Japanese Porn Star Taka Katô to Retire After 26-Year Career

TOKYO—He isn’t listed on the iafd.com database because he never made any movies here, but Taka Katô can still lay claim to some singular achievements during his 26-year career as one of Japan’s leading male porn stars, including an amazing 10,000+ movies under his belt. As a point of comparison, iafd.com lists 2,201 performing credits for the legendary Ron Jeremy between the years 1979 and 2013. Now, however, the iron man has decided to call it quits at the end of the year while he's still at the top of his game.

According to the Tokyo Reporter, the 54-year-old Katô has performed with about 8,000 adult actresses since entering the Japanese adult industry in 1987, first as a cameraman’s assistant before moving in front of the camera.

“Over his 26-year career, Katô became known for his ‘Goldfinger,’ which he utilizes to induce shiofuki, or female ejaculation,” reported the Tokyo Reporter. “In many photos, the actor is seen raising the middle and forefingers of his right hand.”

Of his many thousands of female costars, Katô recalled, “I would only come across about two each year who were unlikable. That’s 7,948 winners.”

Not one to make rash decisions, Katô has set his actual date of retirement for December 31, and has vowed to work “as hard as ever over the next four months. Even at the age of 54, I want to show that I’ve still got what it takes.”

He also wants to go out on top. “I didn’t want to fizzle out,” he said. “Chocoball Mukai retired quietly three years ago. I didn’t want to do that.”

Unlike Katô, Japanese porn star and professional wrestler Chocoball Mukai is listed on the iafd.com database, though only for five titles he made for Third World Media and Samurai Video. In terms of sheer numbers, Chocoball can't touch Katô.

There is a slight dark cloud throwing a small shadow over Katô's exit, however. One Tokyo porn scribe has theorized that the master's "Goldfinger" has in fact begun to fail him.

“I don’t know whether he is having tendon sheath problems,” said writer Kazuo Kajiyama. “But starting two or three years ago he began to receive complaints on the set about pain from actresses who specialize in shiofuki when he probed them down there. So it would appear that he has slowly lost his ability to be the ‘finger’ man.”

The plot thickens.

Image: Taka Katô and a silicone version of his famous "Goldfinger."