Episode 165: 'Naked Swan Exhibition' Daily Guest 4 - Nene Yoshitaka: Building Life into Entertainment

May 3, 2025, 5:00 PM. Today's daily guest is Nene Yoshitaka. She is affiliated with the same Eightman agency. In 2017, she won the Grand Prix at a contest called 'AV OPEN: You Decide! The Japan Adult Video Championship.' In 2024, her '#NeneSecretMeeting' photo exhibition was a huge success.
She is a senior colleague and a comrade who saw her life take a dramatic turn after becoming an AV actress, and who continues to turn that drama into entertainment. (Titles omitted below)

Day 0, when Nene Yoshitaka came and gave me strength

Nene: I was supposed to do a '#NeneGathering' stream on Instagram today, too. Uh, let's see. (Sets up smartphone) Will this work? Is Kanna-chan in the frame? Should I turn it sideways? (Turns smartphone screen horizontally) No, that's not it. (Turns smartphone screen back to vertical) Oh, that looks like it'll work. Okay, I'll start the '#NeneGathering' stream too!
(Audience applause)
(Instagram Live '#NeneGathering' is being streamed simultaneously)
Fuji: Nene-chan, where are you right now?
Nene: I'm here at Kanna-chan's photo exhibition, the 'Naked Swan Exhibition'!
(Audience applause)
(Audience members are also watching the stream on their smartphones)
Nene: You released 'Naked Swan' last year, right? It's a collaboration between excerpts from that book and photos taken by photographer Koki Nishida. I really, really felt that this is an exhibition only Kanna-chan could do.
Walking through the venue, there were moments where every single piece of text really hit home. Because the text is there, the photos touch the heart even more, and because the photos are there, the text resonates even more. And then, Kanna-chan is here at the venue, you know? It makes it even more moving.
Fuji: Thank you. Nene-chan also came on Day 0 of the exhibition.
Nene: That's right, the reception party.
Fuji: Day 0 was an invitation for those who always passionately support Eightman, and Nene-chan and Mai Tsubasa came that day.
Right before holding this exhibition, I only felt happy to be allowed to hold a solo exhibition in such a great place. But honestly, I was a little anxious about what the other Eightman actresses might think. But Nene-chan was promoting it on X and Instagram, and when she came to the venue on Day 0 and I met her in person, I thought, 'Oh, how reassuring.'
Last year, when Nene-chan held her '#NeneSecretMeeting' photo exhibition, I did an in-depth interview with her, and I went every day as a live reporting staff member during the exhibition. At that time, Nene-chan told me, 'It's reassuring to have Fuji Kanna-chan here.' I can really feel that sentiment now. Thank you again.
(Audience applause)

Nene: Being alone is, well, lonely. The 'Eightwoman Photo Exhibition' had been running for three years, with Tsukasa Aoi at the forefront, and it became something amazing, right? So, for the next one, the '#NeneSecretMeeting' photo exhibition, doing it all by myself, there was a lot of pressure.
Fuji: I saw the 'Eightwoman Photo Exhibition,' and then seeing Nene-chan face the '#NeneSecretMeeting' photo exhibition all by herself, I thought, 'You can generate this much excitement even alone. That's amazing!' So that's why I was able to think I'd do my best this time, and I feel like you gave me a good example to follow.
Nene: I'm glad. That makes me happy.
Fuji: So, I didn't really have any anxiety about being alone this time.
Nene: Oh. Is that so? That's amazing...
Fuji: It's because you showed me something amazing, Nene-chan! Everyone who went to last year's '#NeneSecretMeeting' photo exhibition, raise your hand!
(Audience raises hands)
Fuji: That was fun, wasn't it? Even though it was May, it was cold, it rained, and the wind was strong.
(Audience nods deeply)
Nene: I met so many people for the first time at the '#NeneSecretMeeting' photo exhibition, and I think the bonds with the people who had been fans until then became even deeper there. So, I'm sure Kanna-chan will spend that kind of time at this exhibition too. It's only the third day since the exhibition started, but I'm sure all the fans will have a special time here too.
(Audience applause)

I was saved by the phrase 'Being an AV actress is like entering the priesthood'

Fuji: Since I think a feature of this exhibition is that it displays not just photos but also text, I'm asking visitors which phrases resonated with them. So, Nene-chan. Could you tell me which phrase resonated with you the most?
Nene: Well, since we are both AV actresses, 'An AV actress is someone who has entered the priesthood.' This hit me the most. Or rather, it was a shock.
Fuji: Was that phrase at the venue?
Nene: I think it was on that wall over there. Should we go take a picture of it?
(Nene, Fuji, and everyone move around the venue)

Nene: 'Becoming an AV actress is, in a sense, entering the priesthood.' This resonated the most. When I chose the job of an AV actress, I jumped into it with the feeling of throwing away everything I had built up until then and rebuilding it all over again. By Kanna-chan calling that feeling 'entering the priesthood,' I thought, 'Oh! This is it!' I found the words I had been searching for, and I was saved, and I felt relieved. 'Oh, I see, I entered the priesthood!'
I'm sure that people who are here now, and those who haven't come yet, will find the words they were looking for. So I definitely want many people to come!

Fuji: By the way, I like the phrase 'Life's second act, the curtain rises.' I think I came up with a pretty good one myself.
Nene: When did you come up with that?
Fuji: During my first AV shoot, when I was with the very first actor. I'm playing on the 'curtain' (maku) of life's opening and the 'membrane' (maku) of the hymen. It just popped into my head during that first shoot (laughs).
Nene: That's amazing (laughs). I bet the words that resonate with you change every day, too, depending on your mood or the situation when you come to the venue.
Fuji: By the way, (Guest Name), which phrase struck a chord with you?
Guest ①: For me, it's definitely this one: 'The ultimate form of humanity is eroticism.'
Nene: Nice! (Applause)
Guest ①: You can't do without eroticism, right!
Fuji: Is there anyone else who would like to share a phrase that resonated with them?
Guest ②: For me, it's '30% anxiety. This is necessary for your dreams.' I think that to do what you really want to do, you're definitely going to run into obstacles. Even if you're anxious, if there's a possibility, you should take the challenge. I think this is truly important.

Introducing photos and the venue with Nene-sanpo

Fuji: So, Nene-chan, can we talk about the photos next? Please tell me your favorite photo of Nene-chan.
Nene: First, in the 'most striking' category, it's this one. Kanna-chan is bent over. This really grabbed me.

Nene: What was the situation for this pose? Is there a pose like this in ballet?
Fuji: It's not a ballet pose; it was done at Nishida-san's suggestion to 'try bending over a bit.'
Nene: So 'bending over' was the right answer (laughs)!
Fuji: Exactly (laughs). But the shape of the feet is a ballet pose, it's called 'first position.' I remember it was quite difficult to stay bent over because the floor was soft and cushioned.
Nene: Also, in the 'stylish and want to display' category, there's this one.

Nene: It's just a part of Kanna-chan, but it's striking, and wouldn't it be stylish if you just displayed it?
Fuji: This one only shows shoes, doesn't it?
Nene: Yes! But shoes in the middle of being rained on are actually quite moving.
Fuji: By the way, Nishida-san said, 'Sorry, her face isn't in this one' (laughs).

Fuji: I like this one too. The focus is only on the fingertips.

Nene: You're right.
Fuji: We have the L-size on display right now, and the reason it's L-size is because Koki Nishida-san wants to display it in L-size. He said, 'If no one buys this and it's left over, I'll take it home' (laughs).
Nene: There's a smiling one over here too, right?

Fuji: This exhibition has a lot of text, and it displays things like the hateful comments I received when I was being flamed on X, or words from when my emotions exploded, so I was a little worried that some people might find it heavy. That's why I'm a little relieved to see photos of smiles here.
Nene: Exactly. Kanna-chan wrote on X that it might be a 'heavy exhibition,' so I was a little scared to come. But when I got here, I didn't feel that way at all. If anything, it's an exhibition you can leave feeling glad you came. Also, didn't you say you wanted people to see this giant display the most?
Fuji: Yes. I consider this giant display, 3 meters tall and 8 meters wide, to be the main highlight of this exhibition. The text in this section is so raw and emotional that it wasn't originally intended to be made public. But President Eightman said, 'This is your core, after all,' and included it in 'Naked Swan.' This exhibition was started with the desire to display it in a large format so people could read it thoroughly.
(Applause from the audience)
Nene: That concludes our venue tour!
(Nene, Fuji, and everyone return to their seats)

The flaming of the NHK Taiga drama 'Berabo' fueled it

Nene: Even so, I feel like this year is going to be an amazing one. 2025 started with the NHK Taiga drama 'Berabo,' right? And not even half a year has passed since then, and now we have this exhibition.
Fuji: Yeah, really, the Taiga drama...
Nene & Fuji: Yeah (laughs)!!!
Fuji: When I ask people at the venue, 'What made you come here?', quite a few say, 'Kanna Fuji-san, you were a hot topic on the Taiga drama, right?' People learned the name 'Kanna Fuji' during the Taiga drama, and then while walking through Shibuya, they saw a venue with the name 'Kanna Fuji' written on it, which they recognized. So some people just wandered in.
Nene: NHK is really something...
Fuji: The episode we appeared in was being flamed, too.
Nene: Right! Kanna-chan at that time. Even though you were being flamed, you were so cool and collected, and I even felt like you were standing up to the flaming. Was that not the case?
Fuji: Oh, I'm happy you noticed (laughs).
Nene: I knew it!
Fuji: At first, NHK was being flamed, right? Like, 'How can you use an active AV actress, and naked at that, on national broadcasting!' And then that flaming spread to me. I'm sure there were many people who saw the names Nene Yoshitaka, Rin Yoda, and Kanna Fuji because of the NHK flaming. From there, people started saying, 'Kanna Fuji, I've seen that name somewhere. Oh, that's the person who was doing flame-baiting before. Is it okay to put such a trashy person in a Taiga drama!' and it started to heat up. At that time, honestly, I thought, 'Heh heh...'
Nene: You're strong...
Fuji: I think once you have a big flaming incident, you get addicted to it. So, even with the NHK flaming, I got a strange adrenaline rush thinking, 'I'm going to get attention again.' That's why I made a cocky post. I intentionally posted a photo of myself doing ballet, saying, 'Yes. I'm the person who was being flamed.'

Nene: I really felt that you were standing up to it.
Fuji: Also, it burned even more when I quoted 'Naked Swan.' The phrase, 'I have a more beautiful face and body than others, so what's wrong with using them to compete? I want to ask, am I causing you any trouble?' It's a line said by Shirakawa-san, a senior from my former company, and I posted that. That post had over 25 million views. I fueled it quite a bit, so if I'm called a 'flame-baiter' again, I guess I can't help it (laughs).

Fuji: Anyway, the influence of the Taiga drama was huge, and the three of us also did the 'Berabo Nude' shoot, right?
Nene: 'Shukan Post,' right! Is there anyone here who saw that gravure shoot?
(Hands go up in the audience)
Nene: Oh, quite a few! How about the digital photo book?
(Hands go up in the audience)
Fuji: A lot of people have seen it. I think that collaborative gravure shoot was fun.
Nene: It was fun! That group was comfortable to be around, wasn't it? Everyone was at their own pace.

A major announcement for '#NeneGathering'

Fuji: We've had a great start to 2025 like that. First of all, I was able to hold my exhibition, but I feel like even more things are going to happen this year. Don't you feel that too, Nene-chan?
Nene: Ah...... I might be feeling it a little (laughs). So, can I make an announcement?
(Audience applause)
Nene: On June 8th, I will be holding my first 'Real Nene Gathering'!
(Audience uproar)
Nene: The Instagram Live '#NeneGathering' will reach its 50th episode at the end of May. That's one of the reasons I'm holding a real-life Nene gathering. And guess what, the location is Kyoto!
(Audience buzzes)
Nene: Oh, look at everyone's reaction. It's buzzing (laughs). I want to talk about the reason why it's in Kyoto on the day of the event. Everyone, you'll come, right?
Fuji: Who's coming? Raise your hands!
(A few hands go up in the audience)
Nene: Wait, no way, no way, no way. There are only three people (laughs).
Koki Nishida: I'll go too.
Nene: Oh, Nishida-san!
Fuji: I'll go to Kyoto too.
Nene: Yay!!
(Audience applause)
Nene: And there will be a major announcement in Kyoto. It feels like I'm breaking it up into too many stages, but well, looking at everyone's faces now, I know what you're thinking. I'm sure some of you think the location is a bit far. But I want you to hear my major announcement, and it's a rare opportunity for us to gather in Kyoto. I want to tell you the reason why I want to do it in Kyoto, so please come!
Fuji: The date is June 8th. The location is Kyoto. That's about a month from now. I've watched Nene-chan's Instagram Live a few times too. I've only been here at Eightman for three years, but—
Nene: Wait, your third year!? Really? It feels like you've been here longer.
Fuji: That's true. How many years has it been for you, Nene-chan?
Nene: For me, it's my eighth year.
(Audience applause)

Fuji: I started getting to know Nene-chan's personality through an interview at last year's '#NeneSecretMeeting'. Since then, I've seen and felt what kind of person Nene-chan is at the '#NeneSecretMeeting' photo exhibition. I thought she might be someone who doesn't show her true self very often. In that context, I feel that by starting Instagram Lives, she is trying to share her thoughts with everyone. That's why I really feel that the people who watch them will come to like Nene-chan even more.
Nene: I think my true self shows in my Instagram Live, '#NeneGathering'. I feel like I was able to show my true self to everyone for the first time at the '#NeneSecretMeeting' photo exhibition, and I realized, 'It's okay to show it.' I might be a bit more wild during '#NeneGathering' (laughs).
Fuji: I feel like something like a 'Nene Family' is being formed. That's something I want to learn from as well.
Nene: Speaking of which, when I collaborate with Kanna-chan like this, I feel like my fans are all very high-energy. Like, 'We've been waiting for this!' (laughs)
Fuji: Is that so!? I'm so happy!
Nene: It's clear that everyone feels, 'This person is someone we can trust!' about Kanna-chan.
Fuji: Many of Nene-chan's fans have already come to this exhibition, and somehow, I can tell they are Nene-chan fans.
(Laughter in the venue)
Fuji: I don't know what it is. There are no bad people. Not that there are bad people among fans, but among them, I feel like there are many Nene-chan fans who have an affection close to that of a parent. And I really feel like I've been accepted as a member of the family. Today's space also feels very reassuring.
Nene: The Nene faction is a safe place (laughs).
Fuji: Thank you so much, always. So, June 8th.
Nene: Come to Kyoto! I look forward to seeing you!