Japanese singer Sayuri’s cause of death, confirmed

On September 27, anime fans received the heartbreaking news that Sayuri, known for lending her voice to the theme songs of Lycoris Recoil, My Hero Academia, and Erased, had passed away a week earlier. Sayuri died unexpectedly on September 20, at just 28 years old.

Unfortunately, in every single medium, there are moments when we must say goodbye to our favorite creators. Admittedly, though, no one is ever truly prepared for such sudden farewells — especially when someone as young as Sayuri leaves us. The devastating news was shared by her husband, who, in a heartfelt letter on X, informed millions of fans worldwide who had cherished Sayuri’s voice for years of her passing. This is what happened.

How did Sayuri die?

According to her husband, Amaarashi, one-half of the J-pop duo Misekai, Sayuri passed away at the age of 28 after battling a chronic illness. “To everyone who has always supported Sayuri, we would like to respectfully inform you of the following: Sayuri passed away on September 20th. She was 28 years old,” the letter on X read.

“Per her family’s wishes, the funeral was held privately, with only family members and close friends in attendance,” Amaterashi continued. “We would like to express our sincere gratitude for the kindness shown to Sayuri during her lifetime, and together with everyone, we would like to pray for her soul to rest in peace.” In the announcement, he also requested that the media refrain from interviewing family and friends, out of respect for Sayuri and her loved ones.

Although the letter did not disclose the specific illness that affected Sayuri, fans were aware that she had been struggling with her health for some time — though the severity of her condition was unimaginable. In July, the 28-year-old candidly revealed she had been battling functional dysphonia, per Crunchyroll. It is a rare voice disorder characterized by abnormal vocal function, not caused by structural or neurological damage to the vocal cords. Due to this condition, Sayuri had been on an indefinite hiatus from music.

Sayuri’s career began in 2015 when she held her first concert, “Yoake no Shitaku,” at Tsutaya O-East in Tokyo. Later that year, she released her debut single, “Mikazuki,” which became the ending theme for Rampo Kitan: Game of Laplace. Her success was so immense that her debut single marked the start of her influence in the anime world. Just a year after her debut, in 2016, she performed “Sore wa Chiisana Hikari no Youna,” the ending theme for the anime Erased.

In 2017, Sayuri released her fifth single, “Parallel Line,” which was chosen as the ending theme for both the anime and live-action adaptations of Scum’s Wish. This marked her first Japanese drama ending theme. Her momentum continued as her sixth single, “Tsuki to Hanataba,” became the ending theme for the anime Fate/Extra Last Encore.

Perhaps her two biggest achievements came later. In 2019, her song “The Song of the Voyage” was selected as the ending theme for My Hero Academia season 4, and in 2022, her single “Tower of Flower” became the ending theme for the anime series Lycoris Recoil — a song many fans look back on with nostalgia and love. It was her final single before she released her last album and began her hiatus.

Sayuri is survived by her husband and her family.