AU promotion at 109..

There's almost always something going on in front of the 109 building in Shibuya, and last weekend it was some kind of promotion for one of the big three mobile phone companies, AU. I couldn't tell you what they were promoting, as more interesting to me were the crowds of guys with their digital cameras hanging on every word that the head promotion girl was saying. I'm not sure they were there to find out about the new phone either, but it did remind me that idol worship is alive and well here in Japan..

Saori Hara: STOP! STD girl #3

Following in the footsteps of Nana Natsume and Sasa Handa, Saori Hara is the new postergirl for the STOP! STD campaign. The campaign is run by Soft on Demand, reputedly one of the largest AV companies in Japan, and is aimed at raising awareness of the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases. Saori is yet another gravure idol turned AV star that also makes regular appearances into popular mainstream media. She also maintains a weblog, containing information about her day to day activities, as well as lots of pictures of food and her favorite fluffy animals..

Stop! STD (Sasa Handa)

The campaign to educate Shibuya's youth community on the potential dangers of risky sexual habits continues, but with a new and fresh face from the Japanese AV industry, Sasa Handa. Previously it was crossover star Nana Natsume that graced this massive billboard that towers over Bunkamura Dori pointing directly at the 109 building. The STOP! STD campaign is one that promotes education and awareness amongst teens, and is run by Soft on Demand, which is reputedly the largest independent adult video company in Japan.

Somewhere somebody's daughter.. 08

Tucked into the sanctuary of Shoto's Nabeshima koen, one may find any number of creative entities filming for tv or movies, or even shooting for magazines. On this fine day it was a group of fine lovelies getting what looked to be the 撮影会 (Satsuei Kai) treatment from a dozen or so eager photographic enthusiasts. Danny Choo has experienced the seemingly surreal world of "Group Idol Photography", and explains the dealio quite well here. Berry Waffle is a company that organizes such events, and for a mere 10,000 yen one can enjoy a full 60 seconds of free clickery..

夏目ナナ (Natsume Nana)

Nana Natsume is a well-known and award-winning Japanese AV idol and celebrity. She is one of the many Japanese adult video starlets that has been able to successfully cross over to more mainstream media. She was also awarded the AV Grand Prix by Tokyo Sports magazine for 2005. Today I was struck by her presence on a massive billboard (across from 109) designed to help stop the spread of sexually transmitted diseases in Japan. The youtube video, as abstract as it appears to be, states that 1 in 15 Japanese youth have an STD.