Pinku eiga (ピンク映画, lit. "pink film") is a style of Japanese softcore pornographic films that originated in the early 1960s and are still being produced. The term pinku eiga was coined by journalist Minoru Murai. Pink films should be distinguished from adult videos and non-Japanese sexploitation films. Softcore is a form of erotica that is less explicit than hardcore material in depicting or describing sexual behaviour. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969, inclusive. ... Pornography (from Greek πορνογραφια pornographia — literally writing about or drawings of harlots) is the representation of the human body or human sexual behaviour with the goal of sexual arousal, similar to, but (according to some) distinct from, erotica. ... Sexploitation is a term that was first used in the 1940s which describes media that is merely an excuse to purvey sex. ...

Subgenres produced by Nikkatsu studios include the early (starting in 1971) Roman Porno (short for Romantic Pornography) pink films with well known directors, and an ultra-violent rape-themed subgenre also from the 1970s called Violent Pink. Toei studios' genre of erotic sex-and-violence films is termed Toei's Pinky Violence. Many of these are not centered on violence and have some artistic merit. Examples of the latter include Shunya Ito's Sasori (lit. scorpion) series of women in prison films (Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion (1972), Female Prisoner Scorpion: Jailhouse 41 (1972), Female Prisoner Scorpion: Beast Stable (1973)) based on Toru Shinohara's manga and starring Meiko Kaji, who ironically wanted to distance herself from pink films and has only one erotic scene in the series. After first Ito and then Kaji left the project, the series rapidly deteriorated in artistic quality and focused more on sex and violence. Nikkatsu Corporation (日活株式会社) is a Japanese entertainment company well known for its film and television productions. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) is a common year starting on Friday (click for link to calendar). ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ... Toei Company, Ltd. ... Shunya Ito (伊藤俊也 Itō Shunya) is a Japanese film director. ... Women in prison films are a subgenre of exploitation film. ... Toru Shinohara(篠原とおる) is a mangaka. ... A page from the Marmalade Boy manga, volume 1 (Japanese version) Manga (漫画) is the Japanese word for comics and print cartoons; outside of Japan, it usually refers specifically to Japanese comics. ... Meiko Kaji on the Lady Snowblood DVD cover Meiko Kaji (梶芽衣子 Kaji Meiko) (born 24 March 1947 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese singer and actress. ...

While some directors have used pink films as a steppingstone for their careers, others work exclusively with the genre. Some notable directors of pink films include:

• Kurosawa Kiyoshi
• Masayuki Suo
• Yojiro Takita
• Yoshimitsu Morita
• Takechi Tetsuji
• Wakamatsu Koji
• Ryuichi Hiroki
• Takashi Ishii
• Toshiharu Ikeda
• Takahisa Zeze

Kiyoshi Kurosawa (黒沢 清 Kurosawa Kiyoshi) is a Japanese filmmaker. ... Masayuki Suo (周防正行 Suō Masayuki, born 29 October 1956, in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese film director. ... Yojiro Takita (滝田 洋二郎 Takita Yōjirō, born December 4, 1955 in Toyama, Japan), is a Japanese film director. ... Yoshimitsu Morita (1950-present) is a Japanese film director. ... Koji Wakamatsu (1 April 1936, Wakuya-machi, Tôda-gun, Miyagi, Japan) is a Japanese film director. ... Takashi Ishii (born 1946 in Sendai) is a Japanese film director and scriptwriter. ...

Further reading

• Japanese Cinema Encyclopedia: The Sex Films by Thomas Weisser, Yuko Mihara Weisser, Yuko Mihara Weisser (ISBN 1889288527)

External links

• Vital flesh: the mysterious world of Pink Eiga by Roland Domenig
• Collection of pinku posters