Interview with Rui Sakuragi, who revealed her past in her semi-autobiographical novel “The Naked Queen,” and what happened afterwards that was not depicted in the novel.

Her “descent” at a club in Ginza

The woman in the long red dress was waiting for me at a club in Ginza before it opened. With eyes as big and lovely as in the past, she said in a slightly husky voice, “My name is Rui Sakuragi. Pleased to meet you!” She politely said her name. Yes, the “Rui Sakuragi” who was the dream of many men in the early 1990s.

Just to be clear, “Rui Sakuragi” dominated the industry with her idol-like looks during the golden age of adult video. At that time, when sell-through videos were the norm rather than rental or streaming videos, and it was said that a hit would be a hit if it sold 1,000 units, Rui Sakuragi was a monster actress, consistently selling between 8,000 and 10,000 units. She dominated the rankings of the numerous AV information magazines of the time, and was even named queen of the school festival, making her a legend in her own right.

Today, Sakuragi belongs to “Club Ribon” in Ginza, where another AV legend, Hitomi Kobayashi, is the mama. In March, she published a book titled “Naked Queen” (Futabasha).

The book is a semi-autobiographical novel based on Sakuragi’s own experiences. The book, which she describes as “half fact and half fiction,” is filled with episodes from the “Naked Director” series (’19 and ’21), which portrayed director Toru Murakishi and became a Netflix sensation. This is not surprising, since Sakuragi was actually active in director Murakishi’s diamond images.

However, the method of expression in writing, which differs from video and photography, is something new for “Rui Sakuragi. It must have been a difficult experience for her.

The reason I started writing was because I was asked to do so by ……, but I had always liked thinking of stories, so I thought I would give it a try. I went back to my parents’ house and looked through their albums and made notes to remember what I had forgotten. It was hard to choose them, and there are many things I couldn’t include in the book” (Sakuragi, hereafter).

What did she do during her “twenty-odd years of blank space”?

In this book, the main character, who was aiming to become a singer, is tricked into becoming a nude actress, and then, without her knowledge, her image video is put on the market. However, she decides to make up her mind and starts her career as an adult film actress, taking the world by storm. For a time, she was also active in music and stripping, but she retired completely around the year ’00 and disappeared from the public stage.

We asked Sakuragi about her real life after retirement, which was not written in the novel. What was the reason for his retirement?　And what happened in the twenty-odd years between his retirement and his reappearance on the stage?

He said, “I loved being in front of people in a strip theater, getting lit up and dancing to applause, and I think I could still put out videos, but with a thump, I’m no longer my main focus. …… I wondered if I could keep going ……. I didn’t want to quit after it stopped selling. I didn’t want to show “Rui Sakuragi in decline.

So, I thought I should lead my own life without being “Rui Sakuragi” anymore. But right after I quit, I had a dream that I was dancing in a strip joint. I still loved it. I sometimes wondered if it was really the right thing to do.

I wondered if I was able to lead a normal life after leaving the dazzlingly glamorous world.

“Everyone asked me, ‘Can you live like this? But I was able to live a normal life at all!　I wasn’t born into a wealthy family, and I wasn’t a brand name buyer, so just being able to eat was enough for me. I did have a problem with suddenly having more time from my busy life, though.

I worked as a farmer, a cashier at a supermarket, and as a temporary worker. I even got certified as a caregiver. I was occasionally recognized in town, but when I went into the mountains to harvest tangerines and kiwis for farm work, I didn’t see anyone and gradually became unnoticeable. That’s what I did, I was spunky and wore a work vest with a built-in fan. I didn’t even have a bathroom, so I’d go to …… (laughs) around there.”

Even after she retired, the name “Rui Sakuragi” is always mentioned in the magazine media in projects such as “Ranking Popular AV Actresses of the ’90s. It is not just a matter of “Oh, there was such a person. Her disappearance was such a mystery that it even led to some unintentional misunderstandings.

Treated as a “spoof” by X

“I was told things like, ‘Rui Sakuragi is dead,’ or ‘Rui Sakuragi was caught with drugs! and many other things (laughs).

Although he is currently in remission, he is said to have suffered from ulcerative colitis, an intractable disease, for a long time since 2008. In 2011, Sakuragi suddenly launched his own account on X, breaking his long silence for the first time in more than 20 years.

I wanted to say, ‘I’m alive and well, and I only take drugs for colds. I also wanted to communicate with people who knew me. I had no desire to be on the stage again, I just wanted to communicate with people on social networking sites. On the contrary, I don’t want to meet people from the old industry. Because I don’t want people to think, ‘Compared to back then, ……’ or something like that (laughs).”

However, what awaited Sakuragi, who even showed his face on X, was the “impersonation theory.

At first, people didn’t believe that it was me,” he said. I was so frustrated that I lined up the current photo with an old one and said things like, ‘The mole is in the same position’ to prove myself (laughs). (Laughs.) Then, my followers started to increase.

Once it became clear that he was the real deal, Rui Sakuragi was in control. The world could not leave her alone. In 1949, she appeared in a photogravure in Shukan Shukyu magazine, and the following year she released a photo book. She had left the world once, but did she feel conflicted about trying again?

She asked, “Do you think my photo book will sell?　I asked her, “Do you think my photo book will sell? I even asked him, “Do you think my photo book will sell? (Laughs.) If it didn’t sell, I would have felt bad. But he said, “Don’t worry! I don’t intend to do videos or striptease. I had my doubts, but I thought it would be a good way to commemorate the fact that I am now in my fifties.

That led to the writing of this novel.

I was duped into starting the business in the first place, but I made the decision to continue in the adult world, so I have no regrets. I think the timing of my retirement was also good. I think it was because I quit while I was still “the shining Rui Sakuragi,” that my name is still around and I was even allowed to write a novel this time.

In the AV industry, there have been problems such as “forced appearances,” and a new AV law has been created, but this has also led to the decline of the industry. What does Sakuragi, a former top AV actress, think about the current state of the industry?

I think the regulations are a little too strict. Not all of the girls are being cheated out of the industry, but there are some who really want to be in it. I don’t think it’s right to put even those girls in trouble.

He also expresses his love for the world in which he once lived. He also says, “On the set, everyone is a craftsman.

On set, everyone is a professional with a craftsman’s spirit. I hope this book will be read by both men and women alike, and I hope it will give them a sense that the world of porn is not a bad one.

The Naked Queen” (written by Rui Sakuragi, published by Futabasha)