Former AV actress Tsubomi now generates revenue by selling used underwear

Making her debut in 2006 at just 18 years old as a Lolita-style performer, Tsubomi had already built an astonishing catalog of over 1,000 releases by 2012.

While many assumed her career wrapped up in the 2010s, she didn’t officially step away from the industry until late 2022, making her run one of the longest in recent memory.

Known affectionately as “Tsubomin” to her fanbase, the former idol has now transitioned into her late 30s as a jukujo. But how is she earning a living today? As regular readers know, we are fascinated by the post-retirement paths of gravure, music, and JAV stars, particularly given the unique personal and professional prejudices former adult performers face.

Now performing as a cosplayer under the moniker Tanpopo, Tsubomi generates part of her income by selling used lingerie. While not strictly fresh, the items are nominally worn—if only briefly, offering fans the opportunity to purchase garments previously used by the former AV star.

She recently auctioned several of her bras and panties through a COS×Project event hosted on DMM/Fanza, with certain pieces fetching upwards of ¥35,000.

She also generates income through merchandise sales and photo sessions at events like Comiket, most recently at this month’s Tokyo edition, where she shared a booth with fellow cosplayer Sayoyon.

Tsubomi retains a strong fanbase across Asia. She recently hosted a fan meet in Taiwan alongside Sayoyon, who appears fluent in Chinese based on her social media activity.

Used underwear represents a massive fetish market in Japan, despite a high prevalence of counterfeit items. While these products are typically marketed as coming from “amateurs” (ordinary women), select idols and cosplayers also monetize their worn garments, though the high level of micro-management yields fairly modest returns.

If you are looking for english subtitles to watch Tsubomi’s JAV movies, check our subtitles for Tsubomi.