TOKYO — Former Japanese performer Miyuki Ariga is suing adult streaming site Fanza to remove four titles in which she appeared in 1994.
The 49-year-old Ariga alleges that her contract at the time stipulated the movies would only be shown in a limited number of adult movie theaters, the Japan Times reported.
Ariga alleges that the titles have been distributed on DVD for over a decade and says that she only learned in January that four of her movies could be streamed on Fanza.
Ariga is seeking 1.5 million yen ($9,500) in damages, in the Tokyo District Court. Ariga’s lawyer says she unsuccessfully tried to track down the director of the movies.
A Fanza rep told Friday Magazine that it “only hosts the works on its website after signing contracts with companies that hold the rights to them” and that it is “not involved in contracts with the performers.”
As XBIZ reported, a controversial 2022 law now regulates the country’s adult video (AV) sector. Ariga — who does not have a copy of her 1990s contract — was reportedly inspired to file the lawsuit Monday by the new law’s provisions for removing content if performers change their mind about having appeared in adult content.
Under the law, adult performers can withdraw contractual consent given to companies that distribute adult material in which they appear, effectively rendering adult industry contracts unenforceable.
A recently formed industry trade organization, the AV Thinking Group — co-led by veteran director and activist Hitoshi Nimura and international performer Marica Hase — objects to the law, drafted by anti-porn crusaders in a climate of media panic stories.
The law came about when a seemingly unrelated legislative debate about lowering the age of legal majority in Japan quickly devolved into a sensationalist campaign concerning adult performers aged 18-19. A bill lowering the age of majority from 20 to 18 passed unanimously in a plenary session of the nation’s House of Representatives, which was followed by a steep increase in anti-porn rhetoric.
Although the 2022 law is not retroactive, Ariga “is seeking an injunction through which the court could order the deletion of the movies despite the fact that they were shot 30 years ago,” the Japan Times reported.