Review: Starcats in Tokyo, Japan

A few months ago a regular poster on this site who goes by the name of Ed sent me a link to a website for a place called Starcats in Tokyo. The site was filled with pictures of Japanese AV stars (AV being adult video, the common term for sex films in the land of the rising sun) along with a schedule for each of them. Unable to read Japanese, Ed hoped that the place offered the sexual services of these porn stars and asked for my thoughts. While I am able to read some Japanese, it’s fair to say that my abilities are very limited.

Viewing the site it quickly became clear to me that Starcats didn’t offer any direct sexual services, but I wasn’t one hundred percent sure what they were offering. I reached out to some Japanese friends who clarified what I suspected. It turns out that Starcats is an agency that allows anyone with enough money to come in and do a group or private individual photo shoot with an ever-changing list of Japanese porn starlets.

Sessions at Starcats

Booking is easy enough, though like anything else in Japan it is much more difficult for those who cannot speak the language well or even at all. After finding a gal that one wants to shoot, they simply contact the shop by phone or email and ask for a specific time slot that is still shown as being open on the website.

The first time customer will have to visit the shop in advance of the shoot to pay the fees for membership and the appointment they’d like. Once one has a membership card (which entitles the bearer to rewards after a certain number of sessions), it becomes easier to book future sessions.

The price of each session depends on the gal who is being caught on camera and the type of set up one wants. Most of the ladies who show up at Starcats seem to be AV actresses, but a few may not be, or at least are much less well known. Some want more than others. Those customers who want a private 45 minute session will have to pay more, while those okay with shooting along with whoever else shows up for the group session will pay less.

Photographing a Japanese porn star

I signed up for a private session with Marina Shiina at a rate of 22000 Yen which at today’s rates come out to about 217 US dollars. The most expensive ladies require the equivalent of almost 300 US. The group sessions are around 75 US dollars.

The process of taking photos at Starcats was easy and straightforward. I even got to choose Marina-chan’s costume from a long list of available outfits. Starcats is easy to find in Akihabara, and there is a map on the site for those prone to getting lost in Tokyo. Up a flight of stairs and an elevator and one is inside the place which looks like a professional office out of a television mockumentary.

The photoshoot itself is pretty easy going. I can’t say much about the group shot but the private shoot puts the customer in a room with a couch and a set of four high quality photography lights. The model will pose as the customer requests. The only rules are not to touch the model or walk on the carpet with shoes on. If anyone would get out of hand, the handlers are right on the other side of the curtain ready to step in, but there’s no pressure whatsoever and the handlers won’t check in unless the model calls for them.

Porn and even cartoon erotica sold in Japan is censored to some extent. Vaginas and penises are blurred out, but semen and buttholes are A okay. I could try to explain it but it would take too much time. Maybe later. Porn created in Japan doesn’t have to be censored if it’s targeted at an outside market. Some producers with brains have taken to setting up websites in other countries in Japanese to rake in some money, while being sure to note that their products are aimed for Japanese people in countries where porn doesn’t have to be censored.

Full nudity and no mosaic

In any event, there’s no censorship at Starcats. Any kind of pose is alright, though toys are not involved and there is no insertion of anything. The customer’s photos are never checked, and the model will sign a release at the beginning of the session for the customer if it’s requested.

I have posted here a few of the many, many photos I took during my time at Starcats. If I can figure out the right way to do it I may post an entire series made up of the best of the photos I was able to shoot, including plenty of shots of Marina’s big beautiful boobies. Keep in mind that I am no professional photographer. Far from it in fact as you can see here.

Marina was a very nice and affable gal who was up for fun while at the same time being very professional. She could hold a smile while holding her legs apart at the same time. Under the heat of those photo lights that’s quite a feat.

Summary

I use a half to five star scoring system for reviews on this site. That means that places given five stars are among the best in the world, which is why I’ve given very few five star reviews. Those with half a star are the worst, and those with two and a half stars are average. Lately I’ve been giving higher scores than usual. That’s mainly because I’ve been covering some of the better places out there.

As a commercial sex establishment, Starcats probably doesn’t deserve anything more than an average score. On the other hand it offers a service that is practically unknown anywhere else on earth, at least in my experience. While one could certainly arrange a photo shoot with individual porn stars in the US or Europe (probably easier to do now than ever with the access made available by social media) there aren’t any establishments I’m aware of that offer this as a regular service in a safe environment. Because of that I am going to give Starcats three-and-a-half stars.

I will note that there are at least three similar shops in Tokyo that allow photo sessions with professional porn gals. One is Studio First. I seriously doubt that I’ll try the other two any time soon.

Studio First. 3-chōme−3−5 Sotokanda, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. Click here for a map. Only open during shoots. Phone: +81 035-297-1411. Website: http://starcats.jp