SDN48 Down One Member.

SDN48 Down One Member.


SDN48 member, Fukuyama Sakura, has decided to leave the group and graduate from the entertainment business due to health concerns.

Both Sakura and their theater manager’s blogs have confirmed this news.

Fukuyama who hails from Niigata, has been suffering from an unannounced chronic illness for some time, dating back to her pre SDN48 days, due to the group’s continuous activities it was becoming more difficult for her to continue, resulting in a gradual decline in her health.

Fukuyama a 2nd generation member is one of the more popular members of SDN48 and was just recently selected as one of the senbatsu members for the SDN48 major label debut single, coming in at rank twelve.

According to the limited information released, her condition is such that she could collapse on stage at any given time and she has concerns that her collapsing on stage might cause trouble for everyone. Everyone around her inside SDN48 has given her strength to fight through this and the security to know that if such a fall should take place, it would be ok and the members would support her through it.

Sadly, her condition has reached the point that she must rest, if she ever has any hopes of returning to SDN48 and finishing her dreams.

From Sakura`s Blog

I have always wanted to be in a profession where I could sing and dance, so I moved to Tokyo when I was in high school, but I couldn't seem to make my dream come true, and then this year I was finally able to fulfill the dream that I really, really wanted to do, and become a part of SDN48's 2nd generation.

Idols are unlike any other performing artist; they hide their pains, worries, and doubts with a smile on their face, so their fans will never feel disappointment. They have a specialness and bond with their fans that goes beyond sales figures.

It is often that this need to protect their fans from feeling disappointment, which results in this genre suffering great tragedies such as Okada Yukiko or the taking of health for granted.

Let us all hope that Sakura as she stated in her blog, will someday continue her dreams and return to the stage.

The date and performance for her graduation will be announced on the official SDN48 site as soon as they are decided.