A Japanese woman on social media was livid when she discovered someone else was wearing “her” wedding dress. Her comments stirred a debate about prejudice against sex workers in Japan. It’s also earned the anonymous woman a wealthy enemy.
“That they’d lend it to a porn actress…”
The controversy started when former idol and porn actress Mikami Yua posted a picture to her Instagram account of herself wearing a dress. She had, it would turn out, rented the dress from specialty dress shop comel in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, for a guest appearance at a boat racing event.
Somehow, a bride-to-be found the post and went into a rage on the social media site X. Turns out she had been planning to rent the same dress for her wedding. (Note: No links included as the user has privated her account.)
It sucks that a porn actress wore the dress I was gonna wear to my post-wedding photos. It’s an original made by this [dress rental] studio you can only get there, I was so looking forward to it and had put effort into the overall concept, picking out the shoes and accessories.
I never would’ve signed a contract if I knew they’d rent it to a porn actress…what am I gonna do
The comments ignited a debate online. Some people sympathized with the bride-to-be. Others, however, went off on her for saying that a former porn star wearing a dress somehow sullies it, saying that the comments were discriminatory towards sex workers.
Indeed, Mikami isn’t even active in the industry now. The former SKE48 idol and YouTuber retired in 2023. With eight million followers on X alone, she seems to have many other paths to getting that bag.
Others argued that, if the bride wanted a dress that was truly hers and hers alone, she should have bought one instead of renting.
The bride wasn’t having it. She ameliorated her language somewhat in a response to a user’s question. For example, she made sure to refer to Mikami as a “former porn actress.” However, she steadfastly maintained she had a right to be angry. She insists the store should’ve told her (the most important person in this situation, obviously) that it was renting her dress to a well-known former porn actress to appear at a public gambling event. (Boat racing is one of Japan’s five legal forms of gambling.)
She insists she’s not saying that a porn actress wearing her dress “sullied it.” The store should have told her (for some reason) that it was renting the dress to Mikami for “a PR promotion.”
“The studio’s lack of consideration for the fervor and emotional attachment of people getting married is disheartening.”
“If you don’t have money, stop shooting your mouth off”
On July 29th, Mikami made her first public comment on the issue. Her comment was aimed mainly at dispelling rumors about how she acquired the dress.
“I didn’t know it was a wedding dress,” Mikami said. She also denied OP’s contention that she received the dress for PR purposes.
However, yesterday, LiveDoor News reported that Mikami had made another post to X.
“You all are saying I should launch a discovery process [to unearth the poster’s identity],” the post reportedly read. “Don’t worry, I’ve already started! Thank you so much!”
The discovery process would presumably be the first step in a defamation lawsuit. Mikami alluded to a previous case where she was libeled over a collaboration with a company.
“Most of those people had no money. If you’re pleading for forgiveness because you have no money, then stop shooting your mouth off. That goes for everyone!”
At press time, I couldn’t find Mikami’s tweet; she appears to have deleted it.
The online world just gets worse
In 2024, Mikami repped for the hat brand CA4LA. Some social media users derided both her and the brand for the tie-up. Mikami reacted fiercely online, threatening to seek the identity of the users slandering her.
Toyo Keizai noted at the time that this wasn’t even Mikami’s first collaboration with the brand – it was her third. Moreover, there are multiple examples of brands collaborating with both former as well as current porn stars. For example, Iijima Ai partnered with NTT, Yoshino, and multiple other major Japanese brands during her career.
Toyo’s Nishiyama Mamoru chalked the attacks up to a couple of factors. One is the general rise of defamation on social media platforms. Another is the sudden rise of Mikami, whose fame has exploded in recent years. Her visibility makes her an easy target.
From my standpoint, another factor is that Mikami’s past as a porn actress also makes her an “easy target.” Sex workers already face prejudice in Japan, as they do in many other countries. During COVID-19, one Japanese celebrity railed against the idea that workers in Japan’s nightlife scene should receive the same cash subsidies everyone else did.
Whatever the reason, this “controversy” is on the bride. Odds are that if she hadn’t thrown a fit online, no one would have even known Mikami wore the same dress. Now, all of Japan knows.
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Sources
三上悠亜が警告、開示請求「動いてます」「お金ないですって言うなら軽率な発言やめましょう」. LiveDoor News
｢三上悠亜コラボ｣批判が”ピントはずれ”の根拠. Toyo Keizai
三上悠亜さんとCA4LAのコラボが炎上した件、何故か花畑牧場と丸亀製麺とネット回線契約のために嘘の電話をかけてくる代理店への怒りに飛び火する. Togetter
