Popular Japanese singer and actor Gackt, who has a strong fan base in Asia and beyond, will suspend his show business activities indefinitely due to a voice disorder, his agency in Tokyo said Wednesday.
Gackt fell seriously ill after returning to Japan from overseas on Aug. 6 and doctors have confirmed that it will be "impossible" for him to pursue work using his voice at this point due to dysphonia, the agency said in a statement.
A chronic neurological disease he was struggling with had worsened to the point of becoming a life-threatening condition and he had lost about 10 kilograms in weight, but he has since recovered with his condition being stable now, according to the agency.
"Gackt plans to focus on treatment so he can resume his activities" as an artist, it added.
Gackt, known for his luxury lifestyle at home and abroad, starred in the 2019 award-winning comedy film "Tonde Saitama" (Fly Me to the Saitama) that takes on the city-suburb clash between Tokyo and neighboring Saitama Prefecture.
But he will not be able to take part in the shooting of its sequel, according to people close to him.
Gackt, who says he is fluent in several languages including Chinese, English and Korean, has many fans at home and abroad, with over 410,000 people following him on Weibo, China's equivalent of Twitter. He has also been active on YouTube, garnering millions of views.