Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on September 2010

You might think that a porno theater with a high-quality interior and modern fixtures would be as improbable as an AV film going 15 minutes without bare flesh hitting the tatami. Yet that’s the case with the rebuilt Ueno Okura Theater, which enjoyed a nearly half-century run as Japan’s most highly regarded home for pinku eiga, or pink films, a form of softcore pornography.

Located near Ueno Park in Taito-ku, a dozen yards from the original, the three-screen cinema offers 40-inch promo monitors in the lobbies, brightly lit hallways and plush seats—all part of an attempt to attract younger clientele, and more women.

During its inauguration last month, the theater hosted a special screening day “for ladies only,” and pinku eiga luminaries were on hand to discuss the state of the industry and the significance of the new venue.

Shinji Kubo, a legendary actor and founder of a training academy for performers and directors, sees the attempt to expose a new audience to a genuine pink theater as a huge positive.

“Young people these days don’t know what it was like for the older generation of performers,” said the veteran of 800 films in the theater’s lobby following an appearance that also featured six acclaimed actresses, both past and present (pictured). “This is something of a revival.”

Actor-turned-director Yutaka Ikejima, dressed in an appropriately colored light red jacket, explained that the rebirth shows that longtime pink producer Okura Eiga, the theater’s operator, is prepared to stand fast in the face of a declining industry.

“It is a form of commitment which means that they will do their utmost to ensure that the pink genre survives,” said Ikejima, who played leading roles in roughly 500 films in the ’80s.

Pinku eiga was born two decades before Ikejima’s acting heyday. Extending for roughly one hour, the films are produced by small companies, and unlike conventional porn flicks, they contain fairly substantial story lines.

Director Satoru Kobayashi’s impassioned torture-themed flick Nikutai no Ichiba (“Flesh Market”), generally considered the first pink picture, was screened at the Okura in 1962, 11 years after the theater opened as part of the Toei chain. By the early ’70s, it had become an entirely pink venue. Okura Eiga continually supplied the theater with the latest films, which were screened under the motto “Every day and all night”—a key to developing its loyal fan base.

Despite pinku eiga’s quick-and-dirty format, the genre is not looked down upon by mainstream Japanese cinema. Aspiring directors, unable to break into one of the major studios, will often try to make a name for themselves in softcore films. Koji Wakamatsu, whose war movie Caterpillar opened last month, is just one critically revered filmmaker who got his start with pink pictures.

At one time, the Ueno area had eight adult theaters. But that number slowly fell as adult videos, viewable at home, eroded the pink market in the ’80s. In recent years, the original Okura had fallen into decrepitude. The uneven floors were cracked and patched, and tattered posters announcing upcoming features covered the raw concrete walls. The theater shut its doors in July.

Though the management aims to attract a younger audience, aging regulars have not been forgotten. Patrons are allowed to bring guide dogs, and there are special headphones for the hearing impaired, as well as elevators and a handicapped seating space.

Any fears that customers would not take kindly to the new digs can be put to rest. During a recent visit, a drag queen, legs crossed and feet shod in red pumps, was seen smoking a cigarette in the lounge. Just inside the doors of the theater, two heavy-set men embraced as a film ran on the screen above.

General manager Hidekazu Saito was only slightly nostalgic about the closing of the original venue. Instead, he chose to focus on what lies ahead. “It’s been a nice run,” he said. “But now it’s important that we look into the future and begin a new era.”

2-13-6 Ueno, Taito-ku. Tel: 03-3831-0157. http://uenookura.blog108.fc2.com