Luna Sea drummer Shinya Yamada dies at 56

Shinya Yamada, the drummer of '90s Japanese rock band Luna Sea, has died at the age of 56.

He is survived by his wife Aya Ishiguro - formerly in the Japanese girl group Morning Musume - and three children.

Luna Sea members Ryuichi Kawamura, Kiyonobu Inoue (also known as Inoran) Yune Sugihara (Sugizo) and Jun Onose (J) broke the news on their official website with a post titled In Memory of Shinya yesterday (Feb 22): "It is with a heavy heart and profound grief that we announce the passing of Shinya, the eternal heartbeat and drummer of Luna Sea.

"He peacefully departed his life at 6.16pm (5.16pm Singapore time) on Feb 17, 2026."

They added that Shinya had been battling stage four colorectal cancer since 2020 and a brain tumour which was diagnosed last year.

He went through seven surgeries and "relentless treatment", they said, adding that Shinya was committed to rehabilitation as he wanted to perform with the band at their concert next month.

They continued: "His sudden departure has left a void that words cannot fill. Shinya believed more strongly than anyone that 'the five of us will return to the stage once more.' Even in the face of his greatest trials, his faith never wavered. His unyielding spirit and his radiant, sun-like smile had been a source of hope for his fellow band members and our entire staff."

Luna Sea also shared that his funeral was held privately with close relatives, according to his family's wishes.

They plan to create an opportunity in the near future for fans to gather and offer their final farewells. Details will be shared once finalised.

Luna Sea was formed in 1986 and released their self-titled debut album in 1991. The members also released solo music such as Shinya's 1997 album No Sticks.

Their last album, Cross, was released in December 2019 during their 30th anniversary and they will be holding a concert at Ariake Arena in Tokyo on March 12 this year.

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syarifahsn@asiaone.com