One of the Japanese tabloids is currently running pics apparently of former AKB48 idol Atsuko Maeda looking drunk, dishevelled and generally not very cute. She is with some guy (apparently an actor) in rather dubious circumstances, and is even seemingly photographed being carried to a waiting car possibly without any underwear on. Tabloids are not famed for their integrity or honesty, so we cannot vouch for the veracity of the details, but we do like a juicy scandal when we sense ...

Another one bites the dust. Yuko Sugamoto from HKT48, the Fukuoka spin-off of AKB48, has announced she is quitting. It is an open secret that this is due to her management finding out about a "relationship" she had, including possibly drinking and smoking with a fan. However, the official line is that all she did was exchange email addresses and answer a mail... which hardly seems taboo-breaking to us. Japanese girls are just not allowed to have relationships if they are in an idol group. Heaven forbid that reality infringe on the "pure" fantasy that their management have crafted so ...

In the same week that the AKB48 moneymen claimed victory in the amount of hype and advertising cash their well-greased PR machine could turn their "election" campaign into -- comes a scandal that proves just how controlled and fake they are. A minor member of the band, Rino Sashihara (b.1992), has sort-of admitted to the rumors started by a tabloid that she seduced one of her otaku fans. Shock horror! A girl exploiting her fame to get some fun and pleasure for herself?!! Well, it's okay if it's men (unless you go as far as, say, Edison Chen), but with an idol, and especially for ...

Japan has love hotels, sex shops, adult goods...It's an erotic paradise. But this is all carefully pigeonholed. Anyone who's watched mainstream TV here will immediately notice how boring it is. No sex, no nudity, no controversy. Yeah, it's pretty boring except for the occasional cute presenter. Well, one such cute lady got herself into some trouble earlier this year. A picture of Miku Natsume giggling while holding up a box of condoms (Exhibit A on the left), seemingly while lying on a futon with the photographer, led to the sweet gal being sacked from her conservative ...

Is this everyone's dreams come true? Rina Nakanishi (中西里菜) used to be one of the minor members of idol group sensation AKB48 but has since left the world of idols for far more rewarding work in...porn! The 22-year-old has taken on a new stage name, Riko (or Rico) Yamaguchi, as part of her new career. She has also released a nude photo book called, appropriately enough, Departure. However, this gained the furore of her former employers at AKB48, who, though make the idols dress very skimpily, oppose actual nudity. They are now suing Nakanishi! This reminds us of the ...

This has been exploding like an internet fireball all over the place... Sexy minx Hiroko Mima, aka Miss Japan Universe 2008, has allegedly been caught taking part in a very, very graphic video of hot 3-way sex with a very, very lucky guy. Also featured is Miss Trinidad and Tobago Universe 2008 champion Anya Ayoung Chee. Needless to say, this video is easily available on a variety of nice streaming sites out there... So enjoy! Hiromi Mima, Anaya Ayoung Chee and the guy (Chee's photographer boyfriend) have denied that the third party is Hiroko Mima, though the woman is clearly Japanese -- ...