Shinya, drummer for the rock band LUNA SEA, passed away on February 17th at the age of 56. His funeral has already been held with only close relatives, and a separate event will be held to say goodbye to his fans.
Born on January 13, 1970 in Hadano, Kanagawa Prefecture, he has been active as the drummer for LUNA SEA since 1989. In addition to working as a solo artist, he also gained popularity by appearing on variety shows, thanks to his friendly personality. He is married to former Morning Musume member Aya Ishiguro, and has three children.
In 2020, he was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer, and in 2025, he was also diagnosed with a brain tumor, and continued to fight the illness, undergoing seven surgeries.
◇Comments from members
To everyone,
LUNA SEA's irreplaceable drummer, Shinya, passed away at 6:16 pm on February 17, 2026.
In 2020, he was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer, and last year he was also diagnosed with a brain tumor.He underwent seven surgeries and continued treatment, but his 56-year life came to an end.
He continued his intensive rehabilitation and was aiming to play drums at a live show in March, but his condition suddenly worsened and he passed away far too soon.
During her lifetime, Maya had more faith than anyone in the group's recovery, saying, "We will definitely return to the stage as a group of five," and fought against her illness.
Her indomitable spirit and sunny smile that never faded until the very end were a ray of hope for all of us members and staff.
The soulful beats he has been creating for over 35 years, and his deep love for music, will never cease to ring in the story of LUNA SEA.
We would like to express our deepest gratitude to all the fans who have warmly supported Maya up until now.
The funeral was held only with close relatives, in accordance with the wishes of the family.
We plan to hold another event at a later date where fans can say goodbye together.
We will provide details as soon as they are decided.
For now, we would appreciate it if you could join us in praying for Maya's soul to rest in peace.
February 23, 2026
RYUICHI, SUGIZO, INORAN, J/LUNA SEA
