Shikijô ama: Fundoshi matsuri (1981)

 

(AKA Nympho Diver: G-String Festival) A town famous for skin-diving is struggling financially due to lack of tourism. The mayor's son has the bright idea to get hot women as diving instructors to resurrect their economy.  Sounds a lot like a well-worn plot of a Bavarian sex comedy, so we'll see how the Japanese handle the trope.

Out fishing, Shinkichi Imoto (Masayoshi Nogami), the mayor of the small village, complains that tourism has dried up.  His son Nobuo Imoto (Danjuro Tatekawa) offers to go recruit some beautiful divers.

And so, Nobuo travels around enlisting girls to work as divers in his village.

The townsfolk convene to meet the new divers.

They are a bit disappointed to find there are only four.

Negami Masayo (Seru Rando) a student, Nishimoto Tomoko (Maria Mari) from a self defence force, Nakanishi Miki (Mimi Sawaki) a camera woman, and Oozawa Akemi (Rima Aono) a massage parlor worker.

The four women wonder if they've made a mistake coming to work in this little hick town.

There's actually a fifth diver hired by the town - a stewardess named Nonaka Midori (Eri Anzai). Nobuo promised to marry her if she'd come to the twon.  She says goodbye at her parents' gravestones before heading out.

It's a long walk in heels and Nonaka falls to the ground in exhaustion.

Nobuo finally arrives and picks her up.

Nobuo and Nonaka make a stop to fool around.

Meanwhile, the four ladies are taught how to dive for sea urchins and other catches.

They quickly get the hang of it.

Nakanishi Miki says it's uncomfortable in her expensive bathing suit and strips down to her birthday suit to dive again.

They all celebrate a successful first day.

Tae Kitano (Maki Kawamura) is a waitress at the local restaurant.

Nao Kitano (Kazuyo Ezaki) is Tae's sister and also a waitress.  Nao was in a relationship with Nobuo.  So she doesn't like seeing him with Nonaka.

Oozawa Akemi has a reaction to diving in the sea water and gets lotion applied by Ryuichi, Nobuo's friend who also works here.

This gets Oozawa totally aroused.

Nao is upset with Nobuo, but he explains that he told Nonaka he'd marry her only to get her to come out here. He swears he loves her, and isn't serious about Nonaka.

Nao believes Nobuo and they have sex.

The five divers settle down for the night.

Shinkichi comes in and tells them they're being too loud, and should go to sleep.

The ladies don't like being treated like children, and Oozawa does some pelvic thrusts.

The girls finally fall asleep.

Except for Nonaka who fondles herself thinking about Nobuo.

Negami Masayo the student visits the Kouryuu Temple to learn more about the village's history.  She's greated by the priest (Fumizou Tachibanaya).

Negami is excited to hear he'll share some of the temple's sacred historical texts.

While Negami is at the temple, the rest of the laides are having fun diving and a seaside picnic.

Nishimoto Tomoko is worried about Negami, and wonders if she should go check on her.

Turns out she has reason to be worried.  Negami is busy studying when the priest makes his move.

The priest basically rapes her.

Negami seems to be okay with it, and tells Shinkichi about what she learned from the historical texts. There was something called a "G-string festival" to celebrate a big fishing haul. The girls would put on g-strings and go to the Kouryuu Temple.  The mayor thinks it would be a splendid idea to bring back this tradition in order to attract more tourists.

Nonaka learns that Nobuo only said he'd marry her to get her to take the job as diver.  She says she's leaving.

Even though Tae is Nao's sister, she calls her "ma" - since they lost their mother and she's always looked out for her.  She tells Nao she is better off without Nobuo. He's no good.

Nobuo tells Nonaka he still loves her.  She falls for it, and they have sex.

A well done scene as we can see the other ladies on the other side of the wall.

Nishimoto says she's having a hard time living in such a hot sweaty climate.

She fans herself.

Shinkichi meets with the camera woman Nakanishi to discuss how to publicize the G-string festival.

This leads to some bad behavior involving a camera lens.

Negami returns to the priest for a second round.

Indeed everyone seems to be having sex. Ryuichi is getting it on with Nishimoto.

Oozawa is having sex with Morita (Kenji Shimamura).

It's a game of back-and-forth between Nao and Nonaka, both wanting the mayor's son, Nobuo.  Currently, Nobuo is with Nonaka.

  

Nao has sex with Ryuichi basically out of spite and anger toward Nobuo.

The signs announce the "G-string festival".

Nishimoto has the traditional G-string put on her.

Negami as well.

Nobuo struggles to put it on Nakanishi correctly and gets her tangled up.

Oozawa finds it uncomfortable and rips the cloth off, then runs around naked.

Shinkichi puts the G-string on Nonaka.

Nao comes in and gives Nonaka an eat-shit look.

The symbol of the festival is the primary catch for the skin divers.  I'm honestly not sure what sea creature this is; maybe a sea urchin of some kind?  It's similarity to the female anatomy is pretty clear.

As part of the tradition the sculpture is hoisted to the roof.

Nao and Nonaka confront each other over Nobuo.

They fight it out.

The fight is finally broken up.

Nao screams at Ryuichi who is revealed to be complicit in Nobuo's web of lies.

Nishimoto you'll recall was a self-defense expert and pins Ryuichi down. 

They demand Ryuichi confess what he knows about Nobuo. 

Ryuichi takes the girls to a brothel where he shows them Nobuo's secret.

Nonaka and Nao can't believe their eyes.

Nobuo likes to dress like a baby and suckle at a woman's tit.

Nao says she finally understands why "Ma" always told her to avoid Nobuo.  It seems like they're going to break up, but then they hug.  So, I'm not sure what happens between them.

Nonaka says goodbye to Shinkichi.

Shinkichi apologizes for ever bringing her down to this town.

Must say, I was a bit surprised to find them having sex.

Nonaka leaves to return to Tokyo.

The rest of the girls stay.  They've learned to love it here. THE END

CHARACTERS

Shinkichi Imoto (Masayoshi Nogami) mayor  

Nobuo Imoto (Danjuro Tatekawa) Shinkichi's son

Negami Masayo (Seru Rando) student

Nishimoto Tomoko (Maria Mari) self defence force

Nakanishi Miki (Mimi Sawaki) camera woman

Oozawa Akemi (Rima Aono) massage parlor worker

Nonaka Midori (Eri Anzai) stewardess

Tae Kitano (Maki Kawamura) waitress

Nao Kitano (Kazuyo Ezaki) Tae's sister

Tamae (Hiroko Fuji) 
Morita (Kenji Shimamura) 
Priest (Fumizou Tachibanaya)

Ryuichi, Nobuo's friend

RATING: ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ 5/10

REVIEW: As I said at the start it was interesting to see the Japanese take on a plot that was done countless times in Bavarian sex comedies.  Truthfully, it wasn't that great.  I mean, it has its moments and is fairly sleazy, but just didn't quite do it for me. Trying to put my finger on why - maybe it was the Nao versus Nonaka thing that got repetitive and tiresome, maybe it was never particularly funny, maybe it was the tempered sleaze which felt a bit tame, maybe none of the characters were all that interesting... maybe a number of things.