He died on October 19, from a hemorrhage in the brain, at 57. A private funeral was held, and only close relatives attended. More info here.
Huge loss to the scene. Rest in peace.
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rest in peace king you will be sorely missed
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This is so sudden, he was one of the OGs of vk and japanese rock, fuck… 
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Rest in peace
Legendary ever!
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Oh my. Oh my god … Rest in peace king. What a terrible year.
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I am in shock and disbelief. My dream was to see them live.
I don’t have the words, I just don’t have the words. A huge inspiration to me. He actually motivated me in so many ways that there is no point in mentioning here.
I cannot comprehend this.
I cannot believe that I am writing this, but may he rest, may his beautiful soul rest in peace.
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Feels like a fever dream…
Rest in peace beloved Aachan! 
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I’m not really sure what to say. What awful news.
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This is the most terrible news to wake up to today morning… I still can’t believe it. I’ve been listening to B-T my whole adult life and then some. One of his music videos was my first exposure to J-rock/VK. This is going to be weird to process.
Seems like he sang the first 2 songs on 10/19 night but by the 3rd one it was apparent that he was very unwell, so staff rushed him to the hospital. What a way to go, and so young too.
This year is just full of tragedy.
R.I.P.
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I am speechless(
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he passed away on 19th, wikipedia and the website announcement have the correct date
this is a terrible, heartbreaking loss.
he leaves behind a legacy that a lot of both younger and older scene veterans can only dream of achieving, and it still feels like he could have done a lot more; this generation of artists in particular has a lot to learn from him tbh.
I still can’t believe this has really happened, even if the signs he wasn’t doing well were around for a few years.
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A few days ago I was listening to my favorite track of his (Hyper Love). I didn’t expect it and as the news says, I was at concerts not long ago. It has hurt me a lot and I am somewhat in shock. This is a big shock to the scene.
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May he rest in peace. What a tragic loss, and he wasn’t even that old, it’s so sad 
I’m speechless.
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Absolutely devastated. Aachan meant so fucking much to my fiance and I. I can’t believe it…
I dreamed of seeing him live and now. Well.
If anything remotely positive can be said, he died doing what he loved. New album out this year, putting on shows for his fans.
He’ll definitely be missed. It hurts so bad y’all.
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Yes. It’s almost unbelievable, very unexpected. I’m gutted.
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I can’t fucking process this right now…
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HERE WAS AN ARTICLE REGARDING WHAT HAPPENED TO MAESTRO:warning:
Atsushi Sakurai (57), the lead singer of the rock band “BUCK-TICK”, complained of not feeling well during a performance in Yokohama on the 19th, and there was an accident that caused the performance to be cancelled.
The official website announced on the same day that the same performance on the 20th would also be postponed.
This day is a live concert exclusively for fan club members.
According to a fan (44) who attended the performance, when she finished singing the first song, “SCARECROW”, she tripped and fell down the stairs of the stage. He regained his balance and sang the third song, but then called a staff member and talked to him for a few minutes before disappearing backstage, leaning on his shoulder as he walked. There was applause from the audience, such as “Acchan” and “Sakurai-san.” After a while, an announcement was made at the venue saying, “Today’s performance will be interrupted here,” but there was no confusion or booing from the audience. The woman wished him a speedy recovery and said, “I hope you get some rest and I want to see you again when you are healthy.” An ambulance arrived at the scene.
His record company explained the situation saying, “He was conscious, but we took precautions and transported him to the hospital.”
The official website apologized for the cancellation of the two performances and said, “We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and concern we have caused. We will keep you updated on future performances.”
fuente:
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Reality only started to sink in when I read Imai’s message on Instagram. Hell. At least he was performing until his last day.
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To have someone so influential pass away so quickly is a huge loss. 57 isn’t even that old. I hope his family and friends and bandmembers have support systems around.
Rest in peace, his legacy will live on.
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Terrible loss. He had such a beautiful and unique voice. Incredible talent.
What in the hell is going on this year? People are always going to pass, but so many big names dying in their 50s~60s over the past few months. Was just randomly listening to Sweet Strange Live Disc earlier too when I woke up and was browsing news and checking email and stuff.
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