Babymetal have confirmed that their Kami Band guitarist Mikio Fujioka has died at the age of 36.
The band posted a message on Twitter which reads: “The ‘Little’ Guitar Kami of Babymetal’s Kami Band has passed away in the metal galaxies.
“We hope that he is now with his guitar master Allan Holdsworth and enjoying an epic guitar session with him.”
Using Fujioka’s Twitter feed, his wife gave further details, reporting that he accidentally fell from an observation deck while star watching on December 30 and passed away in hospital on January 5 due to his injuries.
His wife added: “We are fortunate to have fans and people concerned. I hope you will continue to love him. Thank you.”
Fujioka was also a lecturer at a Japanese music school and published more than 10 guitar textbooks.