Beyond the Novel What Happened After Sakuragi Rui Revealed Her Past in “The Naked Queen” Interview
Descending on a Ginza club
In an upscale club in Ginza before opening hours, a woman in a red long dress was waiting. With the same large, charming eyes as in her prime, she introduced herself politely in a slightly husky voice:
“My name is Rui Sakuragi. Nice to meet you!”
Yes, she was none other than Rui Sakuragi—the woman who, in the early 1990s, was the object of admiration for countless men.
Just for context, “Rui Sakuragi” was a top AV actress during the golden age of adult video in Japan, dominating the industry with her idol-like looks. At a time when VHS tapes were the norm and even 1,000 sales were considered a hit, her works consistently sold between 8,000 and 10,000 copies, making her a true monster-level star. She ranked number one in numerous AV magazines and was even crowned a school festival queen, making her a true legend of the era.
Today, Sakuragi is affiliated with “Club Ribbon” in Ginza, a club run by another AV legend, Hitomi Kobayashi, where she entertains customers, including longtime fans.
In March, she also published a book titled “The Naked Queen” (Futabasha).
The book is a semi-autobiographical novel based on her own experiences. “About half fact and half fiction,” says Sakuragi. It also includes episodes straight from the world depicted in Netflix’s hit series “The Naked Director” (2019, 2021), which portrays director Toru Muranishi’s life. Sakuragi herself worked with Muranishi’s Diamond Visual studio, so this is unsurprising.
However, unlike video or photographs, writing was a new form of expression for her as “Rui Sakuragi.” It must have come with challenges.
“The reason I started writing was that I was approached to do so but I’ve always liked creating stories, so I decided to take on the challenge. I went back to my parents’ home, looked through old photo albums, and made notes of things I had forgotten. Sorting through all of that was difficult, and there are many things that didn’t make it into the book,” Sakuragi said (below).
What did she do during the blank twenty-plus years?
In the book, the story depicts a protagonist who originally aimed to become a singer but is tricked into appearing nude, and then has an image video released without her knowledge. However, she makes up her mind at that point, begins working as an AV actress, and rises to fame. She later appears in music activities and even on strip stage performances, but around 2000 she fully retires and disappears from the public eye.
We asked about Sakuragi’s real-life years after retirement, which were not covered in the novel. Why did she retire? And what exactly happened during those more than twenty years before her return to the spotlight?
“I enjoyed performing on strip stages, being under the lights and receiving applause while dancing. I think I could have continued releasing videos too, but I gradually started to feel like I was no longer the main focus anymore… I wondered if it was really okay to keep going like this. I didn’t want to quit after I was no longer popular. I didn’t want to show a fading Rui Sakuragi.
So I decided to live a life that was no longer ‘Rui Sakuragi.’ But right after I quit, I used to dream that I was still dancing at strip theaters. I really did love it. I also wondered if I had made the right decision.”
Did she manage to live an ordinary life after leaving such a dazzling world?
“People would ask me, ‘Can you even make a living?’ but I was completely fine living normally! I was never someone who bought luxury brand goods or came from a wealthy family, so as long as I could eat, that was enough for me. What was hard was suddenly having so much free time after such a busy life.
I worked on farms, worked as a cashier at supermarkets, and also did temp jobs. I even obtained a caregiving qualification. Sometimes I was recognized in town, but when I was working in the mountains harvesting tangerines and kiwis, I wouldn’t meet anyone, and eventually people stopped noticing me. I would go without makeup, wearing work vests with built-in fans. There were no toilets, so I’d just go wherever (laughs).”
Even after stepping away from the industry, her name still regularly appears in media lists like “Top AV actresses of the 1990s.” She is far beyond someone who would be described as just someone who used to exist. Because her whereabouts were so mysterious, it even led to unfounded speculation.
Labeled an impersonator on X
“People said things like, ‘Rui Sakuragi died’ or ‘Rui Sakuragi was arrested for drugs!’ (laughs).”
Although she is currently in remission, she also reportedly suffered from the chronic illness ulcerative colitis starting around 2008. In 2023, Sakuragi suddenly opened an account on X, breaking more than twenty years of silence.
“I just wanted to say, ‘I’m alive and well, and the only medicine I take is something like cold medicine.’ I also felt like I wanted to reconnect with people who knew me. I never intended to return to the public stage—it was simply about interacting on social media. On the other hand, I don’t want to meet people from the old industry. I mean, I wouldn’t want them thinking, compared to back then (laughs).”
However, once she appeared on X with her face visible, she was met with claims that she was an impersonator.
“At first, people didn’t believe it was really me. There’s a difference between me in my 20s and my 50s, but it was still shocking. Out of frustration, I even posted old and current photos side by side and proved things like the mole is in the same position (laughs). After that, my followers started increasing.”
Once her identity was confirmed, as expected of Rui Sakuragi, the public took notice. In 2024, she appeared in a gravure feature in “Weekly Taishu”, and the following year released a photo book. Even though she had once left that world, did she feel any hesitation about returning?
“I even asked, ‘Do you think my photo book will sell? Maybe it won’t sell at all?’ (laughs). I’d feel bad if it didn’t sell. But they told me, ‘It’ll be fine!’ I had no intention of doing videos or strip performances again, and I did have concerns—but I decided it would be a good keepsake to leave behind my appearance as a woman in her 50s.”
This eventually led to her writing the current book.
“At first I was tricked into it, but since I ultimately chose to continue in the adult industry myself, I have no regrets. I think the timing of my retirement was also good. Because I left as the radiant Rui Sakuragi, my name remained, and that’s why I was able to write a book like this.”
The AV industry has faced issues such as forced appearances, leading to the creation of the AV Industry Reform Law, though it has also contributed to a decline in production companies. What does Sakuragi, once a top AV actress, think about the current state of the industry?
“I think regulations are a bit too strict. Not everyone is being tricked into it—there are also people who genuinely want to appear. It feels wrong that even those people are being restricted.”
There is a glimpse of affection for the world she once belonged to.
“On set, everyone is a true professional with a craftsman’s spirit. I want both men and women to read this book, and I hope it helps people understand that the AV world is not something inherently bad.”
PHOTO： Takehiko Kohiyama