Rising Star Genta Matsuda Draws Attention for Variety Persona as Fans Worry About Workload

Was something wrong with Matsuda Genta during the concert?

‘Travis Japan’ held the concert ‘Travis Japan Concert Tour 2026 ‘s travelers’ in Fukuoka Prefecture over May 5–6. On the 6th, there were two performances (afternoon and evening), but it is said that something unusual happened with member Genta Matsuda (27) during the evening show.

Since their major debut in October 2022, Matsuda gained popularity thanks to his airheaded character, and has been very active in variety shows and dramas. He has also previously revealed hearing problems, and fans have expressed concern.

According to fan reports posted on social media, Matsuda left the stage during MC time, saying he needed to use the toilet. After that, he did not return for quite a while, and even when he reappeared, he was not able to perform his usual dancing. Toward the end, he wore a hat and sunglasses, making his facial expressions difficult to see.

“There were also moments when he seemed unsteady. Posts included comments such as, ‘When he came out at the end, Genta’s face was ghostly pale,’ ‘Maybe he wore sunglasses to reduce the impact of the lighting, or maybe he didn’t want to show that he wasn’t in top condition,’ and ‘I was worried he might collapse.’ With support from the other members, he ultimately managed to get through the performance,” said an entertainment writer.

As these social media posts spread, concern about Matsuda’s condition increased. However, after the show ended, member Shizuya Yoshizawa (30) began a live broadcast on his personal Instagram account.

When he read out comments like “Is Genta okay?”, he said, “Genta is okay, he’s fine! So there’s no need to worry. Everyone’s support gives us strength, so just your encouragement is enough. You really don’t need to worry. He’ll absolutely be fine,” and “After the show he was speaking normally. He was probably just tired, so if he rests he’ll be fine. He’s relaxing now,” reassuring viewers.

“On the other hand, regarding Matsuda, it is said that even at the Aichi performances on March 11–12, he was not able to perform at full strength due to a lower back injury. He updated his members-only blog on the night of March 11, apologizing: ‘I’m really sorry I couldn’t perform as usual. I truly apologize.’

Although he was told to rest, he understood that there are fans who can only attend that particular performance, and wrote: ‘The reason I decided to perform and dance in the second half was because I wanted to do it at that moment.’ It may not have been easy for him to return to the stage during the Fukuoka performances either, but he may have pushed himself for the fans who came looking forward to the show.” (same reporter as above)

The fate of a busy idol leaves Matsuda in distress

In May last year, Matsuda appeared on the fortune-telling variety show “Totsuzen desu ga Uranatte mo Ii desu ka?” (Fuji TV), where he revealed, “Since last year, something has felt off around my ears.” He also admitted that he believed the cause was fatigue and stress.

“Matsuda served as the lead actor in a terrestrial drama for the first time with ‘Jinji no Hitomi’ (Fuji TV) in the April 2025 season, and from March 28 this year he co-starred with Snow Man’s Hikaru Iwamoto (32) in the drama ‘Kara-chan to Shitō-san to,’ which began streaming on Prime Video (8 episodes total).

Furthermore, from June to August this year, he is scheduled to star solo in the stage production ‘Oresetsu,’ his first lead theatrical role. Alongside group activities, he has also been selected as a Monday regular on the daytime variety show ‘Poka Poka’ (Fuji TV), making him an extremely busy, in-demand idol,” said the same source as above.

In response to the incident, fans posted comments such as:

<“Genta-kun, maybe stress is affecting your body. Please rest before it becomes something irreversible. I’m also worried about your ear condition.”>
<“Please give him time to get medical checkups for his physical condition. Genta-kun, don’t push yourself.”>
<“I hope the agency staff will properly take Genta to the hospital. His ear problems might have been ignored, and it feels like he’s being overworked.”>

Amid growing concern for Matsuda, he himself posted a blog on May 7. Regarding the second day of the Fukuoka performance, he explained that it was due to his mental state and condition management not being in order, and apologized to fans who attended. He also confessed honestly that he himself was unsure whether he could return to the stage, saying, “I was scared too, haha.”

At the next Chiba performances (May 22–24), fans hope he will be able to show his best possible performance and put their worries to rest.