8-year-old Japanese idol trainee Hirata Luna dies of flu-related myocarditis
In short
Hirata Luna, an eight-year-old trainee in the Japanese girl group project DIANNA Project and a child singer, died on Sept. 25, her agency said, of myocarditis caused by influenza. She had been on stage days earlier; Maeil Business put the gap at five days from a Sept. 20 performance, while Chosun Ilbo said four days. Fans in Japan and elsewhere are mourning, and her family said they hope she is remembered as an “eternal idol.”
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Hirata Luna, an eight-year-old trainee in the Japanese girl group project DIANNA Project and a child singer, died on Sept. 25, her agency said, announcing the death on its official social media accounts. According to Maeil Business, the agency said the cause was myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, caused by influenza. The agency asked for respect for the family's privacy and thanked the fans and staff who had supported her. [ 1 ]
Chosun Ilbo, citing Daily Mail and other foreign media, said Luna — who it said performed under the name “Luna-chan” — died at about 4 a.m. on Sept. 25 of flu complications. Maeil Business cited the US entertainment outlet TMZ, which it said reported the death on Oct. 3; Chosun Ilbo dated the foreign reports to Sept. 30. [ 1 , 3 ]
The outlets differ on how long before her death Luna last appeared on stage. Maeil Business said she performed on Sept. 20, five days before she died, and that she wrote on social media afterwards that she was grateful and had really enjoyed herself; the post became her final message to fans. Chosun Ilbo said she died four days after standing on stage. [ 1 , 3 ]
Her family said through an official account that Luna had spent about one-third of her eight years in idol activities and expressed thanks to her colleagues, fans and agency staff, adding that they hoped she would remain an “eternal idol” in fans' memories, Maeil Business reported. Tributes have continued from fans, and Chosun Ilbo described a wave of mourning in Japan. [ 1 , 3 ]
Korean outlets continued to cover the death the following day: Seoul Shinmun reported the “sudden death” of the eight-year-old girl group trainee, and Maeil Business published a second report highlighting the share of her short life spent in idol activities. [ 2 , 4 ]
Why it matters
The death of an eight-year-old who had been performing as an idol trainee days earlier drew attention in Japanese and Korean entertainment media, along with tributes from fans and from her family. Her family's statement, as reported by Maeil Business, centred on the roughly one-third of her short life spent in idol activities and on their wish that she be remembered as an “eternal idol.” The documents do not discuss conditions or practices for child trainees in the industry.
Key facts
- Hirata Luna was an eight-year-old trainee in the Japanese girl group project DIANNA Project and a child singer. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- She died on Sept. 25, according to Maeil Business and Chosun Ilbo. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Her agency said the cause of death was myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, caused by influenza, Maeil Business reported. [ 1 ]
- She performed on Sept. 20 and posted a short message thanking fans and saying she had enjoyed herself, which became her last message to fans, according to Maeil Business. [ 1 ]
- Maeil Business said she was on stage five days before her death; Chosun Ilbo said four days. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Chosun Ilbo, citing Daily Mail and other foreign media, said she died at about 4 a.m. on Sept. 25 and that she performed under the name “Luna-chan.” [ 3 ]
- Her family said she spent about one-third of her eight years in idol activities and thanked her colleagues, fans and agency staff, Maeil Business reported. [ 1 ]
- Tributes to Luna have continued from fans, and Chosun Ilbo described a wave of mourning in Japan. [ 1 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Hirata Luna was an eight-year-old trainee of the Japanese girl group project DIANNA Project and a child singer who died on Sept. 25. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- The reported cause of death was myocarditis caused by influenza; her agency announced the death and the cause on its official social media accounts. [ 1 , 3 ]
- She had been performing on stage days before her death and had posted a message to fans about her last performance. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Family members and fans have expressed grief and tributes have followed. [ 1 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- How many days passed between Luna's last performance and her death. Maeil Business says five days, counting from a Sept. 20 performance, while Chosun Ilbo says four days; the documents do not resolve the difference.
- Which foreign outlets first reported the death and on what date. Maeil Business cites TMZ and other US media reporting on Oct. 3, while Chosun Ilbo cites Daily Mail and other foreign media reporting on Sept. 30.
- Where in Japan Luna lived, performed or died, and the name of her agency. No document names a city or the agency, referring only to the agency and its official social media accounts.
- Whether “Luna-chan” was her official stage name. Only Chosun Ilbo mentions the name; no other document corroborates it.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Hirata Luna performs on stage and posts a short thank-you message to fans on social media, according to Maeil Business. [ 1 ]
- Luna dies at age eight; Chosun Ilbo, citing Daily Mail and other foreign media, says she died at about 4 a.m. of myocarditis caused by flu. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Daily Mail and other foreign outlets report her death, according to Chosun Ilbo. [ 3 ]
- US entertainment outlet TMZ and others report the death, according to Maeil Business. [ 1 , 4 ]
- Maeil Business publishes its first report on the death. [ 1 ]
- Seoul Shinmun publishes a report on the death. [ 2 ]
- Chosun Ilbo publishes a report on the death. [ 3 ]
- Maeil Business publishes a second report on the death. [ 4 ]