(the) Road to the Deep East

Karoshi is one of the most popular Japanese endemic disease. Every year, many Japanese work overtime without any allowance, just to show their loyalty to their company, and die of a heart failure or a stroke . It was at its peak during 1980s and the number of Karoshi decreased with the stagration of Japanese economy, but still a certain number of Japanese die of Karoshi.

And now, an Internet magazine, Cyzo warns the possibility of Karoshi of an idol boy, Sakurai Sho-kun from Arashi.
http://www.cyzo.com/2008/06/post_620.html

According to this article, Sakurai kun broke his right thmb during a rehearsal for his concert held at Nagoya Dome on June 1st. Regardless of this fracture, he appeared on the show on Jun 1st as it was scheduled. He performed with a flesh-colored cast and reported his injury to his fans. The next day, he appeared on a TV news show and answered 'Dijobu-desu!(It's alright!)' to the anchor person.

For the time being, his injury looks to be not so serious. However, fans rumors; 'I can't believe tough Sho-kun had a broke bone so easily. Johny's (the agency he belongs to) makes him work too much!!'

A professional Johny's watcher explains his schedule. "Currently, he appears on 4 weekly regular TV show as a member of Arashi, (the group he belongs to) and another weekly one as a solo. In addition, he has just finished his movie 'Yatta-man'. And from the next month, he will host the broadcast of Beijing Olympic. Hence, he has to go to the concert by different flight from other members, and back to Tokyo soon after the concert. Even he had a free time, he travels oversea for his hobby. He should control his schedule."

After Arashi finishes the concert tour in July, they will host a 24zikan TV show , the TV show literary continues for 24 hours in August.

Cyzo concludes, "All the members of Arashi have already been in the middle of their twenties, and won't be able to work as such anymore. There are lot of elder personw who belong to Johnys who fell sick for overwork. They should control themselves without relying on the agency."

--
I'm a kind of person who don't care about the creature which belong to the same sex as me, so I didn't know this idol boy was busy as such. So, is this Sakurai-kun's injury the sign of the first Karoshi of idol boys in Japanese history?

I don't think so.

Certainly, there is a kind of fracture called 'fatigue fracture' which athletes sometimes have, but it is caused by moving the same bone heavily in the exactly the same way again and again. It doesn't mean human beings can break bones when they are fatigued.

I guess the Johny's fans who rumors this 'Karo'(overwork) theory misunderstood the definition of 'fatigue fracture.'( called 疲労骨折 in Japan. ) If there were such a disease, we could have seen a lot of salary-men who ride on a train with plasters or crutches on Marunouchi line.

And Sakurai-kun looks kinda busy, but I don't think his load is not as heavy as Karoshi casualty who works extra 200 hours every month. At least, he can still have enough time to enjoy trips to Thailand or China. If he tells that 'I gonna Karoshi!! By the way, I went to Thailand for vacation last week' to the nearly-Karoshi zombies who work in Toky , it's sure he'll be killed. .