It’s been revealed that Arashi member Aiba Masaki was discharged on July 4th, after being hospitalized for a week due to a collapsed lung. Aiba returned to work on the 5th to record “VS Arashi“. Before the recording, he greeted the audience saying, “Thank you for your concern. As you can see, I have recovered. Please continue to support Arashi,“ and received a warm round of applause. To the fans, he wrote, “From today, I will take care of my health and do my best not to trouble you more than I have already.” According to related sources, Aiba didn’t have surgery, but took medicine and rested while in the hospital. The physician vouched that he wouldn’t have any difficulties with daily activities, but Aiba took precautions and refrained from playing physical games. A collapsed lung is when air fills the space around the lungs, and causes difficulty breathing or racking coughs. Aiba was diagnosed with this same illness back in 2002, but he underwent surgery for it at that time. Source: Sanspo, Tokyohive
