No sex please, we’re making a Porno

Like the rest of the Pink Film industry in Japan, Nikkatsu was prohibited by obscenity laws from producing films that showed genitals, pubic hair or actual sex. Even though sex scenes were shot in the knowledge that they would be censored with a variety of blurring, fogging and digital mosaics in post production both female and male actors used coverings called maebari to make sure their genitals and pubic hair did not accidentally get filmed. Like other behind the scenes techniques used by Pink Film producers like fake sperm and rubber phalluses you don't find many images of maebari in use. But I have found a few examples, even a magazine spread that seems to give how-to instructions. So if you are watching a Japanese pink film and wishing that the annoying mosaics would magically disappear you would only see not very arousing wads of taped cloth bumping together. 

I can't tell what film this is from but the lovely Mari Tanaka is wet and ready for a take. 

A behind the scenes photo of one of the actresses(?) patched and

hung up in the film Nun's Story: Frustration in Black

A rare magazine photo of a male actor (Yutaka Hayashi) with a patch

and a Coke in the film Assault! Jack the Ripper

This production photo from a magazine article shows a good example of the use of clear tape. Of course, in the actual movie this will be covered with a digital mosaic.

The magazine photo on the right shows an interesting variation of cloth tape used for covering up the naughty bits. It's a dark color compared to the mostly white or flesh colored ones. I can only speculate but when this scene is censored the crotch area will have a darker look simulating a naturally full bush.

This brochure shows you that there are various designs of maebari for taping up the naughty bits.

The two magazine articles above show of the use of a maebari in action
 from the movie Fairy in a Cage. These are behind the scenes shots and don't 
appear in the movie so don't get your hopes up.

A scene taken from High School Girl's Diary. You can see the tape on both actors.

A rare photo of a male actor wearing a maebari.

This is an interesting magazine photo for the movie Lady Caligula in Tokyo.
It shows another technique for covering female genitals, brushed on white paste
that simulates soap suds. You won't see this in the movie as photos
taken on set differ from what appears on film.

Here is a behind the scenes photo of the lovely Etsuko Hara

in a shower scene all patched up.