The Dark Reason Why A Girl Group Member Punches The Stuffed Toys That Fans Give Her

Idols receive hundreds of gifts from fans whenever they hold fanmeetings. In this event, male and female fans have the opportunity to meet their biases up close. They usually come bearing gifts ranging from headbands to clothes and, of course, stuffed toys. Though these cute items look harmless, this is not always true.

TWICE’s Tzuyu with stuffed toys that fans gave her during a fanmeeting

Kaori Matsumura, a member of the J-Pop group SKE48, made headlines when she revealed what she does to the stuffed toys that fans give her: she punches them.

I always hit the stuffed animals many times and shake them violently.

— Kaori Matsumura

Sora News 24

She does this for a simple reason: to ensure that there is only pure stuffing inside the bears. Though there is no real assurance that the physical force will destroy the hardware device inside, she still does it for peace of mind.

To make sure there’s no device hidden inside.

— Kaori Matsumura

It is not rare for fans to insert a hidden camera inside items that they gift the celebrities. This invasion of privacy can sometimes go unnoticed, especially if they are placed inside childlike items like stuffed toys.

Another equally concerning problem about the stuffed animals that fans give idols is the stains that they sometimes come with. According to Kaori, what she suspected to be semen can often be found on the gifts.

Sometimes the stuffed animals have stains on them…like, whitish-colored stains.

— Kaori Matsumura

Kaori Matsumura is a former member of SKE48, a Japanese girl group based in the city of Nagoya. She officially graduated from the group in May 2019.