

For the screen version, Nikkatsu Studios recruited reliable sexploitation queen Naomi Tani, who had already appeared in a previous version of the same film entitled Hana to hebi yori: niku no shiiku, aka Flower and Snake: Rearing the Flesh. 1974’s Hana to hebi, aka Flower and Snake, is a bondage comedy based on a novel by Oniroku Dan, who specialized in S&M fiction. If there’s one indisputably true statement about Japanese cinema, it’s this: they will try anything. To prove that, we've included the cover and a few interior pages below. It's where the above image came from, and numerous others are noteworthy. It came from the publishers Shishobo in 1985, and we consider it one of the better examples of the photo book phenomenon. Fujimura starred in a photo book called Jōnetsu Airando, or “Passion Island,” but subtitled in English Sexual Message. As we've noted before, Japanese actresses were relentlessly cross-marketed, and photo books were a go-to medium to raise a performer's profile. Despite her short career, she's well remembered by Japanophiles thanks to her work in other areas. Fujimura starred in several pinku movies in 19, notably the Nikikatsu roman porno Hana to hebi: Jigoku-hen, aka Flower and Rope: Sketch of Hell, and OL yûkaihan – Hagu!, which was part of the popular Office Lady series. Though we're a vintage art site, we sometimes look forward all the way into the 1980s for material, so today we have a brilliant photo and zoom of Japanese actress Mami Fujimura looking like trouble incarnate.
