Keyakizaka46’s Kobayashi Yui fills in for Hirate Yurina as center for the 69th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen

Keyakizaka46 member Kobayashi Yui (19) will be filling in for center Hirate Yurina (17) at the 69th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen.

Keyakizaka46’s Hirate Yurina (17) has been battling with injuries since all year, but things took a bad turn back in September when Hirate fell 6.5 feet off stage during a performance at a nationwide arena performance at Chiba Makuhari Messe. While she was diagnosed with light bruises, it appears that she is suffering from pain that will take her out of Keyakizaka46 temporarily.

It was announced earlier in December that Hirate will be unable to dance for awhile due to sacroiliac join instability in her left sacroiliac joint and lumbar bruises and she will be focusing on treatment. Hirate is also suffering from distal radioulnar rupture arthritic pain due to a bilateral joint sprain., so she has problems moving her wrists as well.

16 members of Keyakizaka46 will be performing at the New Year’s Eve event for their song “Garasu wo Ware” and is the third year for the group to participate on Kohaku Uta Gassen.

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