The XCritic Interview: Marica Hase

I’m not gonna lie, instant gratification is nice, but more often than not, things take a minute. The famous saying is there are no overnight successes, and Marica Hase is a terrific example. She came to the United States from Japan and seemingly exploded as a bona fide cover girl and genuine porn star in short order.

So… so, not true. Not for anyone, and certainly not for Marica.

Along the way, there were tremendous personal, cultural, and social barriers for Hase to overcome. Still, over the course of several years, Marica continued to forge ahead, powered by a childhood dream to be a model.

There were plenty of things that stood in her way, but she steamrolled over the top of each of them, proving where there’s a will, there’s a way. She refused to be relegated to anything other than being the best. Through professionalism, perseverance, and a never-ending eye on the prize, Marica Hase has proven that dreams can come true, no matter how big those dreams might be.

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Jim Steele - I'm happy to have you today, Marica.

Marica Hase - Thank you. I’m happy to be talking with you.

Jim Steele - I'm curious to know when you got started in adult work over in Japan. Was it around 2009 or 2010? Is that about the time you started?

Marica Hase - I started in 2009.

Jim Steele - Okay. The reason I ask that is because that was in Japan. It looks like you were working over there for two or three years.

Marica Hase - Yes, after I graduated high school, when I was 18 years old, I started modeling.

'Modeling and adult work is just as popular in Japan as it is in the United States, perhaps more so. However, as Marica explained, there are considerable differences in the ways models are portrayed by photographers and likewise, in how they are received by the public. This goes back to deep cultural roots in Japan that tend to downplay a display of expression.

In Japan, happiness, joy, and sexuality are expressed differently. Marica Hase does not smile in all her photos, and in some scenes, she appears quieter than her co-stars, but she comes by it honestly. From an early age, Japanese children are taught to be reserved in their outward expressions, especially to strangers or people they have just met.

Likewise, there is an aversion to the notion of instant gratification and personal importance, which would explain Marica’s reaction to being considered a star. In part of our conversation, Marica recalled a story when she was new and her Agent, Mark Spiegler explained why one of her co-stars was already a huge star. Marica explained that Spiegler had pointed out another girl in the agency, who had a beautiful body and tons of energy in front of the camera, was going to be a big star but was quick to point out that Marica would also become an internationally known name.

Marica Hase was timid at first, wondering if she could measure up to the American audience expectations. But then, listening to her inner voice, Japanese mentors, and Spiegler, Marica knew she was up for the challenge, and it had to do with her attitude while performing. She said “My favorite thing is that I can create something in front of a camera. So, if I were in Japan, or the United States, or Europe, or anywhere, I can create in front of a camera. So, it’s the same pleasure, but if there’s a difference, it has to do with the expression of sexuality and femininity, because of the culture.”

Jim Steele - Yeah, but the energy and drive for success is really the key to most of it. Right?

Marica Hase - Yes, especially in the United States.

Jim Steele - Well, just for you. You’ve got this energy that you bring to the set and the scene.

Marica Hase - Yes, but like I said, the energy is very different in how the model performs for the camera. That is to say, in the United States I smile, but in Japan, there isn’t as much smiling. You tend to rely more on the emotional aspect of performing rather than strictly a visual.

"Despite the differences in culture, Marica knew that she wanted to be a model, actress, and performer since the age of six years old. It is fair to say that, at that tender age, adult work was not on her radar, but mainstream performing certainly was. Her parents and family were supportive of her dream all along, encouraging Marica to realize her destiny.

Even when Marica Hase graduated high school and began working as a model in adult themed productions, she still had the support of her family.

Jim Steele - Okay. What did your parents and your family think? Were they supportive of any of this or not?

Marica Hase - Yes, they were, and they knew all along. When I started, I had a contract with one of the biggest porn studios in Japan.

'Many performers, for at least part of their career, try to do so outside the knowledge of their family but for Marica, the only pathway was to be honest, upfront, and include her parents in every step of her rise to fame. When a large billboard in Tokyo displayed her image across it, advertising an upcoming feature, Marica decided the best policy was honesty, telling her family beforehand so they would not be caught unaware.

For many, such an experience could mean rejection from the family, possibly resulting in years of non-communication and alienation from someone’s friends and loved ones. But for Marica, it was a much different experience.

Jim Steele – So, you just told them?

Marica Hase - Yes. Haha. I just told them.

Jim Steele - Interesting. How did they take the news?

Marica Hase - They were fine and have always been very supportive.

Jim Steele - So they were okay with that?

Marica Hase - Yes.

Jim Steele - Hmm. Okay. A lot of people are kind of like, “I'll just do this and kind of fly under the radar and be secretive,” but instead, you just came right out and told them.

Marica Hase - Yeah. I think it depends on the people. So many porn girls told their parents before they started the porn business because they don't want their parents to feel bad. So many of my friends did the same thing. So, it depends on the people.

Jim Steele - Okay, so you started in Japan, and I guess you still have friends over there. Do they come over to visit, or do you travel back and forth over there?

Marica Hase - I try to, but not very often. Covid has made that difficult.

'Before Covid, Marica was able to see friends and have the occasional visit from her mother, but all that changed in the spring of 2020. I think any could agree that the Covid pandemic affected lives in ways we never could have imagined, and yet, it is still sometimes easy to forget that here in the United States, the impact was minimal compared to other areas of the world. Japan was especially hard hit, as was most of Asia, and this made traveling or seeing her friends and family extremely difficult, if not impossible for Marica.

It was interesting to get Marica’s perspective on not only travelling internationally, but also in the way her fans received her in different parts of the world. For instance, she was not immediately aware of the level of stardom she had reached in the United States until after she arrived, despite the huge worldwide following she had on the internet.

I asked if any of her friends were starstruck by her or if they treated her any differently, and she replied, “I don't think so. Haha. Before I moved to the United States, there were some people who knew about me. But the people who knew me, most of them never saw me in person, they knew me only from the Internet or somewhere.”

It wasn’t until after she arrived in the States that she became fully aware of her popularity and the platform it offered, and that is just one charming aspect of Marica Hase.

Marica doesn’t see herself as a star. During and after our interview, she was incredibly humble and always polite. If she is forced to define herself, Marica sees herself as a hard-working actress but is reluctant to hang a star over her own head. I found that to be extremely endearing. I’m sure her co-stars, supporting personnel, and fans do as well.

Jim Steele - Oh, I don't know. I think it’s charming that you are not consumed with yourself, so we’ll just say you’re a star, and leave it at that for now. I don’t say that without reason. You had a shoot with Evil Angel in 2012, which was only a year or so after you arrived here. But Evil Angel is a big deal. So, with that in mind, did you feel like you had a relatively easy time of transitioning from Japan to the States?

Marica Hase - No, I didn't have it easy.

'Despite coming to the United States as what some might call, established talent, Marica Hase did not enjoy an absolutely smooth transition. First off, when Marica first arrived in the States, her English was not nearly as good as it is now, and almost no directors or support staff spoke Japanese. Even today, as she has grown more comfortable and fluent in English, there are still affects to the spoken and body language that are sometimes difficult for her to master. Thankfully, she mentioned that Google translate is available, and is a trusted ally as she communicates with her co-stars, directors, and fans.

Secondly, and perhaps more lasting is the difference in culture. As she mentioned throughout our conversation, the style of America is much different that in Japan. One of the most obvious and difficult hurdles to overcome, especially in a business that requires intimate physical contact, is that of how Marica was accustomed to showing affection.

The world of adult film notwithstanding, Marica described some of these differences in the way that Americans greet each other, saying “If you met somebody, here it happens very fast. American people are like, ‘Hi. How are you!?’ They hug each other immediately and are very excited. But if you had the same situation in Japan, we are slower and more reserved. It would be like, ‘Why are you touching me?’ Haha. It doesn’t mean that people are not important to each other, we just show it differently.”

Jim Steele - Okay, so it's very different when you meet somebody for the for the first time. I could see that. Here in America, we're more forward.

Marica Hase - Yes, but that is just one example. There are many things like this. Another example is smiling. In Japan, we don’t smile nearly as much, but it’s not because we're not happy, it is part of the culture. One time, an American photographer asked, “Why don't you smile?” And he was laughing but didn’t understand. I’m sure he thought I wasn’t happy to be in the photoshoot. But in Japan, if we smile all the time, it’s a bit weird. You are on a porn set so you don't need to smile. It's not natural. You are acting very unnatural, we feel. So Japanese people's thinking and American people's thinking are very different.

Jim Steele - Well, I think you're doing a good job of it because I looked at you online and the photos that Erika sent over and they're beautiful. I know that you talked with Don DeMarko. I think it was 2017 or 2018. But he was really excited that I was going to talk with you. So yeah, Don will help out with the photos, and we’ll get them into the column. But your photos are gorgeous.

'Marica treats the lens like no other model. It is true that in many photos, she is not smiling, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t radiant. There is a core beauty from her that shines from the heart. Once again, this is borne in the Japanese tradition of the performer and expectations of fans. Marica explained that the subtlety in culture is evident in the manner her public views her images. Whereas American audiences tend to prefer over the top wild and sexy photoshoots, the Japanese consumer prefers a model who, according to Marica, might appear “cute, petite,” and in many ways, unassuming.

The dynamic is incredibly complicated, involving much more than displaying a smile, and Hase admits the learning curve in finding how to portray herself in a way that Americans stood and cheered for was a steep one. She spoke of finding the right poses and different ways of communicating and working with a photographer as methods in finding her groove in the United States.

That went a long way, but a realization of what lay beneath finally brought Marica Hase into her own as a top shelf model. Her personality is gentle, kind, and yet provocative and once Hase learned to project that into the lens before her, there was no denying her superstar status. Marica broke it down for me, “The first step was learning more about the culture of expression, the differences between the two countries (Japan and the United States). When I found that, I could show my personality, and it worked.”

Jim Steele - In 2013, you were Penthouse Pet.

Marica Hase - Mm hmm.

Jim Steele - Now, that's a pretty big deal, right? That must have given you a boost or an incentive, I guess, or maybe an affirmation that you're doing the right thing and that you're doing things like Americans like them? After Penthouse, did things start to become a little bit easier? Because, again, that’s a huge honour and I would think it helped you better understand the American market. Do you think it sped up the process of you feeling comfortable here?

Marica Hase – You know, I still found things difficult. I can't say that it made everything easy, but I will say that certain things became easier and easier after that and as time went on.

Jim Steele - That's understandable though because you grew up in a different culture. I've never been to Japan. I'd like to go someday. I hear it's beautiful. So yeah, I can appreciate that because I've always heard our cultures are so different. But I didn't really understand it in the ways you have described. In 2022, you had an AVN. It was an orgy scene with Kayden Kross from Deeper. What was Kayden like to work with?

Marica Hase - Oh, she was wonderful. I think it was my second scene after I took a three-year break from the industry. Deeper started when I was taking a break from the industry and I always wanted to work for them, so I was happy.

Jim Steele - So you took a break. Talk to me about the break. I don't know all the details, but it had to do with your cancer, right?

Marica Hase - Yeah.

Jim Steele - Okay. So, I know that's a big deal to you. It's on all of your banners. Of course, you've got the "Fuck cancer" project and T-Shirts. Tell me about that if you want to.

Marica Hase - Which part?

Jim Steele - Well, when did it start? How did you find out?

'Towards the end of 2018, when Marica was 36 years old, she noticed an unfamiliar lump. Marica told a friend, who was quick to say it was probably nothing, but for her to go to the doctor, and get checked out, so she could have peace of mind. Her physician said it was a “99% chance that it was not cancer.” Even still, the lump was very big, and her doctor believed a lumpectomy was the next logical step.

Marica’s physician felt it would be a routine procedure, and she expected to be off work for only a couple of weeks. But instead, two weeks later Marica received a phone call from her doctor, informing her the tumour had been malignant, and that it was cancer. Marica remembered thinking, "Oh my God, I wonder what will happen?” This turn of events started her long journey through cancer treatment.

Jim Steele - That had to be scary, right?

Marica Hase - Oh, yes. Not scary like, “Oh my God, I'm going to die,” but scary as in, you never know what is next. I never thought I would die from this, but I was afraid that my life would become different, and I would not be able to work. That's how I felt. I felt more frustrated. I remember thinking, “Why has this happened to me? Why do I need to go to the doctor so many times? Why do I need to take a break from the industry?” I only wanted to work. Looking back, I was more frustrated than anything else.

Jim Steele – So, if you couldn’t go back into adult film and modeling, what did you think you might do?

Marica Hase - At the very beginning of this phone call I told you my greatest pleasure is to create something in front of a camera. So, if I hadn't been able to go back to the industry, I still would've created something. I still would've wanted to create something in front of a camera. More like a normal actress or, I don't know, something … anything. Haha. I want to create or work behind the camera. If I hadn't been able to go back to the industry as a porn star, I still would've found some way to be creative in other ways.

Jim Steele - Okay. I'm looking at your YouTube right now. At what point did you start your YouTube and what is your little pig’s name, Buusan, the stuffed pig in some of the videos with you?

Marica Hase – Ah yes, Buusan!

Jim Steele – So, when did you start that?

Marica Hase - I don't remember exactly, Haha. But I wanted to create something to show people the real me and to hopefully make a difference.

'As we talked, it became clear that Marica started her YouTube channel ‘Marica Hase Official Channel,’ because she always likes to be creating something. Her Channel helps chronicle Marica’s journey through cancer treatment and parts of her personal life not shown in her films or on other social media platforms.

Some of the videos she creates are with her stuffed pig, Buusan. Together, they broadcast different parts of her day to subscribers. The videos also tell parts of her cancer journey and promotes her F●ck Cancer T Shirt project. She wants to show, by sharing her story, that there is always hope for a better future.

Jim Steele - Okay. So how long did your treatment last? How long was the break that you took for treatment?

Marica Hase - Almost three years. Right now, I am in remission, but still I'm being treated. I need to go see my doctor every three months because to be cured, I'm still under treatment and there's still a possibility that my cancer could come back. So, I need to go to the doctor every three months. And the doctor told me, if you feel pain in your body somewhere for three days, you need to call me because the cancer could be back. I'm still not considered 100% cured, but I'm in remission. To be considered cured, I need eight more years.

Jim Steele - I will absolutely hope for the best for you on that. But you came back, and we already talked about you getting an AVN. In 2021, you were inducted into the Urban X Hall of Fame. So that's another big achievement. And you've mentioned the Japanese culture. So, when Americans get these awards, they are very excited. They put them on their wall and they're very happy about that. Do they mean that much to you or do you just kind of look at them and say, “Okay, I'm happy I got that, but it's not as big of a deal.”

Marica Hase - No, it's a big deal. I sleep with that trophy. I sleep with my cat and with Buusan you saw on my YouTube channel. Haha. I sleep with my AVN trophy, and I sleep with the Urban X award trophy. I love them.

Jim Steele - So you sleep with them. That's funny. So, they are special to you then?

Marica Hase - Yes.

Jim Steele - Okay. You're the first person that's ever told me that they sleep with their trophies. That's okay with me. Let me ask you this. I don't mean to keep dwelling on the cancer, but I think it's a big part of your life and of your journey. Going through that, how did that change your attitude like, when you wake up in the morning. Did it change how you think?

Marica Hase - I feel happier, in some ways, compared to before I got cancer. When I wake up, I’m like, “I have a big shoot today. Oh my God, I'm so happy.” Or my mom is coming here from Japan, and I’ll feel happy about that. Before, it took bigger things to make me happy, but since my cancer journey, I feel happier because of smaller things. I wake up, “Oh, my pee is good. I'm happy. Oh, my cat is here!” Haha. So, I can feel happier about everything.

Jim Steele - Okay. And your mom, you said your mom comes to visit. So, where are you at, Las Vegas?

Marica Hase - Yeah, last time when my mom came here, we went to Las Vegas.

Jim Steele - And what does your mom think about Las Vegas?

Marica Hase - She was so excited about Las Vegas, and she said, "Oh my God, if I was maybe 20 or 30 years younger, maybe I would get addicted."

Jim Steele - Really? That's good. And how often does she come to visit, or do you go visit her?

Marica Hase - Right now not so often because of COVID. But I'm going back to Japan in August. So, in two, three months it will be for the first time in two years because I didn't go back to Japan after COVID during the pandemic.

Jim Steele - Yeah, the pandemic really changed everything.

Marica Hase - Yeah.

Jim Steele - And I know even more so where you came from. In Asia and Japan, it was even more strict than it is here. By the way, I'm very happy for you that you're in remission. I didn't say that, but I'm very happy that you are.

Marica Hase - Thank you so much.

Jim Steele - And I want for you to stay that way. You’re on many different social media platforms, and let’s talk pay sites, which one is your favorite?

Marica Hase - Oh, maybe OnlyFans.

Jim Steele - Okay. And why is that?

Marica Hase - It's very simple. I think it's one of the biggest and best platforms for me to chat with more people. I like chatting. Sometimes people talk about something naughty. Sometimes people teach me English. It's fun.

Jim Steele - I've got to say this, your Twitter is very different than a lot of other performers. You've got your advertisements on there. And by the way, I like it because even though a lot of it's in Japanese, you can translate, but it's not all completely XXX and graphic. You've got some nice thoughts and comments on there.

Marica Hase - I like it. When I wake up, I always check what comments my fans have made, but it’s fun.

'At 198,000 followers on Twitter, and around 32,000 on Instagram, it probably takes a while to go through comments, but Hase enjoys the process. She feels that every platform gives her more opportunities to interact with her fans. I mentioned that her Twitter feed was very different than most adult performers, in that it doesn’t have quite as much XXX content on the timeline. She laughed, saying people have told her, "Oh my God, you should put more porn-type videos or photos on your Twitter to get more subscribers."

She went on, explaining that to her, it was important that her fans get to know the real Marica Hase. In many ways, Marica’s social media and YouTube provide inspiration for not only aspiring actors and models, but also among those facing the uncertainties of cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Marica’s is a human journey as well as a professional progression. For Marica, one doesn’t exist without the other. Her art is wrapped up and around her humanity, and it’s an unfortunate fact that cancer wreaks havoc on the bodies, minds, and hearts of those affected. Some give up but others fight the disease, and though that, seek to reclaim the ability to pursue their passions in life.

Marica Hase – It was especially true after my cancer journey. There are many people who have cancer or have family members with cancer. Many of those people are following me, and they always make comments like, "I feel like I can do it after I saw you on Twitter." So, I want to support them a little bit more on my social media, and not only in a sexy way. Yes, I want to show them that, but also that I’m a normal Japanese girl. I beat my cancer and I went back to work. I want to show my lifestyle to people who are still battling with cancer and I want to support them.

Jim Steele - You've got a good presence on there. If all you had was XXX all over the place, then some of those people who are looking to you for inspiration, they might not feel as comfortable to come to you for that, right?

Marica Hase - Mm hmm.

Jim Steele - Okay. I can see that. I think that too often - and I've said this a lot - performers' accounts, they do not necessarily show a lot of personality. It's just constant retweet, retweet, retweet. And that's okay, but there needs to be a little bit of a balance, you know?

Marica Hase - Mm hmm. Yeah.

Jim Steele - So I like that yours shows that.

Marica Hase - Thank you.

Jim Steele - I retweeted your Buusan video a minute ago. But it's funny, because I can guarantee you there's no other performer in the adult industry who uses stuffed animals, like you do anyway, and that shows your personality and your character. I like that. I appreciate you telling me about your journey.

Marica Hase - Thank you.

Jim Steele - But then you've also got an Instagram, and you're pretty successful over there too.

Marica Hase - I lost my Instagram account two or three times.

Jim Steele – Oh no, I’m sorry. I got kicked off of TikTok on Thursday.

Marica Hase - Oh, I'm sorry.

Jim Steele - Yeah, me too. No reason. Just permanently banned. They just kicked me off there. Sucks, but that's what you get. Anyway, so, what is your favorite American food?

Marica Hase - Oh, I like everything, but I can't eat American food every day.

Jim Steele - I was telling a friend that I had learned the difference between types of noodles the other day. About a year ago, somebody was making fun of me because I didn't know the difference between soba and udon. I've since learned that udon are the thicker noodles. But other than that, I don't know anything about Japanese food, but I liked it. I think I had it with a shrimp. It was in like, almost a soup. But I do know how to use chopsticks. I learned when I was a very young boy how to use chopsticks, and that's where I get a little bit of credibility. So, to sum it up, you like all American food, but you can't eat it every day, and big noodles are the best.

Marica Hase – Haha, funny but yes, I like all American food.

Jim Steele - Okay. You've been through a lot, from modeling in Japan, to coming here, to Penthouse, to Deeper, to your newest scene, “Marica Hase: The Art Of Serving – JAV Idol Uncensored VR Porn” from Sex Like Real. Then you had “Thanks Donnie,” from Free Use MILF. I watched that trailer a minute ago which is kind of funny in a way, but it's still a good scene. But with all that, if there was one thing in adult or just maybe show business in general that you could do to make better, what do you think that might be?

Marica Hase - That's a difficult question. Oh, I don't know.

Jim Steele - Maybe like not getting enough days off, or the testing is too expensive, or the privacy laws. I don't know. I didn't know if there was one thing that you kind of thought that you could see in the industry that could be better from Marica's point of view.

Marica Hase - There should be more testing or examinations, not just physical for diseases, but evaluations before people enter the industry, so they know what they are getting into. Because I know so many new people, so many younger people feel like, “Oh, porn, that's awesome. Oh my God, that sounds like fun!” And they become porn stars and they retire after only one shoot. Maybe they became crazy drug addicts, and some people get an STD, or some people live like a party every day. Also, there are too many people who don't feel like porn is work.

Jim Steele - They think that it's just a party.

Marica Hase - Yes. So, if people took adult work more seriously or it was harder to join the industry, maybe everybody would understand porn is a job.

Jim Steele - Your agent is Mark Spiegler, right?

Marica Hase - Yes.

Jim Steele - Okay. So, Mark actually had a really good video. It was on Instagram; I think in February or something where he was talking about what you are talking about right now. And he said people really need to understand what they are getting into because it's not fun and games all the time.

Marica Hase - Yes. And if a person becomes, for example, a waitress and they quit after only one month or they get fired after only one month, they can try another thing. But in the porn industry, someone might shoot only one scene, but that sex scene is already on the Internet. So, for some of them it's too late to quit even if they only shoot one scene.

Jim Steele - Yes because that's permanent. It's out there forever.

Marica Hase - It's like a digital tattoo.

Jim Steele - That's a good way to put it, a digital tattoo. It really is. So, yeah, let's make it a little more education available for newcomers, right?

Marica Hase - Yes.

Jim Steele - And that way people would be better prepared for what might happen. After that, maybe they go ahead and do it. Or, maybe they think again, and they don't.

Marica Hase – Yes. If everyone was informed and treated it like a business, it would be better for the industry and better for the performers.

Jim Steele - Yeah. And you're right. It would make both a better place. Okay. Got it. That's a great thought. I could not agree more, and with that, we are out of time, I know you have an appointment to get to.

Marica Hase – Thank you for the interview, but you are right, I have to run.

Jim Steele - Wow, that time flew by. Haha. Thank you very much. I really enjoyed talking with you today and I appreciate Erika Icon at TheRubPR for setting this up. I really appreciate you talking to me today, thank you.

Marica Hase - Bye. Thank you.

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Thanks, as always, to Cyber5 & Don Juan DeMarko at XCritic, and Morbid and company over at The Internet Adult Film Database (IAFD), which is always such a valuable resource.

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