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). 

Mag Review: S&M Frontier

The Showa period began on Christmas day in 1926 and lasted until January 8, 1989 when the new (and current) emperor ushered in the Heisei period.

It doesn't seem likely to me that many SM fans will wax nostalgic about the Heisei period a few decades from now -- but the Showa period? That's a whole 'nother kettle of fish.

Hana Mai in SM Secret Novel Magazine

Remember this lady? Hana Mai, the tattooed temptress who suspended herself upside down in the 1983 Dan Oniroku/Nikkatsu film Hebi no Ana (Snake Pit).

Hana Mai in Hebi no Ana

I stumbled on some photos of her which had appeared in the magazine SM Secret Novel, also in 1983.

Hana Mai in SM Secret Novel, 1983

Five or six years after moving to Tokyo, she was appearing in print and on the big screen.

Hana Mai in the table of contents of SM Secret Novel

According to SMpedia, SM Secret Novel was first published by Sanwa in 1982 but then shifted to a new publisher, My Way, in 1999.

SM Secret Novel

Sanwa also began publishing SM Mania in 1982 and it appears this magazine continued publishing under My Way in 1999 as well.

SM Mania

I don't know if either of these magazines is still being published in physical form but the website is here.

I do know that Hana Mai is still going strong. Here she is in 2012 (scroll down).

Relevant link(s):
Manbou

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.