Japanese rock band Dragon Ash announced via its official social media accounts on July 21 that drummer Makoto Sakurai (櫻井誠), 47, has been discharged from the hospital following treatment for angina pectoris and is set to resume band activities.
According to the announcement, Sakurai will return to the stage at a music festival the band is scheduled to perform at later this month, marking his first live appearance since he stepped away for treatment. The band’s statement noted that his comeback will continue to prioritize his health, saying the drummer will ease back into performing “without overexertion” as he continues to focus on his condition going forward.
Details of when Sakurai’s hospitalization began have not been widely disclosed, but the update confirms he has recovered enough to return to touring and performing with the group.
Who is Makoto Sakurai?
Makoto Sakurai is the drummer of Dragon Ash, a Japanese rock band formed in 1996 that became known for fusing rock, hip-hop, and reggae influences. Fronted by vocalist Kj (Kenji Furuya), Dragon Ash rose to mainstream prominence in the late 1990s and early 2000s with hit songs such as “Grateful Days” and “Fantasista,” and the band remains an influential act in Japan’s rock scene, continuing to release music and tour more than two decades after its debut. Sakurai has been part of the group’s lineup as its drummer, contributing to its distinctive rhythm-driven sound.
What’s Next?
With his discharge confirmed, fans are now looking ahead to Sakurai’s live return at the upcoming festival appearance, where he is expected to rejoin his bandmates on stage for the first time since his hospitalization.
