In the US, sex tapes are a means to an end.

People with otherwise no discernible skill or talent use them to become famous for no other reason than having had a sex tape. They remain, post-tape, with no discernible skill or talent.

In Japan, however, the sex tape — and a career making other sex tapes — is an end. The means? In the case of AV Star Maria Takagi, being a former teen pop star.

It would be like Miley Cyrus (she’s old enough right? Right?!), Britney Spears (the hot, not crazy Britney) or Debbie Gibson (because I’m old) deciding to skip Playboy when they turn 18 and going straight making movies for that curtained-off room at the video store… without the stigma of having movies in that curtained-off room.

Don’t forget that being an AV Star in Japan means that Ms. Takagi is just as big a public figure, if not bigger, who continues to do mainstream appearances and is probably featured in crazy Japanese TV ads with fairly famous Western movie stars, not unlike this.

In other words, Japan is awesome.

It’s as if Paris Hilton had a singing career, a real singing career, then made a sex tape and kept on making them. You know, instead of having a lazy eye and a Valtrex prescription, then making a sex tape, then unleashing bad pop music on the word.

Wow, there are no winners with either of those situations. Bad example.

Anyhoo, to get Paris Hilton out of your head, visit this Maria Takagi gallery at Japanese AV.

Maria Takagi-av star