Ukyou "Kami" Kamimura - February 1, 1973 - "June 21, 1999"

Ukyou "Kami" Kamimura, born February 1, 1973 in Ibaraki, Japan, was best known as the drummer of the visual kei/art rock band Malice Mizer. Though very little is known about his personal life, those who have met him often described him as gentle and kind-hearted, his attitude in interviews often showed him as the shy one, and those who knew him best often described him as crazy and fun, always jumping around and being silly when around those he really trusted (bandmate Kozi even affectionately nicknamed him "Monkey Man").

Kami's first venture into creating his own music was when he was in fifth grade, though it was very brief; he took to playing the drums, and was extremely competitive about it - he was one of three children chosen to play the drums for his school festival and was even asked to help teach the other two. As a professional musician, Kami first wanted to be a guitarist before remembering his amazing talent with - and redeveloping his love for - drums. He was active from 1993 until his death in 1999.

He was known mainly for three things - his talent on drums, naturally; his love for butterflies - he was known to buy anything with a butterfly on it; and his hair, which was kept mainly its natural color with only very slight, gentle changes from a special "hair manicuring" shampoo he always used, and was long enough for him to sit on (though he cut it in 1998 as it got in the way too much - and returned to the stage with dramatic improvement in his drumming). He also had many lesser-known quirks - including a fascination with samurai, and specifically their suicide rituals, a love for some childrens' songs, and well as a habit of buying lottery tickets simply because he was bored (which cost him the equivalent of roughly $2000 in one year).

Ten years ago today he passed away of a subarachnoid hemorrhage - a type of stroke caused by a burst aneurysm - in his sleep at the age of 26. Though no one was around at the time, it is believed by the situations that it was instant; he never even felt a thing. His body was found four days later; the funeral was, strangely, held the same day, attended only by his family and closest friends.

However, in these ten years, I and many others I know have realized something. Though he "died" ten years ago...he is far from "dead." It's all too easy for me to forget that the unfortunate event of ten years even happened - it often feels like he's still here with us, simply for how his influence is still felt.

Personal Thoughts

Here I have gathered personal thoughts from other fans, be them long-time friends of mine or people I've just been fortunate enough to run into. If you have something you'd like to say but didn't get a chance to make it into the article, please comment or note me - a regularly updated index of journals can be found here, and a collection of deviations in honor of Kami can be found here.

"I can't say I know a whole lot about [Kami], but what I do know is that he was a kind, sweet (sometimes crazy, but hey, who isn't?) person, not to mention a excellent drummer.

"It's sad that the world lost such a wonderful person so early, but I can't be sad for him himself. I know that he knew he was loved, and so he must be at peace."

- =Sonikki-Valentine,

"It's unbelievable that so much time has passed, even though I didn't know about him 10 years ago ; ; I do feel as if he's still here, and I am unable to bring myself to be sad ^^ He'd definitely want us to be happy!!

"His existence has brightened my life so much and will continue to do so! ^^ Forever fan!!"

- ~Arvata, [link] and comments

"[Kami's] death taught me something important. Life is short, so you have to try your hardest. If you do the best you can, then, even after you die, you'll continue to impact people."

- =Charexl-chan,

And a few thoughts of my own...

Kami is - not was, but IS a personal hero to me. I shudder to imagine where I'd be if he had never existed - I do know however, that my band would likely be out a drummer, and I would DEFINITELY be out a wonderful inspiration and several wonderful friends. He taught me many things, both in the way he lived his life and in death as well. The unfortunate event a decade ago taught me two important things - the value of looking out for your health, no matter your age...and the fact that there are some things that transcend "death."

I want to live as he did - happy, kind, and embracing all my little quirks - and "die" as he did as well; leaving behind an everlasting impact on others.

Even just in small things his influence can be seen with me, and I'm proud of it. Most notably, his love of butterflies has rubbed off on me more than just a little! Luckily I'm able to resist the gambling!

I hold firm in my belief that he is not truly dead and he never will be - because even though his physical form no longer walks the streets of Japan or performs on stage alongside equally fun people, he still continues to make an impact of some sort on near everyone who hears of him.

Because of him, I realize that being alive isn't just the state of being in a physical body with a beating heart. Being alive is about how you affect those around you. Today, even ten years after his death, he is more "alive" than near anyone else I know.

Kami, thank you for all you've done - for the people you've moved and inspired, for the beautiful music you left us with, and for teaching us so very much about true immortality.

On Prevention

Though I no longer feel sadness for the "loss" of someone who is still with us in so many ways, I still am saddened for the friends and family he left behind...and as such I feel it only appropriate to include an educational section to hopefully prevent other lives from being claimed by the same sudden illness.



The specific condition that took Kami's life, a subarachnoid hemorrhage, is a type of stroke caused when a stretched out, weakened "balloon" in a blood vessel in the brain suddenly ruptures, flooding the area with blood and depriving the brain of oxygen.

There are two main types of strokes - hemorrhagic (caused by bleeding, such as the above) and ischemic (caused by a clot blocking a blood vessel in the brain). Both have many symptoms in common; however a hemorrhagic stroke frequently has symptoms that an ischemic stroke will not.

Symptoms include, but are not limited to:

Severe headache.
Numbness, weakness, or paralysis of the face, arm, or leg, typically on one side of the body.
Trouble seeing in one or both eyes, such as dimness, blurring, double vision, or loss of vision.
Confusion, trouble understanding.
Slurred or garbled speech.
Trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.

Less common symptoms may include:

Pain in the face or half of the body
Mental change status (disorientation, confusion, or loss of consciousness)
Lightheadedness
Headache
General neurological symptoms (such as nausea, hiccups, and weakness)
Non-neurological symptoms (such as chest pain, palpitations, and shortness of breath)

Symptoms if an ischemic stroke are often, but not always, specifically on one side of the body; the side opposite where the blockage occurs. Symptoms of a hemorrhagic stroke may also include nausea and vomiting, neck stiffness, dizziness, seizures, irritability, confusion, and possibly unconsciousness, due to the higher pressure on the brain.

Ordinarily symptoms set on suddenly. However, in the case of ischemic strokes caused by atherosclerosis, symptoms may develop gradually or in steps over the course of several minutes, hours, or even days.

Women are more likely than men to show "nontraditional" or "irregular" symptoms of stroke, especially disorientation, confusion, or loss of consciousness.

Risk factors for stroke include:

Age - the largest risk factor; stroke risk increases as one gets older, nearly doubling for every ten years one lives over 55. However, all of 34% of strokes occur in those UNDER 65, and being young does not guarantee your safety from a stroke (remember, Kami was only 26).
High blood pressure - the biggest controllable risk factor. if you have high blood pressure, talk to your doctor and get it under control - it puts you at increased risk for many serious problems.
High cholesterol
Diabetes - due to the circulation problems associated with diabetes, the condition doubles your risk of stroke.
Coronary artery disease, which can lead to heart attack and stroke.
Other heart conditions, such as atrial fibrillation, endocarditis, heart valve conditions, patent foramen ovale, or heart failure.
Peripheral arterial disease
Smoking, including secondhand smoke
Physical inactivity
Obesity
Diet with few fruits and vegetables
Excessive sodium consumption (over 2,300 milligrams per day)
Use of some medicines, especially birth control or hormone replacement treatments, steroids, and anticoagulants.
Heavy use of alcohol
Recreational drug use
Race - African-Americans, Native Americans, and Alaskan Natives have a higher risk of stroke than most.
Gender - More men than women have strokes before the age of 75; after 75 women have more strokes. In all age ranges, women are more likely to die of strokes than men.
Family or personal history of stroke

The treatment window for stroke is very small - 4 1/2 hours at most for otherwise healthy individuals - so if you suspect a stroke in yourself or someone around you, call emergency services and get medical help immediately.

This concludes the public service announcement, now for everyone's favorite part...
Features!

For the past few days I have been gathering images relating to Kami and his interests to feature here - ones that I believe he would love, and I hope you do too!

The man...


...and his band...


Tributes!


Kami's loves!

The one everyone knows...butterflies!

Few would expect the kind, peaceful Kami to be fascinated by war, but he did in fact have quite the fascination with the samurai.

he had a particular fascination with Takeda Shingen.

He also had a morbid fascination with seppuku, the suicide ritual of the samurai said to bring honor to death. The process involved the samurai carefully and calmly slitting his stomach and disemboweling himself - so much as flinching was deemed dishonorable. A witness and assistant would then cut off the samurai's head. A gruesome process, indeed...

Another of Kami's lesser-known quirks was his habit of collecting perfume bottles - even though he only ever used four out of his hundreds!