TOKYO (TR) – Former gravure idol Aoi Fujino passed away earlier this month after a long battle with cancer, her family has revealed. She was 27 years old.
On January 9, Fujino’s mother announced the news via Fujino’s X account. “Announcement: Aoi Fujino had been battling illness, but she passed away on January 5,” she wrote. “Thank you so much to everyone who supported her during her lifetime.”
Fujino made her gravure (pin-up) debut in July 2020. In April 2023, at the age of 24, she announced that she had a rare parapharyngeal space tumor, which occurs in the neck area, and was focusing on treatment.
The native of Ishikawa Prefecture then resumed her showbiz career in August 2024. The following March, she left her agency and began working as a freelancer. However, in July, she announced her retirement from showbiz at the end of the year.
She explained that illness was a major factor in her decision to retire. She said at the time, “In my current state of health, I am constantly in a state of uncertainty as I don’t know when or how my condition will worsen, and I feel that it will be difficult for me to continue working in the same way in the future.”
On New Year’s Eve, she posted a handwritten message on social media finalizing her retirement from the entertainment industry. While revealing that she was continuing to be in poor health, she expressed gratitude to her fans and those involved. “I’m so lucky to have met you,” she wrote.
