Asa Akira was born in New York. From 6 to 13 she lived in Japan, where she went to an American school.
She began her career as a fashion model, then starred in several scenes with women, since 2008 she has been acting in porn with men. She was nominated for several awards for her role in the David Aaron Clark film Pure.
In 2011, Complex magazine ranked her 6th on the “50 Hottest Asian Porn Stars of All Time” list. As of 2014, Asa Akira starred in 442 porn films and directed 8 porno films.