Ai Uehara announces her retirement from AV industry

TOKYO (TR) – The average adult video (AV) awards show is usually a dull affair, mainly serving as a means of promoting the companies producing the films.

However, at the AV Open on Tuesday, popular actress Ai Uehara dropped a bomb on the proceedings, announcing her retirement after a four-year career, reports Nikkan Sports (Nov. 18).

Uehara said afterwards that she had been contemplating her decision since last year, beginning, perhaps ironically, after she took top prize at the DMM Adult Awards 2014.

“From that day, I lost my bearings,” she wrote on her blog after the ceremony. “I thought I could continue with the support of my agency and staff but then I gradually thought about where I was going and finally made the decision.”

The 23-year-old made her debut in 2011 with label Lahaina Tokai.

In March of 2014, Uehara took the Best Picture prize at the Sky PerfecTV! AV Awards for her role in a 120-minute lesbian feature.

Uehara is satisfied with what she has achieved.

“Through my team, we bloomed like a large flower,” she wrote. “This was most certainly not a one-person effort.”

Her activities in the industry will end in the spring of next year.