A girl group active in Japan has come under fire after it was revealed they performed on an outdoor stage in swimsuits in the middle of winter. The agency issued an apology and pledged to prevent a recurrence.
According to TV Asahi and other local media on the 13th, the girl group Planck Stars, which is based in Hiroshima, took to an outdoor stage at the Sapporo Snow Festival on the 8th. Planck Stars is known as an underground idol group that, rather than focusing on broadcast appearances, meets fans directly through small live shows and events.
The scene that sparked controversy began when one member appeared onstage during the performance wearing a blue school swimsuit. The member performed while holding an ice cream and singing, and the other members also went onstage in short-sleeved tops and short gym shorts. Heavy snow was falling at the time, and subzero temperatures reportedly continued.
Photos of the performance were shared on social media X (formerly Twitter) and quickly spread, surpassing 13 million views. Online, criticism followed, such as "The outfits are inappropriate for an event with many family audiences," and "Did they push the members to do this for noise marketing?" There were also many concerned reactions like, "What if they end up with frostbite?"
As the controversy grew, the agency released an official statement on the 9th. The agency said, "The outfit in question was chosen by the member," and added, "We apologize for causing concern and discomfort with the costumes and staging." It also said, "We have emphasized safety management, social norms, and compliance with laws, but we failed to prevent an unexpected situation in advance," and, "We will do our best to prevent a recurrence, including ensuring warm clothing in cold environments going forward."
However, even after posting the apology, the agency continued to upload photos from the stage, prompting some users to say, "The sincerity of the apology is in doubt."
Planck Stars has been embroiled in controversy several times transfer. In 2022, the agency faced criticism for posting an inappropriate notice related to selling tickets for member photo shoots, and in 2023, a controversy flared after a member allegedly made a male fan drink dishwashing detergent during an event.