Tokyo International News Agency

Game creator Masahiro Sakurai announced on February 3rd via his X (formerly Twitter) account that he had brought his beloved cat, Fukurashi, home from the hospital. Fukurashi's condition had severely deteriorated over the past week, suffering from multiple serious ailments including pleural effusion, heart failure, kidney failure, and cystitis. Sakurai explained that due to the difficult situation where treatments for each condition could potentially worsen others, leaving no viable medical options, he made the painful decision to provide hospice care for Fukurashi at home. In response to Sakurai's post, numerous users on social media sent heartfelt messages. Many expressed wishes for Fukurashi to spend her remaining time peacefully, saying things like, "May Fukurashi-san's heart at least be at peace," and "Live with Sakurai-san for as long as possible." There were also many comments emphasizing the importance of home care, such as, "Choosing to pro...

On November 4, game creator Masahiro Sakurai announced on his social media that his beloved cat, Fukurashi, had been in a severe health condition last month, to the extent that a veterinarian told him "she could pass away at any moment." According to Sakurai, he had held back on reporting this sooner out of consideration for his work, such as the "Air Rider Direct 2" broadcast. Although Fukurashi is now on the road to recovery, she continues to have difficulty eating much and requires constant nursing care. Following this report, a flood of messages expressing concern for Fukurashi's health poured onto social media from many fans. Heartfelt messages such as "Fukurashi, please stay strong..." and "May Mr. Sakurai and Fukurashi be able to spend a little more time together" were widely shared. Additionally, some users expressed concern for Sakurai's own well-being, noting "We're worried about Mr. Sakurai's caregiver fatigue,...