuma Terumi

The other film is Akai Niku (Red Flesh). This one came out on August 20, 1967 and was written by Dan Oniroku. Dan had written other screenplays prior to this under different pen names. This film was also produced by Yamabe Pro and it was distributed by Okura.

Red Flesh -- Yamabe Pro, 1967

For more information on these and many other Japanese films, check out Eigapedia. 

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Nichigeki Music Hall and Tani Naomi, Pt. II

Tani Naomi performance at Kyobashi Academy Gekijo

As mentioned in the previous post, Nichigeki wasn't the only venue in town where one could enjoy an evening of risque entertainment back in the sexy '70s.

The above poster (which I found on Yahoo Auction) has a nude Tani Naomi in bondage promoting her performances at the Kyobashi Academy Gekijo (theater).

There was a bunch of these theaters around. This one was within walking distance of both Tokyo station and Nichigeki.

Will the First SM Pink Film Please Stand Up?

I don't wish to cause any confusion, but I was doing a little research into director Mukai Kan (aka Mukai Hiroshi and even Patrick Kan) and apparently it has been alleged that Mukai's 1967 film, Sexy Partners, was the first pink film to have SM as "its primary theme".

This was found on Wikipedia and the article was quoting the book published by Thomas and Yuko Weisser, Japanese Cinema Encyclopedia: The Sex Films.

And Now for the Poster

This is the first time I've seen a theatrical poster for the 1966 film New Torture Punishment History and, once again, this site has the goods (just scroll down a bit).

I'm not a poster expert so don't quote me on this, but it seems to me that there are basically two types of posters: originals and reprints. As far as I know, I've only bought reprints at the various poster shops around town. The prices generally range from 3,000 yen to 5,000 yen but can go higher. I have seen them for cheaper online but actually pawing through these things at a shop is more fun.

Then there are the ones that are in the hundreds of dollars US which I'm assuming are originals.

Seeing this poster of New Torture Punishment History inspires me, despite the oppressive heat in Tokyo, to get out there and go on another SM safari. Man, I'd love to find this one. But I'll settle for a reprint (assuming there are any).

Trawling the internetz, I came across this Japanese blog that has some nasty drawings of purported torture methods of the Tang dynasty in China. Here's a taste:

These remind me of my trip to the Museum of Criminology at Meiji University.

The site mentions that the Japanese kimono was inspired by Tang dynasty fashion. I wonder if some folks in Japan were inspired in a different way by Tang dynasty culture?

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Before Pink There Was Naughty B&W

The first pink film may not have come along until 1962, but before that they were making sexy fare, some of it depicting bondage, as early as 1959. Such is the case with a film called Bloody Sword of the 99th Virgin (or just The 99th Virgin for short -- 九十九本目の生娘). 

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.

The Earliest Fower and Snake Poster So Far?

Oka Naomi (left); Tani Naomi (center); Tyranny Woman Torture (right)

By my calculations, Oka Naomi should be about 59 years old now. Pretty soon she'll be eligible for a pension in Japan. Hard to believe.

I first came across this actress a long time ago. I stumbled upon some VHS tapes of three or four of her films (pre-DVD days) and was smitten. These were put out by Shin-Toho and it seems that she often was paired with actor Shimomoto Shiro who, by the way, also appeared in SM Hunter  with Saotome Hiromi.

I recall that those VHS movies always had the words "Violence Porno!" at the beginning, just to let you know what you were in for. Actually, by today's standards, they were pretty tame. But at least they were shot on film, had actual plots and used real actors.

SM Safari: Poster Hunting

While out looking for posters I came across one at a shop in Nakano Broadway of Horrors of Malformed Men (江戸川乱歩全集 恐怖奇形人間) directed by Teruo Ishii. The film was produced by Toei and came out in 1969. This poster was selling for over 30,000 yen!

 I also spied this rather interesting shop sign.