About
Kaho Shibuya (born May 20, 1991, in Tokyo) is a Japanese creator whose résumé stretches from sports journalism and adult video acting to radio hosting, cosplay, live-streaming, and published authorship. Since retiring from the AV industry in 2018, she has pivoted toward pop-culture work—judging anime awards, appearing at conventions worldwide, voicing characters, and streaming games like Dragon Quest and Yakuza: Like a Dragon to more than 340k followers on Twitch. Her memoir The Japanese Porn Industry Unmasked first released in Japanese in 2020 and later reached English readers in 2023. Today, fans are just as likely to spot her signing books, debuting new costumes, or promoting her cameo in the upcoming game Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii as they are watching her “Just Chatting” streams from her Tokyo apartment.
Before Fame
Shibuya grew up in a medical household—her father is a physician—and passed the highly competitive Tokyo University secondary school entrance exams before choosing to study English at Aoyama Gakuin University. She aced the TOEIC with a perfect 990 score, earned teaching and childcare certificates, and even covered Pacific League baseball for the daily paper Tokyo Sports from 2012 to 2014. A side gig reviewing adult products introduced her to talent agents, leading to her AV debut at age 23. Although that chapter brought public attention, the foundation of her career was built earlier: a disciplined work ethic, fluent English, and a deep love of anime and manga that she nurtured since childhood.
Trivia
- Pocket-size powerhouse: At 151 cm tall, Shibuya jokingly calls herself “Kahopai,” pairing her stature with a trademark busty silhouette.
- Perfect score bragging rights: She still flashes screenshots of her 990/990 TOEIC as proof that gaming streams can coexist with grammar drills.
- Weight-loss roller-coaster: In a 2025 interview, she revealed gaining 5 kg, then shedding 15 kg, crediting late-night dance streams for the turnaround.
- Latte-art regular: Her favorite Tokyo café serves anime-character latte art; fans sometimes recognize her mid-selfie, much to her playful embarrassment.
- Protecting her image: She filed a ¥7 million lawsuit in 2023 after uncensored versions of her old films leaked online, highlighting ongoing performer-rights issues.
- Game character cameos: Besides voicing anime roles, she appears as herself in the Yakuza/Like a Dragon franchise, calling it a “dream side-quest.”
Family Life
Home life has been complicated. Shibuya has spoken publicly about childhood sexual abuse by her elder brother and recalled that her parents—concerned about their public reputation—initially dismissed her disclosure. Their relationship grew even rockier when she entered adult entertainment, though she notes occasional progress toward reconciliation in recent years. Buying her own Tokyo apartment in 2024 gave her a sense of independence she longed for, and she often jokes that her Twitch chat now functions as her “extended family” during holidays. Despite past pain, she says her upbringing also instilled resilience and the drive to carve out a life on her own terms.
Associated With
Shibuya is a recurring guest on the Trash Taste podcast hosted by Joey Bizinger, Garnt Maneetapho, and Connor Colquhoun; Connor (aka CdawgVA) also collaborates with her on charity auctions and travel vlogs. Cosplayer and costume designer Stella Chuu built the centaur rig for Shibuya’s viral One Piece cosplay, while apparel brand Mochipan partnered with her 2024 swimsuit line. She frequently appears alongside YouTube illustrators like Emirichu and has judged indie-anime contests for Crunchyroll Expo. On the gaming side, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio cast her in Like a Dragon, cementing ties to Sega’s voice-acting circle. These relationships have broadened her reach far beyond Japan, turning her into a bridge between Western anime fandom and Japanese pop culture.