“Spent 230 million won on plastic surgery”: How the Japanese woman told by her mother, “I should never have given birth to you,” is doing now

[Financial News] A Japanese woman who endured verbal abuse and bullying over her appearance as a child and later underwent around 20 plastic surgeries has appeared in a Netflix drama. She became famous by sharing her plastic surgery experiences and has now begun acting following this special appearance.
According to Japanese media outlets including Nishi Spo on the 5th, Japanese influencer Airi Hirase, 29, made a special appearance in the Netflix original drama “Downtime,” released last September. She currently has 980,000 Instagram followers.
The drama explores the world of cosmetic surgery and the human desire to pursue beauty, as experienced by an emergency surgeon who enters the cosmetic surgery industry. The title “Downtime” refers to the recovery period after a cosmetic procedure.
Hirase appeared in the drama’s third episode. She later posted on social media a poster for the drama that juxtaposed her appearance before and after plastic surgery. Asked about why she appeared in it, she said, “I appeared in it based on my own experience with plastic surgery.”
Hirase first drew attention by posting photos of her face and details of her plastic surgery on social media. What had a greater influence on her decision to undergo plastic surgery than her friends’ teasing was the verbal abuse she heard from her parents.
The things she heard from her mother as a child remained a source of pain for a long time. Hirase revealed that her mother had verbally abused her, saying, “I should never have given birth to you.” She was also teased at school about her appearance and the way her teeth were arranged. Her classmates mocked her, saying, “You look like a fish” and “Putting on makeup is a waste of time.”
Hirase wanted to regain confidence in her appearance and decided to undergo plastic surgery. To pay for the procedures, she worked various part-time jobs from the age of 16, including at a moving company and as a night security guard. At 19, she had her first double-eyelid surgery. She continued to undergo plastic surgery several more times afterward.
She underwent around 20 plastic surgery procedures, with the cost alone reaching 27.5 million yen (about 230 million won).
The surgical process was not without complications. She suffered serious aftereffects, including after undergoing surgery to shave down her facial bones. After gaining confidence from her changed appearance, Hirase created a social media account.
Her social media account documented more than a decade of change, from her elementary-school years, when she was teased for her appearance, to the present. She also did not hide the pain and recovery process she experienced after plastic surgery. By sharing these experiences, Hirase raised her profile, later working as a model and going on to run a beauty business.
She also spoke about how her daily life had changed after plastic surgery. Hirase said, “When I had my picture taken, people told me, ‘You’re cute’—something I had never heard before,” adding, “After plastic surgery, not only my appearance but also my mindset changed 180 degrees.”
Speaking about her life now, she said, “I’ve been hurt a lot, but now I’m loved and living happily.”


[email protected] Han Seung-gon Reporter