Atsushi Sakurai

Originally, Sakurai was the drummer for Buck-Tick.[2] When the members graduated high school and moved to Tokyo, Sakurai was the only one left in Gunma Prefecture. He then asked Toll Yagami if he could be the singer for his band SP, but was declined. Ironically, he ended up switching to vocalist of Buck-Tick, after the band fired Araki, and Toll became their drummer.[2]

Buck-Tick released their major label debut album Sexual XXXXX! through Victor Entertainment in 1987.[3] Their 1988 single "Just One More Kiss" marked their breakthrough when it reached number six on the Oricon Singles Chart.[4] The following year, their fourth studio album Taboo reached number one and they performed at the Tokyo Dome for the first time.[3][4] In 1990, the single "Aku no Hana" and the album of the same name each reached number one on their respective charts.[4] Buck-Tick continued their success for more than 30 years, as nearly all of their subsequent albums have reached the top ten on the Oricon chart. This includes 2023's Izora, their twenty-third studio album and last with Sakurai.

Sakurai's last name was originally written with the first kanji as "桜" ("sakura"), but when his mother died in 1990 he changed it to "櫻", the older version. He also wrote "Long Distance Call" about his mother's death. Sakurai married Buck-Tick's stylist in 1991. They had one son, Akutagawa Prize-winning author Haruka Tono, before divorcing a year later.[5][6] He married again in June 2004.[7]

On December 9, 2018, Sakurai was visibly unwell during Buck Tick's concert at Zepp DiverCity, but he insisted on finishing the performance. After the concert, he was diagnosed with gastrointestinal bleeding and subsequent shows had to be postponed for his treatment.[8]

Outside of Buck-Tick, Sakurai appears on Der Zibet's albums Shishunki II (1991) and Kaikoteki Mirai - Nostalgic Future (2010),[9] Der Zibet vocalist Issay's album Flowers (1994), PIG's Wrecked (1996), and Masami Tsuchiya's Mori no Hito ~Forest People~ (1998).[10]

Sakurai collaborated with Clan of Xymox on the song "Yokan" for the 1992 omnibus Dance 2 Noise 002. In 2004, he released his first solo album Ai no Wakusei (愛の惑星, "Planet of Love"), which featured tracks composed by musicians such as Wayne Hussey (The Sisters of Mercy), J. G. Thirlwell (Foetus), Cube Juice, My Way My Love, Raymond Watts, Cloudchair (Jake of Guniw Tools), Masami Tsuchiya.[11]

2004 also saw his acting debut, with the starring role in Ryuhei Kitamura's short film Longinus.[12] He released a book of his poetry and lyrics called Yasou (夜想, "Nocturne") in 2004.[11]

Sakurai contributed to Chiaki Kuriyama's debut album Circus (2011).[13]

In 2015, he announced the formation of his second solo project, a band called the Mortal.[14] The group consisted of guitarist Jake Cloudchair, guitarist Yukio Murata (My Way My Love), bassist Ken Miyo (M-Age) and drummer Takahito Akiyama (Downy). The mini album Spirit was released on October 14 and they played a three date tour in November.[15] The full-length album I am Mortal was released on November 11, 2015.

Sakurai was the narrator of the 2018 anime film Neko Ki Kaku.[16] He contributed to Ringo Sheena's 2019 album Sandokushi by singing the song "Kakeochi-mono" with her as a duet.[17]

Sakurai died after cutting short a concert at KT Zepp Yokohama.

On October 19, 2023, during a Buck-Tick concert at KT Zepp Yokohama in Yokohama, Japan, that was exclusively for members of their fan club, Sakurai was rushed to a hospital due to sudden signs of illness, abruptly ending the performance.[18][19] According to attendees, he was visibly unwell during the first song, sat down to perform the second, and was then escorted off stage by staff after the third song.[18] He died at the hospital at 11:09 p.m. that night, at the age of 57.[18][20] The cause of death was revealed to be a brainstem hemorrhage.[18][20] A private funeral, attended by close friends and family, was held in the following days.[19][20] His death was announced by the band on October 24.[18][21]

Sports Nippon described Sakurai as a "charismatic figure who led the rock world of the 1980s".[22] The Mainichi Shimbun wrote that Sakurai was known for his handsome appearance and unique singing voice.[20] Several musicians publicly expressed their condolences over his death, including Tomoyasu Hotei, Sugizo, Gackt, Daigo, and Diamond Yukai.[22][23] Izam said he had admired Sakurai since his school days, and related how when he first met him, "it felt as if I had touched a god".[22] Show Ayanocozey remarked, "he was a true rock hero who lived on stage until the very end, and was in the spotlight right up to the moment of his death. Who else has done such a thing?"[24]

In 2011, Japanese rock music critics writing for Metropolis included Sakurai in their Pantheon of Japanese Rock Gods.[25] According to Shweta Basu, the musician's good looks and "aloof and dangerous aura" inspired many fictional characters, most notably the rock singer Kouji Nanjo in the manga series Zetsuai 1989.[26] Manga artist Ami Shibata, creator of Papuwa and Jibaku-kun, admitted she modeled several of her characters in his image.[22] Dir En Grey vocalist Kyo was inspired to become a rock star after seeing a picture of Sakurai on the desk of a junior high school classmate.[27]