Akiko Matsumoto announces one-month hospitalisation for dislocated ankle fracture just before her 60th birthday | From 'Denpa Girl' to turning 60, and the road to recovery
It's come as a bit of a shock. TV personality Akiko Matsumoto (59) has announced on Instagram that she's been hospitalised and will be taking a break due to a broken left ankle. The same "Akko" who threw herself into stunts on "Denpa Shōnen" and completely changed the vibe of variety shows has copped a serious injury right before her 60th birthday.
According to her statement, the injury happened around midday on April 2. Believe it or not, she tripped and fell right outside her own home. The official diagnosis is a "dislocated fracture of the left ankle joint". She'll be in hospital for about a month and then take some more time off work. She joked about herself being "born in the Year of the Fire Horse, in my unlucky year" – but she was actually born on April 8, 1966. That means next Wednesday she would have been turning 60.
"But apart from my foot, there are no other injuries, and my overall health is fine," she added. You can tell her spirits are surprisingly high. Even while showing off her bandaged leg from the hospital bed, there's that typical "well, I've gone and done it now" cheeky vibe. Maybe that's the pro instinct of a "variety idol" she's honed over decades.
Husband filling in on "Beverly Hiruzu"? A heartwarming word from Fumio Takada
As soon as the news broke, her long-time collaborator, radio writer Fumio Takada, was quick to act. On his radio show "Fumio Takada's Radio Beverly Hiruzu" on April 3, Takada broke the news to fans in his usual witty style.
Turns out, they'd actually planned to celebrate Matsumoto's 60th on the April 6 broadcast – and had even booked her husband, actor Yasufumi Motomiya (54), to appear. Takada quipped, "So the birthday celebration episode has become a medical update. Her old man is coming in anyway." It's a line that mixes humour with the warmth of a decades-long partnership.
Matsumoto is best known as the host of the "Denpa Shōnen" series, which ran from 1992 to 2003. It's no exaggeration to say her physical stunts and battles with postcard-sending fans laid the groundwork for today's variety shows. And her long-running radio show "Beverly Hiruzu", which started in 1989, has a charm like eavesdropping on a chat at your local pub. Her break is a big loss for Japan's broadcasting world.
From the "lean year of '83" to the queen of variety idols
Let's take a moment to look back at the career of Akiko Matsumoto.
- Idol debut: 1983, with the catchphrase "Akko, you're a bit different". Her peers included Junko Tokumaru, Miho Nakayama and Yoko Oginome. While they were part of the so-called "lean year of '83" group, she was the only one who survived by carving out her own path.
- Legendary broadcast scandal: In 1984, during a live "All Night Fuji" broadcast, she repeatedly uttered a banned word in what became known as the "four-character incident", leading to a suspension. That ended up being the catalyst that broke her out of her idol shell.
- Impressionist & variety star: She gained recognition as one of the "Four Heavenly Queens of Impressions" on the "Impersonation Championship", then went on to host "TV Champion" and "DAISUKI!", fully committing to her anything-goes physical style.
- Private life: Married actor Yasufumi Motomiya in 1998. Now with her current agency, she's involved in acting, variety shows, and in recent years has even given lectures on the issue of abandoned homes.
These days, she's one of those rare talents who can just as easily chat about athletes and fighters like CANDY JACK or the Crush Gals (Chigusa Nagayo), as she can about artists like Asuka or Lionel, or even nostalgic idol stories about Yasuko Endo, Atsuko Kawada and Junko Arai.
A major injury just before turning 60 – fans send warm wishes
Social media has been flooded with comments like "Ouch, that looks painful", "Take your time and heal", and "I'm shocked at how beautiful her foot is". And it's true – looking at that slim, pretty foot in the photo, you can't help but think "no offence, but..." and also "you'd never guess she's 60".
In recent years, Matsumoto has been expanding her horizons – giving talks about closing up her family's abandoned home, and sharing real-life advice for women her age alongside people like Mami Ishida and Hiroe Tsuchiya.
"I'll do my best to recover as quickly as possible and return to work." Let's trust her words and hope she focuses on treatment for now. Knowing her, she's probably on the phone with Fumio Takada yelling at each other, or getting all the nurses in stitches.
Even as the former 'Denpa Girl' turns 60, her energy shows no sign of fading. Let's look forward to the day we can see her bright and lively again on TV and radio.