Japanese porn-star turned model Madoka Ozawa (
Arriving in Taiwan on Feb. 26 for a third whirlwind visit, Ozawa has received overwhelming public adulation and huge media coverage everywhere she has gone. She has been offered a number of chances to star in TV dramas, act on the big screen and release a pop album.
Ozawa's sudden rise can be attributed to her former role as a porn star. But with the help of her canny agent, the former porn star is set to bid farewell to her past.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
Shih Yao-ju (時珧如), general manager of Top Link International, Ozawa's show-business agent in Taiwan, said yesterday, "The reason we chose Ozawa to turn her into a performer of many talents is because she characterizes the special attributes of innocence, sweetness and beauty that make her a perfect choice for an idol."
"Furthermore, we want someone from abroad, someone who is a new face to Taiwanese audiences. And it is evident that everybody likes Ozawa," Shih said.
"She stopped making porn films in Japan a while ago, and we are very committed to this process of transformation for her," Shih said.
FILE PHOTO: TAIPEI TIMES
Ozawa first seized the media spotlight at a car exhibition show last December when she appeared in sexy bikinis and created a stir among Taiwanese male viewers.
Riding on the back of her tremendous popularity, Ozawa later went to a military base on Kinmen Island to entertain the troops, marking the first time an adult-film actress was invited to entertain Taiwan military troops.
During Ozawa's stay on Kinmen, she received a welcoming reception from Magistrate Lee Chu-feng (李炷烽) who said the former porn star's arrival could help boost tourism on Kinmen.
Lee invited Ozawa to take part in promotion for the renowned Kaoliang Liquor (高梁酒). She also modeled for a wedding dress show and publicly sought a husband in Taiwan.
Commenting on the phenomenon that a former porn star from Japan could create such huge buzz among Taiwanese audiences and whether there is a change in social values about sex, advisor to the Gender Sexuality Rights Association and professor at the National Central University Josephine Ho (何春蕤) said there is no need to use different standards in judging an adult video star.
Ho said it reflected that the general public in Taiwan is mature-minded and non-discriminatory toward people in different walks of life.
"Conservatives such as politicians or middle-aged women who discriminate against Ozawa are too narrow-minded," Ho said.
"Adult film is a different form of art, equal to the art form presented in the films at the Cannes Film Festival and other award-winning films," said Ho.
The feminist Ho said, "I see her new trials in a series of public activities in Taiwan as a positive development."
"It is absolutely right to teach the public to know that everybody has the dignity to participate in any social activity," Ho said.
Ho said sex workers cannot be discriminated against because of what they do.
"During the Sino-Japanese war, a number of anti-Japanese war rallies were led by prostitutes. It was because, among women, only sex workers dared to take to the streets to protests," Ho said.
Ho recognized Ozawa's contribution in entertaining the military troops in Kinmen.
"If she is willing to offer her contribution toward the public interest, why not?" Ho said.
Ozawa is considered the second Japanese AV [adult video] star known in Taiwan to embark on the transformation from the porn business to showbiz after Iijima Ai (飯島愛) who became a famous TV personality in Japan after quitting adult films.
Wang Hao-wei (王浩威), a renowned writer, social critic and psychiatrist, yesterday said that Ozawa's unprecedented popularity in Taiwan might be due to her distance from the audience.
"She is relatively less well-known in Taiwan, unlike other Japanese porn actress such as Asami Kanno [former porn actress] (楊思敏), who was in the spotlight more often [since she switched her performing career to Taiwan]," Wang said.
"Distance creates mystique for her, and that's why there is such a buzz among her male audiences," Wang said.
Wang said it is common for girls like Ozawa to be invited to entertain troops.
"During World War II, there were also many cover girls [of porn magazines] invited to entertain troops. Marilyn Monroe did it too," Wang said.
Wang said the huge amount of media coverage on Ozawa reflected that the attitudes of the general public in Taiwan are softening.
Madoka Ozawa's Taiwan agent said Ozawa is prepared to take part in a series of acting roles in TV dramas and music performances, mostly of the pop variety ,in Taiwan.
Ozawa will stay in Taiwan until March 16, before returning to shoot her photography album in April, said the agent.
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
RSS