I have a weird request but it’s important

I know Japan really doesn't do obituaries or make deaths public but I just want any confirmation to see if my good friend passed away that lived in Kyoto

His name is Yuichi Saito and the kanji is 斉藤祐一. He was really into music and DJing classic house and disco. I know he spent a long time in the hospital. I just want some confirmation. He was a great person and had an amazing knowledge of music and great record collection.

Thank you and I'm sorry for an odd request. I know it's a long shot