Sakura Tsukishima Forced to Vacate Apartment Due to Japan's AV New Law

Weeks after the Japanese parliament passed new legislation aimed at protecting adult industry performers, “JAV idol” Sakura Tsukishima has publicly stated that she was forced to vacate her apartment due to the law's impact on her income and the local adult industry.

Tsukishima revealed on Twitter that she had to provide two months' notice for her apartment. She attributed this decision to a sudden and significant decline in her projected income, which she states was caused by a virtual shutdown of production within the industry. This shutdown occurred as companies attempt to understand how to continue filming under the new regulations, which have rendered adult industry contracts unenforceable.

Impact on Performers and Production

The new law, formally titled “The Act on Special Provisions Regarding Contracts for Performers in Adult Video Productions,” was enacted in June 2022. It is often referred to as the “AV New Law” and was designed to prevent exploitation and provide stronger protections for performers. Its stated intent was to prevent coercion, allow performers time to reconsider contracts, and provide legal pathways for withdrawal.

However, industry voices argue that the law has had unintended consequences. One of the most controversial changes is a mandatory waiting period between filming and release. Before the law, the adult video (AV) production cycle was approximately three months. After the law, the minimum timeline is five months, realistically extending to six or more months with distribution. This change has created significant disruption, requiring studios to carry higher financial risk, delay revenue, and avoid working with new performers due to legal uncertainty. For performers, particularly newcomers, this has resulted in fewer opportunities and reduced stability.

Tsukishima pointed to legislators who, she stated, refused to acknowledge statements from sex workers, advocates, and the adult industry regarding the law's potential harm. She tweeted, “We are active and we know the industry better than anyone. But they didn’t ask our opinion about this law. They only listened to ‘human rights’ group.”

The propaganda campaign waged against the industry by an alliance of feminist and religious conservative legislators highlighted "girls between 18 and 21." However, the new law empowers any performer of any age or gender to withdraw their consent for companies to distribute adult material in which they appear, at any time.

Performer Concerns and Industry Response

Tsukishima expressed her personal distress, tweeting, “For real, I have canceled my lease. I am too worried about my future due to the new law and I find myself in a situation in which I have no option but to leave my home. Please, I need work.” She later added, “I chose my rooms and I designed them. I have enjoyed building my own furniture. When I remember all this, I regret having to leave my apartment. It’s a difficult situation.”

A growing coalition of performers, directors, legal experts, and politicians is now calling for urgent reform of the AV New Law. Many within the industry argue that what was intended as a protective measure is instead pushing the industry toward collapse.

Reports of human rights abuses in the production of adult-content videos have led to public scrutiny of the industry. In March 2016, a Tokyo-based human rights watchdog group reported that Japanese porn video producers used deception, bullying, and other unethical practices to coerce young women into performing sex acts on camera. As a government panel, the Council for Gender Equality, began studying options for tightening laws and regulations governing the adult video (AV) industry, the media highlighted stories of victims' experiences. A typical case involved a woman induced to sign a contract without full understanding, then threatened with steep fines or legal action if she attempted to withdraw. Such coercion has been difficult to prove and has not been punishable as a criminal offense like rape, as it does not involve physical force or the threat thereof. Historically, the law has often addressed such cases by applying article 58 of the Worker Dispatch Act, which punishes "inducing workers to engage in work injurious to public health or public morals" with one to ten years in prison and a fine.

Key Facts

• The Japanese parliament passed a law in June 2022, formally titled “The Act on Special Provisions Regarding Contracts for Performers in Adult Video Productions,” also known as the “AV New Law.”
• Noted performer and “JAV idol” Sakura Tsukishima announced on Twitter that she was forced to give up her apartment due to the new law's impact on her projected income.
• The new law renders adult industry contracts unenforceable and allows any performer of any age or gender to withdraw consent for distribution at any time.
• A controversial change introduced by the law is a mandatory waiting period of at least five months between filming and release, which has disrupted production cycles.
• Industry voices, including performers, directors, legal experts, and politicians, are calling for urgent reform of the AV New Law, arguing it is pushing the industry toward collapse.