Ujihara Wataru, the vocalist and guitarist of Japanese rock band DOES, has revealed that he can no longer play the guitar after being diagnosed with ulnar nerve disorder, announcing that the band’s upcoming live shows will go on with a support guitarist while he continues to sing.
The band’s official account announced the diagnosis on October 17, and Wataru published a lengthy personal statement the same day to explain his condition directly to fans.
“I have something important to tell my beloved fans. I can no longer move the fingers of my left hand freely,” he wrote. He explained that numbness and paralysis in his ring and little fingers appeared suddenly, not long after the band wrapped its 20th anniversary concert. “I thought it was the kind of numbness anyone can experience in daily life and that it would get better soon, but the symptoms did not go away,” he said. A visit to a hand specialist led to the diagnosis of ulnar nerve disorder.
Wataru stressed that not all of his fingers are affected — his thumb, index, and middle fingers still move, so he can manage daily life — but the numbness in his ring and little fingers makes the delicate finger work required for guitar playing nearly impossible.
He also shared the expected road to recovery: “I was told recovery takes about three to six months. But I also heard that whether one can fully return to their original state varies from person to person.” Judging that he could not recover in time for the band’s upcoming shows, he decided after discussions with his agency to take the stage with a support guitarist.
“I can’t play the guitar, but I can still sing,” he said, adding that he will do everything he can in rehabilitation, daily life, and musical activities so that he can sing while playing the guitar again.
Born in 1977, Wataru serves as DOES’s vocalist and guitarist. The band made its major debut in 2006 with the single “Ashita wa Kuruka” and went on to win wide love for its songs “Shura” and “Danten,” featured in the hit anime “Gintama.”
The band’s live shows will proceed as scheduled with a support guitarist joining Wataru on stage. No official statement was available on whether any dates would be postponed.
