Ai Iijima

Ai Iijima (飯島 愛, Iijima Ai, October 31, 1972 – December 24, 2008) was a Japanese media personality, writer, activist and actress who was an AV idol early in her career.

Life and career

Born as Matsue Okubo (大久保松恵, Ōkubo Matsue) in Tokyo, Japan, Iijima described a troubled early life in her autobiography. She was raped in her early teens, and had an abortion. She ran away from home as a teenager, later stating, "I hated my parents, to the point where I would rather be coached by bums to sleep in parks wrapped in newspaper blankets." In order to make a living during this time, Iijima worked in karaoke establishments, snack bars, Ginza hostess clubs, and in enjo kōsai (paid dating).

Early career

Iijima's adult video (AV) debut was All That Sexy Venus for the Tairiku Shobo Company's FOXY label in April 1992. She quickly became the top AV actress of the time, appearing in over 100 films. She entered mainstream media as a hostess on the nighttime television program, Gilgamesh Night, where she became known as the "T-Back Queen", for her practice of turning her rear to the camera, lifting her skirt and flashing her G-string, known in Japan as a "T-Back". In addition to adult videos in the early 1990s, Iijima also acted in a number of softcore V-cinema works including the August 1992 comedy Yuke yuke AV shinsengumi: Tenshi tachi no H na daisensō (ゆけゆけＡＶ新撰組　天使たちのＨな大戦争) (with Hitomi Shiraishi), and the erotic suspense comedy Costume Gourmet: T-Back Bride (コスチューム・グルメ Tバックの花嫁), released in January 1993 by Japan Home Video. One of the top AV models by the age of 20, with admitted breast implants, a nose job, eyebrow work and bottom work as well, she decided to leave the porn business, intent on a career in mainstream entertainment.