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Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku Idol Rina Matsuno Passes Away at 18

Rina Matsuno, a member of the idol group Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku, passed away on Wednesday, February 8 due to an unspecified disease. She was 18.

Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku's official website had announced on Tuesday that Matsuno could not appear at a concert that day due to a health issue.

Sources close to Matsuno said that she was recuperating at her home when her condition took a turn for the worse early Wednesday morning. Her parents phoned emergency medical services at around 5:00 a.m. on Wednesday. An ambulance took her to the hospital, but she was pronounced dead on arrival.

The 18-year-old idol was born in Tokyo on July 16, 1998, and she was scouted for the entertainment industry when she was in first grade. She made appearances with her idol group in various commercials and modeled in fashion magazines. She also acted in live-action films such as Joker Game Escape, where she starred alongside former Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku member Hirono Suzuki.

Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku, which operates as a "little sister group" to Momoiro Clover Z, has performed theme songs for such anime as Naruto Spin-Off: Rock Lee & His Ninja Pals, Pokémon: Black and White: Rival Destinies, Pikachu to Eevee Friends, and Nanana's Buried Treasure.

Source: Fuji News Network, Asahi Shimbun via Hachima Kikō