Ai Iijima

About Ai Iijima

Biography
Ai Iijima (born Matsue Okubo; October 31, 1972 – December 17, 2008) was a prominent Japanese media personality, writer, and former adult film actress. Born in Kamedo, Koto-ku, Tokyo, she stood 163 cm tall with measurements of 86-56-85 cm. She attended Takinogawa Girls' High School but withdrew before graduating.

Early Life and Career Beginnings
Raised in a family that prioritized education, Ai Iijima was an academic overachiever during her elementary and junior high years. However, the death of her grandfather during her first year of junior high triggered a period of rebellion, leading to delinquent behavior. After leaving high school, she lived a transient lifestyle and began working as a hostess in Roppongi. It was there that a club owner gave her the stage name "Ai Iijima." In 1992, at the age of 19, she was scouted and made her debut in the adult video (AV) industry. While she initially portrayed a "classic beauty" with black hair, she soon found massive success by rebranding herself with a tanned, brown-haired "gal" (gyaru) aesthetic.

Mainstream Breakthrough
1992: Ai Iijima became a regular on the late-night variety show Gilgamesh Night (TV Tokyo). Her signature move—lifting her skirt to reveal a T-back—earned her the nickname "The Queen of Thongs" and catapulted her into mainstream stardom.
1993: She ventured into music, releasing the single "Naisho DE Ai! Ai!" and the album Nantettatte Ai Iijima.

Success as a Television Personality
Around 1994, Ai Iijima retired from the AV industry to pivot toward a career as a mainstream "talent" (TV personality). Her appearance on Tunnels no Minasan no Okage Desu paved the way for numerous variety show roles. Audiences embraced her for her unique blend of "sexy" appeal and a "ditzy" yet refreshingly candid and down-to-earth personality.
In 2000, she published her semi-autobiographical novel, Platonic Sex. The book was a sensation, as she bravely disclosed traumatic experiences including assault, her time in the AV industry, her struggles with STIs, abortion, and plastic surgery. The work was later adapted into both a feature film and a TV drama. Following its success, she became an active advocate for the prevention of sexually transmitted infections.

Retirement and Later Years
On March 31, 2007, Ai Iijima retired from the entertainment industry, citing health complications from pyelonephritis (a chronic kidney infection). Despite her retirement, she remained active through her popular blog, Ai Iijima's Porn Hospital, which she updated until December 5, 2008.

Death and Legacy
Tragically, on December 24, 2008, relatives discovered Ai Iijima deceased in her apartment at the Shibuya Infotower in Tokyo. A forensic autopsy determined that she had died of pneumonia approximately one week earlier, on December 17, at the age of 36.
Iijima never married. Her blog was maintained by her family as a memorial until it was officially closed on October 31, 2015.