Volleyball player Ran Takahashi denies affair with porn star Saika Kawakita

Saika Kawakita is one of the biggest porn stars in Japan and a probably familiar face to most readers of this blog. She has gained global fame more recently because a GIF from one of her porn productions inexplicably became a meme on social media in December 2024.

According to a scoop by the tabloid Weekly Bunshun published this week, the 26-year-old Kawakita is having an affair with volleyball player Ran Takahashi.

The 24-year-old Takahashi currently plays for the Suntory Sunbirds in Osaka, and has played on the Japanese national team.

He is supposed to be in a relationship with the influencer and gravure model uka. (pictured below) since last year, which would make any dalliance with Kawakita cheating.

Takahashi and Kawakita allegedly became acquainted through messages sent to each other via social media, and spent time together on two occasions in September at a hotel in Tokyo. The Weekly Bunshun published pictures of the pair on a date.

Kawakita is one of the most popular JAV stars, having made her debut way back in 2018 and returning to the industry in 2021 after a brief retirement in 2019. She enjoys mainstream appeal and has been featured in the fashion magazine Anan, and made her debut as a singer in February.

Takahashi has denied the affair, claiming that he and Kawakita are just friends, but nonetheless issued an apology on social media: “I regret that my private life was reported and caused a fuss, and I would like to apologize.”

While there is no expectation that porn stars do not date guys, unlike gravure idols and music singers, who are weirdly expected to be “pure,” JAV performers are generally discreet about their relationships, whether they are dating celebrities or regular people. It is also an open secret that they engage in compensated dating with affluent men.

There is actually quite a lot of precedent when it comes to JAV stars and sports.

Porn star Jun Suehiro and DeNA BayStars pitcher Katsuki Azuma’s affair was discovered earlier this year.

In autumn 2024, JAV hottie Ai Hongo (Yume Nikaido), meanwhile, had an affair with a married YouTuber, though their relationship was rumbled when they went to a baseball game together in the States. (Ai isn’t the only adult video performer who likes guys able to make her laugh.

Gravure idol Miyu Murashima’s career was temporarily derailed in 2024 after her affair with a married basketball player came to light.

So if you want to date a JAV star, the rule of thumb seems to be: become a famous sports star.

Or become a comedian, since Suzume Mino has dated a comedian.

Or become a pop star. Male singers have dated porn stars like Yua Mikami and Shunka Ayami.

Incidentally, netizens have been going wild over the beautiful Asian woman spotted in the stands behind Lebron James at an opening game for the NBA season. Fans were quick to identify the cutie in the footage as none other than porn star Ibuki Aoi, who was attending the game between the LA Lakers and Golden State Warriors. Well, it didn’t take much detective work because 24-year-old Aoi outed herself by posting about it.