In Memoriam Max-Body: Free Keiko Saito!

Max-Body is now, sadly, closed

Asato of Max-Body (above)

I come bearing bad tidings tonight. A tip from reader Brandt confirms our worst fears about our friends at Max-Body have come true. I had noted lately that the site seemed to be down. Now I know the reason. The Japan Times ran a story on July 17 titled "Tokyo cops bust Max Body ring of hefty hookers", and Yahoo ran the same story the day before. Max-Body's owner, 41-year-old Keiko Saito, was accused of running the club in Taito Ward, Tokyo, as a call-girl prostitution service. Saito employed 31 big girls averaging 100kg, the heaviest of whom was 155kg. An 80kg girl who worked there was reported to be an active AV performer-- we can probably figure out who she is with a little research... Max Body's fees were ¥15,000 for the first hour.

Anzu of Max Body

It is my understanding that prostitution (interpreted as selling "penetrative sex") is illegal in Japan, but that the vibrant "soapland" / "deli-health" (delivery-"soapland") industry gets around this law by supplying everything-but-penetrative sex-- i.e., massage, paizuri, hand-jobs, fellatio (I think), etc. Just as long as tab A doesn't go into slot B, the letter of the law is observed... But apparently Max-Body crossed that line... Tokyo Reporter ran an article last week on the raid titled, "Big bust shows guys still hankering for hefty hookers", and another article today titled "Japanese males’ interest in heavy honeys extends beyond sex industry" uses the arrest to delve a bit further into the new appreciation for BBWs in Japanese society, mentioning the DVD studios JAMS and Maguro Bussan.

Farewell, fantastic Fuuka!

Maybe it's just my imagination, but I get the impression from the articles-- and this CGI video news item at Youtube-- that they are implying catering to men who like the big girls is laughable and their preferences abnormal. Yet a matchmaking site consulted said that demand for chubbier women is higher than the formerly most-in-demand slender and "Lolita" types. Ms. Saito reportedly made about ¥400 million (over 4 million US dollars) in the three years since Max-Body opened in 2010... so it's not just us overseas, curious foreigners who were fans of Max-Body... SOMEBODY in Japan must love those big, beautiful girls!

Yukari at Max-Body

Yukari at her blog

On a side-note, online message board discussions of the case include speculation that the images at the site are heavily Photoshopped. I dislike Photoshopping when it's done to ridiculous extremes-- for example I've seen images of the already cartoonish Fuuko with her boobs expanded beyond physical possibility. My question is: Why? Also, when I see DVD cover images that promise more than the DVD actually delivers, I feel cheated. I'd probably feel cheated if I saw the images at this site, called up the service based on them, and the reality turned out to be far less enticing...

Airi's photo at Max-Body

Airi's photo at her blog

But, on the other hand, when one of these girls has a blog, with amateur pictures, they usually look much the same-- not as professionally slick, of course, but the proportions are comparable. Look at the two photos of the lovely Airi above, for example, or Yukari in the paragraph above. Sure, the blog photos are more life-like: harsher, rougher, with blemishes, and their boobs are pushed to the front focus, and the Max-Body shots obviously do have the models made-up, in fancy dress, in dreamy soft-focus, and no doubt a little photographic distortion... but still, even in the amateur shots, the girl's potential is all right there to see!... And regardless, for 99.99% of us overseas observers, there's no chance in Hell we're ever going to meet any of these ladies anyway. Even if the images are touched up and exaggerated a bit, they're not done to ridiculousness, and they are quite beautiful in and of themselves. So even if they're fantasy, those fantasy images are all the reality I'm ever going to get from the shop, and that's just fine with me.

Futaba of Max-Body

And so we must bid farewell to such lovelies as Asato, Airi, and Anzu, Yukari, Fuuka and Futaba... I think I join my readership in hoping the best for Ms. Saito and her bevy of bouncy beauties. Regardless of what she did or did not do, or the photographic accuracy of the images, by running the website attached to the club, she has provided overseas followers of her site with some spectacular fantasies and visions of bountiful feminine beauty. One of the Japanese reporters interviewed stated, “There is a magical power in heavy women.” Max-Body provided a service for this appreciative audience. I hope it's possible that Saito-san can open the site again... just resist the temptation to go "all the way" next time!