Top Japanese idols contract coronavirus during second wave

So far, the highest-profile victim of COVID-19 in Japan has been the comedian Ken Shimura.

His death happened fairly early in the pandemic in Japan and since then infection numbers have risen quite a lot as the second wave hits, though deaths have not climbed to a scary rate (yet – touch wood).

As entertainers are continuing to work, filming things and so on, and coming into contact with a lot of people in the process, coronavirus infections are also disproportionately affecting the industry.

In recent days, several high-profile cases have appeared.

In early August, the busty gravure idol Jun Amaki announced on Twitter that has contracted the virus. She then spent a couple of weeks recovering at home and last week said that she had recovered. By chance, the weekly magazine Playboy featured a shoot (pictured below) with her in its issue released that week.

And then came news last week that former Keyakizaka46 member Yui Imaizumi, soon after the 21-year-old appeared on TV demonstrating a busty way to keep a man’s attention in an online drinking party. She is currently recovering at home.

And it was also announced last week that AKB48’s Shizuka Oya tested positive for the coronavirus. Needless to say, groups like AKB48 that are rooted in a USP as “the idols you can meet” are going to struggle in the post-COVID age when mass handshaking events are surely not going to happen or, even if they are held, will scare fans off.

Finally, for now, the other high-profile infection announced last week was one of our favorites: Fumika Baba.

Like Oya, Baba is recovering at home and we wish them all a speedy recovery.

We have yet to hear of any officially announced affections among adult video star, though we would be very curious to learn how the pandemic has affected porn productions. Watch this space for more…