June Lovejoy Reveals the Reality of Being a JAV Performer

Some may not know that Japanese porn has a dedicated fanbase, and Ecchi Expo Denver’s JAV Industry 101 panel reflected that demand with a packed audience listening closely as panel host June Lovejoy offered an in-depth look at the Japanese porn industry.

Lovejoy, born in Florida, entered the Japanese adult film industry in 2020, before the pandemic. At her panel, she discussed her background and her debut for the studio Fitch under the Nikuyoku label.

Lovejoy created an interactive atmosphere by setting up quizzes through the panel and asking the audience if it was legally required to censor porn in Japan. She tells the audience that she often gets fans asking for uncensored versions of her content, letting them know that it’s impossible to do so due to Japanese law.

“I get a lot of fun DMs that say, June, can I see this uncensored? And I say, no, I don't want to go to jail,” Lovejoy explains. There's not a sexy or fun answer. It's just the law.”

As illustrated later in her panel, in Japan, under Article 175 of the Penal Code, the law prohibits the distribution of “obscene” material. Because of this, adult videos are legally required to censor genitalia and pubic hair.

June offers a comprehensive explanation of how newcomers enter the industry and how they need the help of an agency to begin shooting their first scenes.

She notes, “……in the Japanese porn industry, you can't really work as a freelancer, especially when you first start out. You have to join something called an agency and have the company vouch for you and essentially sell you to studios. And they take you to different studios.”

When performing, female performers receive around $1,000 for sex scenes and $500 for blowjobs, while male performers for a full day of work receive around $100. However, even though agencies help actresses book gigs, she notes that they often take 50-70% for simply informing the performer over the phone that they have been hired.

“I have to pay 50 to 70% of whatever the studio is going to pay me,” Lovejoy said. “It's entirely unfair. It's the worst part about my industry right now.” With agencies taking a large portion of revenue from the performers, they often rely on photoshoots, meet and greets, pachinko events, television appearances, YouTube appearances, and interviews.

Some viewers of porn find it difficult to decipher what is real from fantasy. She laid out the reality of the pressure for male actors to perform on command in front of a large group of people on set. Lovejoy also debunked various myths about industry, including creampie scenes.

“So I've done about 200 to 300 films,” Lovejoy said. “And I think out of all of them, maybe there were 5 films where the cream pies were real.”

Piracy has been part of the adult entertainment industry for years, and the Japanese porn industry is no different. The Japanese industry has been affected so much that they have stopped catering their content towards a Western audience.

Lovejoy said, “....they (Studios) say, those guys will just pirate it anyways. Stop pirating because Japanese people really hate you guys, not you guys, but the Western audience.”

June’s panel discussed the different genres of JAV, how performers of different races are treated, and her in-depth experiences on set from the rigorous testing required and the process of films being released for sale.

I’ve attended various panels at different types of conventions and comic cons, and Lovejoy’s JAV Industry 101 panel was one of the more enlightening and compelling panels I’ve ever been to. She cleared up any misconceptions and myths while taking the audience behind the scenes of an industry that has a steady amount of battles to fight.

Lovejoy has starred in movies, documentaries, and Netflix series, has their own television show in Japan, and has hosted their own interview series, producing videos with over 1 million views. As a result of her Japanese and English content, she has gained an audience of 300,000 on social media.

If you want to follow June Lovejoy, you can check out her website, as she hosts her JAV Panel at other Ecchi Expos around the country. If you're traveling to Japan and would like to get to know the sexier side of the country, Lovejoy offers erotic tours of the country.