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Asuka Fukuda, who joined “Morning Musume.” as its youngest member, appeared on Fuji TV’s special “Heisei’s Greatest Moments, Back to Back! Before & After of Those Stars” and revealed how she looks now at age 41. On the show, she reportedly spoke about her marriage, her journey as a single mother, and the reasons she left the group after only about a year and a half. On 5ch, reactions were split — over the surprise of her short tenure, the fact that she continued her entertainment career without ever experiencing the group’s peak (including the “LOVE Machine” era), and the truth behind the bullying rumors that circulated at the time.
Asuka Fukuda, now 41, works at a lounge handling “hall rental management and public relations” — she also candidly reveals why she left Morning Musume after a year and a half
Asuka Fukuda, who won popularity as the (then) youngest member of “Morning Musume.”, appeared on Fuji TV’s special “Heisei’s Greatest Moments, Back to Back! Before & After of Those Stars” (airing at 7 PM) on the 22nd, revealing her current appearance at age 41.
Hosted by Shinobu Sakagami, the show looks back at iconic moments that colored the Showa and Heisei entertainment world across three segments — dramas, hit songs, and talked-about figures — while catching up on the “after” of stars who continue to shine in their respective fields today.
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
Whatever happened to the rumor that the older members were bullying her?
Now that you mention it, she never bad-mouths any of the members.
She's not seriously trying to make a comeback in showbiz either, just dabbling — so it's not like spilling the dirt would hurt her.
She looks like someone…
can't place who though.
Feels like there's one of her in every neighborhood.
Just a bit uglier.
Reading comprehension, man.
It says right there she just said she wanted a bit of a break, and the people around her turned it into 'let's have you retire to focus on school' and pushed her out.
The idols getting fawned over in today's groups will end up looking like this auntie once they hit that age too.
That goes for that one Nogizaka girl too.
This one's graduation was way too early.
Ichii could've become a Diet member too through a runner-up promotion,
but she quit on that very day — such a waste.
Didn't realize you could still work as a lounge hostess at 41.
being able to live off the 'former Morning Musume' name for 28 years is impressive.
Guess quitting was the right call.
If her family were actually rich, she wouldn't have done a nude shoot.
right around when she left.
Feels like the idol vibe got stronger once Kago and Tsuji joined.
Is AKB48 even still around?
Makes you wonder what all those people buying CDs to vote in the general elections were thinking.
Total suckers, honestly.
It's exactly because of that that both Morning Musume and AKB are still going.
She probably just wanted the money.
Whiteberry's vocalist: 'I'll be recycling other people's songs for the rest of my life.'
Or is the business classification actually different under the entertainment business law (fueiho)?
Why don't you look it up yourself, virgin boy?
Background and Key Points of This Topic
Asuka Fukuda joined “Morning Musume.” in 1997 as its youngest member at formation, and left the group in 1999 after roughly a year and a half — before the “LOVE Machine” era that later drove the group’s peak in sales and popularity. At the time, her departure was explained as being “to focus on her studies,” but according to Fukuda herself, she had only said she wanted “a bit of a break,” and it was those around her who turned that into a formal graduation. This is reflected in the thread itself: comment #13 misread this as her “wanting an early retirement herself,” and comment #75 corrects it by pointing out the “poor reading comprehension.” This is the core of the remark the article is based on, and skipping over it flips her actual intent and the outcome that followed. The thread’s central divide is between those who view her decision to leave the group as “a waste,” and those who see her current situation — having found entertainment-industry work for 28 years since — as proof that “leaving was the right call.” The old rumors about her relationships with other members at the time (the bullying theory), which she does not address herself, were also a point of discussion. Comments amounting to personal attacks on her looks or abilities have been excluded.
*This article is compiled as an excerpt and summary of the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Entertainment] Asuka Fukuda, now 41, works at a lounge. Marriage, single motherhood, and ups and downs… She also candidly reveals why she left ‘Morning Musume’ after a year and a half.”
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