Every so often, maybe once a decade, someone enters the adult cinema world demanding your attention. Perfectly sculpted Adonises and vampy sexpots with acrobatic anal skill may offer reliable orgasms, but it's the outliers of the adult world who truly captivate us, staying in our minds for the long haul. I was first introduced to Kohey Nishi through a link sent to me going by the title "Japanese Porn Prodigy Looks 12." After one of the riskier clicks of my adult life, I discovered a trove of vids containing an adult man who looks like a boy being babied, nursed, and otherwise coddled by buxom women before he and/or another guy fucks them. I decided I needed to know more about this mystery man-child.

With some help from VICE Japan's Hideki Kobayashi, I asked the rising porn sensation, also known as Nishikun, about his struggles, aspirations, and the good his porn is doing for the world.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Photo via Nishikun's Facebook

VICE: Let's clear up the age thing. How old are you?

Kohey Nishi: I am 24 years old.

And how tall are you?

My height is 109cm [3'6"].

How did you first start doing these types of videos? Were you recruited or did you conceive of the idea?

I became drinking buddies with Kei Morikawa, a Japanese mainstream film and porn director. He introduced me to Ganari Takahashi, an entrepreneur of the Japanese porn industry. Mr Takahashi let me produce my first porn video after I gave a presentation to him. He evaluated it, saying "It is very unique. Nobody has made this kind of videos except you." Then I became the first exclusive director for Soft On Demand, one of the largest porn conglomerates in Japan, which was founded by Mr Takahashi.

Did you intentionally market yourself as someone who looks like a child? Are you aware of that being your appeal in the market?

Yes. There is no one who is an adult and looks like a kid more than me! And not just for the porn industry. You cannot cast actual kids sometimes [in non-pornographic content], so I'd like to fill the gap in that market.

What is the condition you have and what are the health concerns and difficulties that come with it? I was diagnosed with mucopolysaccharidosis, a progressive incurable disease. I had a marrow-bone transplant and it stopped the development of the disease. It was like a miracle because today it is said that the remedy has no effect.

Having said that, once you get the symptoms, you don't recover. Moreover, I've got some after effects from rhabdomyosarcoma and a brain tumor I was diagnosed with when I was 3 years old. So I have some physical difficulties. I don't get taller. I cannot stand on my own feet for more than five minutes. I cannot open a plastic bottle. I hardly hear in my left ear, and so on. Yet I have become used to my condition because I have lived in it since I was little. Though sometimes I need somebody's help, I can also handle these difficulties with my knowledge. For example, I can open a plastic bottle with a pair of nippers.

My only anxiety is about my neck. It's too weak so I may be paralyzed from neck down if I damage my spinal cord. But I believe I could get over that difficulty. I try not to worry too much because it can't be helped. I will consider what to do when I am paralyzed.

Have you ever wondered whether or not your videos are providing a public service that is preventing actual children from being harmed?

I was once told that "Your videos seem dangerous as you look a real kid on screen." But I have considered that my works prevent children from being sexually abused, just like war movies and shooter video games can contribute to peace.

Are there any challenges or limitations to what you can do during one of these video performances?

I don't have any limitations or difficulties with my height. As I mentioned, I cannot stand on my feet for a long time, but usually porn shoots are done while I am on a bed, so I have no problem with it. Although it has nothing to do with my disabilities, it's very difficult to get an erection when you are surrounded by many people and directing your shooting crew.

Have there been any video shoots where you were injured?

No, there haven't, but I've get strong muscle pains after every video shoot.

What is your favorite video you've done?

I have a soft spot for my first video, Nice to Meet You. I am Nishikun, a 109cm Porn Director, Feat. Mao Hamasaki. But from the point of view of the audience, my best work could be Having Sex in the Magic Mirror Box Car with a Female College Student with F-Cup Breasts Who Wants to Be a Kindergarten Teacher because it's very erotic, interesting, and unique. I am the only person who could make it!

What do you like and dislike most about directing and acting in these videos?

I'm happy with being a porn director as I can express my feeling in my works. As a porn actor, I can make use of my strengths. That's why I decided to act on screen. Now I have valuable experiences and also enjoy the slander against me, so I'm happy I got involved in the industry. I have no problem with my career.

How has being in porn affected your off-screen love life?

Thanks to that, I now have more opportunities to be asked for a date by ladies.

How often are you recognized on the street? What are your fans like? Have there ever been any scary encounters with them?

I frequently feel someone looking at me, but people don't often call out to me here in Tokyo. Yet I receive a lot of messages on the internet.

I think that I'm popular among the youth from their late teens to mid-20s. And I also have a large number of female fans.

Sometimes I receive emails saying bad things about me, but I have never had scary encounters since I am rarely approached by my fans on the street.

What were you doing before your porn career? What would you like to do after?

Before starting my porn career, I used to work as a computer programmer for a year and half at a company, and then for a half year as freelancer. I'd like to perform in non-erotic dramas and movies and American porn in the future.

Do you have any words of advice for men who are unhappy with their height and feel it affects their romantic prospects?

There are a lot of factors that harm your charm, and actually your height doesn't affect it much. You just attribute your unpopularity to your height and ignore other factors. If you face the reality, increasing your strengths and improving your weaknesses, you will become popular among ladies.