After a long battle with sickness, Japanese singer-songwriter Sanketsu Shojo Sayuri better known by her stage name Sayuri—passed away on September 20, 2024. Her death has shaken the music industry. She barely was 28 years old. Sayuri, born on June 7, 1996, won listeners with her distinctive voice and moving compositions.
Motivation into Music
Inspired by the rise of the boy band Kanjani Eight—a group of well-known Japanese male idols—Sayuri’s love of music started in sixth grade. Their impact helped her to develop a hobby in guitar playing. Inspired by the words and composition of Kanjani Eight, she started writing her own music by her second year of junior high school.
A sincere announcement
Using X (previously Twitter), her husband, fellow musician Amaarishi, announced her death on September 27. In his heartbreaking message, he thanked Sayuri’s supporters: “I would like to inform everyone who always supports Sayuri. Sayuri passed away on September 20. She died at the age of 28″ he said in a statement. He added, “In addition, the funeral was held only by relatives and related parties according to the wishes of the bereaved family. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kindness to Sayuri during her lifetime, and we would like to pray for her soul to rest in peace with all our hearts.”
Amaarashi added “She battled a chronic illness, therefore she was passionate about music until the very end,” he said. Not much I can say, yet this is a fact beyond doubt.
Battles with health
Sayuri announced her diagnosis of functional dysphonia, a disorder marked by poor voice quality without any obvious anatomical or neurological cause influencing the vocal chord, in July of the previous year. This illness caused her to stop singing, therefore affecting her musical career.
A Continuum of Legacy
Among her most well-known compositions, “Mikazuki” appeared in the anime “Rampo Kitan: Game of Laplace,” and “It’s Like a Small Light” found use in “Erased.” Sayuri’s musical achievements will be remembered, and her legacy will inspire next generations always.
