JapaneseSnowboarderActressAdult model

Melo Imai

Melo Imai is a Japanese snowboarder and former adult film actress, noted for her Olympic participation, career transitions, and resilient return to professional snowboarding.

1. Overview

Melo Imai is a Japanese professional snowboarder, television personality, and former adult film actress. Born 今井 メロImai MeroJapanese, with the maiden name Narita, she gained early recognition as a snowboarding prodigy, participating in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. Following a challenging Olympic performance and public scrutiny, she retired from competitive snowboarding and transitioned into the entertainment industry, working as a television personality, nude model, and briefly, an adult film actress. She is affiliated with Glint Entertainment talent agency. During this period, she faced significant personal hardships, including financial struggles, multiple divorces, and raising children as a single mother, which she candidly revealed in her autobiography. Demonstrating remarkable resilience, Imai later made a successful return to professional snowboarding, winning national championships. Her multifaceted career and personal journey reflect her determination to overcome adversity and support her family.

2. Early Life and Family Background

Melo Imai was born on October 26, 1987, in Suminoe-ku, Osaka, Japan. Her birth name was 成田 夢露Narita YumeJapanese, and her maiden name was Narita. Her father, Takashi Narita (成田 隆史Japanese), was a prominent snowboarding coach who trained Imai and her two brothers from a young age. Her older brother, Dome Narita, was also a former professional snowboarder, and her younger brother, Grim Narita, is a para-athlete specializing in trampolining.

Under her father's rigorous coaching, Imai and her brother Dome trained intensively, sometimes for up to 18 hours a day. This demanding regimen led them to forgo higher education after high school to fully dedicate themselves to snowboarding. Imai later expressed feelings of envy towards her peers who were able to lead ordinary lives, and at one point, she attempted to take her own life by slashing her wrists, highlighting the immense pressure she faced during her formative years.

3. Snowboarding Career

Melo Imai developed into a professional snowboarder specializing in the half-pipe discipline. Her early career was marked by significant achievements and a rapid ascent in the sport, culminating in her participation in the 2006 Winter Olympics.

3.1. Early Career and Training

Imai began her snowboarding training at the age of seven under the guidance of her father, Takashi Narita. Her dedication and talent quickly made her a standout athlete. She also competed as a mogul athlete in national championships. At the age of 12, she was recognized as the youngest professional snowboarder in history. She primarily trained in Nagano Prefecture during the winter months, focusing intently on her sport.

In 2001, Imai participated in the World Games 2001 in Akita, where she served as a flag bearer and won a championship in wakeboarding. She continued her success in snowboarding, winning the World Junior Championship in 2002. During the 2004-05 season, she secured an overall victory in her event, which qualified her for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. Imai was known for her original trick, the "Mellow 720," which involved a horizontal one-and-a-half rotation combined with two vertical rotations in the air.

In September 2005, Imai separated from her father's "Yume Club" due to disagreements over sponsor contracts and coaching methods. She subsequently changed her legal name from Narita Yume to Imai Yume (今井 夢露Japanese), adopting her mother Tamie's maiden name, as her parents had divorced. Her registration name with the Ski Association of Japan was officially changed to "Melo Imai" in katakana. Concurrently, her equipment sponsorship transitioned from Kissmark to Rossignol in 2005.

3.2. 2006 Winter Olympics and Transition

Melo Imai represented Japan in the snowboarding half-pipe event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. Prior to the competition, she performed an original rap song titled "Yume" (Dream) for the media, aiming to boost morale, though she later revealed in 2012 that this performance was suggested by others rather than being her own initiative.

During the Olympic competition, Imai suffered severe injuries and fell in both of her runs, resulting in low scores of 7.2 and 1.4 out of a possible 50. She was eliminated in the qualifying rounds, finishing in last place among the competitors. Upon her return to Japan, she faced significant public humiliation and criticism, with some commentators labeling her "a waste of tax money" and "a national embarrassment." Imai later described the experience as a "nightmare," stating that while the Olympics are the peak for many athletes, for her, it was a source of deep distress. She subsequently suffered from depression and made the decision to retire from competitive snowboarding.

Despite her retirement, Imai made a brief return to competition on March 10, 2007, participating in the All Japan Championship half-pipe event held at Takasu Snow Park in Gujo, Gifu Prefecture, where she finished in fourth place.

3.3. Major Achievements

OutcomeYearChampionshipSummary
Won2001All Japan Ski Championships Snowboarding
Won2002World Junior Championship
Won2004All-Japan Ski Championship Tournament Snowboard Competition
Won20052004-05 FIS Snowboard World Cup Korea Star Capital Association
Third2005World Cup Lake Placid Tournament
Overall win2005World Cup Event
Won20052004-05 Season World Cup Saas Fee Olympics
Qualified2006Turin Olympics
Won2008Takasago Cup
Won2018All Japan Snowboarding ChampionshipsShe won with 90.75, bettering second place's 76.75 of Momoa Mori

4. Career Transition and Personal Hardships

Following her retirement from competitive snowboarding, Melo Imai embarked on a challenging period of career transitions and personal struggles, navigating financial difficulties and entering various sectors of the entertainment industry.

4.1. Life After Snowboarding

After leaving professional snowboarding, Imai initially worked in bars to support herself. She soon transitioned into the hostess industry and later worked as an escort, including a short period of three days at a sex parlor, where she earned approximately 150.00 K JPY. She openly stated that she engaged in these activities voluntarily out of financial necessity.

Her career then shifted towards mainstream entertainment as a tarento (television personality), appearing in various television programs. Concurrently, she began working as a nude model, featuring in pornographic magazines and over a dozen gravure DVDs, a genre of softcore pornography. These gravure DVDs, released between 2014 and 2016, were primarily produced by the company Kingdom.

4.2. Adult Film (AV) Career

In 2017, Melo Imai made her debut in the hardcore pornographic video industry. Her first adult films, Snow Drop and Snow Out, were released by Muteki, an adult video (AV) production company known for featuring gravure idols and minor celebrities in their debut works.

When questioned about her relatively short career in the adult film industry, Imai explained that her primary interest was to return to snowboarding. She stated that she "didn't want to overdo it in AV," indicating a strategic and temporary engagement with the industry rather than a long-term commitment. Her decision to enter the AV industry was driven by the need for money to support her children, a motivation she has consistently emphasized.

5. Personal Life and Confessions

Melo Imai's personal life has been marked by significant challenges, including multiple marriages, single motherhood, and candid revelations about past traumas and financial struggles. Her physical measurements include a height of 61 in (156 cm), a bust of 89 cm (F-cup), a waist of 63 cm, and hips of 88 cm. Her blood type is O.

She became a mother to a son following her first marriage, which was announced on her blog on August 15, 2010. This marriage later ended in divorce. She then entered a second marriage and announced her second pregnancy on September 26, 2011. This pregnancy involved twins, one of whom was an acardiac twin, and she experienced premature birth. On November 10, 2011, she reported giving birth to a daughter via emergency Caesarean section at seven months gestation, three months earlier than expected, with the baby weighing less than 0.0 K oz (1.00 K g). The infant was admitted to the NICU. Imai later admitted to not visiting her daughter in the NICU frequently due to the financial burden of transportation costs, stating that she could only afford to visit once a week, though she later expressed anger regarding the media's portrayal of this situation.

In December 2011, Imai revealed that she had experienced a miscarriage and was diagnosed with cervical cancer prior to the birth of her second child. On September 19, 2012, she announced her divorce from her second husband, which had occurred in August of that year.

During the press conference for her autobiography, Naite, Yande, demo Waratte (Crying, Suffering, but Still Laughing), Imai made several significant personal revelations. She confessed to becoming a hikikomori (social recluse) at the age of 18 after her Olympic failure. She also admitted to working as a hostess in cabaret clubs and spending lavishly on host clubs, which depleted her savings from her snowboarding career. Furthermore, she disclosed experiences of wrist cutting, being a rape victim, undergoing an abortion, and having plastic surgery. She also revealed that she received welfare benefits for eight months, from September 2011 to April 2012, while raising her two young children.

Despite her past in the adult film industry and other challenging experiences, Imai has stated that she is not embarrassed by her choices, asserting that she acted voluntarily out of financial necessity to support her children. She views herself as a good mother who did everything within her power to provide for her family.

On July 31, 2021, Imai announced that she had contracted COVID-19.

6. Return to Snowboarding

Melo Imai made a remarkable return to competitive snowboarding in 2017, demonstrating her enduring passion and skill for the sport.

In March 2017, she participated in the 35th JSBA All Japan Snowboarding Championship in Gifu Prefecture. Despite having only four days of practice leading up to the event, she won the half-pipe competition, marking a significant comeback after an 11-year hiatus from the superpipe discipline. Following this victory, Imai expressed her intention to fully return to the snowboarding world and pursue a snowboarding instructor license, stating that her championship win had proven her capabilities.

Her return culminated in another major achievement in 2018 when she won the All Japan Snowboarding Championships. She secured the victory with a score of 90.75, significantly outperforming the second-place finisher, Momoa Mori, who scored 76.75. This win solidified her successful re-entry into professional snowboarding.

7. Other Media and Works

Beyond her snowboarding and adult entertainment careers, Melo Imai has engaged in various media activities, including publishing books, photo albums, and appearing in television programs.

7.1. Publications and TV Appearances

Melo Imai has authored an autobiography and released several visual works. Her autobiography, titled Naite, Yande, demo Waratte (Crying, Suffering, but Still Laughing), was published by Futabasha on September 21, 2012. She has also released two photo albums: Mellow Style (April 4, 2013, Kodansha, photographed by Koki Nishida), which featured her first hair nude images, and MELODIOUS (December 25, 2015, Saibunkan Publishing, photographed by Isamu Nogawa).

Imai has also released numerous image DVDs, predominantly produced by Kingdom, showcasing her work as a nude model. These include:

  • mellow Mellow (July 25, 2008, Bunkasha)
  • mellow Style (March 28, 2014, Kingdom)
  • I've been mellow (May 30, 2014, Kingdom)
  • mellow juice (July 18, 2014, Kingdom)
  • mellow time (September 26, 2014, Kingdom)
  • mellow love (November 28, 2014, Kingdom)
  • mellow world (January 16, 2015, Kingdom)
  • Torino no Megami (Goddess of Turin) (March 20, 2015, Kingdom)
  • H na Athlete (Erotic Athlete) (May 22, 2015, Kingdom)
  • Climax (June 17, 2016, Kingdom)
  • mellow special (July 24, 2015, Kingdom)
  • mellow feeling (August 26, 2016, Kingdom)
  • mellow scandal (September 11, 2015, Kingdom)
  • MACAU (October 28, 2016, Kingdom)
  • Pheromone (December 30, 2016, Kingdom)
  • Reincarnation (September 8, 2017, Kingdom)
  • mellow kiss (November 10, 2017, Kingdom)
  • mellow body (January 31, 2018, Kingdom)
  • Yume no Shiro (Dream Castle) (May 31, 2018, Kingdom)
  • mellow peach (July 31, 2018, Kingdom)
  • This is me (September 28, 2018, Kingdom)
  • mellow charming (November 30, 2018, Kingdom)

Her adult film works with Muteki include Snow Drop (May 1, 2017) and SNOW OUT (June 1, 2017).

Imai has also appeared in various television dramas, variety shows, and web programs:

  • TV Drama:
    • Garo: Gold Storm Sho (Episode 13, July 10, 2015, TV Tokyo) as Begul's tongue form (or a bewitching woman).
  • Variety Shows:
    • Yoso de Iwan to Itei ~Koko dake no Hanashi ga Kikeru (Hi) Ryotei~ (May 27, 2016, TV Tokyo)
    • Kin'yō Premium Kiteretsu Jinsei! (November 3, 2017, Fuji Television)
  • Web Television:
    • Real Jinsei Sugoroku (July 23, 2016, AbemaTV) as a Sugoroku model.

8. Public Perception and Self-Reflection

Melo Imai's career choices and life path have elicited varied public reactions, particularly her transition from an Olympic athlete to an adult film actress. Her candidness about her personal struggles, including financial hardship, past traumas, and her role as a single mother, has shaped public perception.

Imai has consistently maintained that she is not ashamed of her past, including her work in the adult film industry. She openly states that her decisions were driven by the necessity to earn money and support her children, emphasizing her belief that she was a good mother who did everything possible for her family. This perspective frames her unconventional career trajectory as a testament to her resilience and determination in the face of adversity. Her willingness to share deeply personal experiences, such as her struggles with depression, self-harm, and financial precarity, has been a significant aspect of her public image, allowing for self-reflection and a narrative of overcoming challenges.