Go Tokyo Your Experience
The lives and working conditions of Japanese actresses often attract public attention. Former AV actress and writer Aya Takanashi, who retired two years after her debut, has transitioned into a web writer and AV scriptwriter. Recently, she revealed some harsh truths about the lives of actresses, especially the difficulties they face in renting apartments.
27-year-old Aya Takanashi entered the AV industry in 2016 but announced her retirement after only two and a half years and shifted to writing. She pointed out that although the public generally believes that actresses earn high incomes and live in luxurious apartments in central Tokyo, the reality is that most actresses indeed live in Tokyo, particularly in areas close to filming studios like Shinjuku, Shibuya, Setagaya, and Minato wards, to facilitate transportation arrangements by production companies or agencies.
She further noted that budget-conscious production companies prefer to hire actresses who can take the last train home to save on transportation costs. Regarding rent, most actresses pay at least 100,000 yen per month, while more popular actresses may choose to live in areas like Roppongi or Nakameguro, where rent can exceed 200,000 yen per month. However, not every AV actress prefers to live in central Tokyo. Since many industry peers tend to congregate in the same areas, some actresses choose to live in the suburbs or quieter places to maintain a clear separation between their professional and personal lives.
Moreover, Aya Takanashi revealed that actresses face similar difficulties to those working in nightlife industries when renting apartments. Due to the nature of their work involving adult content, it is challenging to pass regular rental application screenings. As a result, some actresses may resort to renting through subsidiaries of their agencies or other means, making the entire process quite difficult.