Koda Kumi's comments go 'rotten'

[Liddo Annie]

Pop star Kumi Koda has found herself in trouble after making a careless remark on a radio show earlier this week. As a result, Koda will be putting all of her activities on hold for the time being.

The comment came on Tuesday night while Koda was hosting "All Night Nippon." The topic of her manager's marriage came up, and Koda was asked about when her manager was planning to have children. She made a seemingly light-hearted reply that "when women turn 35, their amniotic fluid goes rotten, so I'd like them to have a child by 35."

The inaccurate statement sparked a lot of criticism among listeners, particularly on the internet. Koda issued a public apology on Friday through the websites of Nippon Broadcasting System and Avex, but the damage had already been done. Cosmetics firm KOSE has temporarily removed her presence from its Visee site, and promotional events for her new album "Kingdom" have all been canceled. Koda was also scheduled to appear on a Tokyo FM show on Saturday, but she has been replaced by fellow Avex artist Ami Suzuki.

However, some of her television appearances will go on as planned, such as the already-recorded "Koi no Kara Sawagi" on Saturday and "Tetsuko no Heya" on Thursday.

According to Avex, the length of Koda's self-suspension has not yet been decided but is expected to last until the end of this month. Koda has a national tour scheduled to start in April, so she hopes to resume activities in time for rehearsals in mid-March.

Credit: TokyoGraph
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Public anger over Kumi Koda's careless comment last week continues to run strong, while networks and advertisers scramble to distance themselves from the singer. It was already announced that cosmetics company KOSE removed her from its website, but several more firms have followed suit.

Kirin has halted its commercials for the chuhai brand Hyoketsu. The drink's website has been closed, as has Honda's ZEST Sports page. Gilette Japan (who was about to start a new campaign with Koda) and Morinaga Seika have also taken similar action.

On Sunday, NTV and Fuji TV aired episodes of "Koi no Karasawagi" and "Shin Domoto Kyodai" that included Koda. Fuji TV said that it received more than 100 complaints from viewers. Meanwhile, TV Asahi has decided to postpone its broadcast of a "Tetsuko no Heya" episode that was scheduled to air this Thursday.

Avex says that Koda is suspending activity at least until the end of this month, though it may last longer, depending on public opinion. It is also not clear yet whether her commercial campaigns will be revived in the future.

Despite the negative press, Koda's newly-released album "Kingdom" managed to take #1 on the charts for its initial week.
Credit: TokyoGraph


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Japanese diva in hot water over 'rotten' womb gaffe
2 days ago

TOKYO (AFP) — Japanese pop diva Kumi Koda has apologised after saying women over 35 had "rotten" fluid in their wombs, sparking a furore that led a cosmetics maker to suspend advertisements featuring her.

"I sincerely and deeply apologise for offending people with my remark," Koda, a 25-year-old pop idol famed for her cute and sexy look, said on her official website over the weekend.

Her agency, Avex Entertainment, said it was taking the matter seriously and announced a halt to promotional activities for her latest album, "Kingdom," which was released at the end of January.

Speaking on a popular radio programme, Koda said that her newlywed manager should have children soon for the sake of the mother's amnion, the part of the womb that protects an embryo.

"Mothers' amnion fluid is rotten once they turn around 35," she said. "I mean it. It gets dirty."

The soundbite was reproduced on Internet sites along with furious postings. Some sites listed companies sponsoring her, urging consumers to complain.

There has already been an effect.

Kose Corp., Japan's third-ranked cosmetics maker, halted online advertisements for its Visee brand, one of its major lineups, which features the pop star.

"We judged it necessary to suspend it as there are people who were offended," a company spokesman said, adding they had not decided whether to scrap the campaign entirely.

Japan has one of the world's lowest birth rates, but a growing number of women, particularly professionals, are starting families later in life.

More than 17 percent of 1.09 million babies born in Japan in 2006 were from women aged 35 or older, double the 8.6 percent in 1990, according to health ministry data.

Koda has been romantically linked to Masahiro Nakai of the pop group SMAP and is not known to have any children.


---credits:
http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-2495
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hti ... 1Js16SsS7g

[froggyboy604]

Odd question to ask Koda Kumi since kuda isn't even the wife of her manager.

I think some of those people who complain about Kuda Kumi comment are just looking for something to get offended about.

Plus, I think Kuda Kumi wasn't being serious.

Wow, Kuda Kumi is almost the same age of me. I always thought she was 30 or close to 30.

[Liddo Annie]

well you have to take this into consideration, our culture is different from theirs.
From what i recall from History, Japanese takes image very seriously. I.E. with the Samurai's who disgrace their masters (forgot the term) they would commit suicide. Over here people make a remark like that, people just shrug it off. Not a good example, but i think most of you would get what im saying.