The winner of five AVN Awards (like the Oscars, but without Cuba Gooding, Jr.), Asa Akira returned to the East Coast last weekend for a rare promotional trip to New Jersey's annual Exxxotica Expo, the largest adult event in America. In the spirit of intensifying relations between our nation and Japan, I spoke with the scintillating 25-year-old superstar/native New Yorker about her Japanese roots, her favorite anime films, and the deeper cultural points that America and Japan can swap with each other.

Regarding your Japanese heritage, where is your family originally from?

My mother’s side of the family is from Osaka and my father’s side is from Tokyo, but they live in Yokohama.

You went to an American school growing up.

I did, a very prestigious American private school. It was nice.

When Japanese students relocate to America, it can be difficult adjusting. How was it for you relearning the way of life here?

I was born in New York City and I moved to Japan when I was six, so I already had a little America experience, but it was definitely a huge culture shock. Kids in Japan are really good, even American ones. So coming to New York was like, “Oh my God, these kids are 12 years old and they’re doing drugs!” It was definitely a huge culture shock, and I totally bought into it for a little bit (laughs).

You’ve got an incredible personality…

Thank you.

What do you attribute this to?

I grew up around boys; I think that has a lot to do with my sense of humor. Me and this other girl were always the only two girls in this group of boys, so I think we grew up with a really good sense of humor, you know?

So are you kind of like an otemba (tomboy)?

Yeah (laughs).

That’s my type, by the way.

Oh, good (laughs).

Regarding Japan’s adult industry, does anyone over there particularly follow you? Have you ever had any invites to go over there?

I actually have no idea what my fanbase is out there; I really have no idea. I haven’t been back to Japan since I started porn. I know that my name is out there because my family in Japan found out what I’m doing, so I must be out there to some degree. But I have noticed that the Japanese companies never want to hire me—I don’t think I’m necessarily the Japanese man’s type. I have fake boobs, I’m too Americanized, I’m loud. I’m submissive, but not in the way that they would like.

There still isn’t any mixing between the industry there and the industry here; it’s very tight knit on both sides.

Yeah. I think that probably has a lot to do with the fact that their girls are contracted, you know? From what I hear, the girls are contracted to stores and companies, and it’s not like here where it’s sort of a free-for-all.

I hope that we can see crossovers in the future.

Totally, like Hitomi Tanaka. I heard Maria Ozawa retired.

Did she really?

That’s what I heard. [But] we have no communication…

She should come over here.

Oh, she’d make a killing.

Regarding Japanese culture, what things do you like the most about it? Are there any films or other things that you point to as an inspiration?

I think I have a lot of Japanese culture ingrained in me. Just from being from a Japanese family, living in Japan. The whole “respect your elders,” that, to me, is the main thing that’s different between America and Japan. People in America treat old people like [expletive].

I love my grandmother, but I know what you’re talking about.

(Laughs) And they just don’t listen to older people. I think that’s weird. So that would be the main thing. I love Japanese movies; I went through a phase where I was really into Japanimation. I got [the stage name] “Akira” from [Katsuhiro Otomo’s classic 1988 film].

No!

(Laughs) Yeah! Surprisingly, no one gets it. They’re like, “Oh, cool name,” and I’m like, “Yeah, I got it from the anime.” And they’re like (pauses), “Okay, whatever…”

You need to go to some other conventions.

Yeah, I’m at the wrong show (laughs).

Anywhere your fans show up, it’s gotta be good.

Absolutely. But those few and far between that do know, I appreciate it.

There’s going to be a Hayao Miyazaki [the Oscar-winning anime director] film festival in New York in December.

Whoa! That’s cool.

Do you have a favorite of his films?

I don’t know; I’m trying to think. Ohh, I hate being put on the spot like this!

Doesn’t matter.

I know I’m gonna—I’ll think of something.

Nausicaä’s fun, right? And Totoro…

Yeah. Uhh…

Spirited Away is a big one.

Spirited Away is a really good one. It’s hard to remember, because I feel like the last time there was a new one I was like, 15.

It’s been a while. Ponyo [originally released in 2008] was the last one.

Oh, that’s by him? It’s been in my Netflix queue for the longest time. Now I have to watch it.

Check it out, it’s more like for young children; very surreal.

Yeah, that’s why I didn’t—I looked at the cover, the poster they have on Netflix for it, and it doesn’t look—I guess the animation does, kind of. But it looks very updated.

What do you think are some good things that Japan and the U.S. can learn from each other?

Japan, stop pixilating your porn, please (laughs)—it’s killing us. We want to see all your rape porn. More rape, less pixilation, less octopus. That’s my advice for Japan.

That octopus is very traditional. Hokusai knew what he was doing back then.

(Laughs)