An AV Idol (adult video idol; AV actress) is a Japanese idol that works in the pornographic business, often both as an actress as well as a model as the video performances have a wide range, from just the idol strolling around their house doing chores in bikinis to hardcore porn. Since the dawn of the AV industry in the early 1980s, hundreds of AV idols have debuted every year, with an average career span of about a year, appearing in five or ten videos during that time. Notable AV idols have careers spanning several years, have a high general public recognition, or make a significant impact on the industry in some other manner. (via Wikipedia)