All 7 members of girls group Berryz Workshop catch flu

Tuesday 10th November, 03:00 AM JST

TOKYO —

Chinami Tokunaga, 17, and Yurina Kumai, 16, of all-girl J-pop group Berryz Workshop, were missing at the group’s shows in Nagoya on Saturday and in Osaka on Sunday. The remaining five members put on a dazzling performance but some fans demanded to know where Tokunaga and Kumai were. Inquiries later revealed that the pair were at home and have caught the influenza A virus.

The latest two cases mean that the whole group have had the flu recently, after captain Saki Shimizu, 17, Momoko Tsugunaga, 17, Miyabi Natsuyaki, 17, Maasa Sudo, 17, and Risako Sugaya, 15, all came down with influenza last month.

According to their agency Hello! Project, Tokunaga complained of not feeling well last Wednesday, and was told the next day at a hospital in Kanagawa that she’d need five days rest. Kumai fell ill last Friday while she was in Nagoya for the weekend’s show, and was diagnosed with influenza the following day.

Tokunaga and Kumai are scheduled to return to the line-up for their show at the Shibuya CC Lemon Hall in Tokyo this Sunday. A staff member at Hello! Project denied that the girls got sick from in-group transmission, and said they were infected separately due to their many appearances in public.

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Latest 15 of 23 Total Comments Show All

inakaRob at 09:30 AM JST - 10th November

kinda messed up the quote thing in the above comment. oh well you get the point
combinibento at 10:16 AM JST - 10th November

These girls can't hold a flame to Hannah Montana!!
PepinGalarga at 10:18 AM JST - 10th November

I'm sure that these entertainers get some basic education, because in Japan if you don't graduate from High School you are considered illiterate.

The headline should be changed to sound less sensationalistic.
marzipan at 10:33 AM JST - 10th November

one flu over the patch of berryz
gogogo at 11:20 AM JST - 10th November

Seriously? 6 million other people have the flu but one girls group targeted to middle age men get the flu and it's national news.
Yelnats at 12:26 PM JST - 10th November

shouldn't 15,16, and 17 year old girls be at school, getting an education for the rest of their lifes? The J public like their 'idols' young, which could explain other 'off topic' things.

High school is not mandatory here. That is a shame. Everyone should be entitled to a free High School to attend. Lots of people take off days for modeling etc. here and in other countries. They might as well make some money while they are young a cute, as there will come a day when no one wants to see them any more.
thomyorke at 01:21 PM JST - 10th November

Thats what they get for wasting our time with their idol act.
kirakira25 at 03:47 PM JST - 10th November

I wonder if they write their own music and design their own costumes.....
mrhog123 at 03:57 PM JST - 10th November

I suugest they get an injection of Dr. Charles love juice. They will immediately be cured of any and all sickness.
temporaryVisa at 05:14 PM JST - 10th November

Nobody translates Berryz Kobou as Berryz Workshop it's ridiculous.
airrunwesker at 08:39 PM JST - 10th November

"there will come a day when no one wants to see them any more" Well, they might prolong that day if they were to stop "acting" like they were still 12 and do some real music!
stirfry at 01:51 PM JST - 11th November

Well, they might prolong that day if they were to stop "acting" like they were still 12 and do some real music!

in japan ?? impossible
blvtzpk at 02:18 PM JST - 11th November

It's like when Spinal Tap all contracted herpes at the same time (see the DVD extras).

Rock 'n' roll, eh? What a life!
Monoflow at 05:18 AM JST - 12th November

Shouldn't kiss each other goodnight...
studb at 08:14 AM JST - 13th November

Poor girls.