An AV Idol, also known as an adult video idol or AV actress, is a Japanese idol or Japanese actress  that works in the pornographic business, often both as an actress as well as a model. 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.