Japanese porn stars donate to Kumamoto earthquake relief

The veteran Japanese porn star Ann Sasakura announced on August 5 that she had donated money to disaster relief for the Kumamoto earthquake that took place last month.

The quake on July 28 caused widespread damage, left thousands living in temporary accommodation, and has resulted in 36 deaths so far.

Sasakura noted in her announcement on social media that some people might criticize her for making the donation, since working in adult video is not viewed as a respectable profession, despite the huge popularity of its content.

However, most social media users seemed to react positively to the announcement, saying that any donation, no matter who it is from, is welcome.

The 39-year-old Sasakura, who has also worked professionally as Haru Ogawa, made her debut in 2016 and has been freelance since 2025.

Sasakura’s donation announcement comes in the wake of a similar one by busty porn star Yu Tano.

Tano, a former gravure idol who made her porn debut in 2024 and immediately made an impression with her L-cup breasts, recently announced a donation of ¥3 million — a not insignificant sum, given that the average annual income is under ¥5 million — and also sent drinks, diapers, and other emergency supplies to Kumamoto.

However, her announcement attracted criticism from people online that the donation was “dirty money.”

Should Japanese porn stars not use their income to donate money to a good cause? Or should they just keep quiet about donations?

The question is especially acute for the porn industry, which is known for controversially exploiting sexual fantasies about evacuation shelters as material for productions.