Hard Times come unwelcomed and suddenly. Despite earning love and fame, people are still not exempted from serious illnesses. It is always heart-breaking when your loved celebrities get severe disease. We have curated a list of 10 Japanese celebs who have in the past or still are battling serious illness and still trying their best.
1. Mayo Kobayashi
A young and highly acclaimed news reporter, Mayo Kobayashi was a regular name in Japanese media. The 34-year-old was diagnosed with breast cancer. She also opened a blog to record her life and what’s left of it to share her story. Her story inspired and touched the hearts of many. Unfortunately, after losing her fight with the deadly disease, she passed away and left the world in mourning in 2017.
2. Toru Yamashita
Toru is a popular singer of the Japanese band ONE OK ROCK. Earlier in 2020, he was tested for Covid19. He was taken to the covid facility and kept there until he started feeling better. Since then, he has been healthy after getting the necessary treatment.
3. Gackt
Gakuto Oshiro is a legend in the Japanese singing industry better known by his mononymous stage name Gackt. . A singer and an actor, he has impressed his fans time and again. However, unfortunately, he has recently announced that he would be going on indefinite hiatus due to a voice disorder. He is suffering from a life-threatening voice disorder and has lost 10 Kgs because of the disease.
4. Kyoko Fukada
Kyoko Fukada is an established popular actress in Japan. She is an award-winning actress in many films. However, recently she announced that she would be taking a break from her work due to an adjustment disorder. She has been struggling with this disease since 2003 and is currently seeking treatment.
5. Ken Watanabe
Ken Watanabe is a famous actor popular in both Asian as well as Hollywood movie setup. The actor was previously diagnosed with leukaemia twenty years ago. He was able to fight it; however, in 2016, he was again diagnosed with Stomach cancer. The cancer was found in the early stages, and he has been since going through treatments.
6. Takajin Yashiki
He was a singer as well as a tv personality. Popular in the 90s, he was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in 2012 and took a break from his career to focus on his health. After a short stint in 2013, he passed away in 2014.
7. Naomi Osaka
The ace tennis star chose to opt-out of Wimbledon 2021 due to mental reasons. She is one of the first sportsperson in Japan who has talked about being an athlete's stress and mental burden. She talked about having anxiety and spurts of depression. She has taken time off to take care of her mental health.
8. Aisa Takeuchi
A popular actress, Aisa Takeuchi, has been on a break from her acting career to treat her mental issues. She was diagnosed with panic disorder earlier this year and doctors have advised her to keep herself free and positive.
9. Taku Takeuchi
A ski jumping bronze medallist, Take Takeuchi, was hospitalized in 2014 due to a chance of having Churg-Strauss syndrome, an autoimmune disorder that does not have a cure. It causes serious discrepancies in the body.
10. Izumi Sakai
She was a famous singer, songwriter of the Japanese band Zard. Considered one of the most famous Japanese singers of her time, she was highly popular with her fans. She had to halt her career due to uterus-related illness, and then she was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2006. It appeared that she was getting better, but cancer spread to her lungs, and she ended up in stage 4 of cancer. She ultimately passed away in 2007 by accidentally slipping on a slope in Keio Hospital.
